"Bad news travels fast" is a saying that applies very well in the case of nuclear energy. Throughout history, most media outlets have only taken it upon themselves to show the negative side of nuclear energy—the serious damage generated by direct exposure to radioactive substances. Nuclear disasters such as Fukushima in 2011 and Chernobyl in 1986 were broadcast worldwide, showing how dangerous nuclear energy can be. Nevertheless, very few media outlets took it upon themselves to show the positive aspects of nuclear energy, which is why many people are currently prejudiced against this type of energy, which is actually very clean and safe, unlike the ones derived from fossil fuels.

ABACAPRESS. (2008). Civaux Nuclear Power Plant is located in the commune of Civaux, Vienne, France. [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.alamy.com/

Another advantage of nuclear energy that ClimateScience points out is that, contrary to popular belief, it is much safer than fossil fuel energy, since, according to studies, it causes far fewer deaths than coal, oil, and natural gas because there is very little chance of nuclear accidents occurring.

Another benefit of nuclear energy is that it generates an enormous amount of energy with little nuclear fuel (uranium), which allows savings in raw material and in transportation, extraction, and handling of uranium. This advantage of nuclear energy also makes it possible to supply electricity to large populations without the risk of power outages.

Other benefits of nuclear energy include its stable and constant production. Unlike solar power plants that cannot produce at night or wind power plants that cannot produce without wind, nuclear power plants generate power uninterruptedly.

In addition, nuclear energy, despite not being considered a renewable energy, is almost inexhaustible, since there are uranium reserves that would allow us to use this type of energy for thousands of years because, as mentioned before, little uranium is needed to produce enormous amounts of energy.

Nuclear energy brings many benefits for both the population and the environment; however, it is impossible to deny that it also has disadvantages, among them nuclear waste, which is highly dangerous and takes a long time to degrade. In addition, some countries could use them to make weapons. Another disadvantage is that if nuclear explosions occur, they will have disastrous consequences, such as those seen in Chernobyl and Fukushima. Also, the high cost and time involved in building a nuclear power plant is another disadvantage.

Nuclear energy is too good to be overshadowed by its disadvantages, so many scientists and researchers have been working to mitigate the problems it could cause. To reduce the risk of nuclear explosions, it is proposed to build Small Modular Reactors (SMR) instead of one large reactor. This would make explosions almost impossible to occur. Unfortunately, there are still no solutions to reduce nuclear waste, so research and studies are still ongoing.

This is the other side of nuclear energy, the side that for many years has not been adequately reported by the media. Now, as we are already facing the devastating effects of climate change, nuclear energy becomes a great option to help us reduce carbon emissions. In addition, it has been a long time since the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters and technology has evolved, allowing modern nuclear reactors to be much safer and not cause explosions. While nuclear waste is still a problem, we must ask ourselves and evaluate whether it will cause more serious consequences than those being generated by the use of fossil fuels. In my view, nuclear power is now a better alternative.

Reference materials:

Nuclear Power: Should We be Using It? ClimateScience. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://climatescience.org/advanced-energy-nuclear

Generation IV Nuclear: Can We Solve the Remaining Issues Nuclear Faces? ClimateScience. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://climatescience.org/advanced-energy-improve-nuclear

La energía nuclear: Ventajas e inconvenientes. Energya. (2019, January 30). Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.energyavm.es/la-energia-nuclear-ventajas-e-inconvenientes/

Morales, F. C. (n.d.). Ventajas y desventajas de la energía nuclear. Economipedia. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://economipedia.com/definiciones/ventajas-y-desventajas-de-la-energia-nuclear.html

Planas, O. (2009, December 10). Ventajas y desventajas de la energía nuclear. Energía nuclear. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://energia-nuclear.net/que-es-la-energia-nuclear/ventajas-inconvenientes-energia-nuclear