☯ Concept Cartoons ☯

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1. Chemistry Nuclear 6 - Is nuclear energy green?

1 Chemistry Nuclear 6 - Is nuclear energy green?

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Have you talked about your ideas? Do you agree with any of the characters or do you think something different? Do you all have the same ideas? Here are some ways of finding out more. What do you think people mean when they talk about green energy? Get hold of some information about nuclear energy. Use more than one source to get a range of views. Find out what nuclear reactors use as fuel. Is it a fuel in the same way that fossil fuels are? What kind of waste do they produce and what happens to the waste?

Here’s what a scientist might say. Did you find any evidence to support or justify these ideas? Are there any questions that you still need to answer? Nuclear reactors use radioactive substances to heat water, which is then used to generate electricity. Nuclear reactions release lots of energy without using much nuclear fuel. Nuclear fuels will last for thousands of years, but they have to be mined and processed and this requires energy. Nuclear power stations take a lot of energy and resources to build, and they are dangerously radioactive when they are too old to use anymore. They don’t produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, but they do produce radioactive waste that has to be processed carefully. Some of the waste needs to be stored for hundreds or even thousands of years before it is safe, and nuclear accidents can be very serious. Overall nuclear reactors are much more energy-efficient than coal, gas or oil. Make a table to show the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy compared to other possibilities. Imagine you are the Minister for energy policy. Use your table to write a brief policy statement about whether to invest in nuclear power stations in the future. Do others agree?