Is Nuclear Energy the solution to the Climate Crisis?

Have you ever thought about how to manage the energy needs with the population rising in the world? Energy is one of our basic needs in our daily life. As the population in the world is rising, the demand for energy in the world is increasing. Countries are developing various projects to provide this energy. So, which is the cleanest and most reliable source that can provide energy needs?

In this article, I would like to focus on nuclear energy. Have you ever thought about what nuclear energy is? Is it an energy source that should be preferred today? Is it a real solution for climate change? What are the negative consequences for the environment?

Nuclear Sight

© National Geographic, Photograph by Chris Hamilton

Nuclear energy is a type of energy obtained from the nucleus of the atom. It originates from the splitting of uranium atoms – a process called fission. This generates heat to produce steam, which is used by a turbine generator to generate electricity.

Speaking about its preferability, nuclear energy is one of the most discussed energy sources today. While on one hand nuclear energy is defined as a necessity by some societies, on the other hand it is defined as the most dangerous way of generating electricity. Those who advocate nuclear energy are defending the idea that climate change can be prevented thanks to it. But is it actually true?

Considering the nuclear disasters in the past, it is quite difficult to make a definite decision on this issue. Of course, our common goal is to find an energy source that will urgently produce solutions to climate change, in order to limit greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.

Advocates of nuclear energy state that nuclear energy has a very low carbon emission rate, and that it is possible to obtain quite a lot of energy in nuclear power plants compared to others. But is this enough for us to trust nuclear energy? Of course not.

If we consider the negative consequences of nuclear power plants, the main problem is the storage of radioactive waste. Every nuclear reactor generates high levels of radioactive waste that will continue to be deadly for centuries.

In addition, an error that may occur in a nuclear power plant may cause radiation at a level that can affect the entire environment. Furthermore, the installation costs of nuclear power plants are very high. It also requires a very long construction process and a huge amount of water to cool down the power plants, that’s also why they are usually built on coastal areas. In addition, Plutonium is generated as a by-product of nuclear energy, and used to build mass destruction nuclear weapons, like the nuclear bomb of Hiroshima. The nuclear attack on Hiroshima has had serious negative consequences for the environment and human life. It is impossible to support this today when the world still faces the threat of nuclear war.

Nuclear Cans

Another important catastrophe to be mentioned in this context is the Chernobyl disaster. It occurred at a nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union on April 26th 1986 and is one of the greatest disasters in the history of nuclear power generation. The Chernobyl nuclear reactor was one of the projects that the Soviet Union was most proud of, however, as a result of a human mistake, it turned into a disaster that affected all humanity.

The Chernobyl disaster occurred due to a poorly designed experiment at the power plant. As a result of the mistakes that occurred during the test, there was a big explosion in the reactor. The radioactive material in the reactor’s core spread into the atmosphere and spread all over Europe with wind and rain. It has affected the lives of many living things by mixing with agricultural crops and drinking water.

Nuclear radiation has contaminated thousands of square kilometers of land. It also significantly increased the rate of cancer. The accident is known as the accident in which the largest amount of radioactive material was released into the environment in the history of nuclear energy. After the explosion, everyone living in and around Pripyat had to leave the city. All the surrounding animals were killed and buried to prevent the spread of radioactive pollution. Today, the city of Pripyat has turned into a ghost town. No one lives in the city anymore. Also, there are still many unanswered questions about the Chernobyl disaster.

Today, many countries have decided to terminate their nuclear programs and turn to alternative energy sources, worrying that another accident like Chernobyl may occur. But some actually decided to go against the tide and build their first nuclear power plant, like the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which is planned to be built in Turkey. Turkey has been governed for years with an understanding that has been ruled by profit, destroying nature every time, and politics outweighed justice. Today, as a result of any accident that may occur in Akkuyu, the entire Mediterranean region is put at risk.

© Volodymyr Repik

Gregory Jaczco, a former chairman of the Federal nuclear regulatory commission:

“Nuclear is just not up to that task from everything I have seen and experienced with this industry, I think that’s a fool’s errand, and I think it will fail the planet when it comes to dealing with climate change…’’

When we consider all these, nuclear energy is not a reliable source of energy in a world where the climate is deteriorating. Nuclear energy is not a solution to climate change. If millions of dollars spent on saving old nuclear power plants, building new ones or researching new reactor types will be invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage, it will be possible to find solutions to climate change faster.

Hiroshima, after the nuclear bomb attact