Nuclear Power Station

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Nuclear Power Station

Advantages

  • No greenhouse gas emissions
  • No air pollutants emitted
  • Quantity of waste produced is small
  • Low fuel costs
  • Creates jobs - benefits local and national economy

Disadvantages

  • Risk of a major accident such as Chernobyl, the 3 Mile Island or Japan
  • Nuclear waste is very dangerous and lasts for a long time - causes problems for transport or storage
  • High construction and maintainance costs
  • Security concers - Waste could be used in a so-called 'dirty bomb' and other radioactive substances could be used to make a nuclear bomb
  • Uses large areas of land
  • Spoils the look of the countryside
  • Destroys wildlife habitats
  • Causes an increase in traffic - Noise and air pollution
  • Not as green as it seems - Non-renualble materials used in production, waste managment and transport

Evaluation

Overall it is quite a risk. While nuclear power may seem like a green solution, there are many hidden costs and so the drawbacks do seem to outnumber the benefits to the economy and environment.

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