Jonathan Ha

English 1010, TTH

Evaluation Assignment
October 29, 2015
Evaluation Assignment
Countries should use nuclear power as their source of energy, because it is highly efficient, safe,
and it helps the economy.
Nuclear power is an extremely safe source of energy. Nuclear power plants have many safety
regulations in place to ensure that incidents do not occur, depending on the location. One safety
regulation in the United States is that all nuclear plants have four-foot thick concrete and steel walls
which cover the reactor (Fact Sheets). Another safety regulation in U.S. nuclear power plants is that
many backup safety measures are put in place, in case of emergencies. One example of this is that if a
nuclear power plant loses power, there are generators put in place, and if the generators stop working,
there are battery banks that can be deployed (Eiden). Nuclear power plants in the U.S. are inspected
every day by Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors, to ensure that facilities are working correctly
and safely (Fact Sheets). Although safety regulations concerning nuclear power plants are different
around the world, countries can adopt safety measures from other countries to ensure the safety of their
nuclear power facilities. Nuclear power plants are not only safe for those who use it, it is also safe for
the environment. Nuclear power plants do not release any air pollution, the only emission which comes
from the facilities are steam and hot water (Eiden). The only waste product which comes from the
production of nuclear energy are the used metal assemblies containing fuel pellets. Due to being
radioactive, the assemblies are placed in pools of water, and then caskets made out of concrete and
steel, in order for the radiation to dissipate (Eiden). Many scientists have agreed to the notion that
nuclear energy is safe and clean, as shown by a letter written by scientists in the United Kingdom. In
the letter, it is explained that use of nuclear power will help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which
in turn will help with the problems of climate change and the extinction of certain species due to
pollution (Connor).

Other than being safe, nuclear power is also a highly efficient source of power. This can be
proven by the fact that one uranium fuel pellet, the size of a pinky, can produce the same amount of
energy as one ton of coal (Fact Sheets, Eiden). Due to the fuel pellets being able to produce so much
energy, nuclear power plants have the ability to operate endlessly for at least eighteen months without
refueling, other then when needing to perform maintenance (Nuclear Energy, Eiden). Also, whereas
production of energy by solar panels or windmills can be inhibited by weather, nuclear power plants
can perform even in rough weather conditions (Nuclear Energy). Due to money being invested into
nuclear power over the years, nuclear power plants have become much more competent in comparison
to when they were first introduced (Nuclear Energy). This can be shown by improvements in the
facilities increasing energy production by 797 million megawatts over the course of 25 years (Fact
Sheets). Another factor which makes nuclear power efficient is that the fuel, due to being compact in
size, is easy to transport and store (Nuclear Energy). As more money is invested into nuclear energy,
it will continue to improve and become more efficient.
The use of nuclear power will greatly help the economy in many ways. One way in which
nuclear power can help the economy is through the creation of jobs. With the creation of a nuclear
power plant, 3,500 workers are hired for construction, and at least 500 more people are employed
permanently to run the facility. The wages of workers at a facility is estimated to be around $40 million
per year (Fact Sheets). The average nuclear power plant is estimated to make $470 million and pay
$83 million in taxes per year (Fact Sheets). Uranium is highly available in certain countries, and is
expected to last for another 100 years of use (Nuclear Energy). Due to the large supply of uranium, it
is cheaper than other fuels and there are many countries that can be traded with for uranium including
the United States, Canada, and Australia (Fact Sheets, Nuclear Energy).
Nuclear energy should be used as a source of energy due to the large amount of benefits it
brings. These benefits include being safe, efficient, and economically helpful. The facts which support
the notion that nuclear energy is better show that its use should be increased and more countries need to

build nuclear power plants.