3.8.1.8
Nuclear power: high energy density, no greenhouse gases, but radioactive waste
Nuclear Energy & Binding Energy — AQA A-Level Physics
Benefits
- No polluting greenhouse gases produced during operation.
- Highly reliable for continuous electricity generation.
- Far less fuel needed — uranium provides vastly more energyThe capacity to do work. Measured in joules (J). per kg than fossil fuels.
Risks
- Radioactive waste is dangerous and expensive to manage, especially high-level waste with half-lives of thousands of years.
- A nuclear meltdown (e.g. Chernobyl, Fukushima) could have catastrophic environmental and health consequences.
- Public perception is often negative due to fear of radiation, despite the extremely low probability of accidents.