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They only way to control this shortage of fuel are to produce more, conserve and control the amount of energy we use or a combination of conserving and increasing production. In the United States two major sources of energy are coal and nuclear power. There are coal power plants and nuclear power plants. Both of them were built for the same purpose, to supply energy to the world. Some would say that coal is better, more efficient and safer than nuclear power. But then again, many people believe that nuclear power is the power of the future and what we are going to be relying on. Both sides have their pros and cons, making it hard to determine which one is safer, cleaner, more efficient, and in greatest supply. Coal is a natural resource of Earth. “Coal is a combustible, sedimentary, organic rock (composed primarily of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen) formed from vegetation.” “Large coal deposits only started to be formed after the evolution of land plants in the Devonian period, some four hundred million years ago.” (The Origin) Vegetation was consolidated between other rock strata forming coal seams. Then the vegetation was “altered by the combined effects of microbial action, pressure and heat over a considerable time period.”(What is Coal) The altered remains of prehistoric vegetation originally accumulated as plant material in swamps and peat bogs. “The accumulation of silt and other sediments, together with movements in the earth’s crust (tectonic movements) buried these swamps and peat bogs often to great depths.”(The Origin) Coal reserves are known to be in about one hundred countries. At current production levels, it is estimated that these known coal reserves will last over 200 years. (Coal Facts) Some of the major producers of hard coal include China – 1,029 megatons (mt.), United States – 914 mt., India – 290 mt., and Australia – 225 mt. (Coal Facts) Before coal was used to generate fuel, it was considered to be a widespread and abundant resource. Today the supply of coal has decreased significantly and it is acknowledged that there is not enough coal to last forever if the current consumption rate continues. Each year the world uses coal with little consideration of how much if left and how much longer it will last. Consumption rates of global hard coal throughout the world were 2,721 megatons (mt.) in 1979, 3,579 mt. in 1989, and 3,465 mt. in 1999. (Coal Facts) Uranium is also a natural element on Earth. It is found everywhere in the earth’s surface. It is a metal and looks like lead. It is believed that when the earth was forming and was only particles of dust floating in space coming together, nearby stars exploded and let off uranium. The earth’s gravity pulled in the uranium and it was mixed together with the dirt and other particles. That is how we have uranium today. (Thomas) As of 1977 known uranium reserves contained 690,000 tons. This includes about 90,000 tons produced as by-products of phosphate and copper mining. “The current price for a pound of unenriched uranium stands at $43.00.”(Webb) It is hypothesized that undiscovered uranium deposits total 3,760,000 tons. The potential for exploitation of these deposits will become cost-competitive as uranium increases in price. (Webb) A nuclear power plant converts the natural resource, uranium, into power to supply energy to the world. (Till) Nuclear power is considered one of the United States main and cleanest sources of energy today. Nuclear power plants generated 17.1% of the world’s electricity in 1998. (Coal Facts) A coal power plant converts the natural resource, coal, into fuel to supply power for the world. Coal was used to generate 38.4% of the world’s electricity in 1998. (Coal Facts) A nuclear power plant utilizes uranium pellets as the fuel inside a reactor. “Ceramic fuel pellets are loaded into fuel rods, which are grouped together into fuel assemblies which are then inserted into the reactor.” “A typical 1,100 megawatt pressurized water reactor contains 193 fuel assemblies that are composed of about 55,000 fuel rods, containing 14 million uranium dioxide fuel pellets.” “During refueling, which normally occurs at 12-24 month intervals, about one-quarter to one-third of the fuel [uranium] assemblies are removed and replaced with fresh fuel.” “A fuel assembly has an operating life of between 36 months and 54 months, after which the efficiency of the chain reaction begins to decrease.”(Technology Benefits) Turning coal into power is not as complicated as the conversion of uranium. The first step is to break the coal into many small pieces. “Pulverized coal is blown into the furnace where it burns while airborne”. Next, water is heated to boiling temperature while under extreme pressure. “Water flows through tubes that run through the furnace.” Finally, the steam from the pressurized water is forced out through big turbines. “This pressurized steam blasts through a turbine, which turns a generator to produce electricity” (How Coal) Power plants burn mountains of coal each year.” (Coal Fired). “The amount of electricity generated from coal-fired power plants increased by almost 16% between 1992 and 1998.” (Fast Fact) “A typical five hundred megawatt coal power plant produces 3.