Everyone knows that nuclear power plants are, potentially, very dangerous.

But what are some of the advantages of nuclear power? That is what this post will cover. Advantages (Pros):

Nuclear power plants are more efficient than ever before. New technology has made them more reliable (they break down less often) and safer. People for nuclear power argue that this is evidenced by more and more nations (such as China) building nuclear power plants. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is a contentious issue. Proponents of nuclear power argue that, as no coal or fossil fuels are burnt, no carbon dioxide is released into the air. However, uranium has to be mined and transported to the nuclear plant. Both these activities require burning of fuels, so carbon dioxide is released. Also, producing nuclear fuel from the uranium requires a lot of energy, which also contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases. Although the initial cost of building nuclear plants is high, the running costs are relatively low. One reason the costs are low is that nuclear plants need only a small amount of uranium to produce a lot of energy. In fact, if the cost of uranium doubled, costs would only be increased by 7%. 1 truck of uranium produces as much energy as 1000 trucks of coal! Reduces dependence on foreign oils and natural gas (like biofuels). America, for instance, imports a lot of oil and natural gas from other countries. The price of these products is volatile, and change very quickly. If the price increases quickly, consumers have to pay more for their electricity (which they may not be able to afford). Building more nuclear power plants means that Americans will not be susceptible to price rises in oil and gas. President Barack Obama supports this idea of energy independence. Nuclear wastes can be safely stored underground (another debated issue).

Nuclear power is gaining wide popularity among the masses as hazards like global warming and climate change are making life increasingly difficult on this planet. Nuclear energy is produced in a controlled environment by heating water in order to create steam which rotates the turbines. The fuel used to heat water is some radioactive element, mostly uranium, with high efficiency. Whether nuclear power is a boon or a bane has been a subject of debate since a long time. People in support of nuclear energy are armed with numerous nuclear power advantages in order to make a point, but people against it are not quite impressed. Advantages of Nuclear Power Like any other source of power, there are nuclear power pros and cons as well. We need to take both of them into consideration, before coming to a conclusion. Below mentioned are some of the prominent nuclear power advantages, which makes it the best alternative source of energy. Cleaner Source of Power This is undoubtedly the biggest advantage of nuclear power. Owing to the fact that no fossil fuels are used to produce nuclear energy, it is considered to be one of the most environment friendly source of energy. Proponents of nuclear power believe that introducing this source will help in curbing greenhouse gas emissions, which are threatening the planet with hazards like global warming and

climate change. The edge that nuclear power has over other cleaner sources such as wind energy or solar energy is its capacity to produce enormous amounts of power. Efficient Power Generation More than half a century down the lane, nuclear power has become one of the most efficient source of power. A large credit for this goes to introduction of high end technology which has made nuclear power plants efficient as well as safe. The sophisticated nuclear power plants being built today are less vulnerable to breakdowns or accidents. The fuels used to generate nuclear power are quite efficient in themselves, with a single ton of uranium producing energy, equivalent to a million tons of coal. Inexpensive Source of Power Even though, the initial investment in building a nuclear power plant is quite high, the expenses incurred in course of power generation are very reasonable. The fuel used by nuclear plants is very efficient and hence very less amount of fuel is required. More importantly, uranium reserves on the planet are expected to last for another 100 years. And even after these sources of uranium are over, there are alternative sources in form of plutonium and thorium. Other than these, nuclear power advantages also include energy generation in concentrated form and waste being generated in compact form which can be easily disposed deep in the ground. Transportation of nuclear power is also very convenient and less expensive. Nuclear Power Advantages for the United States United States as a nation in itself has several advantages of nuclear power. At present, US depends on imported oils and natural gases to generate power to a great extent. If nuclear energy is tapped, it wont have to spend a large part of national income on importing oil and gas. It will become economically strong, as volatile prices of oil won't affect the economy. Nuclear power already constitutes 19 percent of the total electricity generation in the United States. Little more efforts and US can become a trend setter in terms of substituting harmful sources of energy with clean nuclear power. Nuclear Power Facts Other than the various advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power there are some interesting nuclear power facts, which are bound to leave you fascinated. Other than uranium, plutonium and thorium, nuclear power can also be generated by fusion of hydrogen with helium. Henri Becquerel, a French physicist is accredited with the discovery of nuclear energy. A feat he achieved in 1896. The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in the USSR was the first nuclear plant to generate electricity, way back in June 1954. At present, 80 percent of electricity in France is generated by means of nuclear power. Russia is in process of building floating nuclear power plants, the first of which is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

These were just a few among the numerous nuclear power facts which are bound to leave you longing for more

First, what it is ... Nuclear power is the usable energy which is extracted from the atomic nuclei through controlled nuclear reactions with the help of nuclear technology. The nuclear power is used to generate heat - nuclear energy, which in turn is used to generate nuclear electricity - one of the main advantages of nuclear power. Typically nuclear power plants are found in electric generators, on board nuclear ships and nuclear submarines. In the present times, the only method of acquiring nuclear power is through nuclear fission although other options like nuclear fusion and radioactive decay are also being explored by scientists as alternative sources to generate nuclear power. There are many well known benefits of nuclear power and these are listed as follows:

Among the many benefits of nuclear power, the main advantage this type of power has over other methods is that it is a clean way to produce energy as it does not result in the emission of any of the poisonous gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide. In todays world when pollution of the atmosphere is one of our main worries, an option such as this is definitely preferable compared to burning of fossil fuels which causes so much of pollution. For more on the benefits of clean energy see Benefits of Solar Power at BenefitsOf.com.

When compared to the fossil fuel waste, the nuclear waste which occurs due to the production of nuclear power is not only small in quantity but also remains confined so as not to affect anyone in its surroundings. It has been proved that if a typical family of four uses nuclear power for all its needs then the waste produced over a period of a lifetime would be as small as a golf ball.

The disposal of nuclear waste which results during the generation of nuclear power is much easier because it is just dumped in to a geological site where it decays over a period of time and has no negative impact on the ecosystem. This turns out to be one of the main benefits of nuclear power as compared to the chemical waste like arsenic or mercury which refuse to decompose or poisonous gases which cause global warming, acid rain and smog.

Nuclear power is safe and even though there have been two serious accidents in Pennsylvania and Chernobyl, these are but sporadic incidents when compared to the rate of accidents which occur in fossil fuel industries, coal mines and gas pipelines which have a history of eruption.

One of the main benefits of nuclear power is that it is an extremely reliable source of power because most nuclear reactors have a life cycle of 40 years which can be easily extended further for 20 more years. The availability of nuclear power is competitive compared to other sources of power like oil and gas since the cost of the nuclear fuel is a small part of the total reaction and therefore even if there is a slight fluctuation in the market the entire reaction need not be affected.

The source of nuclear power is uranium and this is available in abundance in the crust of the Earth with major deposits being uncovered in Canada and Australia. Therefore since the source of nuclear power is readily available now and also for centuries to come, this form of power is virtually inexhaustible.

The nuclear power is generated at a place which is known as the nuclear power station and this is a compact building which is as big as the area occupied by a football stadium. The biggest fear associated with nuclear power is the fear of radiation and this can only be overcome by educating the people about the method of radiation and its behavior. People would be surprised to know

that radiation has been a part of our environment ever since its existence and that radiation in moderate amounts can even be advantageous to our health. Therefore, radiation need not be feared from but can be channeled appropriately to serve mankind in a positive way.

The main benefits of nuclear power are that it is good, scientific as well as environment friendly because of which it is being supported by many ecological organizations and environmentalists who were previously biased against it.