Nuclear Power

The world's natural resources are being consumed at

an alarming rate. As these resources diminish , people will

be seeking alternative sources by which to generate

electricity for heat and light . The only practical short

term solution for the energy-crisis is nuclear power.

Nuclear power, however is not as safe as burning coal, gas

or oil in a factory it is in fact , much more dangerous,

There are dangers associated with a nuclear power plant

which far out weigh the benefits to society as a whole and

in part to the community living and working around the

power plant . About 20 percent of our nation's total

electrical consumption per year is supplied by nuclear power

from the 100 or so nuclear power plants throughout the

country . Even though atomic power has been in use for over

50 years it was primarily a tool of war and destruction when

the war ended need for atomic bombs diminished . The

scientists who created the weapons were out of jobs . They

then turned this destructive power into huge plants

generating "clean and cheap " electricity for the country .

It was called progress. Progress also brought with it

sickness , mutations , cancer and eventually death to those

exposed to high levels of radiation . Government declared

that nuclear power is safe and efficient . Also have big

Oil corporations who have a lot of money invested in nuclear

power and want to see as many plants as possible put into

and kept in operation . The truth is that accidents do

happen at nuclear power plants and at other facilities all

the time . An accident at a nuclear power plant has the

potential to be much more devastating than an accident at a

coal or gas plant because of the radiation that could be

released . An example of this is Three Mile Island in

Pennsylvania where there was a partial core meltdown in

march of 1979 and an "acceptable" amount of radiation

escaped into the atmosphere . However no amount of

radiation is acceptable if released as a result of an

accident at a nuclear power plant .

Is Nuclear Power necessary ?

Today many Americans adopt lifestyles that are based on

energy in-efficient devices . These include large

automobiles and electric appliances that require

electricity from energy-intense industrial processes . The

public is doing all it can to force nuclear power plants

into production by wasting electricity and the resources

which are used to produce it ( coal , oil , gas) and by

failing to recycle . Nuclear power has been promoted

world-wide as economically advantageous and necessary to

replace fossil fuels as the means of energy production in

the 21st century . However this is untrue . There are many

other economically viable and environmentally safe methods

of producing energy .These include solar power ,

hydroelectric power and wind power . Today one fifth of the

world's total energy production either comes from either

wind ,water or solar power . It is estimated that by the

year 2000 forty percent of the world's energy production

will be from sources other than fossil fuels or nuclear

power .It is estimated that to meet , via nuclear power a

quarter of the projected U.S. primary power demand in the

year 2000 that the US would have to order a new nuclear

power plant to be built every five days to compensate for

the irradication of the coal , oil and gas powered plants .

On the other hand if all U. S. nuclear power plants were

shut down now , it would not make any difference at all .

The existing electrical backup systems have reserves of

power that can more than make up for the loss of the nuclear

power plants . The nuclear power plants that are in use

today are no more than large plants serving no purpose at

all and endangering many peoples lives .

Is Nuclear Power worth the risks ?

With any large energy producing facility there are

risks . The risks posed by a nuclear power plant however ,

are far greater than those posed by any other . Meltdowns,

cancer , radiation , mutations and eventually death are all

possible end results of the building of a nuclear power

plant . Meltdown or the explosion of the main reactor