Nuclear Energy and the Use of Nuclear Materials

1

• Nuclear Energy and the Use of Nuclear Materials
• Accompanying Power Point Presentation Material
  for High School
• and Middle School Teachers
• By
• Drs. Raul A. Deju and Harry Babad

2
Chapter 1. Energy
3
What is Energy?

• As world population increases and as societies in
  the world become more advanced, humanity will use
  more energy. Energy is the agent of progress-
  however, we must use it wisely.
• Energy is the capacity to do work.

4
Principal Sources of Energy

• Fossil Fuels- coal, oil, and gas
• Wind Energy
• Solar Energy
• Hydroelectric Power
• Biomass
• Ethanol and Bio-diesel
• Geothermal Energy
• Nuclear Energy
• Tidal Energy
• Fuel Cells

5
Coal is crushed into a powder form and is used to
power a steam boiler which in turn drives an
electric generator.
A coal generating station
6
Oil is extracted from deep in the earth and
transported to refineries where gasoline and
other oilderived products are manufactured.
Gasoline or diesel are the principal products
that are used to fuel cars, trucks, and planes.
Petroleum refinery
7
Characteristics of Fossil Fuels

• Coal, oil, and gas are non-renewable carbon based
  (fossil) fuels.
• Fossil fuels contribute to global warming.
• In the US, coal is the fossil fuel most used for
  electricity production while gasoline derived
  from oil is the preferred fuel of the
  transportation sector.
• Burning coal to produce electricity produces
  sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides
  and particulate matter.
• When producing electricity from fossil fuels the
  power plants must include extensive pollutant
  containment devices. In the future, any coal
  burning plants will need to sequester the carbon
  dioxide emissions.

8
The wind hits the blades of a large turbine and
the resulting energy is converted into
electricity.
A large wind farm
9
Solar cells are used to receive the energy of the
suns rays and transform this energy into
electricity.
Solar Collectors
10
A turbine connected to an electricity generator
converts the energy of flowing or falling water
into mechanical energy. The falling waters
energy needs to be captured generally by building
a dam.
A hydroelectric dam
11
Ethanol plants can use crops such as corn or
sugar or non-crop cellulosic material to produce
an alcohol-based fuel that can be used
principally in the transportation sector to
replace gasoline. Cars that can use an 85
ethanol, (E-85) blend are manufactured today.
Ethanol plant adjacent to a large coal generating
station
12
Nuclear Energy
Side view of a nuclear power plant
Aerial view of a nuclear power plant
13
What about nuclear energy?

• Nuclear energy takes advantage of the enormous
  energy produced when atoms of uranium are
  literally split apart. The resulting energy is
  then used to boil water and produce steam to
  power an electrical turbine.
• Nuclear reactors produce about 20 of the
  electricity in the world today.
• Three nuclear accidents many years ago have
  reshaped the nuclear industry forever to where
  today many consider it the safest industry in the
  world, while still many regard it as something to
  be feared.

14
Other Forms of Energy

• Biomass Plants generally use wood, paper waste,
  agricultural or municipal waste as a source of
  fuel.
• Geothermal energy uses the heat inside the
  earths crust and inside deep hot steam to drive
  turbines to produce electricity.
• Energy can also be drawn from chemical reactions,
  by capturing the energy from tides and in many
  other ways that we are only beginning to think
  about.

15
There is a new and important energy source out
there.

• It is called energy conservation energy
  efficiency.
• We save energy every time we walk and not take a
  car. We also can do things efficiently by
  organizing our activities to minimize energy use.
  
• Every time we save energy we save the planet for
  us and future generations.

16
Energy and Global Warming

• The worst culprits of global warming are
  fossil-fuel-based electricity plants and cars,
  trucks, and planes. They contribute a vast
  amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Nuclear energy and renewable fuels such as wind
  and solar essentially contribute no carbon
  dioxide emissions and effectively save us from
  global warming. Of course, conservation and
  efficiency are best to help us save our
  resources. One must also deal with nuclear waste.

