by: christopher kemple, alex madaya, patrick verrastro, and heather shutt
TRANSCRIPT
By: Christopher Kemple, Alex Madaya, Patrick Verrastro, and
Heather Shutt
Against Nuclear Power For Nuclear Power
A compromised reactor core can be dangerous
Meltdowns can be fatal!
Radiation leaks can cause death to people in the community
The safety precautions are very expensive
Nuclear Power is not renewable Uranium
But there are precautions that prevent reactors from becoming compromised
But… Nuclear Power is one of the safest energy forms 10-50 thousand people die
each year from Respiratory disease
300 are killed in mining accidents
No Americans have seriously been injured or killed from Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power is sustainable
http://members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/procon.htm
In the 1990’s Nuclear Power was the fastest growing energy source In 2005 it was the slowest!
http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/nuclear.htm#adv
http://photoblog.dralzheimer.stylesyndication.de/images/nuclear_power_plant_cattenom_by_dralzheimer.jpg
Located near Harrisburg Was classified as a partial meltdown The facility did not have enough coolant
to supply the core. The radioactive mass never made it
past the steel outlining in the containment structure
The special concrete put in as an added precaution gave the workers at Three Mile Island enough time to stop the disaster.
http://members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/procon.htm
http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2009/0903/3mile_island_0326.jpg
Located in the Ukraine In 1986 the worst case disaster took
place A fire destroyed the casing of the core
Released radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere Death toll
31 died initially15,000 died later as the result of the radiation
http://members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/procon.htm
http://www.tynevalley-ccl.org/images/Ucraina,%20Chernobyl%20Il%20Sarcofago.jpg
http://www.tynevalley-ccl.org/images/Chernobyl-Openpit.jpg
Waste DisposalThe byproduct of fission remains radioactive Storage facilities are not sufficient to store
the world’s nuclear wasteTransportation of the waste can be risky
RadiationCan cause cancer, radiation sickness, and
genetic mutation
http://members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/procon.htm
Nuclear Power is not renewable It is sustainable but the Uranium needed
to power nuclear plants in limitedSimilar to the issue related with fossil fuels.The reality=nuclear power is clean
And the power plants don’t require huge amounts of uranium.
It seems like a viable option as an alternative form of energy.
http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/rad-health-effects.html
Radiation is naturally present in our environment
It is artificially produced by X-rays and by Microwaves
Humans have defense mechanism against many types of damage caused by radiation Our bodies are not helpless The effects radiation can have on our bodies
It can injure of damage cells Cells can die Cells can incorrectly repair
http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/rad-health-effects.html
Radiation doses of 200 rems can cause radiation sicknessOnly if we receive a large amount all at
once If we used nuclear power we would only
receive an extra 2/10 of a millarem each year
Even if there was an accident there are safety precautions taken to ensure the safety of the surrounding community
http://members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/procon.htm
The pressure vessel is surrounded by a thick concrete wall
This is inside of a sealed steel containment structure
Which is inside of a steel reinforce concrete dome that is 4 feet thick
There are sensors on the dome to detect changes in radiation and humidity
http://members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/procon.htm
http://www.nei.org/filefolder/safety_cutway.jpg
Public demand for safety precautions are on the rise.
The nuclear fuel cycle is a popular target for terrorists
It can also be a pathway leading to nuclear weapons
Storing nuclear waste is problematic, and the storage facilities the U.S. has are being filled
International demand for nuclear energy is growing dramatically.
http://www.sandia.gov/ERN/nuclear-energy/index.html
The U.S. government needs to deal with a broad range of threats to the public.
These security concepts are not limited to U.S. soil but need to be global in nature.
