3 Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Is Awesome! 3/3

In a Nutshell Animations

Nuclear energy might have a lot of unused potential. Not only is it one of the best mid term solutions for global warming bit despite what gut feeling tells us, it has saved millions of lives. By investing more into better technologies we might be able to make nuclear energy finally save and clean forever.

Transcript

00:00Three reasons why we should continue using nuclear energy.

00:04One, nuclear energy saves lives.

00:07In 2013, a study conducted by NASA found that nuclear energy has prevented around 1.8 million deaths.

00:15Even if you include the death tolls from Chernobyl and Fukushima,

00:19nuclear energy ranks last in death per energy unit produced.

00:24While nuclear waste is really toxic, it's usually stored somewhere.

00:28While the toxic byproducts of fossil fuels are pumped into the air we breathe every day.

00:34So, just by reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned,

00:37countless cases of cancer or lung disease and accidents in coal mines have been avoided.

00:42If we can choose between lots of dangerous stuff being put into a deep hole

00:46and lots and lots and lots of dangerous stuff being pumped into the atmosphere,

00:51the former seems more logical.

00:53Nuclear energy feels way more dangerous though.

00:56Single catastrophic events burn into our memory, while coal and oil kill silently.

01:02It's like the death rate of flying versus driving.

01:05Even in the best case scenario, it would take at least 40 years to switch to 100% renewable energy.

01:11So, for as long as we continue using fossil fuels, nuclear energy will save way more lives than it destroys.

01:19Two, nuclear energy reduces CO2 emissions.

01:23Nuclear energy is arguably way less harmful to the environment in terms of climate change

01:28than fossil fuels, our main source of energy.

01:31Since 1976, about 64 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions have not been pumped out,

01:38thanks to nuclear energy.

01:40And by the mid-21st century, that could amount to an additional 80 to 240 gigatons.

01:47Humanity's energy consumption is rising steadily.

01:50According to US government projections,

01:52China alone will add the equivalent of a new 600 megawatt coal plant every 10 days for the next 10 years.

01:59China already burns 4 billion tons of coal each year.

02:02Coal is cheap, relatively abundant, and easy to get to,

02:06so it's not likely that humanity will stop using it soon.

02:10Nuclear energy might be the only way of dampening the effects of climate change

02:14and preventing a catastrophic man-made global warming.

02:18Compared to the other things we do, nuclear energy is relatively clean.

02:22So, even if it is a good idea to quit nuclear energy long-term,

02:26it might be a good solution for the next 100 years or so, compared to the alternatives.

02:31Three, new technologies.

02:33Maybe technology will solve the problem of nuclear waste and dangerous power plants.

02:39The nuclear reactors we've used so far are mostly outdated technology,

02:44because nuclear innovation stopped in the 1970s.

02:47There are models, like the thorium reactor, that could solve the problem altogether.

02:52Thorium is abundant, really hard to turn into nuclear weapons,

02:55and up to two orders of magnitude less wasteful than current nuclear reactors.

03:00The waste material might also be only dangerous for a few hundred years,

03:04in contrast to a couple of thousand years.

03:06One ton of thorium is estimated to provide the same amount of energy

03:10as 200 tons of uranium or 3.5 million tons of coal.

03:15So, while we cannot know for sure if alternative nuclear technology will keep its promises,

03:20shouldn't we at least do more research before we forego an opportunity

03:23to solve lots of humanity's current problems?

03:26It might not be an easy challenge, but that hasn't stopped us before.

03:30So, should we use nuclear energy?

03:33There are risks involved in any great human endeavor,

03:36and we have to make an informed decision rather than rely on gut feeling.

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