Source: Engineering.com
Of all energy sources, nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on the environment, including water, land, habitat, species and air resources. Nuclear energy is the most eco-efficient of all energy sources because it produces the most electricity in relation to its minimal environmental impact.
Nuclear energy is the world's largest source of emission-free energy. Nuclear power plants produce no controlled air pollutants, such as sulfur and particulates, or greenhouse gases. The use of nuclear energy in place of other energy sources helps to keep the air clean, preserve the Earth's climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation and prevent acid rain.
Between 1973 and 1998, nuclear generation avoided the emission of 87.3 million tons of sulfur dioxide and more than 40 million tons of nitrogen oxides.
Each year, U.S. nuclear power plants prevent 5.1 million tons of sulfur dioxide, 2.4 million tons of nitrogen oxide, and 164 million metric tons of carbon from entering the earth's atmosphere.
Nuclear power plants were responsible for nearly half of the total voluntary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions reported by U.S. companies in 1998, the Energy Information Administration reported on January 4, 2000. "Emission reductions from nuclear energy usage reported by the electric power sector increased by 43 percent from an estimated 70 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent for 1997 to 100 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent for 1998." That 100 million metric tons equals 47 percent of the 212 million metric tons of carbon emissions reductions reported nationwide, according to EIA.
Throughout the nuclear fuel cycle, the small volume of waste by-products actually created is carefully contained, packaged and safely stored. As a result, the nuclear energy industry is the only industry established since the industrial revolution that has managed and accounted for all of its waste, preventing adverse impacts to the environment.
Water discharged from a nuclear power plant contains no harmful pollutants and meets regulatory standards for temperature designed to protect aquatic life.
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Hi Aaron. Long time no see. Thanks for joining the NS movement and contributing there.
