Question

environmental health risks to humans than the alternatives? Why? Please remember that when making a comparison, you must talk about BOTH things being compared. Describing just the risks/benefits of nuclear energy or just the risks/benefits of the alternatives is not sufficient to answer the question.

Answer 1

Nuclear Power Generation v/s Thermal Power Generation :

• Disadvantages of Nuclear Power Generation:

Nuclear Energy	Fossil Fuels
Risk of contamination due to the release of harmful radiactive substances.	No contamination due to radioactivity.
Contamination can result in long-term harmful effect like changes in blood chemistry, loss of consciousness, damage to the central nervous system, etc. It takes many years to eliminate radioactivity and its risks.	There are no chronic effects related to particulates released by combustion of fossil fuels. They can be mitigated in a short span of time.
The nuclear waste is difficult to manage due to its toxicity and complicated storage and handling.	Wastes of combustion are easy to manage.
Very high initial investment which takes many years to run the plant on profit basis.	The initial investment is comparatively lower.

The nuclear fission and fusion reactions are difficult to control and if become out of control can lead to an explosion.	Combustion reactions can be controlled easily as these are slow reactions, and can be mitigated within safety limits.
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• Advantages of Nuclear Power Generation:

Nuclear Energy	Fossil Fuels
Less Fuel generates more energy and has more energy density. Therefore,It is more energy efficient.	More fuel is required to generate the same amount of energy.
No greenhouse gases are emitted. No ozone depletion. Nuclear emissions are clearer.	A large number of greenhouse gases like CO2 and NO2 are released resulting in ozone depletion, global warming, and drastic climate changes.
Amount of waste generated is small( although not easily manageable)	Amount of waste generated which later goes for incineration is large for generating the same amount of power.
The raw material for Nuclear power generation is Uranium which can be reused again and again.	The raw material of thermal power generation are non-renewable and can get depleted.