Nuclear Energy: A Necessary ‘Evil’ for Human Advancement?

CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE GEOSCIENCES

Nuclear Energy: A Necessary ‘Evil’ for Human Advancement?

Drew Mirante – Bryn Mawr College


"Fat Man" Mushroom Cloud Over Nagasaki http://www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/

COLLECTIONS/CG-JPAP/Pages/CGP-JPAP-034.htm

Is this the image that comes to one’s mind when considering nuclear energy?


Or this?

Exterior of the Chernobyl power plant after the 26 April, 1986 explosion.


Or this?

Low-level waste disposal at Hanford, Washington


Why not this?

Image from Int’l Dark-sky Alliance


What causes this reaction?

• The U.S. as the only nation to use atomic weapons against mankind?– The subsequent Cold War with the USSR?

• ‘Ephemeral’ Nature of Nuclear Processes?

• Environmental Issues?– Potentially Severe Accidents– Disposal/Storage/Transport of waste material


• Given the instability in the world’s petroleum producing regions, is it of national interest to develop alternative energy sources?– Begs the question, why not other renewable

energy sources?

• Power Plants release no Greenhouse Gasses

• What of Emerging Industrialized Nations?


CO2 Emissions by Power Sector – 2025Million Metric tons

Sources: EIA, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2003, DOE/EIA-0573(2003)

Coal - 2677

Natural Gas - 507

Other - 22Oil - 109


North American Energy Consumption, 2025

Quadrillion BTU

Coal (33.2)

20%

Oil (65.2)

40%

Natural Gas (39.6) 24%

Nuclear Electric (9.9)

6%

Other (14.1) 9%

Sources: EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2005, DOE/EIA-0383(2005)


Asian Emerging Economies Energy Consumption - 2025

Nuclear Electric (6.5)

3%

Coal (89.6)

44%

Other (11.6) 6%

Oil (69.6)

35%

Natural Gas (4.4) 11%


136 Reactors – 31 Shutdown, Decommissioned, Suspended, or Cancelled


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Nuclear Energy: A Necessary ‘Evil’ for Human Advancement?