Nuclear Fission: Better Form of Energy Production?.
There are many advantages and disadvantages that come from the use of nuclear power plants as well as coal-burning power plants. Many of the safety concerns that appear are over environmental safety as well as human safety. Both of these power plants produce thermal energy, but that's where the similarities end. Nuclear power plants produce nuclear waste, which is radioactive and remains dangerous for thousands of years. Fossil fuels produce air pollution, which is responsible for acid rain and partly for global warming.
The Nuclear Energy Information website (www.NEI.com) states that nuclear power is less damaging to the environment than coal-burning power plants. Nuclear power plants give off no air pollutants and the only other immediate impact on the environment is through thermal pollution. Nuclear waste, if properly stored, contributes very little to pollution. Coal-burning plants on the other hand produce many air pollutants, which contribute to global warming, acid rain, and smog. These plants also produce thermal pollution. Both of these plants have the potential to harm the environment, but the effects of the coal-burning plants are more visible in the short term. The radioactive waste remains dangerous for many years and is more deadly than air pollution.
The book, Natural Resources Conservation, makes the claim that such plants are more dangerous due to the radiation given off. While it is true that the waste produced by the plant is radioactive and is potentially dangerous, studies have shown that the nuclear power plant gives off less radiation than a coal-burning plant. The radioactive waste material can be disposed of in various locations where future contamination is highly unlikely. The NEI site states that the only downside to this is the lack of future burial sites. Many states have refused to allow the waste into their state, limiting the areas for waste disposal.
