Sample Solution

There are many different ways we create power and now we are to a point where we need to start looking into the pros and cons of each. Some of the energy sources we have use resources that will not be available forever and some can create a severe impact on the Earth, which are things we have to consider early on. One of the energy sources I am looking into is nuclear power and whether this is a good source to consider using more significantly opposed to other sources.
At first glance when researching nuclear energy, it seems like it has everything we could be looking for in energy. It is a low-cost option that has a low impact on the environment as far as pollution levels are considered and will be able to create a significant amount of energy very easily. A very important thing to consider is how much energy is created compared to other great sources of energy such as wind turbines, solar electricity, and hydroelectric systems. As stated by Yale Environment 360, in 2016 there were 336 days where nuclear power plants were running at full power compared to hydroelectricity for 138 days, wind turbines 127 days, and solar electricity 92 days out of the year (Rhodes, 2018). This shows that in none of the other sources of energy were running even half as often as nuclear power was, which needs to be greatly considered.
Based on this information, nuclear energy seems to be a great way to produce energy, but there are some significant problems with trying to produce energy this way. When producing this energy, there is radioactive waste that is created and can be active for long periods of time and expose people to harmful radiation. The worst case of harmful radiation came from the accident of Chernobyl, where thousands of people were evacuated when one of the nuclear power plants had a reactor destroyed. This radiation exposure has caused people to deal with the effects for many years, this includes not only the people of this area, but also plants and animals (Brunader, 2012). This means we have to be certain that there is a safe way to create and store this waste and leave it in a safe place to run its course. Another thing to consider while not likely, if this waste were to get in the hands of the wrong person the waste can be turned into weapons that can have a very devastating effect.