Nuclear Power Vs Renewable Energy – Fossil fuels are very dirty and dangerous energy sources, while nuclear and modern renewable energy sources are safer and cleaner. The differences are huge.
All sources of energy have negative effects. But there is a big difference between them in terms of size: as we will see, fossil fuels are the dirtiest and most dangerous, while nuclear and modern renewable energy sources are safer and cleaner.
Nuclear Power Vs Renewable Energy
From the perspective of human health and climate change, the transition to nuclear power is less important
Ecology Energy Solution. Nuclear Energy Program. Renewable Energy Sources. Clean Electric Energy From Renewable Sources Sun And Wi Stock Illustration
Energy has been critical to the human progress we’ve seen in the last few centuries. As the United Nations rightly says: “Energy is central to almost every major challenge and opportunity facing the world today.”
But while energy offers us great benefits, it is not without its disadvantages. Energy production can negatively impact human health and the environment in three ways.
The first is air pollution: millions of people die prematurely each year as a result of air pollution. Fossil fuel and biomass burning – wood, dung and coal – are responsible for most of these deaths.
Another accident. This includes accidents that occur when fuels are sold and extracted – coal, uranium, rare metals, oil and gas. And it also includes accidents that occur during transportation of raw materials and infrastructure, construction or maintenance of power plants.
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The third is the emission of greenhouse gases: fossil fuels are the main source of greenhouse gases, the main driver of climate change. In 2020, 91% of global CO2 emissions came from fossil fuels and industry.
No energy source is completely safe. All have short-term effects on human health, whether through air pollution or accidents. And all of these contributing to climate change have long-term effects.
But, the difference between each of them is huge. Fossil fuels are the dirtiest and most dangerous in the short term, and emit the most greenhouse gases per unit of energy. This means that there are no compromises, thank God: low-carbon energy sources are also safe. From the perspective of human health and climate change, the transition to nuclear power is less important
Before looking at the long-term effects of climate change, let’s review how each source stacks up in terms of short-term health risks.
Canadian Nuclear Association
Death from all sources: Fossil fuels still dominate our global electricity mix, so we’d expect them to kill more people.
. It is measured in terawatt hours. A terawatt hour is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 150,000 EU citizens. 2
Let’s see this comparison in a chart. Fossil fuels and biomass kill far more people per unit of electricity than nuclear and modern renewables. Coal is the dirtiest.
However, these estimates for fossil fuels may be too conservative. They are based on European power plants, which have good pollution control, and are based on old models of the health effects of air pollution. As I will discuss in more detail at the end of this article,
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Based on recent air pollution research the death rate from fossil fuels may be even higher.
Two accidents greatly affected our views on the safety of nuclear energy: Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986, and Fukushima in Japan in 2011. These were tragic events. However, compared to the millions of people who die from fossil fuels
The final death toll was very low. To calculate the death rates used here I assume 433 deaths from Chernobyl and 2,314 from Fukushima.
Hydropower is another resource that has been hit hard by many major accidents. The death rate since 1965 is 1.3 deaths per TWh. This rate is almost entirely dominated by one event: the failure of the Banqiao Dam in China in 1975. About 171,000 people were killed. Otherwise, hydropower was very safe, with only a 0.04 fatality rate per TWh – similar to nuclear, solar and wind.
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After all, we need sun and wind. The death rate from these two sources is low, but not zero. Few people die in supply chain accidents – from helicopter collisions with turbines; Fire during turbine or panel installation; and an outbreak at offshore wind sites.
People often focus on the marginal differences at the bottom of the chart – between nuclear, solar and wind. This comparison is misleading: the uncertainty in these values means that they may overlap.
For example, nuclear power causes 99.9 percent fewer deaths than brown coal. 99.8% less than coal; 99.7% less than oil; And 97.6% less than gas. Wind and solar are equally safe.
Think how many deaths each source would cause for an average EU city of 150,000 people, which uses – as I said before – one hour of electricity per year. Let’s call this city ‘Iroville’.
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Every year 25 people die prematurely because of this. Most of these people will die due to air pollution.
The good news is that there is no trade-off between the safest energy sources in the short term, and the sources that are least harmful to the climate in the long term. They are the same, as the diagram below shows.
In the chart, on the left, we have the same comparison of death rates from accidents and air pollution as we saw. On the right we have the amount of greenhouse gases we emit
These emissions are not only from burning the fuel, but also from mining, transportation and maintenance throughout the life of the power plant.
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Coal, again, is the dirtiest fuel. It emits far more greenhouse gases than any other source – hundreds of times more than nuclear, solar and wind.
Oil and gas are worse than nuclear and renewable energy, but to a lesser extent than coal.
Unfortunately, fossil fuels still dominate the global electricity mix: coal, oil and gas make up about 60%. If we want to stop climate change, we have a great opportunity: we can move away from nuclear and renewable energy, and reduce deaths from accidents and air pollution.
This step will not only protect future generations, but will have huge health benefits for the current generation.
