Nuclear power is any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. Today, more than 15% of the world’s electricity comes from nuclear power.

1.    Pollution

ü  The pollution from fossil fuel-burning plants is responsible for half of America's air pollution. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, which depletes the protection of the ozone, as well as sulfur, causing acid precipitation. Coal also contains radioactive material. Coal-fired power plants emit more carbon dioxide into the air than a nuclear power plant.

ü  Acid rain contaminates water. When a dam is built, water becomes stagnant, causing severe environmental changes and eutrophication. If prevented properly, nuclear power plants don’t pose threats on water supply.

ü Because the world's reserves of fossil fuels running out, sulfurous coal is more polluting than the coal that was previously used. According to estimates, fossil fuels will be burned up within fifty years.  There are large reserves of uranium, and new breeder reactors can produce more fuel than they use.

ü  Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide. The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little.

û  Mining and purifying (enrichment) aren’t clean processes.

û  Radioactive waste, both high level and low level radioactive waste is produced. (yearly, 2,000 metric tons)

2.    Technology and Reliability

ü Nuclear power plants need little fuel, so they are less vulnerable to shortages because of strikes or natural disasters.

üFeuds and international relations have little effect on the supply of fuel to the reactors due to the fact that uranium is evenly deposited around the planet.

ü Nuclear technology is readily available; it does not have to be developed first.

ü Mining uranium out of the ground reduces future radon exposures. Coal burning leaves ashes that will increase future radon exposures. The estimates of radon show that it is safer to use nuclear fuel than burn coal.

ü It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant.

û Uranium and thorium will run out in approximately 1000 years.

ûLarge masses of land are wasted on deep underground storage of spent nuclear wastes.

ûAll of this costs a lot of money. On top of this, nuclear plants can only be used for 40 years, which is when more money must be spent to build new ones.

3.    Safety

ü Because accidents are extreme, extreme precautions are taken to prevent compromising of reactor core. There are a number of safety mechanisms that make the chances of reactor accidents very low.

ü Mining of the fuel required to operate a nuclear plant for one year will avert a few hundred deaths, while the ashes from a coal-burning plant will cause deaths.

üNo Americans have died or been seriously injured due to nuclear power plant accidents.

û So much as transporting nuclear fuel to and from plants is a contamination risk.

û Radioactive waste requires a lot of care, and is potentially very dangerous

û When situations go wrong, nuclear power plants can be catastrophic.