Nuclear Energy vs. Fossil Fuels

Air Pollution Break Down

One of the biggest issues facing our planet today is the changing climate and growing risks to our environment. A large part of the destruction of our environment is created by greenhouse gases and air pollution. Air contamination is caused by many factors, a big one being energy production across the world. Every single day millions of gallons of fossil fuels are burned to produce energy. In Missouri, the fuel used the most to produce energy is coal, which is accountable for nearly three-quarters of all fuel production. Nuclear energy, on the other hand only takes up 5.5% of all fuel generation. The amount of coal is a needless waste when we have access to the technology to have cleaner and better energy production.

Nuclear energy production is clean and does not produce the greenhouse gasses that fossil fuels do. This makes the use of nuclear energy a preferable choice when considering its effects on the environment. Nuclear energy isn't only better for preserving the environment, but it is also remarkably more efficient than coal-producing power plants. One kilogram of uranium used in a nuclear power plant can produce 2-3 million times the power of a kilogram of coal or oil, and one kilogram of thorium can produce 250 times that of a kilogram of uranium ^[2] . In contrast to coal and other fossil fuels, nuclear energy doesn't contribute to global warming, while still producing more power.

Because of its abundance and its fissile material breeding capability, thorium could potentially offer a long-term solution to humanity’s energy needs- Agarwal

Cost Analysis

The cost of building a nuclear power plant is high, but the benefits outweigh the cost. A nuclear power plant can produce far more energy than any other type of power plant, such as wind farms or solar power. Having a clean energy source that produces enough energy to satisfy the populace is worth the cost of construction.

How AQI data can show areas with high pollution

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a scale that runs from 0-500, with any number below 50 defined as 'Good' quality and safe with little to no risk. Anything above could be potentially dangerous for people with a higher sensitivity to air pollution. This map represents the air quality of each state. Any color shaded dark red shows a higher AQI count and states with a lighter area show lower AQI counts and have less of a risk to the people in the surrounding areas.

On this map, we plotted every coal and nuclear power plant in Missouri. With mapping software, a connection can be seen between the pollution surrounding the different types of energy production.

Fighting the Stigma

Nuclear energy is a powerful resource for a cleaner world and if we are able to overcome the stigma around it, the whole world can benefit greatly.

Nuclear energy may sound alarming to many people but it's not nearly as dangerous as many are led to believe. When most people hear the word “nuclear” they will jump straight to atomic bombs or the Chernobyl disaster, but nuclear energy production is much more reliable than that.

With modern technology, using thorium in nuclear energy production is much safer than its older counterparts. As opposed to using uranium, nuclear energy production using thorium does not need to take place under extreme pressure. One of the best features of thorium is its incapability to cause a nuclear meltdown.

In the case of a failure, the reaction can be easily stopped. If the reaction exceeds certain temperatures or power is cut off, a plug at the bottom of the tank melts and the fuel is drained into a storage tank for safekeeping. For more information on the safety of nuclear power plants, check out this link below.

This is a map of the U.S. with each of its nuclear power plants plotted. In the background, the AQI for each state is represented by a color. The redder a state is the more dangerous the AQI level is and the more yellow the cleaner the air. From this map, we can tell that nuclear power plants are more concentrated in areas with a higher population. It does not seem to have a connection to the AQI of the state. Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, are all states in the red, without having any nuclear power plants.