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) per year.” This will light four million light bulbs year round. “…The electricity generated per ton of coal is 0.4x6, 150 kWh or 2,460 kWh per ton.” “To be able to produce 3.5 billion kWh per year it takes 1.43 million tons of coal.”(Question) To light one light bulb for one year it takes 714 pounds (325kg) of coal. (Question) “The thermal energy content of coal is 6,150 kWh/ton.” About 40% of the thermal energy in coal is converted to electricity. (Question) In 1998, 23.3% of the world’s energy for both commercial and non-commercial sources came from coal and 6.7% was generated through nuclear power plants. (Coal Facts) In the United States, coal is burned in 56% of all power plant boilers in operation. (Fast Facts) Coal is the number one source of total U.S. electricity production at 54%. The number two source of electricity is nuclear power, which produces 21% of U.S. electricity. (Power Plants) Nuclear energy is a dependable provider of electricity for the United States. (Till) “Seventeen one thousand-megawatt reactors could be fueled for forty years with 690,000 tons of domestic uranium reserves.” (Webb) “ One uranium nuclear fuel pellet the size of the tip of a little finger is equivalent to the energy provided by 1,780 pounds of coal or 149 gallons of oil.”(High-level) While the amount of uranium needed to produce electricity is much less than the amount of coal needed to produce an equivalent amount of electricity, there is concern about the safety of the environment whenever radioactive material is used. “Just 1/70th of a teaspoon of nuclear waste can contaminate a 25-acre lake to a point where fish are unsafe to eat.” (Toll From) However, all energy production results in some environmental damage and some scientists believe that the dangers of nuclear power plants are less significant than other power sources. “…Of all energy sources, nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on the environment…” (Environmental) “Nuclear plants are so environmentally benign that they enable endangered species to live and thrive nearby.”(Environmental) Osprey, peregrine, falcons, and bald eagles are examples of endangered species which have thrived near nuclear power plants. “Nuclear energy preserves the environment.” (Till, Frequently) Wastes and by-products from coal power plants also impact the environment. There are currently fish in 50,000 waterbeds in 40 states that have such high levels of mercury that the health agencies warn people not to eat them. (Toll From) Waste from nuclear power plants may be a threat to the environment if not stored properly. When all thinkable measures have been taken to assure safe storage there may still be concern about leakage or theft. Thousands of tons of spent fuel from commercial reactors is stored in racks submerged in cooling ponds or “swimming pools” at each reactor site. (Kaku) Even though nuclear waste is dangerous proper containment is observed to protect the environment. “Nuclear waste can be stored underground in geologic formations like salt domes or granite formations, which have remained remarkably stable for hundreds of millions of years.”(Kaku) After the nuclear rods [fuel] have been used they are unable to explode and do not burn. Finding safe sites to store radioactive waste is a problem. Nobody wants a disposal site in their backyard. In addition to nuclear power plant waste, the world is dealing with radioactive military waste. There are 70 million gallons of highly radioactive military waste that is stored temporarily in Washington State, South Carolina, and Idaho. (Kaku) Nuclear accidents are not known to happen that often. When they do happen, it is usually because of human error or miss judgement. People are terrified of the words nuclear and radioactive because they associate them with the atomic bomb. If a nuclear power plant exploded or had a meltdown, the results would not be a worldwide disaster. The effects of a meltdown would be “land contamination out to two hundred miles”, “latent cancer deaths up to one thousand miles from the reactor” and “restrictions on milk and cattle consumption out to one thousand miles”(Kaku). “Computer studies show that there will be immediate fatalities within 10 miles of the reactor.”(Kaku) “If or when a meltdown happens the fission product travels downwind in a rough 10 degree angle from an uncontrolled meltdown.”(Kaku) Even though nuclear power plants are known as a dangerous source of energy they do have safety factors built in to protect themselves and the people around them. Examples of these safety factors include, having “the primary system retain the radioactivity until it can be removed by systems that clean the cooling water” (Kaku) and constructing “the fuel rods of materials with great structural strength.”