It’s time to look past the myths surrounding nuclear energy.

On April 26th, 1986 a nuclear reactor inside the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded. The explosion and a fire killed a total of 30 workers and the area suffered from radiation side effects and cancer. But perhaps the most important detail about this nuclear accident, was that it instilled fear into the atmosphere around nuclear energy, ironically similar to radiation. Was that really rational?

Global warming is rapidly becoming more and more relevant. Evidence is mounting about, and conservatives are still denying, the immediate and lasting effects of global warming. We are continuously looking at natural gas, hydro, solar and wind power. Has anyone considered another option? Maybe one that's more efficient and safe? We need to get away from fossil fuels, and maybe it's time we dismissed the world's fear of nuclear energy.

The foremost reason that the world should begin a transition to nuclear energy is its carbon emissions. Or lack thereof. To make nuclear energy, plants create nuclear fusion (bombarding a uranium molecule with neutrons), ripping the atom apart and creating massive amounts of energy. Note that this doesn't involve burning anything, and therefore no carbon emissions are let off. Coal produces almost 30 times the carbon emissions that nuclear energy does. And the only emissions that are related to nuclear energy are from waste transportation. It works both ways, creating tons of energy without the emissions side effect.

If I said “nuclear energy” what immediately comes to your mind is “bombs” or “nuclear meltdown”. Maybe what should come to mind is “A clean, efficient and safe alternative for making electricity.” You might also think that nuclear power plants are uncommon. If you said that, you would be, of course, wrong (whoa!) currently there are 437 (not 4.37) nuclear power plants in operation in the world. They produce a whopping 11% of the worlds electricity, and as much as 25% of some countries’ electricity. Part of the cloud surrounding the use of nuclear energy is common misconceptions. Ignorance is a chance to learn and improve.

Part of what makes nuclear energy the best answer to the world's growing energy problems is its consistency. Unlike other clean energy resources, nuclear energy is not weather dependent. In fact, according to world-nuclear “Nuclear power plants can generate electricity continuously for many months at a time, without interruption.” That’s something solar and wind can’t claim, as its productivity drops with the weather and the seasons. In a world dominated by unpredictability, an unfailing and dependable resource is the answer to many problems.
Nuclear power is the most efficient resource. Period. To begin, nuclear power plants take up almost no space (around 500 acres). To get an equally powerful wind or solar farm, you need to use around 30,000 acres of land. That’s a big difference. So much less goes into producing nuclear energy, and a lot more comes out. Uranium (what undergoes nuclear fission) is extremely powerful in nuclear power plants, producing massive amounts of energy per gram compared to other resources. Just to give an example, one kilogram of coal can light a light bulb for 4 days. One kilogram of methane based natural gas can light a light bulb for 6 days. One kilogram of Uranium can light a light bulb for an incredible 140 YEARS. Countries are desperate to get their citizens of the dark, at least for 140 years or so.
However efficient and consistent nuclear power is, ever since the highly publicized nuclear disasters at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island the main fear over nuclear energy has been the concept of nuclear explosions and radiation effects. Well, to quote world-nuclear.org (again) “Many occupational accident statistics have been generated over the last 40 years of nuclear reactor operations in the US and UK. These can be compared with those from coal-fired power generation. All show that nuclear is a distinctly safer way to produce electricity.” It’s straight up safe to produce nuclear energy. A meltdown or explosion is an extremely rare occurrence, and when it happens the principles of nuclear energy are not what caused it. It is under-trained staff or poorly functioning plants. If we can keep nuclear energy plants up to date and running smoothly then accidents may very well continue not to happen.

Nuclear energy is not without faults and room for innovation. In fact, many claim that is its main problem, its just not perfect. Nuclear waste disposal policies and execution need to be cleaned up if nuclear energy is to continue to expand and become even more of a primary electric resource, we need to create safer ways to dispose of and transport nuclear waste. That includes up-to-date storage facilities and efficient waste disposal. Innovation means success, and although it’s a difficult process, nuclear energy is on its way to being even more efficient and productive.

Despite doubt and fear, countries are looking to nuclear energy. Quietly however. Maybe if we started talking about nuclear energy, not as a feared, unknown thing, but as a reliable and efficient energy source, then maybe we have a chance at converting away from coal and natural gas. Governments need to gather support for turning their countries nuclear. There is simply no alternative. Clean energy is hard to come by, and demand is rising, and unless we want to waste away and submit to global warming, we better start innovating. Perhaps countries already are, with 71 plants under construction everywhere from China to California. But is that enough? “Knowledge is power.” And through gaining knowledge we need to gain the power to create a nuclear powered planet.