17
Additional Reading Recommended to Supplement
Chapter 1

• Andrew Darvills Science Site Energy Resources
  Home Page
• The site describes all commonly used energy
  sources and their advantages and disadvantages
  from a British teachers point of view.
  http//www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/index.htm
• Alternative Energy BlogSolar-Energy-Wind-Power
• A discussion site about renewable Energy
  alternatives http//alt-e.blogspot.com/
• The Energy Blog
• The Energy Blog is a place where all topics
  relating to The Energy Revolution are presented
  and form the basis for discussion.
  http//thefraserdomain.typepad.com/
• Energy Kids Page Energy Facts
• A good source of basic facts about energy
  alternatives for young people published by the
  U.S. Energy Information Administration
  http//www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/ and
• Scientific Forms of Energy http//www.eia.doe.go
  v/kids/energyfacts/science/formsofenergy.html
• USDOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• The EERE site provides information on the 10 DOE
  technology programs. It is especially useful to
  find out whats going on both in energy, as well
  as transportation. A youth oriented page is also
  available on the site, as is one for teachers.
  http//www.eere.energy.gov/ http//www.eere.energ
  y.gov/kids/ and http//www1.eere.energy.gov/educat
  ion/
• Coal vs. Nuclear, University of Wollong. Article
  on Nuclear Power and Australia)
  http//www.uow.edu.au/eng/phys/nukeweb/reactors_nu
  c_v_coal.html
• Solar vs. Nuclear Energy Exploring the Best
  Options for Hawaii
• By Michael R. Fox Ph.D., 4/4/2007 84214 PM The
  Hawaii Reporter, http//www.hawaiireporter.com/sto
  ry.aspx?80ac913f-6520-43f4-934b-b2c7534b4bf0

18
Chapter 2. Nuclear Energy Production
Nuclear plant fuel pool
Nuclear plant containment building
19
Nuclear Energy Production

• Nuclear energy is a form of energy that has both
  environmental and economic benefits and problems.
• The uniqueness and complexity of all the
  processes that produce nuclear fuel and use it to
  generate electricity have led to both major
  benefits and social controversy.

20
Nuclear fission produces heat when neutrons are
used to bombard heavy atoms such as Uranium.
Typical fission reaction
21
Nuclear power is produced in reactors. These
include various components principally, nuclear
fuel, moderators, coolants, steam generators,
turbines, condensers, cooling towers and of
course a containment structure.
Typical pressurized water reactor
22
What is in a nuclear reactor?

• Nuclear Fuel- mostly enriched Uranium although
  some reactors use natural Uranium.
• Moderators such as water or heavy water are used
  to control the velocity of fast neutrons and
  therefore moderate nuclear reactions.
• Coolants such as water or heavy water serve to
  absorb and take away the heat from the fission
  reaction.

23
There is More!

• Steam Generators Hot water from a nuclear
  reactor is pumped through a heat exchanger to
  generate high pressure steam.
• Turbine Generators produce electricity derived
  from the steam.
• Control rods are inserted or withdrawn from the
  core of a nuclear reactor to control the rate of
  reaction or even to halt the reaction.

24
and more!

• The condenser removes the heat to convert the
  steam back to water.
• The cooling tower removes the heat to return the
  cooling water to ambient temperature.
• The containment structure protects those outside
  from the effect of radiation exposure in case of
  a malfunction inside and also serve to prevent
  intrusion.

