At the end of the 16th century, Londoners faced a shortage of firewood, which forced them to use coal. However, Elizabethton's preachers strongly opposed coal, delaying a quick resolution to the energy shortage. The world today faces a similar problem: there is a shortage of energy sources and environmentalists condemn the use of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy provides a clean way of producing energy and therefore nuclear energy production should be increased. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayToday, nuclear energy accounts for 19.7% of the United States' energy sources. As this percentage continues to increase, it is important to understand the process of nuclear fission. During this process, atoms split to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. The arrangement of particles in uranium 235 is somewhat unstable, and the nucleus breaks into smaller pieces when it absorbs an additional neutron. Nuclear fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant, and the center of the reactor contains uranium fuel. The heat produced during fission in the reactor core is used to boil water and turn it into steam. This steam turns the steam turbine and drives the generators to produce electricity. Then, nuclear power plants cool the steam and transfer it to the water in the cooling towers: this water returns to other bodies of water. The use of nuclear fission energy is expected to be increased to meet the world's increasingly demanding energy needs. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, the United States avoided releasing 14 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere between 1995 and 2016 using nuclear power. Because nuclear power releases no carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen oxide, the use of nuclear power over those 21 years is comparable to removing 3 billion cars from the road . On the other hand, nuclear power plants require fossil fuels as an auxiliary use during their construction, mining, processing, maintenance and decommissioning. Although the use of fossil fuels is necessary to a limited extent, it only requires about 4 to 5 percent more than a natural gas-fired power plant, making nuclear power a cleaner alternative to the traditional use of fossil fuels. As global warming has become an increasingly catastrophic phenomenon, preventing the release of carbon dioxide into the air has become an important issue that must be addressed. Another reason why the use of nuclear power should be increased is that the capacity of nuclear power is huge while the required land footprint is small. Capacity is defined as the percentage of energy produced in a given amount of time. While wind power, solar power and hydropower are constant and highly dependent on weather conditions, nuclear power is weather independent and a reliable source of renewable energy. In 2016, nuclear power plants produced about 20% of U.S. electricity and had an average capacity factor of 92.3%, compared to 25.1% for solar electricity and 52.8% for coal. Nuclear energy is therefore by far the sourcemost reliable energy source. A proposed limitation to nuclear power capacity, however, is the availability of the relatively rare metals used in the construction of the reactor vessel and core. Although this shortage is not an immediate concern, it nevertheless poses a challenge to expanding the use of nuclear energy. Additionally, it takes up less space than many other forms of renewable energy sources. In the United States, an average nuclear facility with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts requires just over a square mile to operate. However, wind farms require 360 ​​times more land area to produce the same amount of electricity and solar photovoltaic installations require 75 times more space than nuclear power plants. By switching to nuclear energy, this land could be used for other purposes, such as agricultural production, creation of cities, etc. Security is one of the most important factors when it comes to creating more power source sites. Nuclear power plants must meet very high safety standards to operate: there are several overlapping safety levels designed to prevent accidental releases of radiation. Examples of safety precautions taken include the rods that encase the reactor's uranium fuel, the massive steel vessels and pipes that contain the fuel rods and cooling system, and a very sturdy building that houses the reactor, which is made of steel-reinforced concrete several feet thick. The Nuclear Regulatory Committee (NRC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency approve emergency plans that nuclear power plants need to ensure increased safety. The NRC conducts assessments of nuclear power plants to ensure reactor safety, radiation safety and security. With these safety precautions, nuclear energy sources can be used safely. Even Bill Gates said that “nuclear energy, in terms of overall security, is better than other energies.” In the past, scientists have used many methods to solve problems related to nuclear power generation. The Fukushima Daiichi accident is an example. Following a major earthquake, a 15-meter tsunami destroyed the power supply and cooling of three reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, causing a nuclear accident on March 11, 2011: all three cores melted within three early days, warning against the release of radioactive materials into the air. . In response, scientists requested that covers be constructed over the units to reduce the release of airborne radioactive substances. Additionally, the removal of fuel from the pools of Units 1 and 2 was planned for 2018, while the recovery of fuel debris was planned for 2020. Even if such accidents occur, nuclear power remains a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. In short, nuclear energy is essential to combating climate change, and its production should be increased to help meet the planet's growing energy needs. The World Health Organization says that urban air pollution, which is a mixture of all the chemicals we just described, causes 7 million deaths per year, or about 1 in 8 deaths overall. The continued use of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, a growing phenomenon facing society. Thus, nuclear energy production must be increased. While global warmingbecomes a growing threat to society, scientists are scrambling to find cleaner alternatives to preserve the environment by reducing the number of greenhouse gases released into the air. A proposed alternative is nuclear energy. However, nuclear power is just as dangerous as coal and natural gas plants. Although it does not release carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide into the air, it causes many dangerous consequences that pose many risks. There are currently 444 nuclear power plants in 30 countries, with another 63 plants under construction, but the use of nuclear power is expected to cease due to nuclear waste, the high cost of nuclear power and the accidents it has caused . represents 19.7 percent of the United States' energy sources, and before this percentage increases further, the many consequences of nuclear energy must be considered. During nuclear fission, atoms split to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. The arrangement of particles in uranium 235 is somewhat unstable, and the nucleus breaks into smaller pieces when it absorbs an additional neutron. Nuclear fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant, and the center of the reactor contains uranium fuel. The heat produced during fission in the reactor core is used to boil water and turn it into steam. This steam turns the steam turbine and drives the generators to produce electricity. Then, nuclear power plants cool the steam and transform it into water in cooling towers: this water returns to other bodies of water. While this may seem like a clear alternative to fossil fuels, fossil fuels are needed for ancillary purposes during construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance, and decommissioning (Rhodes, Richard). One of the main environmental concerns associated with nuclear energy is the creation of radioactive waste such as uranium mill tailings, reactor fuel and other radioactive waste. Radioactive waste generated by nuclear power can remain radioactive and dangerous for thousands of years. Additionally, there is simply no long-term solution to this problem. Currently, most waste is stored in temporary above-ground facilities. However, these facilities are quickly running out of space, forcing nuclear facilities to seek other types of storage, which are both more expensive and less secure. Some in the nuclear industry say that while nuclear power has problems, the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to nuclear waste. However, there are cleaner alternatives, such as solar and wind power, that do not produce radioactive waste that can be extremely dangerous to human health. As the cost of operating nuclear power plants increases, many are being shut down because they can no longer power a nuclear power plant without suffering economic losses. Initial investment, fuel and maintenance costs are exponentially higher for nuclear power plants than for wind and solar power. Additionally, nuclear facilities tend to experience cost overruns and construction delays. As renewable energy sources advance technologically, the price of renewable energy sources has declined significantly and is expected to continue to decline. Although some may argue that societies today need nuclear energy.