There is a bit of a debate about nuclear power. Okay, there are plenty of debates about it, in fact, but the one I am concerned with today is whether or not nuclear power is considered green energy. Should we be supporting it or protesting against it?
First of all, let is talk about the difference between green energy and renewable energy. Green energy is usually labeled such because it produces little pollution, while renewable energy is energy produced by a product that can be grown or otherwise “renewed” and not finite. Energy can be both green and renewable, of course. Solar or wind power are good examples of this.
When you look at the amount of pollution that energy generation produces (and all energy produces some pollution, no matter how small), nuclear power is one of the smallest or greenest forms. Nuclear power produces 3.3 grams of carbon dioxide per KW-Hr of produced power. To compare this number, Natural gas produces 400 grams and coal produces 700 grams, according to nuclearinfo.net. This has led some organizations to consider nuclear power a green energy source.
In contrast, many environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, firmly disagree. This is not because of a dispute over the amount of pollution nuclear power produces but because other factors need to be considered. Nuclear waste and the risk of nuclear accidents can have a traumatic impact on the health of both the environment and on human life itself.
The counter argument to this is the fact that fossil fuel waste can kill people with toxic gasses, both indoors and out, and coal plants actually produce large amounts of radiation. There is an entry on Wikipedia that talks more about this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_energy), although it isn’t the easiest article to read.
Whatever side of the debate you fall upon, reducing the amount of energy that you use is always a good idea.
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