What%20is%20Nuclear%20Power?

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What is Nuclear Power?

• It is simply electricity made from fissioning
  uranium and plutonium.

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Fission
If a uranium nucleus absorbs a neutron, it can
break up and release -Energy (Heat) -More
neutrons -Other radiation
Also Plutonium
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Nuclear Reactor (simplified)
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Nuclear Power Plant (simplified)
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WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT NUCLER POWER?

• Because it offers huge environmental benefits in
  producing electricity
• It releases zero carbon dioxide
• It releases zero sulfur and nitrous oxides
• Because it saves thousands of lives yearly when
  substituted for electricity from coal
• Because it is our only economical source of
  base-load electricity except coal power (hydro is
  unavailable)

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WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT IT?

• Primarily,
• Safety the uranium rods in the reactor become
  intensely radioactive, and people could be harmed
  if the radiation escaped
• Waste Disposal since the spent (or used)
  uranium rods remain radioactive for thousands of
  years, can they be disposed of safely?
• Costs is nuclear electricity too expensive?
• Proliferation
• Lets examine each.

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SAFETY

• Phenomenal Safety Record
• Began 1960 440 plants worldwide 100 plants in
  US
• ONLY accident public harmed - Chernobyl 1986-
  2005 Study by several UN Agencies (World Health
  Org., IAEA, --)- 50 known deaths from
  radiation- Study "estimated" eventually 9,000 -
  10,000- "Corrected" study gives 1,000 - 3,000
  eventually
• Contrast
• 90,000 coal miners died "instantly" US alone
  1901-2000
• 250,000 US miners "drawing" black lung
  compensation

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SAFETY Continued

• In fact, the nuclear power we have (20 of US
  electricity) saves thousands of lives in WI and
  elsewhere in US yearly
• Coal plants emit particulates
• Harvard, ACS, EPA estimate thousands of premature
  deaths yearly from them
• Nuclear plants emit no particulates

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SPENT FUEL WASTE DISPOSAL

• Nuclear wastes offer a huge benefit over fossil
  wastes
• U rods Solid, like rock/glass, 5,000o melting
  pt.
• Encase in concrete/metal casks, bury underground
• Size of 25 autos per year per plant
• Contrast Same size coal plant each year
• Burns the coal in a 250 mile long railroad train
• Emits 7,000,000 tons of CO2 - greenhouse warming
• Emits 1,000 tons of SO2
• Emits 1,400 tons of deadly particulates
• Leaves 700,000 tons of ash including 90 tons of
  arsenic, lead, chromium, others - frequently,
  metals into ground

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WASTE DISPOSAL Continued

• Yucca Mountain standards established by EPA
• Isolated, desolate, uninhabited land in Nevada
• No person at site boundary 24 hours/day, 365
  days/year 10,000 years from now permitted more
  radiation than 1.5 chest X-rays (one-sixth as
  much workers in US Capitol)
• Sensible/reasonable limit when we face
  potentially-catastrophic climate change?

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WASTE DISPOSAL Continued

• IRONIES
• We have a limit on nuclear power in WI until
  "waste disposal problem solved." We have a
  practical solution for nuclear waste we do NOT
  have a solution for coal wastes. I believe the
  limit should be on coal plants.
• A few miles from Yucca Mt., DOD has exploded
  hundreds of atomic and hydrogen bombs
  underground. Has left tons of plutonium and
  other radioactive residue totally unprotected in
  the caverns. Much more severe.
• Note We can destroy the nuclear wastes so YMs
  would not be needed. Research under way to
  reduce cost.

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COSTS

• The electricity you buy today averages about
• 1.72 cents/kWhr from nuclear
• 2.21 cents/kWhr from coal
• 7.51 cents/kWhr from natural gas
• Electricity from new nuclear plants would be a
  modest percentage higher than from new coal
  plants. If Congress imposed a reasonable tax on
  CO2 emissions, nuclear electricity would become
  cheaper.

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PROLIFERATION

• A Diplomatic Problem
• I do not know of any case (India?) where a
  nuclear power program has significantly assisted
  in the development of weapons - the latter came
  first
• US, UK, USSR, China, France
• N. Korea, Iran, Israel, India, Pakistan
• Easier way to obtain plutonium than n.p.p.
• - Simple plant - N. Korea
• U-235 via centrifuges - N. Korea, Iran

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ENVIRONMENTALISTS OTHERS

• James Lovelock, British chemist - 1997 Blue
  Planet Prize "We are headed toward a warmer
  Earth where most life on the planet will have to
  move to the Arctic basin, to a few islands, ...
  My justification for nuclear power is that even
  the results of an all-out nuclear war pale into
  insignificance compared to what is going to
  happen.
• Patrick Moore, a founding member of Greenpeace
  "In the 1970s, I equated nuclear energy to
  holocaust. Now, my views have changed. Nuclear
  energy may be the energy source that can save our
  planet from another possible disaster -
  catastrophic climate change. ... Wind and solar
  can't replace coal, nuclear, and hydro. Natural
  gas is too expensive. Nuclear is, by
  elimination, the only viable substitute for coal.
  It is that simple.
• Rep. John Dingle, D-Michigan "If we are to
  maintain our standard of living, even with
  massive conservation ... we have no choice but to
  utilize the nuclear option - absolutely no choice
  but to do so.

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In closing - MY DREAM

• Nuclear plants in place of coal plants for
  electricity
• and
• battery-driven automobiles (such as General
  Motors expects to sell in five years) charged by
  nuclear electricity.
• Or fuel-cell automobiles with hydrogen separated
  by nuclear electricity (unless a better means
  evolves).