Tessa Hermesman

Opening Statement-For Nuclear Power

Energy is something that none of us can live without. Yet, the real question is what kind
of energy is the most efficient and clean for our world. Energy in this world is produced
in many ways such as nuclear energy, fossil energy, and renewable energy. I am here
today to convince you that nuclear power is the most efficient way to produce energy in
todays world. Used in over 30 countries around the world, nuclear power is clean and
efficient. The United States as a whole consumes nearly one-fifth of the worlds energy,
and 19% of that energy comes from nuclear power. The United States houses 65 licensed
power plants, most of which have more than one reactor. The world of nuclear power
comes along with many misconceptions, one of them being the emissions that it
produces. Nuclear power does not produce any greenhouse gases during the fission
process. In the last century or so, our atmosphere has warmed-up immensely, bringing
along many severe consequences such as a rise in sea level, and ocean acidity. Nuclear
power produces very little gases that increase the rate of global warming in our earth.

My opponents here today might try and persuade you that nuclear energy produces large
amounts of greenhouse gases. The only activities that release greenhouse gases are when
uranium is mined and transported. But, compared to coal and natural gas, the amount of
emissions in the mining and transportation process of uranium is very small. It is
important to realize that much of our daily activities produce greenhouse gases such as
driving to work, or the process of natural gas to power your home. The fact is that the
entire process of nuclear power produces very little emissions compared to other energy
forms.

Contrastingly, many over exaggerate the amount of radiation that a nuclear power plant
produces, but I bet to differ that the amount is very little. On average, a United States
citizen is exposed to 300 millirems of radiation per year and only 0.01 millirems of that
radiation comes from a nuclear power plant. According to Discovery, the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission found no increase in cancer in people who reside near nuclear
power plants. Dr. Cohen of Penn State clearly stated, Since natural radiation is
estimated to cause about 1% of all cancers, radiation due to nuclear technology should
eventually increase our cancer risk by 0.002% (one part in 50,000), reducing our life
expectancy by less than one hour. By comparison, our loss of life expectancy from
competitive electricity generation technologies, burning coal, oil, or gas, is estimated to
range from 3 to 40 days.
For the reasons above, the positives of nuclear energy surely outweigh the negatives,
making it the most efficient way to produce energy.













Closing Statement

Every way of producing energy is going to have pros and cons. After hearing from my
teammates and opponents, Im sure both sides had you persuaded at some point. Global
warming is an issue that can no longer be ignored, and is quite possibly the biggest issue
that our generation will have to face. On a positive note, nuclear power can lessen the
greenhouse gas emissions immensely so that we can save our planet from serious
consequences.

As I proved to you earlier, you should not be worried about the amount of radiation that a
nuclear power plant produces. According to Dr. Bernard Cohen, who is a Professor at the
University of Pittsburgh, suggests that, Since air pollution from coal burning is
estimated to be causing 10,000 deaths per year, there would have to be 25 melt-downs
each year for nuclear power to be as dangerous as coal burning. Nuclear meltdowns are
only expected to occur every 20,000 year of operation, and nuclear power is an efficient
way of creating power for millions of people. You should vote for nuclear power because
it is the only way of decreasing the emissions of greenhouse gases, and keeping this
fragile sphere livable.

http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/np-risk.htm