89 / 156
91
Nuclear power. Just the mention of these two words triggers a sense
of panic, fear and hysteria in many. We are generally quick to
associate the words nuclear power with tragic incidents, like the
Fukushima accident in March 2013 or the Chernobyl disaster in
1986. Yet, the reality is that nuclear power is one of the safest and
cleanest methods of generating electricity. Australia has the most
known uranium resources worldwide, almost 31% of the world’s
total. Nevertheless, we use no nuclear power whatsoever. Are we
too dependent on coal and other fossil fuels to produce electricity?
Or have we grown a misconceived fear of nuclear power, to even
consider it as part of our future?
We should look to France, as nuclear energy is its primary source
of power. Approximately 75% of its electricity is derived from nuclear
power. In contrast, Australia relies heavily on fossil fuels, especially
coal. According to the World Bank, in 2012, 95.4% of Australia’s
energy consumption was from fossil fuels. Enormous amounts of
greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere from burning
fossil fuels. These greenhouse gases play a key role in the worldwide
crisis of global warming. In addition, Australia is among one of the
highest per capita greenhouse gas polluters in the world. Scientists
predict that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius will
result in the disappearance of 25% of the Earth’s plants and animals.
Should we just sit back and watch as we destroy our ecosystems? We
can change this by switching to alternative methods of energy, like
nuclear power.
Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power emits no greenhouse gases. A
nuclear power station works by nuclear fission, which is the splitting
of the nucleus of atoms. Massive amounts of energy are released
when atoms split. Moreover, nuclear fission only produces small
amounts of waste. Nuclear fission is also extremely effective, as two
hundred and fifty grams of uranium produces twenty thousand
times more electricity than the same amount of coal.
In spite of this, many argue that nuclear power can have devastating
repercussions as there are lots of risks affiliated with it. For instance,
the terrible Chernobyl incident in Ukraine in 1986 killed 30 people
and injured countless more. Similarly, the dreadful Fukushima
meltdown in Japan in 2013, demonstrated the detrimental effects that
radiation can have on our health. Additionally nuclear power reactors
are quite costly to build. Some also contend that nuclear power will
Nuclear Power
In Australia
Sarah Cheang
Orator of the Year
Winner
10