25
The world is heavily dependent on nuclear power
as a source of electricity. About 60 new plants
are in planning or under construction throughout
the world.
Nuclear reactors and net operating capacity in
the world, 1956 to March 2005 (GWe)
26
The front end of the nuclear fuel cycle
identifies the steps that are needed to feed the
fuel to run nuclear reactors.
Exploration and mining
Milling or In-situ Solvent Recovery
Concentration and Conversion
Enrichment
Reactor Operations
Fuel Fabrication
Front end of the nuclear fuel cycle
27
Uranium provides the energy source for nuclear
reactors. 1 ton of uranium has the equivalent
energy of 20,000 tons of coal!
Typical fuel pellet
Fuel assembly in a representative boiling water
reactor (about 4.3 meters 14 feet) tall and
each weighing about 317.5 kilograms (700 pounds).
NFI type 9x9 Fuel.
28
The Back-End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

• The back end describes the processes needed to
  safely handle reactor waste and to ultimately
  decommission a nuclear reactor.
• In countries other than the US, a closed-loop
  nuclear fuel cycle is preferred and spent nuclear
  fuel is reprocessed to produce new fuel. This
  closed cycle is more efficient in capturing
  energy that would otherwise be thrown away.

29
Additional Reading Recommended to Supplement
Chapter 2

• Nuclear Power from Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear
  _power
• Nuclear Fuel Cycle, World Nuclear Association,
  January 2007,
• http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf03.html
• Nuclear Reactor Technology from Wikipedia, the
  free encyclopedia http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu
  clear_reactor
• A Case for Nuclear-Generated Electricity by
  Heaberlin, Scott W., Published by Battelle Press,
  2003, ISBN 1-57477-136-1
• The Nuclear Energy Option by Professor Emeritus
  Bernard L. Cohen University of Pittsburgh
  Published by Plenum Press, 1990. Much to our
  surprise, after rereading Professor Cohens book
  his arguments ring as true today as they did in
  1990. http//www.phyast.pitt.edu/7Eblc/book/index
  .html
• The Need for Nuclear Power by Richard Rhodes and
  Denis Beller http//www.nci.org/conf/rhodes/index
  .htm/
• Electrical Supply Status, Nuclear Energy
  Institute, http//www.nei.org/keyissues/reliablean
  daffordableenergy/electricitysupply/, and
  references therein to the IAEA and elsewhere.

30
Chapter 3. What is Radiation?
Our sun is a large source of radiation.
Radiation is energy that travels through space.
31
The energy spectrum ranges from low frequency
(higher wavelength) waves such as those involved
in radio transmission to high frequency (smaller
wavelength) energy waves known as ionizing
radiation.
Wavelength (meters)
The energy spectrum.
32
Ionizing radiation occurs in various forms
principally alpha particles, beta particles, and
gamma rays. All of these have various
penetrating abilities.
a, ß, and ? penetrating power
33
Various Forms of Ionizing Radiation

• Alpha particles are super-energized helium
  nuclides they are dangerous if inhaled or
  ingested they have very limited penetration
  distance.
• Beta particles are high energy,
  negatively-charged electrons they are a skin,
  inhalation and ingestion hazard They can be
  stopped by normal clothing.
• Gamma rays are highly energetic electromagnetic
  energy and can only be stopped by very dense
  materials.

34
Neutrons A Form of Ionizing Radiation

• Neutrons are particles produced by the decay of
  some radioactive substances or through a process
  called nuclear fission. Some neutrons are high
  energy, fast moving particles while others are
  low velocity low energy particles.

35
Radiation is not to be feared. Radiation safety
is essential for its proper usage. Knowing the
nature of a source of radiation, the source
location and its intensity allows us to take
advantage of nuclear materials without subjecting
ourselves and others to the negative consequences
we fear.
Radiation signage
36
Radiation is all around us. For example the
Aurora Borealis visible in the northern latitudes
is the result of the interaction of cosmic
radiation from outer space with the outer layers
of the atmosphere.
Aurora Borealis
37
Many man-made products contain radioactive
materials. Smoke detectors use Americium-241 to
trigger a sound alarm. Americium-241 detects
smoke in the air.
Smoke detector
38
As atoms decay, they give up radiation and
produce various unstable elements on their way to
producing a stable element. Uranium-238 goes
through 14 transformations on its way to becoming
Lead-206.
The uranium decay chain
39
Half Life

• The half life of a radioactive isotope represents
  the time that is needed for half of the unstable
  atoms of a given radio-isotope to decay.
  Uranium-238 has a half life in the billions of
  years and roentgenium has a half life of less
  than one second.

