Copy of 5.03 Nuclear Energy Position Paper.docx - 1 Nuclear...

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Nuclear Energy Position Paper: In Favor of Nuclear Energy
Lauren Norman
Advanced Placement Environmental Science
Mrs. Bell
February 8, 2021

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Nuclear energy has been a controversial topic for decades. Nuclear power plants create
energy by boiling water at the core of the nuclear reactor, which produces steam that then turns
the main turbine of the generator. The nuclear core is powered by radioactive uranium rods,
which create energy using nuclear fission (EIA). I am pro-nuclear energy because it produces
lots of energy without creating greenhouse gases, it is consistent, and it is inexpensive to run.
Nuclear energy is a viable option because it can produce great amounts of energy. 440
nuclear power reactors around the world produce 10-20% of the world’s electricity (Nuclear
Power Today). In comparison, there are about 2,425 coal plants worldwide which produce 23.4%
of the world’s energy. There are almost 2,000 more coal plants than nuclear power plants, yet the