An Eternal Necessity: The Case for Nuclear Energy

[RAF7789]

Attached is a research paper that i wrote for my English 1A class. I am very proud of it . give me your honest feedback

ENJOY!

[Gary94Formula]

Well done...

[sneitzel]

Apparently you have a very well timed paper.

Check out the current issue of WIRED magazine.

http://www.wired.com/wired/

[Roger in Kensington]

In general, I agree with your conclusions, but would suggest not relying so heavily upon Bernie Cohen. Mind you, I think he's right, but you could cite broader sources to support your thesis.

As for the availability of fissionable material for use in reactors, here you (we) are on shakier ground.

While there may be lots of uranium in the earth's crust, it is very dispersed and not cost-effective to collect. (For example, the same applies to gold. There may be an enormous amount of gold dissolved in one cubic mile of seawater, but it would be far more costly to extract than the gold is worth.)

Most uranium is U-238, a hard-to-fission isotope. Fissionable uranium (U-235) is much less abundant and the supply is limited. Breeder reactors could use fissionable U-235 to convert less-fissionable U-238 into one of the very fissionable isotopes of plutonium. Unfortunately, our Congress has seen fit to outlaw breeder reactors.

Of course, we could use one of the fissionable isotopes of thorium, though that would be more expensive.

As with oil, natural gas, hydroelectric and geothermal, we have met the enemy and it is the Congress.

If only farmers could grow uranium so that politicians might pander to them, we might have a chance . . .

[RAF7789]

In general, I agree with your conclusions, but would suggest not relying so heavily upon Bernie Cohen. Mind you, I think he's right, but you could cite broader sources to support your thesis..

i realized i quoted his work very much, but i picked up three books--one actually written by Cohen. The other two had various authors and as i read through them, the most convincing points were made by(...Surprisingly) ....COHEN!!!! haha


PS thank you all for the feed*forward

[BrdWAtti2d]

If only farmers could grow uranium so that politicians might pander to them, we might have a chance . . .

Congress would pay them NOT to grow it...


Nice work on the paper!

[Wild Willy]

This country was well on it's way to building nuclear power when Three Mile Island scared everybody. That really put the brakes on many projects. Also, I don't think that there has ever been a neclear power plant built that didn't have massive cost over-runs-

The standards and inspections are very strict, as they should be. But this drives up the cost. However, I think we should be building these things like crazy, and I can give several good reasons:

-Construction jobs, for Americans- well paying ones, too
-Work for Westinghouse, General Electric, building steam turbines- more high-paying manufacturing jobs-
-decrease dependence on foreign oil and the swings in the marketplace

You are dealing with people's irrational fears of something that you can't see, feel or taste- radiation, but, at some point, when gas reaches, what, 5 or 6 dollars a gallon, we are going to have to get going on this-

Even nuclear is really an interm solution, until we have the technology to harness fusion- just think, no radioactive chemicals, no waste, and a whole ocean full of hydrogen- we just need a way to contain and control the reaction-

[FroSSty]

we just need a way to contain and control the reaction-

Good thinkin...I'll get right on that.

Seriously though, great read.

[Dave M]

I haven't read your paper yet but I plan to when I have more time. I just dropped in to say I work at Three mile Island so I'm really get a kick out of these replies....

[Dave M]

That was a pretty good paper. Working at a nuclear power plant, I'm always glad to see people out there championing the cause. I don't know the requirements of your assignment, but there is a lot more detail about nuclear plants you could have gone into. For instance, you cite multiple safety layers and use the thick concrete containments as an example. The concrete containment is a last line of defense. If we have to rely on it, we've already failed. Each system has a backup, and each backup has a back up. There is at least triple redundency on all safety systems in a nuclear plant. I could go on and on, and I will if anyone is curious, but right now I'm out of time and have to go.

[Roger in Kensington]

There's an excellent article regarding nuclear energy in the current issue of National Review.