Introduction
Nuclear energy is a type of power acquired during the fission process when the uranium atoms split (MacFarlane, 2010). This is the best type of energy that can replace all the other fossils like gas, coal and oil, especially at a time when there are significant concerns regarding climate change and the depletion of natural resources. In the recent times, there have been plans to do away with the fossil energies to protect the environment. Unlike these fossils’ energy, nuclear energy does not produce carbon dioxide or any other dangerous gas while on use (MacFarlane, 2010). Among the main advantages of nuclear energy is that it is clean, safe, reliable, competitive, compact, and inexhaustible. These advantages over the other energies make it the most preferred for environmental safety. This paper discusses the reasons why nuclear energy is the most preferred for the today’s environment. Moreover, the paper highlights the main advantages of using nuclear energy over the others and concludes that nuclear energy contributes to the global solution.
The world is on mission to find a global solution for energy. The main reason that leads to this is the need to keep the environment safe for human beings and all the other living things. Arguably, sources of energy have played huge role in polluting the environment in different ways. The notable fossil energy that pollutes the environment comprises of coal, gas and oil. All of these sources of energy pollute the air since they omit carbon dioxide, which results in global warming. Additionally, oil pollutes the land during mining. Regarding all these negative effects to the environment, there is the need to find solution for energy. The best energy solution advocated for in this paper is nuclear energy.
The Advantages of Nuclear Energy
There are several advantages of using the nuclear energy compared to other sources of energy. These advantages are the ones that make it a solution for energy in the world. First, nuclear energy is safe. According to studies, for over half a century they only reported two incidences regarding nuclear operations. The worst incidence occurred at Pennsylvania, the United States. Apart from that, there is no other reported accident concerning the nuclear extraction. This is unlike the extraction of oil, coal and gas, which are prone to spills and explosions. These other sources of energy record highest reports of accidents at least every year. This is the reason why nuclear energy seems to be the safest source of energy and, thus, the safest global solution for energy.
Second, the cost of nuclear energy is competitive. This implies that the cost of atomic power is stable and competitive in comparison to the other sources of energy. The price of nuclear always remains stable in the market and is competitive unlike the others such as oil, which is extremely volatile. Volatility of the oil prices has resulted in significant ramifications regarding the global geopolitical environment (MacFarlane, 2010). Stability is ideal for any source of energy since that enables the people and companies to afford. The shifts in prices of sources of energy cause instability and the price eventually shoots up. This is dangerous for the economy of the country as it poses detrimental effects on poor economies (MacFarlane, 2010). Regarding that, it is recommended to use nuclear energy to ensure stability in the global economy as well as the economy of individual countries. This makes the nuclear energy the best solution for energy in the world.
Third, nuclear energy is inexhaustible in comparison to oil and other sources of energy embraced today. The source of nuclear energy, which is uranium, is found almost everywhere on earth. This makes it abundant and inexhaustible unlike the others. MacFarlane (2010) opines that in most parts of the world where discovery of oil was many years ago, they have exhausted the deposits and are now moving to new grounds, such as deep seas. However, nuclear energy is in abundance, which implies that it is the most sustainable form of energy that is likely to last for generations to come without being depleted. This makes it the best solution for global energy.
Moreover, nuclear energy is environmental friendly. There is no doubt that oil and coal as sources of energy cause extreme pollution to the environment. During oil extraction, huge trenches have to be dug in order to reach the oil layer. In case oil is found, there is the risk of oil spills, such as BP oil spill, which affected the biodiversity of ocean life (MacFarlane, 2010). In addition, fossil energy sources produce carbon dioxide that is unhealthy for the environment. Inhalation of carbon dioxide is dangerous to the lungs and this affects the people who live near the mining centers. In this regard, nuclear energy has the prospect of saving the natural environment (MacFarlane, 2010).
Furthermore, the nuclear energy power station is compact. This implies that the amount of space needed to set up the station is small in comparison to the mining fields for other sources of energy. This makes nuclear energy reliable source of energy since there is saving of much land when used instead of the other fossils’ sources (MacFarlane, 2010).
Conclusion
In conclusion, nuclear energy is source of power acquired during a process known as fission. Arguably, nuclear energy is the best global solution for energy given that it has numerous advantages over the other sources of energy. The common sources of energy comparable to nuclear energy include coal, oil and gas. For this reason, nuclear energy is competitive. This implies that the cost of nuclear is stable and competitive in comparison to the other sources of energy. This is ideal for the economy of the countries and the world as a whole. Additionally, nuclear energy is inexhaustible in comparison to oil and other sources of energy embraced today. The source of nuclear energy, which is uranium, is found almost everywhere on earth. All these advantages make it the best solution for energy in the world.