Tanner Kelley 101-53908 Steve Peterson October 5, 2010

The United States contains five percent of the worlds population, yet consumes over twenty- seven percent of the worlds energy (www.umich.edu 1). In addition, The United States consumes more than seventeen million barrels of oil a day, and consumes over twentythree percent of the worlds natural gas(www.umich.edu 1). Over ninety percent of the energy we consume in the United States is based on fossil fuel. This shows that we need to develop alternative means of producing energy because shortly we will run out of fossil fuel based energy. Instead of relying heavily on traditional fuel for energy, we need to look to the future. Fossil fuels are being depleted and we need to limit our uses of it in order to preserve what is left. According to Mary H. Cooper, Unlike supplies of fossil fuels, which are depleted by use, renewables are virtually inexhaustible (Cooper 1). With this statement in mind the United States needs to promote alternative energy sources, especially nuclear energy. We need to promote the use of nuclear energy since it offers the best opportunity to combat rising energy demand, rising prices of fossil fuel, and the rising pollution crisis. With the United States increasingly demanding further energy, it is imperative that we promote nuclear energy. Oil and gas are the principal fuels used today, especially for transportation purposes. These primary fuels are difficult to replace and are being exhausted every day. Professor Bernard L Cohen at the University of Pittsburgh states, The worlds supply of these is limited, probably enough for less than 100 years of projected consumption ,

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and costs are bound to rise sharply long before supplies are exhausted (Cohen 30). Consequently, we need to preserve our supply of fossil fuels and look to nuclear energy as an alternative. Instead of power plants powered by fossil fuels, nuclear energy plants use uranium as the source of its power. Unlike fossil fuels, uranium is not used for any purpose other than as nuclear fuel. Also, unlike fossil fuels, uranium is not depleted, and according to Professor Cohen, there is enough to satisfy world energy needs for billions of years, without increasing the cost of electricity by as much as one percent (Cohen 30). Nuclear energy guarantees the world an everlasting supply of energy without affecting or using other resources like fossil fuels. Many people question the safety issues that nuclear plants pose. Safety concerns include nuclear meltdowns, mining the uranium, and dealing with the nuclear waste. The public fears nuclear meltdown accidents at the nuclear plants like the accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine. At Chernobyl workers were testing the nuclear reactor when the reactor exploded, sending radioactive particles into the surrounding area. According to Rose Kivi, a writer from Los Angles, The radiation exposure from the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plantspread far and exposed approximately 5 million people who lived in the contaminated areas (Kivi 45). Chernobyl has been unpopulated since 1986 because the surrounding area is radioactive and has been unsafe to live in since. However, it is important to know that the Chernobyl accident occurred because of mistakes made by workers and because the nuclear plant did not have strong government regulations. Because of this accident many Americans are skeptical about constructing more nuclear power. These fears have some credibility to them but are flawed. Today, many of the nuclear power plants built in the United States have massive safety regulations set in place by the government. These regulations are strict and the nuclear power plants cannot maneuver around them like many oil companies can maneuver around their

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government regulations. The BP oil spill would never have happened if the government regulations were as strict as that of nuclear energy plants. The oil companies prefer to adopt voluntary actions that safeguard their operations rather than adopt government measures. Richard Charter, a senior policy advisor for marine programs at the Defenders of Wildlife group argues, Whenever the oil industry sees some proposal they don't like, they kill it (Levin 1). The oil companies can maneuver around government regulations because there are limited government regulations. In addition, whenever an oil company does not like a government proposal, they throw huge amounts of money at the proposal to kill it. Because of stronger government regulations the possibility of a nuclear accident is, as Professor Cohen depicts it, equivalent to the risk of a regular smoker smoking one extra cigarette every 15 years (Cohen 32). In addition, mining coal and other fossil fuels is just as dangerous and poses many safety concerns. Often the news has stories about coal miners trapped in mines for weeks and some of the miners even die. The working conditions are very dangerous, not much different given the working conditions at a nuclear plant than maintaining a nuclear plant. A national survey conducted by Bisconti Research, Inc, found that 70 percent of Americans favor nuclear energy, with the number of Americans voicing strong support exceeding those strongly opposed by a margin of more than two to one (American Energy Independence 74). Opposition toward nuclear energy resonates from a small but vocal part of Unites States citizens. This means that more Americans support nuclear energy than do other methods of harvesting energy. Furthermore, with the prices of fossil fuels growing each day, it is essential that the United States promote nuclear energy. Even though it is cheap to produce gasoline the prices that consumers pay continue to rise. This is because gasoline companies want to continue making a huge profit. In the 1970s, gasoline cost thirty- six cents per gallon; now, because of depleting

