Back to Chemistry
Project Documents
Opening Statement
Thank you. In 2013, according to the World Nuclear Association, the United States produced 789 billion kWh of energy. This is about 20% of the United States energy use. Coal, at 38%, gas at 30% and wind and hydro at about 12%, makes up the rest of the United States energy sources. Through coal production, the coal is burned in a power plant emitting 1,514 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2012. Petroleum and oil prices are on the rise and our dependence on such energy sources has trapped us in conflicts with foreign countries. Currently, wind, hydro and solar are green solutions to our energy crisis, but these energy sources are still highly expensive, each with large, unsolved issues. Wind and solar take up thousands of acres of land but nuclear power plants require little space. As our environment continues to warm up and the carbon dioxide emissions become a forefront issue, we are scrambling to find solutions for our high energy demand. Nuclear energy is a feasible answer to our current predicament.
Uranium, a resource plentiful in the United States, can be used as a long term and relatively clean energy source. In 2011, there was about 200,000 ton of “recoverable uranium” in the United States, according to the World Nuclear Association. We have large quantities of uranium, but the amount that is required to produce energy is incredible small. Mined uranium is compacted into pellets which take up little space, meaning little waste produced. With low quantities of waste, nuclear energy still takes up less space than other energy sources. One pellet produces the same amount of energy as 3 barrels of oil, 1 ton of coal and 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. Just one pellet; about the size of half a baby carrot.
These pellets are put into power rods that are contained in the core of the nuclear reactor. The radiation that is released from these rods creates an immense amount of heat. This boils the water surrounding the core until it turns into steam, which spins turbines to create energy. There is no process that is burning any negative material or releasing any emissions. While radiation can be very dangerous if not monitored appropriately, it is an innovative solution to our current increased demand for energy.
When a nuclear reactor is functioning properly, there is little change in the radiation in the environment. Many citizens are concerned with nuclear power plants, but I assure you all plants operating and following regulations emit an indiscernible amount of radiation in the environment. In fact, we may be exposed to more radiation from natural causes like the sun and technology than a nuclear power plant that is running correctly. Nuclear reactors hire resident monitors to live on site of the power plant to constantly measure the radioactive emissions of the area. They are on site, so as soon as something is awry, they are taking necessary safety precautions to keep the environment safe.
According to the Nuclear Energy Agency, new nuclear power plants will be made with “32 per cent fewer valves, 35 per cent fewer pumps, and 45 per cent less pipe than a traditional Pressurized Water Reactor.” With less small parts, there are fewer areas where some mechanism could break and lead to a system shutdown. The control rods in the core determine the amount of heat the reactor produces. At Fukushima, the tsunami wiped out the power of the plant and the control rods couldn’t be moved, causing the core to overheat and melt down. However, new power plants will be built with a safety feature that is designed to have the control rods drop no matter what the circumstances. The control rods are held up with electromagnetic forces, so even when the power is out they fall in between the power rods to stop the nuclear fission reactions.
The United States needs a reliable, clean source of electricity as we move forward and demand increases. Nuclear energy is a clean source that should be promoted and expanded in the future years of our energy dependent country.
Uranium, a resource plentiful in the United States, can be used as a long term and relatively clean energy source. In 2011, there was about 200,000 ton of “recoverable uranium” in the United States, according to the World Nuclear Association. We have large quantities of uranium, but the amount that is required to produce energy is incredible small. Mined uranium is compacted into pellets which take up little space, meaning little waste produced. With low quantities of waste, nuclear energy still takes up less space than other energy sources. One pellet produces the same amount of energy as 3 barrels of oil, 1 ton of coal and 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. Just one pellet; about the size of half a baby carrot.
These pellets are put into power rods that are contained in the core of the nuclear reactor. The radiation that is released from these rods creates an immense amount of heat. This boils the water surrounding the core until it turns into steam, which spins turbines to create energy. There is no process that is burning any negative material or releasing any emissions. While radiation can be very dangerous if not monitored appropriately, it is an innovative solution to our current increased demand for energy.
When a nuclear reactor is functioning properly, there is little change in the radiation in the environment. Many citizens are concerned with nuclear power plants, but I assure you all plants operating and following regulations emit an indiscernible amount of radiation in the environment. In fact, we may be exposed to more radiation from natural causes like the sun and technology than a nuclear power plant that is running correctly. Nuclear reactors hire resident monitors to live on site of the power plant to constantly measure the radioactive emissions of the area. They are on site, so as soon as something is awry, they are taking necessary safety precautions to keep the environment safe.
According to the Nuclear Energy Agency, new nuclear power plants will be made with “32 per cent fewer valves, 35 per cent fewer pumps, and 45 per cent less pipe than a traditional Pressurized Water Reactor.” With less small parts, there are fewer areas where some mechanism could break and lead to a system shutdown. The control rods in the core determine the amount of heat the reactor produces. At Fukushima, the tsunami wiped out the power of the plant and the control rods couldn’t be moved, causing the core to overheat and melt down. However, new power plants will be built with a safety feature that is designed to have the control rods drop no matter what the circumstances. The control rods are held up with electromagnetic forces, so even when the power is out they fall in between the power rods to stop the nuclear fission reactions.
The United States needs a reliable, clean source of electricity as we move forward and demand increases. Nuclear energy is a clean source that should be promoted and expanded in the future years of our energy dependent country.
Closing Statement
As a country, we need solutions and we need them now. Our energy consumption has trapped us in a cycle of troubleshooting and rethinking our methods. We have found that producing nonrenewable resources not only means abusing a resource that will soon be gone, it also means releasing many toxins into the air. We have found that renewable resources are difficult to harness and, alone, cannot sustain our energy hungry country. We have found that nuclear energy produces masses of energy from small amounts of uranium and the production is clean for the air and surrounding environment.
Nuclear energy safety has increased and now reactors are being built with special precautions to protect the reactor from a meltdown. Nuclear energy fuel, uranium, is domestically found and can be mined and produced with in our country, eliminating our dependence on foreign resources. Nuclear energy is the obvious choice in clean energy. Vote in favor of the motion and help nuclear energy become our future.
Nuclear energy safety has increased and now reactors are being built with special precautions to protect the reactor from a meltdown. Nuclear energy fuel, uranium, is domestically found and can be mined and produced with in our country, eliminating our dependence on foreign resources. Nuclear energy is the obvious choice in clean energy. Vote in favor of the motion and help nuclear energy become our future.