40
Many radionuclides are very useful. Here are
some of their uses

41
But we must use them safely
Monitoring programs are essential components of
radiation protection
42
The Key is Safety

• While the atom can be safely harnessed, it takes
  knowledge of the consequences of radiation to do
  so. A person, however, does not become
  radioactive by exposure to radiation. X-rays will
  not make you glow in the dark. A smile from a
  friend may make you actually glow, but it wont
  be because that smile includes some Uranium-238
  color brighteners.

43
Additional Reading Recommended to Supplement
Chapter 3

• US Environmental Protection Agency on Radiation
  and Radioactivity http//www.epa.gov/radiation/und
  erstand/
• What We Know About Radiation, an NIH Fact Sheet
  http//www.nih.gov/health/chip/od/radiation/
• About Background Radiation http//en.wikipedia.or
  g/wiki/Background_radiation
• Radiation And Modern Life Fulfilling Marie
  Curie's Dream (Hardcover) by Alan E. Waltar
  (Author), Helene Langevin-Joliot, Publisher
  Prometheus Books (November 5, 2004), ISBN-10
  1591022509, ISBN-13 978-1591022503
• Radiation, Health and Safety, Nuclear Industry
  Association (UK), http//www.niauk.org/images/stor
  ies/pdfs/radiation-health-safety.pdf
• Radiation and Life, World Nuclear Association,
  July 2002,
• http//www.world-nuclear.org/education/ral.htm

44
Chapter 4. How safe are nuclear plants?
Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor Site
Banqiao Hydroelectric Dam in China
26,000 people died from the break of the Banqiao
Hydroelectric dam in China while no one died as a
result of the Three Mile Island accident.
45
To understand nuclear plant safety one must
understand the consequences of exposure to
nuclear radiation through various pathways.
Main environmental pathways of human radiation
exposure
46
The three worst nuclear accidents changed the
industry forever

• Three Mile Island, US
• Chernobyl, Ukraine
• Windscale, UK

47
The Windscale nuclear reactor accident in the UK
resulted from a fire in the graphite reactor
which led to some radiation exposure
Windscale Nuclear Reactor
48
The key that saved lives in Three Mile Island was
the containment structure
Schematic of TMI 2. (Note the reactor containment
building, a feature missing from the Chernobyl
Reactor.)
49
The legacy of TMI is greater safety
TMI-1 and TMI-2. The TMI-1 reactor is still in
operation. TMI-2 was shut down after the
accident but there were no visible external signs
of the accident on the site.
50
Chernobyl led to a major evacuation and an
entombment of a reactor, yet loss of life was
more limited than initially anticipated. It
helped change the design and safety culture
worldwide.
Monitoring the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
51
The views from Chernobyl
A conceptual rendering of the new, safe
confinement being planned to replace the aging
sarcophagus. (Note that the flat end wall is
shown transparent so that buildings inside may be
seen.)
Chernobyl immediately after the accident
A herd of almost extinct Przewalski's horses
roams Ukraine's Chernobyl exclusion zone
52
New nuclear plants incorporate multiple safety
layers.
53
Additional Reading Recommended to Supplement
Chapter 4