With the heightened fear of terrorism in the United States the government needs to ensure people that there is limited danger in order to develop nuclear power.
http://www.sandia.gov/ERN/nuclear-energy/index.html
Since the Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima people have been afraid of what nuclear power could lead to
Over 10,000 people were killed in Hiroshima
Many countries have nuclear weaponsEx) the US and Russia
Many are working on developing themN. Korea, S. Africa, India, Iran, Iraq…
http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_politics.html
Reactors produce radioactive wasteWhich is dangerous
because it can kill humans who come into contact with this waste
The U.S. plans to move its nuclear waste to an underground storage facility in the year 2010
http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_politics.html
http://www.freewebs.com/hoseo_environmental_club/Rad-symbol%20(Big).JPG
England is already dependent on nuclear power
Japan will soon be dependent upon Nuclear Energy
The U.S. has a total of 110 nuclear reactorsNuclear power has to potential to supply the
U.S.’s energy needs
Water Consumption The harvesting of Uranium can consume
large amounts of water For example, the Roxby Downs mine in
South Australia uses 35 million liters of water each day
Waste HeatThe heated water from cooling down the
rods is discharged into a local river or lake. In some cases this heat increase can effect
the behavior of fish and aquatic life.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
Other wasteOther waste, such as gas, liquid, and solid
waste produced through the process of purifying the water through evaporation.
High Level WasteThe waste from a power plant still contains
radiation and can be harmful to the environment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
Severe environmental contamination is possible when a nuclear accident occurs.
The Chernobyl accident released large amounts of radioactive contamination, killing many and rendering an area of land unusable to humans for an indeterminate period.
The habitability of the area for animals, however, has been less clear.
Some researchers have claimed to have detected reduced numbers of insects and spiders, while others have claimed that wildlife has flourished due to the absence of humans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
Very few political problems regarding nuclear power exist.
The main being that a nuclear power plant makes a prime target for a terrorist attack as a meltdown would create large scale damage.
2007 14% of electricity of world power came from nuclear power
Development increased from 1960 to about 1985 production increased then leveled off
A clean reliable energy source to use but start up costs are a lot 6-10 billion, most efficient way would just run the power plant as long as possible and possible add onto the power plant
USA's nuclear power plants are already about 98% efficient
Most countries cant afford to get enough funding to set up a power plant in an ideal location
Nuclear waste disposal is a current problem now
Safely transporting waste to locations can cause problems
Mining it can be costly and can hurt the environment by extracting uranium from underground
Would be helpful in the long run but the cost to build and operate would be a problem
Like developed countries waste disposal is still a problem
It wouldn't be able to help a place like Africa because of the weak economy
Mining for the Uranium would be a problem for an undeveloped country ; finding where the uranium is and extracting it might be hard
WANO- World Association of Nuclear Operation
-Enormous opportunities to do more work in former communist
countries, such as china, with improving safety.
(www.belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu)
BNFL- British Nuclear Fuels plc
-In charge of material accountancy with Mayak production
association in Europe (www.belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu)
Us Government
-Seeking to strengthen International standards for securing
weapons-usable material, the nuclear industry in many
countries has been actively resisting these needed reforms. (www.belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu)
IAEA-international atomic energy agency
-Helps countries upgrade nuclear safety
-Prepares for responses to emergencies
-Cover nuclear installations, radioactive resources, radioactive
material in transport, and radioactive waste(www.iaea.org)
Euratom- European Atomic Energy Association
-Furthering nuclear fuels, monitoring use of nuclear materials, and
cooperating with other countries and international
organizations.(www.europa.edu)
NRC- U.S. Nuclear regulatory Commission
-Protects health and safety or public.
-Regulates design, construction, and operation of new commercial
nuclear power facilities
-Operating licenses, authorization, and construction permits are required(www.nrc.gov)
U.S. department of energy-National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
-Reduces global danger from weapons of mass destruction
-Promotes international nuclear safety and nonproliferation (www.energy.gov)
WNA- World Nuclear Association
-Insurances are required to cover all expenses , liable for any
damage.(www.energy.gov)
The design life for nuclear power plants is suppose to last 30 to 40 years.
- Most that exist now have been operating for about 20 or more
years.(www.iaea.org)
Many people want to do away with nuclear power. However it is here to stay. (www.energy.gov)