NuclearReactor (1)

8/18/2019 NuclearReactor (1)

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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:-Energ !"eat#

-$ore neutrons

-%ther radiation

&lso Plutonium


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Nuclear 'eactor !simplified#


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Nuclear Power Plant !simplified#


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W"( )"%*+ (%* &'E &.%*/

N*+E' P%WE'?0 .ecause it offers huge en1ironmental benefits in

producing electricit

2 It releases 3ero carbon dio4ide

2 It releases 3ero sulfur and nitrous o4ides

0 .ecause it sa1es thousands of li1es earl when

substituted for electricit from coal

0 .ecause it is our onl economical source of base-

load electricit e4cept coal power !hdro is

una1ailable#


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W"( &'E )%$E PE%P+E

%NE'NE &.%*/ I/?

Primaril,

0 )afet: the uranium rods in the reactor become intensel

radioacti1e, and people could be harmed if the radiation

escaped0 Waste isposal: since the spent !or used# uranium rods

remain radioacti1e for thousands of ears, can the be

disposed of safel?

0 osts: is nuclear electricit too e4pensi1e?0 Proliferation

+et5s e4amine each6


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)&FE/(

0 Phenomenal )afet 'ecord 2 .egan 789;


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)&FE/( 2 ontinued

In fact, the nuclear power we ha1e !>B of

*) electricit# sa1es thousands of li1es in WI

and elsewhere in *) earl

0oal plants emit particulates

0"ar1ard, &), EP& estimate thousands of

premature deaths earl from them

0 Nuclear plants emit no particulates


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)PEN/ F*E+ W&)/E I)P%)&+

Nuclear wastes offer a huge benefit o1er fossil wastes0 * rods C )olid, like rockDglass, ,o melting pt6

0 Encase in concreteDmetal casks, bur underground

0 )i3e of > autos per ear per plant

ontrast: )ame si3e coal plant each ear

0 .urns the coal in a > mile long railroad train

0 Emits ,, tons of %> - greenhouse warming

0 Emits 7, tons of )%>

0 Emits 7,


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W&)/E I)P%)&+ 2 ontinued

(ucca $ountain standards established b EP&

0 Isolated, desolate, uninhabited land in Ne1ada

0 No person at site boundar >< hoursDda, A9dasDear 7, ears from now permitted more

radiation than 76 chest H-ras !one-si4th as much

workers in *) apitol#

0 )ensibleDreasonable limit when we face

potentiall-catastrophic climate change?


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W&)/E I)P%)&+ 2 ontinued

I'%NIE)

0 We ha1e a limit on nuclear power in WI until @wastedisposal problem sol1ed6@ We ha1e a practical solution fornuclear waste; we do N%/ ha1e a solution for coal wastes6

I belie1e the limit should be on coal plants6

0 & few miles from (ucca $t6, % has e4ploded hundredsof atomic and hdrogen bombs underground6 "as left tonsof plutonium and other radioacti1e residue totall

unprotected in the ca1erns6 $uch more se1ere6

Note: We can destro the nuclear wastes so ($s would not be needed6 'esearch under wa to reduce cost6


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%)/)

0 /he electricit ou bu toda a1erages about

2 76> centsDkWhr from nuclear

2 >6>7 centsDkWhr from coal

2 67 centsDkWhr from natural gas

0 Electricit from new nuclear plants would be a

modest percentage higher than from new coal

plants6 If ongress imposed a reasonable ta4 on%> emissions, nuclear electricit would become

cheaper6


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P'%+IFE'&/I%N

& iplomatic Problem

0 I do not know of an case !India?# where a nuclear

power program has significantl assisted in the

de1elopment of weapons - the latter came first0 *), *, *))', hina, France

0 N6 orea, Iran, Israel, India, Pakistan

0 Easier wa to obtain plutonium than n6p6p6- )imple plant - N6 orea

0 *->A 1ia centrifuges - N6 orea, Iran


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ENJI'%N$EN/&+I)/) K %/"E')

0 Lames +o1elock, .ritish chemist - 788 .lue Planet Pri3e: @We are headedtoward a warmer Earth where most life on the planet will ha1e to mo1e to the&rctic basin, to a few islands, 666 $ Mustification for nuclear power is that e1enthe results of an all-out nuclear war pale into insignificance compared to what isgoing to happen6

0 Patrick $oore, a founding member of Oreenpeace: @In the 78s, I eGuatednuclear energ to holocaust6 Now, m 1iews ha1e changed6 Nuclear energma be the energ source that can sa1e our planet from another possible disaster- catastrophic climate change6 666 Wind and solar cant replace coal, nuclear, andhdro6 Natural gas is too e4pensi1e6 Nuclear is, b elimination, the onl 1iable

substitute for coal6 It is that simple6

0 'ep6 Lohn ingle, -$ichigan: @If we are to maintain our standard of li1ing,e1en with massi1e conser1ation 666 we ha1e no choice but to utili3e the nuclearoption - absolutel no choice but to do so6


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In closing - $( 'E&$:

Nuclear plants in place of coal plants forelectricit

and

batter-dri1en automobiles !such as Oeneral$otors e4pects to sell in fi1e ears# charged b nuclear electricit6

%r fuel-cell automobiles with hdrogenseparated b nuclear electricit !unless a better means e1ol1es#6

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NuclearReactor (1)