Disadvantages of nuclear energy

• Uranium is technically non-renewable

• Very high upfront costs
• Nuclear waste
• Malfunctions can be catastrophic

Uranium is non-renewable
Although nuclear energy is a “clean” source of power, it is technically not renewable. Current
nuclear technology relies on uranium ore for fuel, which exists in limited amounts in the earth’s
crust. The longer we rely on nuclear power (and uranium ore in particular) the more depleted the
earth’s uranium resources will become, which will drive up the cost of extracting it, as well as the
negative environmental impacts from mining and processing the uranium.

High upfront costs

Operating a nuclear energy plant is a relatively low-cost endeavor, but building it in the rst place
is very expensive. Nuclear reactors are complex devices that require many levels of safety built
around them, which drives up the cost of new nuclear plants.

Lastly, if compared to other sources of energy, nuclear power is one of the most expensive and
time-consuming forms of energy. Nuclear plants cost billions of dollars to build and they take
much longer than any other infrastructure for renewable energy, sometimes even more than a
decade. However, while nuclear power plants are expensive to build, they are relatively cheap to
run, a factor that improves its competitiveness. Still, the long building process is considered a
signi cant obstacle in the run to net-zero emissions that countries around the world have
committed to. If they hope to meet their emission reduction targets in time, they cannot a ord to
rely on new nuclear plants.

Nuclear waste
Nuclear waste is radioactive, making it an environmental and health catastrophe waiting to
happen. These reasons are exactly why governments spend tons of money to safely package up
and dispose of used-up nuclear fuel.

As Vladi mentioned, nuclear energy is clean. However, radioactive nuclear waste contains
highly poisonous chemicals like plutonium and the uranium pellets used as fuel. These materials
can be extremely toxic for tens of thousands of years and for this reason, they need to be
meticulously and permanently disposed of. Since the 1950s, a stockpile of 250,000 tonnes of
highly radioactive nuclear waste has been accumulated and distributed across the world, with
90,000 metric tons stored in the US alone. Knowing the dangers of nuclear waste, many oppose
nuclear energy for fears of accidents, despite these being extremely unlikely to happen. Indeed,
opposers know that when nuclear does fail, it can fail spectacularly. They were reminded of this in
2011, when the Fukushima disaster, despite not killing anyone directly, led to the displacement of
more than 150,000 people, thousands of evacuation/related deaths and billions of dollars in
cleanup costs.
Which leads us to the next disadvantage

Malfunctions can be catastrophic

A nuclear meltdown occurs when the heat created by a nuclear reactor exceeds the amount of
heat being transferred out by the cooling systems; this causes the system to exceed its melting
point. If this happens, hot radioactive vapors can escape, which can cause nuclear plants to fully
melt down and combust, while also releasing harmful radioactive materials into the environment.
This is a worst-case-scenario that is extremely unlikely, and nuclear plants are equipped with
numerous safety measures to prevent meltdowns from happening.

The anti-nuclear movement opposes the use of this type of energy for several reasons. The rst
and currently most talked about disadvantage of nuclear energy is the nuclear weapon
proliferation, a debate triggered by the deadly atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War and recently reopened following rising
concerns over nuclear escalation in the Ukraine-Russia con ict. After the world saw the highly
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 destructive e ect of these bombs, which caused the death of tens of thousands of people, not
only in the impact itself but also in the days, weeks, and months after the tragedy as a
consequence of radiation sickness, nuclear energy evolved to a pure means of generating
electricity. In 1970, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons entered into force. Its
objective was to prevent the spread of such weapons to eventually achieve nuclear disarmament
as well as promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

SUSTAINABLE SUBSTITUTES

Solar energy is inexhaustible. It is the best alternative source of energy. Solar panels can be used
to convert sunlight into electricity. Solar energy can be used as transport fuel. A technology called
solar gasi cation is used. In this process, concentrated solar power is applied to heat biomass to
temperatures of 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit. This produces hydrogen and carbon monoxide which
can be further processed to diesel fuel and gasoline.
Natural Gas
It can be used as transport fuel. It is better than oil. It emits less carbon and other pollutants into
the air when it is burned. We now have the technolgy to release huge amounts of natural gas that
is locked up in shale rock.

Hydrogen burns clean. It is three times more e cient than a gasoline powered engine. It can be
used along with a fuel cell to provide transport. Hydrogen can be processed through biomass,
fossil fuels or by electrolyzing water.

Thorium can be used as a fuel in the nuclear cycle as an alternative to uranium and the
technology to facilitate this has been around since the 1960s. Many scientists and others are
advocating the use of this element as they claim it has many advantages over the current uranium
fuel cycle in place at most plants around the world.

Thorium is a more abundant element than uranium, with Australia, the United States, Turkey and
India holding 59% of the world's reserves of 4.4 million tons. Also, all the thorium mined can be
used as a fuel, compared to less than 1% of the mined uranium. Scientists that have studied the
thorium fuel cycle maintain that the process produces less waste and is safer than the uranium
fuel cycle currently used at nuclear facilities.

The Bottom Line

There are many clean alternative sources of fuel and power that can be used in place of uranium.
Some of these have been around for decades, already have proven technology and are much less
harmful to the environment. The pursuit of these alternative types of energy such as thorium, solar
power, natural gas and hydrogen must continue.

On the other hand, a sustainable energy source can be maintained for a de nable period of time,
one whose total amount will last for the period of human history that needs it, at the rate it is
being used or expected to be used. It may or may not be renewed at some rate.
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