Nuclear plants produce power by grabbing the energy released from the nucleus of an atom via nuclear fission, a process that splits atoms into at least two nuclei and creates byproducs of heat and gamma radiation (radiation made out of high-energy photons). Fission is triggered by the absorption of a neutron by a fissile atomic nucleus like uranium or plutonium. At the most basic level, the heat generated from this nuclear reactor is used to boil water, which turns a turbine and creates energy.
What makes nuclear power appealing is its lack of emissions and relatively abundant fuel source. There is little shortage of fuel resources for nuclear energy—according to some estimates, for example, there is up to five billion years' worth of uranium-238, a fuel used in fast breeder reactors. And there is up to four times as much thorium—another fuel used in certain fast breeder reactors—as there is uranium worldwide.
But fuel availability is hardly the biggest problem for nuclear power plants. There's also the issue of safety. Barring Homer Simpson-like accidents, there are a number of things that can go wrong, including meltdowns, fires, and potential terrorist attacks. The potential damage that radiation can cause has been observed the world over through pictures and video of accident sites like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. Read the full report here.
Source: Ariel Schwartz, Journalist, Good.