(Kaku) “The odds of a meltdown are one in 10,000 years.”(Gregorcvich) Employees of nuclear power plants need to be cautious and informed of the risks. “Nuclear [plant] workers are allowed to receive more than twice the amount of radiation that has been shown to double the rate of cancer incidence.” “Six to seven percent of worker deaths (more than 200 fatalities) over a twenty-eight year period were directly related to radiation exposure on the job.” (Webb) Coal power plants also pose dangers to the environment. “Large coal-fired power plants release several hundred pounds of mercury per year.”(Coal Fired) An estimated 81,000 pounds of mercury tainted solid waste is discharged into the air each year by coal power plants. (Coal Burning Power) “Coal fired power plants are the single largest source of mercury pollution in the United States and are responsible for thirty three percent of the total mercury emissions from all known manmade sources.” (Fast Facts) “In 1994, coal fired power plants emitted fifty-one tons of mercury.” (Toll From) “Coal and oil fired power plants released almost nine million pounds of toxic metals and metal compounds into the air that year [1998].” (Coal Fired) “Coal emits 29% more carbon per unit of energy than oil, and 80% more than natural gas.”(Fast Facts) “Coal fired power plants are the largest source of sulfur dioxide, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all US. emissions, and are the largest stationary source of nitrogen oxides [this causes acid rain].”(Toll From) When considering which is better, coal generated energy or nuclear energy it is important to consider the environmental impact and the economic impact of each. It should be noted that nuclear power plants use uranium and nuclear weapons plants use plutonium, which is much more powerful and has more severe effects. It is important when considering the feasibility of nuclear power plants that it be kept in mind that the two are totally different. The negative aspects of using coal power plants are the emission of toxic metals, mercury, and sulfur dioxide which pollute the environment, the emission of nitrous oxide which causes acid rain and the finite quantity which is available. The negative aspects of nuclear power plants are the possible release of radioactive material during an accident or meltdown, which would effect all living things within two hundred miles and the difficulty storing the nuclear wastes from the plant. All forms of power production have negative impacts on our environment. In our world today, power is a necessity but most people have taken it for granted and do not think of the repercussions of excessive use. The best solution to the energy crisis is to use all sources of power in moderation and to conserve energy whenever possible. Bibliography: Work Cited “Clean Coal Technology Compendium.” www.lanl.gov/cgi-bin/byteserver.pl/projects/cctc/resources/pafsmisc/haps/M96005041. (“Clean Coal” cgi-bin) “Clean Coal Technology Compendium.” www.lanl.gov/projects/cctc/factsheets/factsheets.html (“Clean Coal”- Projects) “Coal Burning Power Plants Spewing Mercury.” http://ens.lycos.com/ens/nov99/1999l-11-18-07.html (Coal Burning) “Coal Fired Power Plants Emitting Cloud of Toxics.” http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug2000/2000L-08-15-06.html (Coal Fired) “Environmental Preservation.” www.nei.org/doc.asp?cathum=2&catid=38 (Environmental) “Fast Facts on Power Plants.” www.cleanair.net/PowerPlants/PlantFastFacts.PDF (Fast Facts) Gregorovich, Andrew. “Chernobyl Nuclear Catastrophe Ten Years Later after April 26,1986.” www.infoukes.com/history/chornobyl/gregorovich/ (Gregorovich) “High-Level “Nuclear Waste” Is really used Nuclear Fuel.” www.nei.org/doc.asp?eatnum=2&eatid=62 (High-Level) “How Coal Works.” www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=question481.htm&url=http://urww.ucsusa.org/ energy/brief.coal.html. (How Coal) Michio Kaku and Jennifer Trainer. “Nuclear Power: Both Sides the Best Arguments for and against the most controversial technology.” New York, London: WW Norton & Company. 1982 (Kaku) “Nuclear Technologies Benefits of Nuclear Energy.” www.nei.org/doc.asp?catnum=3&catid=156 (Technologies Benefits) “Power Plants.” www.cleanair.net/PowerPlants/campaign.htm (Power Plants) “Question of the day.” www.howstuffworks.com/question481.htm (Question) Richard E. Webb, Ph.D. “Nuclear Lessons an Examination of Nuclear Power’s Safet, Economic and Political Record.” Harrisburg. Pa: Stackpole Books, 1980. (Webb) Thomas, Matt Interview. 27 March, 2001 (Thomas) Till,Dr.Charles “Frequently asked Question.” www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/etc/facqs.html (Frequently) Till,Dr.Charles. Interview. 1998 www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/interviews/till.html. (Till) “The Toll From Coal: Dirty Power Threatens Our Environment.” www.cleanair.net/PowerPlants/Gen%20harms.pdf (Toll From) Word Count: 2132
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