"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." Marie Curie, the discoverer of radium and Nobel Prize winner spoke these words many years ago. Years later, the United States along with the global community is on the brink of using a old, yet still unknown energy resource; nuclear energy. People fear nuclear energy from past accidents such as Chernobyl, but know very little about this energy source. Environmentalists and politicians around the world are focusing on the availability of fossil fuels in future years and tapping it from foreign sources. Global warming is also a major concern and it is argued that fossil fuels are to blame for this warming trend. Scientists are focusing on efficient ways to create nuclear energy and show the public that it is not to be feared. Nuclear energy is a safe, renewable, energy source that should be used to meet energy demands around the world.

Among other problems the world faces, there is an expected rise in population of developing nations from 4billion to 8billion people. There is also an expected 20 percent rise of population in industrialized nations. A rise of population such as this will demand highe

Compared to fossil fuels, nuclear energy is more efficient and cleaner. Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post produces some very promising nuclear statistics. He articulates:

Fossil fuel production and usage causes numerous environmental and health risks that can no longer be overlooked. The burning of fossil fuels has been proven to emit large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that trap infrared radiation from the sun within the earth's atmosphere (Kindel 10). Environmentalists use a term the "greenhouse effect" to explain the trapping of these gases in the atmosphere. Steve Kindel of USA Today agrees that the major problem with the greenhouse effect is that the gases trapped will soon heat the earth as much as 6 degrees F this century. Global warming of this magnitude, will lead to massive flooding, droughts and unpredictable changes in ocean currents among other problems (11). To put the magnitude of flooding into perspective, imagine one of the polar ice caps heating up 6 degrees. Next, imagine that water flowing into the ocean and changing sea level drastically. The water would have nowhere to go but up and would soon start to flood low-lying areas like Louisiana. This type of flooding would cover coastal regions and the Earth's land mass would decrease greatly. Environmental problems are only the beginning of a long chain of issues that global warming will cause.

As the amount of carbon dioxide and other toxins rise, the environment starts to deteriorate along with health conditions of the world population. In an issue of Foreign Affairs, a reputable magazine, Richard Rhodes and Denis Beller write:

Other people ask why nuclear energy must be the next energy source to replace fossil fuels. They ask what is wrong with solar or wind energy? These resources will positively help in reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuels, but they produce their own toxins that amount much greater than nuclear energy emissions. In Foreign Affairs, Richard Rhodes and Denis Beller state, "solar collection, produces highly toxic waste metals and solvents"(115). The article continues and brings up a statistic that a solar electric plant would yield about 6,850 metric tons of hazardous materials solely from processing over a period of 30 years (115). Another problem with solar and wind energy is that they are plagued with technical and environmental problems. Solar and wind energy will be unable to meet large energy needs. Compared to a coal or nuclear plant that needs a few acres for a plant, a solar or wind plant will need up to a hundred square acres of land (35). This kind of land usage will lead to environmental problems and excessive cost of plant production. Alternative energy sources such as hydroelectric and solar can be used to help lessen the energy crisis, but they cannot meet the vital role as the number one producer of energy in the world.

As carbon dioxide emissions rise from fossil fuel combustion, ecosystems of animal and human alike are affected. Acid rain depletes buildings and works of art and contaminates drinking water. Scientists argue on what type of energy will replace fossil fuels, but they all agree that an alternative is necessary. Richard Rhodes and Denis Beller point to nuclear energy in the future and look to countries like France, where 79 percent of its energy is produced from nuclear plants and Sweden where 42 percent is generated by nuclear means (116). Many others are pushing nuclear energy in becoming the next fossil fuel. T.J. Glauthier, Secretary of Energy, states "We are committed to maintaining a viable nucle

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Approximate Word count = 2445
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)