Most of us are aware of the problems we as the world are facing in terms of the greenhouse effect and the damage we are doing to the environment. A big contributor to this is the way in which fossil fuel power plants operate to generate electricity. The environmental impacts of fossil fuel plants include the effect on global warming with the gasses that are emitted, air pollution causing damage to plants, animals, and humans as well as water and land pollution caused by oil spills and coal mining respectively. One of the ways the US has tried to overcome this issue is by the introduction of nuclear power plants.
There are currently 99 nuclear reactors in the USA, providing almost 20% of the nation’s total electricity used, and there are many advantages to using nuclear power plants rather than fossil fuel power plants. However many horror stories people have heard, nuclear power plants win hands down against fossil fuel plants when it comes to safety. The recorded number of deaths from those of dying from radiation exposure has been significantly less than those dying from coal mining injuries or related diseases. Nuclear power is also literally hundreds of times more efficient than fossil fuels such as coal. Not as much space is needed for nuclear farms as wind farms, and they can work efficiently 24/7, unlike solar farms.
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Just recently a new nuclear power plant went critical in Tennessee. For those of you who don’t know, going critical regarding nuclear power plants is just part of the process the it needs to go through in order to power up the reactor and supply electricity. This is the Tennessee Valley Authority‘s latest addition to their portfolio is sure to be a big success. Others that are also climbing on board the nuclear train include those coming from Georgia and South Carolina, creating an additional five plants between them alone! More will also be following as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are continually review applications and them the government has already granted licenses for plants in both Michigan and Texas.
However, even with the construction of new power plants have been granted, it will still take a long time for them to be fully operational, and within that time, many of the existing plants may have died out. But, with technology becoming more efficient every day, fewer plants will be needed to maintain a sufficient supply to us all, so there is no need to reach for the wood and matches just yet!