• How Safe Are Nuclear Plants, FAQs, IAEA InfoLog
  January 2006,
• http//www.iaea.org/blog/Infolog/?page_id23
• Safety of Nuclear Power Reactors, World Nuclear
  Association, September 2007.
• http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf06.html
• List of Civilian Nuclear accidents, From
  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_civilian_nucl
  ear_accidents
• Three Mile Island Accident NRC Fact Sheet,
• http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fac
  t-sheets/3mile-isle.html
• Three Mile Island 1979, Nuclear Issues Briefing
  Paper 48, March 2001 NEI, Nuclear Energy
  Overview 8/5/00.
• Chernobyl Disaster From Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia,
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster
• Chernobyl Accident, Nuclear Issues Briefing Paper
  22, World Nuclear Association, May 2007
  http//www.uic.com.au/nip22.htm
• OECD NEA 1995, Chernobyl Ten Years On,
  radiological and health impact, - 2002 update
  IAEA 1996, Ten years after Chernobyl what do we
  really know? (From April 1996 conference), May
  2007
• The Chernobyl accident UNSCEAR's assessments of
  the radiation effects, http//www.unscear.org/unsc
  ear/en/chernobyl.html
• Chernobyls Legacy Health, Environmental and
  Socio-Economic Impacts, Chernobyl Forum, IAEA
  2006. http//www-ns.iaea.org/meetings/rw-summaries
  /chernobyl_forum.htm
• Wormwood Forest A Natural History of Chernobyl
• By "Mary Mycio the pioneering American reporter
  who first visited the city of Kiev in 1989. She
  later became the Kiev correspondent for the Los
  Angeles Times and a contributor to a variety of
  newspapers around the world. http//www.chernobyl.
  in.ua/en/home/

54
Chapter 5. Managing Nuclear Waste
The proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste
Repository near Las Vegas, Nevada
55
There are two sources of nuclear waste

• Commercial production to produce nuclear
  materials, generate power, or conduct research.
• Military applications including nuclear weapons
  production.

56
The Military Waste Legacy

• The two major sites containing military waste
  today are the Hanford Site in Washington State
  and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.
• A number of sites have already been cleaned up
  while a great deal of clean-up work is underway.

57
The Hanford Site has 53 million gallons of high
level nuclear waste mostly stored in underground
tanks.
The volume of Hanford high-level waste
58
Defense Waste Forms

• High level waste contains the fission products
  and transuranic elements generated in a reactor
  core.
• Transuranic waste is waste containing more than
  100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting isotopes per
  gram of waste with half lives greater than 20
  years.
• Low level waste is basically very low activity
  waste.

59
High Level Waste

• This waste will be encapsulated in a glass matrix
  and sent to a geologic repository for final
  disposal. The process of making the waste into a
  glass will be carried out in massive facilities
  at places like Hanford and Savannah River.

60
TRU Defense (Military) Waste goes to a nuclear
waste repository in New Mexico- the WIPP facility
WIPP Facility near Carlsbad, New Mexico
61
Commercial Waste

• In the US, commercial nuclear activities generate
  spent fuel rods that are held for disposal at
  reactor sites until a commercial waste repository
  is available.
• Low level waste (Classes A, B, and C) depending
  on the level of radioactivity are sent to low
  level waste landfills. Some materials can be
  recycled.

62
In many other countries the spent fuel is
reprocessed to obtain additional energetic value.
This is economical today and is certainly more
effective than a once-through fuel usage cycle.
The COGEMA reprocessing plant
63
Commercial spent fuel in reactors can be stored
safely
Above-ground fuel storage containers
Spent fuel pool storage at reactors
64
Low level radioactive waste is disposed safely
today.
Aerial and side view of the cell at the Clive,
Utah, low-level radioactive waste site.
65
A deep geologic repository for the final disposal
of nuclear waste will use natural geologic
barriers to isolate the waste, essentially for a
very long time.
Natural barriers provide isolation for the
proposed Yucca Mountain repository
66
Man-made barriers will add protection to fuel
entombed in a geologic repository.
Spent fuel package and engineering barriers
67
Numerous collision and drop tests have proven the
safety of casks to transport and entomb nuclear
waste.
68
Nuclear energy plants take responsibility for
their ultimate disposition by setting funds aside
for restoring these sites to their original state.
Decommissioning of Big Rock Point (a) before, (b)
during, and (c) celebrating the completion
69
Additional Reading Recommended to Supplement
Chapter 5