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fossil fuels our gas prices have risen to three dollars a gallon. Fossil fuels are rapidly depleting and with limited amounts of fuel remaining it is essential that we look to nuclear energy to provide energy. Nuclear energy provides a long term solution concerning energy for our future. Senior vice-president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, Marvin Fertel, argues, Nuclear plants are performing well, and the industry has consolidated and become more efficient, so they offer operating certainty and price stability (Nuclear Energy 2). While fossil fuel prices continue to increase, nuclear energy prices will remain stable. Lastly, with the rising pollution crisis, it is essential that the United States promote nuclear energy. Nuclear energy plants are an important source of non-polluting energy that need to replace energy plants that use fossil fuels. Nuclear energy plants produce electricity through the fission of uranium, not the burning of fossil fuels. As a consequence, nuclear power plants do not pollute the air by releasing gases unlike fossil fuels. American Energy Independence Fossil argues, Nuclear energy is the only proven technology that can deliver baseload electricity on a large scale, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,without producing carbon dioxide emissions (American Energy Independence 76). Fuels emit masses of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that continue to drastically change our world. Carbon dioxide emissions have steadily increased, and the effects of these emissions are apparent in the climate. BBC News reports The Christian Aid charity has warned that one hundred and eighty four million people in Africa alone could die due to malaria as a result of climate change before the end of the century (BBC News 1). Recent calculations of climate change suggest that, because of the heavy pollution, global temperatures could rise three degrees or more. Because of the rising temperature, the occurrence of natural catastrophes has also increased. These catastrophes include flooding, drought, acid rain, malaria, and melting in the ice caps. It is important to realize that these rising natural

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disasters are caused by climate change, which in turn is caused by rising temperatures, which in turn is caused by pollution from fossil fuel emissions. All of these can be halted if the United States promotes nuclear energy. International Energy Agency and Nuclear Energy Agency state, Despite the safety and security risk involved, nuclear energy just might be the way to combat climate change (Korea Times). All in all nuclear energy is the way to combat the pollution and climate change and that is why the United States needs to promote nuclear energy. Another important aspect that nuclear energy plants have is that the waste produced from the plants is isolated from the environment, whereas the wastes from fossil fuels are put directly back into the environment. Yes, nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste that can be harmful for hundred years, but they are kept out of harm's way. However, wastes from fossil fuels are released directly into the environment and are dangerous now and forever. Patrick Moore, a knowledgeable scholar concerning greenhouse effects, states, Nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse-gas-emitting power source that can effectively replace fossil fuels and satisfy global demand (Nuclear Energy 5). Since the United States imports oil the probability of an oil spill increases. We have all heard about the BP oil spill on the Louisiana coast and the harm it has caused the entire Gulf coastline. Many sea animals, birds, and other parts of the ecosystem surrounding the spill have been damaged and will possibly never recover from the spill. This would not happen if the United States promotes nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. After serious analysis, I believe the United States needs to promote nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. Only with nuclear energy plants can we finally move forward into the future and away from our dependency on fossil fuel. The United States must not continue to rely on fossil fuels as the main source of energy. What are we going to do when we inevitably run out

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of fossil fuels? Will we push forward into a new era where we rely on nuclear power plants to provide our energy, or will we continue to use what remains of the fossil fuels and continue polluting our environment and watch as gas prices go through the roof? All in all, nuclear energy offers the best opportunity to combat rising energy demand, rising prices of fossil fuel, and the rising pollution crisis.

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Works Cited American Energy Independence. Nuclear Energy Has Been Used Safely for Decades. 1st ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Pg 74-76. Print. Cathy, Rose A. Garcia. Nuclear Power Holds Key to Combating Climate Change. Korea Times 17 June.2010: Page 1. Print Climate Change a Deadly Threat, BBC News 15 May. 2006: Page 1. <http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/ nature/4771> Cohen, Bernard. Nuclear Power Has Many Advantages and Few Risks. 1st ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Pg 30-32. Print. Cooper, Mary. Renewable Energy: Should Federal Subsidies be Eliminated? CQ Researcher 7.11 (1997): Pg 1. Web. 7 Sep 2010. <http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1997110700& typ> Facts about Fossil Fuels. Fossil Fuels. N. P., 1995. Web. 9 Sep 2010. < http://www.umich.edu/~envst320/fossil.html> Kivi, Rose. Nuclear Energy Disasters Are Inevitable. 1st ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Pg 45. Print. Levin, Alan. Oil companies fought stricter regulations. USA Today (2010): Page 1. Web. 5 October 2010. Weeks, Jennifer. Nuclear Energy: Should the U.S. build more nuclear energy plants? CQ Researcher 16.10 (2006): Pg 2-5. Web. 8 Sep 2010. <http:library/.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2>

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