The Future Is Nuclear

It’s hard to talk about utopia. It sounds so easy when you say things like: “Everyone should just recycle”, or “Everyone should just stop driving their cars”. It really is easier said than done. But I think it’s still important to have conversations about what we can do to get as close to a world where everything on Earth exists in harmony.

The first thing that I would talk about in this conversation would be nuclear power. I’m sure you just read that and all of the dangers of nuclear power just flashed through your head, like Fukushima and Chernobyl. And you would be right. The old method of producing nuclear power was extremely dangerous and, as lots of people would say, not worth it. Recently, however, scientists have been doing a great deal of research on nuclear power production. Here’s why I think it is something I would invest in (if I had lots of money).

My first reason for being interested in nuclear power is the environment. One of the biggest reasons people are intrigued by nuclear is its incredible sustainability. It produces zero greenhouse gasses while still being way more efficient than fossil fuels. In fact, one single pellet of nuclear fuel (weighing 6 grams) produces the same amount of energy as one ton of coal, 120 gallons of oil, or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas.

In previous nuclear power plant technologies, only a small percentage of the input radioactive material was used, while the rest was discarded and stored in giant barrels. These radioactive barrels of uranium were stored in various places, taking up lots of space and making people uneasy of radioactive leaks. In new technologies, such as the one Bill Gates himself is funding (the Travelling Wave Reactor), there is absolutely no such waste. Not only that, but the huge barrels of uranium can be reused to power the plant. Once this new nuclear power plant is loaded with its fuel, it can produce energy for up to ten years, with no breaks of refuelling.

Another reason why we should consider nuclear power is its recent development. It’s been less than a decade and scientists have already found ways to reduce the dangers of nuclear power plants a ton. For example, new technologies of nuclear reactors can shut themselves off when there is a problem in the system, such as a natural disaster. This takes human error out of the equation, which makes nuclear power more safe. It’s development like this that makes me believe that one day, there will be a very safe and maybe even more efficient way to produce nuclear power. All we need to do is have these types of conversations more often, where we consider all points of view.

I believe the Canadian government should invest more in researching nuclear power. They could also start a group that studies and provides advice on renewable energy production. The group would include scientists and Canadian citizens that are looking for a change in the energy production industry. They could also consult the general public and stakeholders. This group should research the new nuclear reactors such as the Travelling Wave Reactor, and see if it would be a possibility to incorporate it into Canadian energy production. And who knows? They might just find a method of producing energy that will save the world.

Ecosystems around the world will benefit from these nuclear technologies. Not only the human population but animals too. Forest, desert, and even marine ecosystems will greatly benefit from the fact that their ecosystem won’t be changed by global warming. Temperature is an abiotic factor that is so, so, so, important for creatures around the world. Since nuclear power doesn’t create greenhouse gasses such as CO2, the heat from the sun won’t get trapped in the atmosphere and create a warmer climate. An example of a creature that will benefit from this is corals. When the temperature gets too warm, they start to bleach, or turn white and starve, which usually leads to death. If the climate is stable, more ecosystems will be able to thrive.

Even though it might be hard to imagine a perfect world, it’s always important to consider all of the perspectives, because you might just be missing the thing that can fix it.

I got inspired to write about this topic from watching the show Inside Bill's Brain, so I definitely recommend going to watch it!

Sources:
Gates Notes,
Sciencing,
Terrapower, Nuclear power - Wikipedia,
Travelling wave reactor - Wikipedia

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash