Nuclear power is produced through a controlled nuclear fission inside the core of a reactor. The heat created by the fission of the fuel usually uranium is taken away by a coolant and used to turn water into steam. The steam powers a turbine that runs an electricity generator.
History of Nuclear Power
"In 1938 Radio chemist Otto Hahn and Fritz strassmann were conducting experiment which involved bombarding elements with neutrons when they made a discovery that most nuclei of the elements do change and uranium had greater change and brake into tow roughly equal particles" .(2) the experiment been conducted indicated that the experiment weighed less than the original uranium nucleus. This gave way to confirm that Einstein's equation that the loss of mass resulting from the splitting process must have been converted into kinetic energy that could in turn be converted into other forms of energy. "The uranium and plutonium particles been generated do break up into particles when bombarded to other particle s and this new particle a are then re absorbed by a neighbouring particles and this process continues. This increases the kinetic energy (energy which a body possesses by virtue of his motion)". (3)
After the creation of the first man made reactor know as the "Chicago pile- 1" on December 2 1942 which led to the development of atomic bomb. The prospects of using atomic energy for other functions came about. The first nuclear power station to generate electricity in commercial quantities was the "Calder hall Nuclear power Station23 in the united kingdom."(4) "Where as the "Obnink nuclear Power plant " became the first nuclear power plant to generated electricity for power grid which produced about 5 megawatts".(5)
On Tuesday 25 February 2003, "the government gave the green power which is known as the renewable power industries to prove it can meet Britain's growing energy demand."(6)
The goal of this was to cut the carbon emission which is on the rise by 60% by 2050. A word by Patricia Hewitt, the industry secretary states;
"If we achieve a step change in both energy efficiency and renewable we will be able beyond 2020 to move to 2050 without the need for a generation of nuclear power stations," .... "The further ahead we look the less clear it gets." (7) It is quite uncertain about the future of the nuclear power industries; even at 2050 the green house industry can't meet the needs of the future of Britain with sky rocking demands of electric power across the nation. The UK Government published a radical Energy White Paper entitled "Our Energy Future - creating a low carbon economy" (8) in February 2003. It major aim is to put the UK on a path towards a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 60% by 2050. Another concern was the growth of nuclear waste which is on the increase. "The adopted strategy the Government has to meet their goals of "tacking climate change and ensuring energy security by 2050 focus on saving energy, developing cleaner energy supplies and securing reliable energy supplies at prices set in competitive markets "(9) Lord May chief scientific adviser to the Government "stated that a new strategy is need for waste management and a solution is not needed before making a decision about the nuclear station buildings."(10)
Tackling global warming climate change has become a global theme of every government in every developed country. In the 1997 - The Kyoto Protocol was established to help to regulate the greenhouse gases across the globe by the united nation. Where the united nation has set a primary target of each of his member depending on their production of greenhouse gas. The combined effort of all countries is expected to cut total greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 5 percent from 2012. Part of the Kyoto protocol is the "clean development mechanism which sponsors greenhouse gas reducing projects such which makes use of renewable energy resources." (11)
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Presently at worldwide level there is no effective way of managing nuclear waste materials from the nuclear power stations. All nuclear waste are disposed in underground mines using a process called vitrification ("To change or make into glass or a glassy substance, especially through heat fusion.") (12) Radioactive waste has to be constantly removed from the nuclear reactor during operation and this "waste is temporarily stored in a water-filled cooling ponds waiting for further removal "(13). Where some of the waste materials been generated through the nuclear reactors are filled back to the ecological system such that the liquid waste is discharge into the sea creating hazards for the aquarium life and the gaseous waste are released into the air which becomes a major effect to global warming as of present .nuclear power seems to provide " clean energy and a solution to global warming the major disadvantage apart from the capital cost is dealing with the waste produced at the end and also dealing with the nuclear power plant at the end of their life span.
THE ECONOMICS
The cost of producing a nuclear power station is overwhelming, this is just the cost for the construction which takes about 70% of the capital where as the remaining 25% is maintaining and running the facility. This includes decommissioning, fuels, operations etc." The government white paper on energy argued that nuclear power station was an uneconomic option in then and current UK conditions." (14) The present situation of climate change has a major concern for the future of the world which is now the major government priority. With the uncertainty of the greenpower industry to reduce the emission of carbon by 2050 stated my Patricia Hewitt's in the guardian. With the ever skyrocketing of fuel price in the market, the cost of running a nuclear power station would be high and there is no foreseen future for the price of fossils fuel to fall in price due to the crisis in mid-east which provides major fuel to the world economic. Thou with a positive aspect of nuclear power stations such as reducing greenhouse gas emission and improved electricity supply but the negative aspects still holds much weight that the positive aspect of nuclear power. With waste management not been disposed of properly and the radioactive rays still holds at large effect when exposed. "The lowest estimate for a Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power, which was produced by the nuclear industry lies between nUS$1.1bn-$1.5bn." (15) This is for Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power which is around £850,000,000 - £1,000.000.000 in the UK economic market. If one was to consider the cost for a 5 Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors, we are looking into billions of pounds and a due capital is required to start off. With the high risk involved no one would like to take it. With the banking industries having no capacity to provide this, the only solution would be a bailout by the government themselves. In the government white paper comparison between renewable energy and nuclear and concluded that "…technologies such as onshore and offshore wind and biomass are potentially... the most cost effective ways of limiting carbon emissions in the UK".(16) To deal with climate change more effectively we must choose the cheapest form of decrease carbon as well as lesser cost. Thou nuclear seen to be the best option but the cost is too much, in which the government will indirectly place some of the cost to the public. The Chief Executive of the Government's Energy Saving Trust, Philip Sellwood to times said:
"To present nuclear power as one of the main ways of combating climate change is short-sighted … nuclear power simply does not represent a viable option at present. Given the costs associated with nuclear power and current uncertainties surrounding the problems of dealing with its waste" (17)
THE POSITIVITY OF NUCLEAR POWER
Looking at the positive side of nuclear power, there is lesser greenhouse gas been produced by the nuclear power plant. Thou it may not be 100% greener but it provide the best form of emery to meet the required demand of electric supply with lesser emission in to the atmosphere. "The energy been used according to the research carried out by DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) the greater carbon dioxide emission comes from power station which is 30%. With the introduction of nuclear power this could help cut the amount of greenhouse gases." (18) Nuclear power plants provide a more efficient than ever before with increasing new technologies been developed on regular basics. In a comment by published by the independent Lovelock said
"There is no chance that the renewable, wind, tide and water power can provide enough energy and in time. If we had 50 years or more we might make these our main sources", he said, "We have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilisation is in imminent danger and has to use nuclear - the one safe, available, energy source "(19) With the greenhouse industries not been able to provide much energy by 2050, nuclear power is the only known solution. "[Abstract] The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the following average emission levels in the production of 1 MWh of electricity Pounds of Emissions per MWh, where nuclear power stands at 0 in carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides" (20) which means it is much safer that coal which has the highest generation of greenhouse gases. The cost of starting up the nuclear power station is relatively high but the cost of running the nuclear power station is relatively low. In a BBC article which compares the cost of running a gas fired station and nuclear power station to by 70% difference in advantage to the nuclear power which only uses 10% of processed uranium. In a gas-fired plant, the gas alone makes up 80% of the cost of electricity. So firms and consumers are very exposed to the wholesale price of gas. "But at a nuclear power plant, the fuel is processed uranium, accounting for just 10% of the cost of production." (21) There is less dependence on foreign oil and natural biofuels. In the United Kingdom biofuels are imported from various countries of the world. In an article by BBC which lies the supply of gas to the United Kingdom from offshore base supplies and this been distributed and redistributed making the cost much higher as each company charges for their own percentage. But with nuclear power plants, the country won't be subject to external prices changes. According to a BBC drama documentary "'what happens if … The Lights Go Out" (22) Which indicates the effect of depending on just one single supply of gas through a pipeline to United Kingdom through a pipeline from Russia. This is a major target for terrorist and the consequences will be severe as there is no external source provided.
THE ALTERNATIVES
There vast majority of power supply such as waves and tidal, biomass, solar, offshore wind. Even with all this natural renewable energy the demand for electric supply is increasing every day as populations a rise in the country. This renewable sources can't sustain the human race singularly on just its own, it can all be combined together to help combat climate change.
CONCLUSION
Comparing the positive and negative aspect of nuclear power and weighing the effect on the economic. I would recommend nuclear power as a solution for global climate warming provided that there is a far better way of the waste disposal management. One major accident has occur in the nuclear power station, which was the Chernobyl disaster but nuclear power stills less accidents"(23) If new research is carried out on the waste management and find a positive way of dealing with it other than vitrification and storing undergrounds, I know definitely that the vast majority if people would support it. The cost of construction is much higher than the cost of running and also much higher that other form of electric power supply. Apart from the cost and waste management and analysing the advantages and disadvantages I would say that Nuclear Power is the solution to global warming.