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The average death rate from fossil fuels is likely to be higher than indicated in the chart above
The death rates from coal, oil, and gas that we use in these comparisons come from Anil Markandia and Paul Wilkinson’s (2007) medical journal article.
. So far, these are the best peer-reviewed references I could find on mortality from these sources. These prices are based on electricity production in Europe.
However, there are three main reasons why I think these mortality rates are probably too conservative, and they are
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Another reason to suspect that the global average rate is much higher than this: if we take the mortality rates from Markandia and Wilkinson (2007) and multiply them by global electricity production, the resulting mortality estimate is Global total from fossil fuel electricity. Less than the last study.
If I multiply Markandia and Wilkinson’s (2007) death rates for coal, oil and gas by their global electricity production in 2021, I get a total of 280,000 deaths.9
This is much lower than estimates from more recent studies. For example, Leliveld et al. (2018) that 3.6 million die each year due to fossil fuels. 10 Vohra etc. (2021) more than double that number: 8.7 million.11
Production But we can estimate how many deaths occur. In a recent paper, Liewald and colleagues analyzed the breakdown of air pollution deaths by sector. They estimate that 12 percent of it
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By my calculations, between 1.1 million and 2.55 million people are likely to die from fossil fuel consumption.
We estimate the mortality rate from Markandia and Wilkinson (2007) to be 4 to 9 which is very low. This suggests that the actual death rate may be 4 to 9 times higher than fossil fuels.
Unfortunately, we don’t have more recent death rates for coal, oil and gas to reference here, but better estimates are needed. The mortality rates shown now are likely to be discounted.
The data we refer to regarding nuclear, solar and wind accidents is based on the most comprehensive data we have. However, they are not complete, and there is no existing data set that tracks these accidents. This is a significant gap in our understanding of the security of energy sources – and how their security changes over time.
Pdf) Comparing Electricity Production Costs Of Renewables To Fossil And Nuclear Power Plants In G20 Countries
To estimate mortality from renewable energy technologies, Sovacool et al. (2016) compiled a database of energy-related accidents in academic databases and news reports. They define an accident as “an incident or unexpected event at an energy facility that causes one (or more) deaths or
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Nuclear Power
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Author by : Darryl Siemer
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2019-09-23
Publisher by : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN :
Description : As the world’s energy sources continue to develop, with less reliance on traditional fossil fuels and more reliance on cleaner, more efficient, alternative energy sources, nuclear power continues to be a dividing point for many people. Some believe it is the answer to our energy problems for the future, while others warn of the risks. Written by a retired scientist who spent most of his career at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), this book aims to delve into the issues surrounding nuclear power and dispel its myths, while building an argument for why the United States should develop a nuclear power plan for the future. As a “whistleblower,” the author spent much of the last ten years of his career at the INL raising concerns about how its mission of serving as the Department of Energy’s lead laboratory in radioactive waste management was not being properly managed. While the United States continues to tread water on the issue of nuclear energy, the author believes that a nuclear “renaissance” is not only possible but is necessary for meeting the world’s growing demand for energy, especially clean energy. With fossil fuels slowly dying out and renewable energy sources not able to handle the demand for a continuously growing energy-consuming public, nuclear is an obvious solution. This book is a must-have for any engineer working in nuclear power, students hoping to go into that industry, and other engineers and scientists interested in the subject. This book is both “technical” and “political” because they’re equally important in determining what actually happens in institutions dealing with technical problems....
Nuclear Or Not
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Author by : D. Elliott
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2016-01-18
Publisher by : Springer
ISBN :
Description : With the nuclear issue back on the agenda worldwide, this highly topical collection steers a path through the controversies, presenting the views of proponents of nuclear expansion, examining the challenges that face them and exploring the arguments of those who support alternative approaches....
Solar Energy And Nuclear Power Economic Requirements And Hindrances
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Author by : Mostafa Esmaeili Shayan
Languange Used : de
Release Date : 2020-09-10
Publisher by : GRIN Verlag
ISBN :
Description : Essay aus dem Jahr 2020 im Fachbereich Ingenieurwissenschaften - Energietechnik, , Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: This essay puts forward an inquiry on the economic and knowledge-related factors of building solar panels and nuclear power plants. Both Solar Energy and nuclear Energy face significant economic challenges. Sustainable energy costs it has traditionally been greater than any of those associated with the growth of fossil-fuel power generation, although the costs of renewable energy technologies (especially photovoltaic) have dropped. Furthermore, capital costs remain a big challenge in the nuclear generation. In many nations, the cost of building small nuclear power plants is quite large due to time, technology, environmental and safety challenges for consumers. Such problems might not be as big for state-owned corporations or controlled industries for which utilities have quick access to cheap resources, and this partially explains why the interest for nuclear reactors in Asia is far greater than in the US or Europe. Learning could help decrease costs for both types of technologies, but the track record for learning-by-doing in the nuclear sector is not good....