• Gephart, Roy, Hanford A Conversation about
  Nuclear Waste and Cleanup. Columbus Published by
  Battelle Press, 2003, ISBN 1-57477-134-5
• Understanding Radioactive Waste by Raymond Leroy
  Murray and Kristin L. Manke (Paperback - Jul
  2003), Battelle Press 5th edition (July 2003)
  ISBN-10 1574771353, ISBN-13 978-1574771350
• Long-Lived Legacy Managing High-Level and
  Transuranic Waste at the DOE. A Google Book.
• http//books.google.com/books?idVgGW6JRBf_8Cpg
  PA94lpgPA94dqlegacy"defensewaste"sourceweb
  otsHMLcesT_RxsigP8OOZZTdtmXugxPFsojxe3qhivk -
  PPP1,M1
• Yucca Mountain Project from Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia. http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_M
  ountain/
• Nuclear decommissioning from Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_
  decommissioning
• Decommissioning in Short, a European Overview
• http//www.eu-decom.be/about/decominshort/whatis.
  html
• HLW Recycling (Reprocessing More Energy from a
  Pound of Uranium) http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu
  clear_reprocessing

70
Chapter 6. Other Uses of Nuclear Materials
b
a
c
d
(a) X-ray, (b) Positron Emission Tomography
(PET), (c) Food Irradiation Symbol, (d) Airline
inspection
There are many applications that use nuclear
materials including food irradiation, medical
technologies and nuclear batteries.
71
Over 10 million nuclear medicine patient
procedures are done in the US every year. The
most common is the use of x-rays
X-ray of the neck
X-ray machine
72
Gamma Cameras can view organs from many angles.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) involves using
isotopes produced in a cyclotron to detect
cancers. PET is also used in cardiac and brain
imaging.
Shielded syringe for PET scans (Diagplus).
Gamma camera
73
Examples of Positron Emission Tomography
A PET scanner
PET scan of a 20-year-olds brain
74
Some cancerous growths can be controlled or
eliminated by irradiating the area containing the
growth. External irradiation can be carried out
using a gamma beam from a radioactive cobalt-60
source.
Tumor targeting
75
Tiny microspheres containing yttrium 90- (half
life 64 hours) are infused through a catheter
into the liver to combat liver tumors.
Picture of a SIR-sphere
76
Food irradiation is a low temperature
sterilization that allows food to stay fresh
longer
Irradiated (stay fresh longer) strawberries
Picture of a government-approved irradiation
facility
77
The World Health Organization as well as other
food authorities throughout the world have proven
food irradiation to be safe.
This product has been irradiated
78
Source materials are safely encapsulated such
that they can be safely transported.
A doubly encapsulated sealed radioactive source
79
Plutonium 238 has powered more than 20 NASA
spacecrafts
Atomic-powered NASA deep space probe
80
Tritium is used in commercial signs, for luminous
dials, gauges, and wristwatches. It is also used
to make luminous paints.
Self-luminous exit sign
81
Radiography is used to check for cracks and
fractures in jet engines
Radiography being used to check a jet engine
82
Atomic batteries are not only used in
spacecrafts. They are also used in harsh
environments such as in Antarctica
Atomic batteries being used in Antarctica
83
Some Additional Uses of Nuclear Materials

• Americium 241- smoke detectors
• Californium 252- for inspecting airline luggage
• Cesium 137- to measure and control the liquid
  flow in oil pipelines
• Krypton 85- to measure dust and air pollutant
  levels
• Nickel 63- to detect explosives

