This is the Age of nuclear domination and every other nation in the world is working on either building or improving their nuclear assets.
Typically, nuclear energy is a boon and a ban to humanity.
So, the very way to adopt it wisely today is to take a sustainable approach. However, the way to achieve sustainability with nuclear energy is a sensitively dicey debate. Thus, it requires government intervention where the public is informed about its ethical, political and social dynamics relating to nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is released during nuclear fission or reaction that takes place strictly within the walls of nuclear power plants for production of electricity. It is known to be one of the cleanest forms of energy that emits no green house gases while generating electricity. Reports state that about 10% of the world’s electricity and 18% for the OECD countries are produced from these nuclear plants. There has been an increasing competition for nuclear energy developments around the globe because of the proportional increase in electricity demand. The human and environment impact is also reported to be minimized by the modern methods of nuclear energy extraction and processing.
There is no certification, whatsoever, on the carbon-free clean label given to nuclear energy. It comes with genuine factors of being expensive and risky of a sudden nuclear meltdown. Nuclear waste, again, that includes radioactive elements dangerous in nature and its ineffective incineration can not only hamper environment but also mankind. Military and political provisions of the nations are two underlying services of nuclear energy. Thus, an appropriate way to formulate opinion on the quest of nuclear energy as a sustainable resource can be met through study of reports and publications like:
- Nuclear Energy-Combating Climate Change (2015)
- The Role of Nuclear Energy in a Low-carbon Energy Future (2012)
- Nuclear energy: Towards sustainable development (2007), etc.
The future has plans to utilize nuclear energy in a large scale, definitely in a more environmentally-accepted way for production of sustainable electricity. Investments on nuclear energy is high but if the pricing of carbon is resolved, then it will be a budget friendly choice. Another aspect of nuclear energy that has to be harnessed for a continuing contribution and survival of nuclear energy is maintenance of high safety and security standards in the power reactors. There is the positive prospect of ‘security of supply’ with nuclear energy since Uranium (U) is geographically distributed across the planet and is also sufficiently available along with geopolitical distribution of its producers. The energy of uranium can be extracted efficiently with a greater control in nuclear waste now as new designs are ordered in for better performance and fuel utilisation. Safety of the workers and management of the element in the OECD countries shows how investors and regulators are keen about the ground and operational rules in the reactors because human health and environment are at stake. Additionally, studies and practice of safe handling, packaging and disposal of nuclear wastes has been a success lately.
Sustainable development in nuclear energy is decisive on the grounds of firstly environment impact, secondly economic growth and thirdly social welfare.
The rate and ratio of nuclear energy production and consumption will determine the economic growth and social welfare while the range of environmental seizure is predictable more or less as every form of energy comes with side effects. Nuclear energy can step up for local employment as well.
With the shift in public interest towards a sustainable living, nuclear energy is considered a part of this resolution because of its plentiful, diversified and nearly carbon-free resource base. Various nuclear-active countries such as Sweden, Finland, etc. are developing repositories for disposal of nuclear wastes. Even radioactive emissions around nuclear power plants and radiations upon workers are monitored and found to be exceptionally low and halved with further decreasing results.
Set aside all the propositions and developments, nuclear energy has to gain social acceptance to become a part of the sustainable development movement.
Image credit : NS ENERGY
Add Comment