Nuclear energy is the energy released by a nuclear reaction, either through fission or fusion. This process could be extremely helpful with the problem of lessening fossil fuels. When looking at nuclear energy, there are many positives involved.

The first positive is safety. Safety is both a pro and con, depending on which way you see it. The results of a compromised reactor core can be disastrous, but the precautions that prevent this from happening prevent it well. Nuclear power is one the safest methods of producing energy. Each year,

The last positive reason for nuclear energy is its reliability. Nuclear power plants need little fuel, so they are less vulnerable to shortages because of strikes or natural disasters. International relations will have little effect on the supply of fuel to the reactors because uranium is evenly deposited around the globe. One disadvantage of uranium mining is that it leaves the residues from chemical processing of the ore, which leads to radon exposure to the public. These effects do not outweigh the benefits by the fact that mining uranium out of the ground reduces future radon exposures. Coal burning leaves ashes that will increase future radon exposures. The estimates of radon show that it is safer to use nuclear fuel than burn coal.

3. Energy and Environment: The Policy Challenge. 1992. John Byrne and Daniel Rich, eds. Volume 6 in the Energy and Environmental Policy series. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.

The second would be the lack of pollution. As demand for electricity soars, the pollution produced from fossil fuel-burning plants is heading towards dangerous levels. Coal, gas and oil-burning power plants are already responsible for most of America's air pollution. The world's reserves of fossil fuels are running out. The sulfurous coal which many plants use is more polluting than the coal that was previously used. As more soft coal is used, the amount of pollution will increase. According to estimates, fossil fuels will be burned up within fifty years. There are large reserves of uranium, and new breeder reactors can produce more fuel than they use. Unfortunately this doesn't mean we can have an endless supply of fuel. Uranium and thorium are needed for nuclear energy, so when we run out of these two fuels in about 1000 years, this method will not be useful anymore. This is still a better solution than the burning of co

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