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NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear power has long been one of the staples of
science fiction. In the 1940s and 1950s, nuclear energy
was seen as a great evil whose only application was
warfare, due to the incredible amounts of energy
released in the nuclear bombings of World War II.
However, in the 1970s successful implementation of
nuclear power plants changed the way that people viewed
nuclear power. There is currently cautious optimism
regarding the use of nuclear power, provided acceptable
levels of safety are maintained.
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There are two basic types of nuclear power: fusion and
fission. Fission power is the type in use today. A heavy
nuclear fuel, typically uranium, is broken apart by
high-speed particles, creating smaller fragments, which
break other nearby particles, and large amounts of
energy are released. Fusion power is the type of energy
generation found on the sun and other stars. Two light
atoms, such as hydrogen atoms, are smashed together and
fuse, resulting in a new heavier helium atom and
releasing even larger amounts of energy. Currently,
fusion power is still in development, though it is the
Holy Grail for thousands of scientists worldwide.
Specifically, fusion power requires such high
temperatures that more energy is required than is
produced; the focus of research is on the search for
cold-fusion alternatives.
Nuclear fission power is normally quite clean during
use, especially when compared to coal or oil. Like other
forms of generation, the heat from the nuclear reaction
is used to convert water into steam, which then turns a
turbine to generate electricity. In most cases, the
primary trouble with fission power is containing the
excess energy, rather than generating enough energy. It
also uses a very small amount of fuel; a typical
comparison is one pound of uranium produces the same
quantity of energy as three million pounds of coal.
However, fusion power is generally seen as the more
desirable of the nuclear options for several reasons.
First, the fuel (hydrogen) is the most abundant element
in the universe, and is essentially limitless; on the
other hand, fission currently requires the use of
uranium 235, which is more expensive and limited in
supply. Second, fusion is much cleaner than fission in
theory, because there is no waste product except helium
(and slight traces of other benign elements). Third,
though there are different fuel options for each model
that could change the relative outputs, the fission of
uranium converts .1% of its mass to energy, compared to
.7% for hydrogen fusion.
Several notable disasters have damaged the public
perception of nuclear power, most famously at Chernobyl
in the former Soviet Union, and at Three Mile Island in
the United States. Even without these catastrophic
accidents, nuclear energy implies severe environmental
alterations. Uranium mining often damages large areas of
habitat, and disposal of the highly toxic waste product
is a problem that has never been realistically solved.
Currently, burying waste in a mountain or landfill is
the best solution, which clearly does not have long-term
viability. Additionally, several power plants,
particularly in the Caucus Mountain region, are built on
active seismic zones; experts cite Armenia as the site
of a potentially catastrophic nuclear disaster should an
earthquake strike the area again.
Of course, all of these short-comings apply primarily to
fission power; fusion power is actually the truly
sustainable nuclear option. There is enough nuclear
power in a mug of water to power New York for four
years, or, seen another way, enough hydrogen in the
oceans to last for eighty million years at current power
consumption levels. Of course, should it be
required,there is also hydrogen available in space. With
little waste product, fusion is one of the greenest of
the sustainable energy models.
Published by Carol Foss - in the hope that it will make
a difference, however small. |
