Flash drive broke-.- Need a way to get info from point a to point b... So, seriously go away! For Nuclear Power -Show that nuclear energy is vital toward shifting away from fossil fuels (renewables can't possibly sustain us alone) Wind at its best can only account for around 20% of the US’s current energy demand, solar panels can only account for around 10% of the US’s current energy demands, and hydro electric is nearly currently maxed out at around 8% of the US’s energy demand. Renewables in their most extreme usage could only account for about 40% of the US’s energy demands total. If we were to completely shift away from fossil fuels than the remaining 60% would most likely have to be nuclear. -Show that nuclear weapon scare is unrealistic (Nuclear power plants cannot produce or refine weapon grade uranium) and that it is not a terrorist target Fear that terrorists will target nuclear power plants is completely unfounded. Nuclear fuel, and its waste have both been proven unsuitable for nuclear weaponry, and terrorists already have much more devastating targets that would undermine the chance of terrorist attacks such as liquid natural gas plants. Nuclear plants house the reactor in a six foot thick concrete storage container for just such occasion. -Show relative longevity of competing renewable power generators proving nuclear is not overpriced (nuclear powerplants are now estimated last 80 years where solar panels last 30 and wind turbines last 25 years) Nuclear plants were thought to have a life time of 40 years, but modern advancements, and repair of worn down parts may allow nuclear powerplants to double their life time to a near 80 years as opposed to solar panels which last around 30 years, and wind turbines which only last about 25 years. -Show nuclear waste turned to additional fuel with hardly any radiation issue ('Nuclear waste' can be altered to produce plutonium which can be used for more nuclear fission with shorter nuclear half lives) Advancements show that ‘waste’ from nuclear power plants can be altered and reused as fuel for the nuclear power plants relatively soon. The waste product would be altered to plutonium which releases substantially more energy than the original uranium. Best of all, the waste from the plutonium fuel would lose its radioactive threat after only 400 years as opposed to 20,000 years. -Show that common fears of nuclear explosion or mortality as a result of nuclear power plants are unfounded Many people are afraid of a nuclear explosion if something were to go wrong in a nuclear power plant. The energy released from the uranium is too low and the uranium is too diluted for an explosion to possibly occur. Only 3 small incidents have occurred in the past 11 years due to nuclear power, and no deaths have been recorded. The largest nuclear failure, which occurred in Chernobyl, killed a mere 56 people and may be the cause of 1,000 cases of cancer years from now. It was tragic, but deaths linked to poor air quality as the result of burning fossil fuels and the processing of said fossil fuels is estimated to be about 800,000 deaths per year! -Show how unreliable and inconstantly electricity is produced with solar and wind Wind and solar energy do not produce a constant flow of electricity. When we flip a light switch we expect it to turn on, not fizzle out because it’s an overcast day and the winds aren’t blowing! Even if we were to meet the demands with solely wind and solar power backup generators would be necessary when conditions aren’t ideal. Excess electricity produced cannot be readily stored in large quantities either. You simply cannot rely on such a fickle and unstable energy source for a large percentage of your electricity. Against Nuclear Power The world needs more renewable energy sources, not an unstable, bomb promoting, radiation producing mess. -Show wind turbines can be placed offshore to accommodated for national electricity demands Should demand call for it, more area for wind energy can be located. Wind generators could be placed in windy parts of the ocean to remove land based complications of wind farms. Wind travels faster along the ocean, and combined with other renewable such as solar, can tackle our energy crisis without producing waste that remains harmful for over 10,000 years. -Show that nuclear waste disposal and transportation is too dangerous Nuclear waste transportation is another huge issue being thrown aside. Every day trains carrying tons of nuclear waste travel the rails. What should happen if one of those trains were to derail? Did you think the gulf oil spill was bad? Imagine trying to locate millions of lost pellets each of which is dangerous for many thousands of years. Trains, trucks, and even boats carry away nuclear waste. Is it really worth the risk? -Show how expensive nuclear power is, and how long building and prospecting for nuclear power is vs renewable power sources. Nuclear power takes an average of 10-19 years to go from planning to operational. We do not have 10-19 years to wait around for nuclear energy to remove or at least lessen the abundance of fossil fuels. Solutions to coal power plants need to come now, and they can be achieved through wind and solar. Wind and solar take a mere 2-5 years to become operational. More nuclear power isn’t the solution. We need alternative energy now. -Show how limited a resource uranium is Uranium for nuclear power plants is not a limitless resource. At current consumption rate, the uranium supply is expected to last only 30-60 more years depending on the demand. Fossil fuels must be replaced by something constant, not something that will only last another 30-60 years. -Show that wind and other renewables are the better choice, and that all nuclear accomplishes is prolonging the renewable energy revolution Renewable energy has the potential to support us indefinitely. Nuclear does not. The world needs a solution to CO2 emissions. It does not need a substitute.