Nuclear Energy: A Necessary

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Nuclear Energy A Necessary Evil for Human
Advancement?

Drew Mirante Bryn Mawr College
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Is this the image that comes to ones mind when
considering nuclear energy?
"Fat Man" Mushroom Cloud Over Nagasaki
http//www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/COLLE
CTIONS/CG-JPAP/Pages/CGP-JPAP-034.htm
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Or this?
Exterior of the Chernobyl power plant after the
26 April, 1986 explosion.
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Or this?
Low-level waste disposal at Hanford, Washington
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Why not this?
Image from Intl Dark-sky Alliance
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What causes this reaction?

• The U.S. as the only nation to use atomic weapons
  against mankind?
• The subsequent Cold War with the USSR?
• Ephemeral Nature of Nuclear Processes?
• Environmental Issues?
• Potentially Severe Accidents
• Disposal/Storage/Transport of waste material

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• Given the instability in the worlds petroleum
  producing regions, is it of national interest to
  develop alternative energy sources?
• Begs the question, why not other renewable energy
  sources?
• Power Plants release no Greenhouse Gasses
• What of Emerging Industrialized Nations?

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CO2 Emissions by Power Sector 2025Million
Metric tons
Oil - 109
Other - 22
Natural Gas - 507
Coal - 2677
Sources EIA, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2003, DOE/EIA-0573(2003)
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North American Energy Consumption,
2025 Quadrillion BTU
Other (14.1) 9
Nuclear Electric (9.9) 6
Oil (65.2) 40
Coal (33.2) 20
Natural Gas (39.6) 24
Sources EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2005, DOE/EIA-0383(2005)
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Asian Emerging Economies Energy Consumption - 2025

Other (11.6) 6
Nuclear Electric (6.5) 3
Oil (69.6) 35
Coal (89.6) 44
Natural Gas (4.4) 11
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136 Reactors 31 Shutdown, Decommissioned,
Suspended, or Cancelled
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Return to Summary of Brown Bag Discussion