Clean
Nuclear Energy is Clean
Nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on the environment–including air, land, water, and wildlife–of any energy source. It produces no harmful greenhouse gases, isolates its waste from the environment, and requires less area to produce the same amount of electricity as other sources.
Because nuclear energy has such a small impact on its surroundings, nuclear power plants provide excellent habitat for all species of plants and animals to thrive. Water discharged from a nuclear power plant contains no harmful pollutants and meets regulatory standards for temperature designed to protect aquatic life. This water, used for cooling, never comes in contact with radioactive materials.
Since the areas around nuclear power plants are so clean, they are often developed as wetlands that allow trees, flowers, and grasses to thrive and provide nesting areas for waterfowl and other birds. Many energy companies have created special nature parks or wildlife sanctuaries on plant sites.
It is not surprising then that a first-of-its-kind, national survey conducted last August by Bisconti Research Inc. with Quest Global Research Group found that 76 percent of Americans living in close proximity to nuclear power plants are willing to see a new reactor built near them.
No Greenhouse Gases
Nuclear energy does not produce greenhouse gases because it does not burn anything to generate electricity. Nuclear power plants produce no gases such as nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide that could threaten our atmosphere by causing ground-level ozone formation, smog, and acid rain. Nor does nuclear energy produce carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases suspected to cause global warming.
- Nuclear energy is by far the nation’s largest source of electricity that does not produce greenhouse gases, providing 73 percent of the electricity, including hydroelectric, wind and solar.
- The use of nuclear power to generate electricity avoided emissions of nearly as much carbon dioxide as is released from all U.S. passenger cars combined. If nuclear power were not used, 134 million of the nation’s 136 million passenger cars would have to be eliminated to keep U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from increasing.
- Nuclear energy accounts for 90 percent of all electric utility savings in carbon dioxide emissions since 1973.