Solar Versus Nuclear
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Author by : Mans Lönnroth
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2013-10-22
Publisher by : Elsevier
ISBN :
Description : Solar Versus Nuclear: Choosing Energy Futures study is an eight-chapter text that studies the long-term implications of Sweden's decisions to explore nuclear energy and other alternative development options. Sweden's high standards of living, energy intensive industries, advanced technology in many fields, strong tradition of electrification and a competent utility organization, abundant reserves of (admittedly low grade) uranium, low population density and a large number of suitable reactor sites, make nuclear energy seemed ideal. Chapter I deals with some different ways of describing and viewing energy, while Chapter 2 analyzes the earlier changes of energy sources in an attempt to describe the relations between the development of society and energy consumption. Chapter 3 is concerned with the durability and other essential characteristics of these energy sources. Chapter 4 discusses two distinct developments, one leads to a Nuclear Sweden with its energy supply based chiefly on uranium and the other to a Solar Sweden based on renewable energy sources. This chapter compares the characteristics and costs of the two alternatives and discusses the possibilities of combining them. Chapter 5 covers the possible developmental tendencies built into the present energy policy, and Chapter 6 looks into the proposals for a conceivable transitional solution for the 1980's, which could reduce the dependence on oil while preserving both the solar and nuclear option as possible alternatives. Chapter 7 discusses the organizational changes in energy conservation and energy production. Lastly, Chapter 8 considers some questions regarding the effect of the energy systems on the long-term development of society....
Nuclear Power Or A Promise Lost
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Author by : Edward T. Burns
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2020-05-01
Publisher by : BrownWalker Press
ISBN :
Description : This book captures the status of current electrical energy markets including the principal forces affecting decisions on selecting an energy source. It represents a seminal work that lays out the electrical energy decision tree for selecting an energy source in a world that is on the verge of catastrophic global warming because of the choices that have been made in the name of cheap energy. The impetus for this book includes the dire need to mitigate continued anthropogenic causes of global warming by turning to carbon free energy sources. Nuclear energy represents such a carbon-free energy source and could be a partial solution to the existential threat facing future society---the threat of a warming planet and its consequential, catastrophic effects on future generations. The world is at a crossroads in human interaction with their environment. The effects of radiation and the relationship of nuclear power to nuclear weapons are both discussed in an understandable and compelling manner. Nuclear energy is contrasted with other energy sources including fossil fuels and renewable energy sources regarding the risks and benefits imposed by each. Important personalities and world events that shaped nuclear power's development are recounted. The historical origins of nuclear power are outlined and the continued impetus to include nuclear power as part of the electric grid energy mix is assessed exposing the obstacles and road blocks to the continued use of nuclear power. Specific attention is paid to revealing the causes and lessons learned from the three severe accidents in commercial nuclear plants: TMI-2, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. An extensive discussion of nuclear waste disposal is provided as part of the decision tree for energy selection. The context for the future of nuclear power as a viable energy source is illuminated by the current battle between economic growth and the harm created by burning fossil fuels. The status of the world's climate and projections for the disruptive effects of global warming on future populations, migration, economics, and world strife are debated against the backdrop of an increasing world population and the drive by developing nations to achieve economic parity with the industrialized nations. Within the context of increased world strife, the quest by nations to obtain nuclear weapons is also discussed. The steps taken by the world to limit nuclear weapons proliferation are examined with emphasis on potential links between nuclear power generation and access to nuclear weapons.The final chapter discusses the moral responsibility of current generations with respect to future generations, specifically, the applicability of "intergenerational equity" in political and social decision-making regarding the actions that add to global warming and those risk averse actions that can be taken to minimize global warming....
Keeping The Lights On At America S Nuclear Power Plants
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Author by : Jeremy Carl
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2017-08-01
Publisher by : Hoover Press
ISBN :
Description : In Keeping the Lights On at America's Nuclear Power Plants, Jeremy Carl and David Fedor discuss the decline of American nuclear power in light of major economic, technological and political challenges. They show how high costs, low public support, and popular clean energy trends threaten America's near- and long-term nuclear viability. American nuclear power plants are closing at a historically unprecedented pace, and there's little evidence of public or political will to stop the bleeding. Recognizing the nuclear industry's flaws, the authors argue that nuclear energy is widely misunderstood. They discuss the nuclear industry's failure to capture the public's attention and imagination, and survey the new national conversation about America's renewable energy future -- a conversation that does not include nuclear. For all these challenges, the authors argue that permanently opting out of the nuclear enterprise would be a mistake. Making the case for continued nuclear investment, they show how "keeping the lights on" at America's nuclear plants can bolster American technology leadership, security, and commitment to curbing carbon emissions. They offer a menu of policy options designed to spur meaningful action at state and federal levels, to change the industry's status quo, and to reintroduce nuclear to America's energy conversation....
Terrestrial Energy
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Author by : William Tucker
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2008
Publisher by :
ISBN :
Description : Argues the claims of nuclear energy as a clean, reliable and safe form of power....
