Energy and Place Project
Joint Scientific Statement
Opening Statement:
Although nuclear power plants create a form of 'clean' energy, the financial and medical costs far outweigh the benefits of nuclear energy.
The risk of a nuclear disaster can be very high. It can happen anywhere, even in the United States with our technology. When a nuclear disaster happens, radioactive waste is spread through the air, water, and ground, contaminating and killing what it comes into contact with.
In the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, radioactive waste was spread over much of Russia and Europe, and over 350,000 people were evacuated. The initial blast of Chernobyl killed 31 people, and the deaths by cancer and exposure to the radiation are still being counted. There have been many nuclear disasters since 1952, each causing health or environmental damage.
According to The Health and Physics Society, an institution dedicated to answering questions about radiation, the most common health risk associated with nuclear power are the effects of radiation. Radiation particles can enter the human body, damaging cells and initiating cancer. Genetic diseases and birth defects can also be generated through radiation hitting reproductive cells. Radiation poses a serious risk to the health of anyone living within the proximity of a nuclear power plant.
For example, Strontium-90 is a cancer causing radioactive isotope absorbed from water and dairy products into bones and teeth. According to tests performed by the Radiation Public Health Project, higher concentrations of of Strontium-90 have been found in children's teeth, for those living within the proximity of nuclear power plants.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an organization devoted to sharing information on energy production, the initial cost to build a nuclear power plant is approximately 71.4 dollars per megawatt-hour, more than the initial cost to gather energy from wind, costing 64.1 $/MWH, coal costing 60.0 $/MWH, and natural gas costing under 40.2 $/MWH.
The plants to gather these sources of energy are cheaper to build, and the cost to run a solar, wind, and hydroelectricity plant are almost nonexistent. It takes next to nothing to gather these forms of energy. Where as to run a nuclear power plant, it costs 11.8 $/MWH.
Due to the financial and medical costs of nuclear power, other sources of energy should be used in its place such as wind, solar, and hydroelectricity power. These energy sources, are cheaper, cleaner, do not pose the health risks nuclear energy does, and will be an ongoing source of energy that will not run out.
Works Cited:
http://www.eia.gov/
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Tooth_Survey
"Baby Tooth Survey." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 May 2014.
http://www.umich.edu/~radinfo/introduction/np-risk.htm
"The University of Michigan Health Physics Web Site: Risks of Nuclear Power." The University of Michigan Health Physics Web Site: Risks of Nuclear Power. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.
Closing Statement:
There are many ways to produce energy other than Nuclear Power. Nuclear energy is a dangerous and expensive production which involves too many risks to outweigh the benefits. To protect yourself and those around you, please, vote against nuclear energy, and help prevent future nuclear disasters. Thank you.
Although nuclear power plants create a form of 'clean' energy, the financial and medical costs far outweigh the benefits of nuclear energy.
The risk of a nuclear disaster can be very high. It can happen anywhere, even in the United States with our technology. When a nuclear disaster happens, radioactive waste is spread through the air, water, and ground, contaminating and killing what it comes into contact with.
In the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, radioactive waste was spread over much of Russia and Europe, and over 350,000 people were evacuated. The initial blast of Chernobyl killed 31 people, and the deaths by cancer and exposure to the radiation are still being counted. There have been many nuclear disasters since 1952, each causing health or environmental damage.
According to The Health and Physics Society, an institution dedicated to answering questions about radiation, the most common health risk associated with nuclear power are the effects of radiation. Radiation particles can enter the human body, damaging cells and initiating cancer. Genetic diseases and birth defects can also be generated through radiation hitting reproductive cells. Radiation poses a serious risk to the health of anyone living within the proximity of a nuclear power plant.
For example, Strontium-90 is a cancer causing radioactive isotope absorbed from water and dairy products into bones and teeth. According to tests performed by the Radiation Public Health Project, higher concentrations of of Strontium-90 have been found in children's teeth, for those living within the proximity of nuclear power plants.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an organization devoted to sharing information on energy production, the initial cost to build a nuclear power plant is approximately 71.4 dollars per megawatt-hour, more than the initial cost to gather energy from wind, costing 64.1 $/MWH, coal costing 60.0 $/MWH, and natural gas costing under 40.2 $/MWH.
The plants to gather these sources of energy are cheaper to build, and the cost to run a solar, wind, and hydroelectricity plant are almost nonexistent. It takes next to nothing to gather these forms of energy. Where as to run a nuclear power plant, it costs 11.8 $/MWH.
Due to the financial and medical costs of nuclear power, other sources of energy should be used in its place such as wind, solar, and hydroelectricity power. These energy sources, are cheaper, cleaner, do not pose the health risks nuclear energy does, and will be an ongoing source of energy that will not run out.
Works Cited:
http://www.eia.gov/
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Tooth_Survey
"Baby Tooth Survey." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 May 2014.
http://www.umich.edu/~radinfo/introduction/np-risk.htm
"The University of Michigan Health Physics Web Site: Risks of Nuclear Power." The University of Michigan Health Physics Web Site: Risks of Nuclear Power. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.
Closing Statement:
There are many ways to produce energy other than Nuclear Power. Nuclear energy is a dangerous and expensive production which involves too many risks to outweigh the benefits. To protect yourself and those around you, please, vote against nuclear energy, and help prevent future nuclear disasters. Thank you.
Link to Debate Video: https://sites.google.com/site/smithahschemistry/classroom-news/exhibitionvideos
Project Reflection
Link to Humanities Portion of Project: http://asrdp.weebly.com/sense-of-place.html