84
Additional Reading Recommended to Supplement
Chapter 6

• Industrial Nuclear Applications, Nuclear Energy
  Institute, http//www.nei.org/howitworks/industria
  lapplications
• Radioisotopes in Medicine, World Nuclear
  Association, May 2007, http//www.world-nuclear.or
  g/info/inf55.html
• Radiation, Health and Safety, Nuclear Industry
  Association (UK), http//www.niauk.org/images/stor
  ies/pdfs/radiation-health-safety.pdf
• Food irradiation http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fo
  od_irradiation/
• Irradiation of Food and Food Packaging,
  http//www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/opairrad.html/
• Food Irradiation The treatment of foods with
  ionizing radiation, http//www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms
  /opa-fdir.html
• Food Irradiation, http//www.inspection.gc.ca/en
  glish/fssa/concen/tipcon/irrade.shtml
• Nuclear Powered Ships, World Nuclear Association,
  March 2007, http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf3
  4.html
• Transport(ationHB1) and the Hydrogen Economy,
  World Nuclear Association, September 2007,
  http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf70.html
• Nuclear Desalination, World Nuclear Association,
  October 2006, http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/in
  f71.html
• Nuclear Process Heat for Industry, World Nuclear
  Association, September 2007, http//www.world-nucl
  ear.org/info/inf116_processheat.html
• Smoke Detectors and Americium, World Nuclear
  Association, May 2002, http//www.world-nuclear.or
  g/info/inf57.html

85
Chapter 7. Nuclear Energy and Global Warming
Power generation resulting from burning
carbon-based fuels is a major contributor to
global warming. Nuclear energy and renewable
fuels, on the other hand, do not contribute
greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
86
Global Warming

• Global warming is the gradual warming of the
  earths atmosphere as a result of natural causes
  such as volcanism and as a result of human
  activities, principally the burning of fossil
  fuels and the generation of industrial
  pollutants. A significant cause of global warming
  is the emission of greenhouse gases principally
  methane and carbon dioxide.

87
Predicted temperature increases 20702100
88
The Greenhouse Effect

89
Carbon dioxide releases from various types of
power plants
MWh megawatt hours bkWh billion kilowatt hours

90
Growth in Power Demand

91
The power generation mix affects the output of
greenhouse gases. The top represents the U.S. and
the bottom represents France.
92
Additional Reading Recommended to Supplement
Chapter 7

• An introduction to Climate Change
  http//www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Climate_Change/Older/
  Climate_Change_Introduction.html and
  http//www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Climate_Change/Older/
  Global_Warming.html
• Feeling the Heat An introduction to climate
  change and how the international community is
  responding. http//unfccc.int/essential_background
  /feeling_the_heat/items/2918.php
• Global Climate Change Student Guide
• Atmosphere Climate and the Environment Site
  The UK
• http//www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/Resources/gcc/contents.h
  tml
• Teachers' Guide to High Quality Educational
  Materials on Climate Change and Global Warming
  National Science Teachers Association.
• http//hdgc.epp.cmu.edu/teachersguide/teachersgui
  de.htm
• Nuclear Energy and Climate Change from Climate
  Change.org and references contained therein
• http//www.climatechange.org/
• Carbon Footprint from Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia, http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_
  footprint
• Global Warming/, http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gl
  obal_Warming/
• Climate Change 2007, http//www.ipcc.ch/
  (Provided by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
  Change)
• Extinction from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinctions and
  references contained therein

93
Linkages to Various Web Sites of Possible Interest

• Energy and Climate
• EIA Energy Kid's Page Glossary of Energy Terms
• http//www.eia.doe.gov/kids/glossary/index.html
• About Energy Resources
• http//home.clara.net/darvill/altenerg/index.htm
• EPA Environmental Kids Club
• http//www.epa.gov/kids/
• Finding out about global warming and climate
  change for Kids and Teachers
• http//www.ukrivers.net/climate.html
• Kid Boogaloo Site Kids Against Global Warming
  http//www.alligatorboogaloo.com/kids/features/glo
  bey/globey001.html
• NRC Students Corner
• http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.
  html
• General Sciences and Technology
• The Way Things Work From Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_Things_Work
• Exploring Science and Technology
• http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.
  html
• How Stuff Works
• http//www.howstuffworks.com/