Uranium is used in nuclear power plants. In Russia there are 11 power plants that produce about 18% of total electricity. One of these plants is about 200 km away from me so I was very interested to learn how nuclear power and uranium in particular affect the environment.

Uranium is a radioactive metal. In small quantitites it emits even less radiation than granite and is generally not dangerous to people or nature. However, while being extracted from the rocks uranium leaves solid waste called tailings. They contain a lot of radium which can produce radioactive gas radon. Breathing too much of this gas can result in serious health problems and that is why the amount of radon on the mines is under constant control.

Moreover, uranium can be found in the water we drink and the air we breathe but in very small quantities which make no harm to us or the planet. As long as it is mined properly and all the tailings are taken care of we should not worry about it. The only information I found about its negative impact on the environment is that it can be absorbed by plants which then become radioactive. However, it is not a huge tragedy for the plant, it can keep growing being radiocative. The most important thing is that people cannot touch this plant because radiation can change our DNA and lead to some dangerous and untreatable diseases.

Bur what about power plants? Are they really safe for both the planet and for humans? 

Mostly, yes. All the equipment on these plants is always monitored so it works properly. What is more, I did not find any proof to my hypothesis that people who live near power plants die of cancer more often. Uranium waste, on the other hand, is a more controversial problem.

I discovered that there are several plants in Russia that "recycle" this nuclear waste making it possible to use again. In fact, it works so well that the government started buying nuclear waste from other countries and recycle them here. However, we do not need that much uranium here, we have enough of our own. Thus, all this recycled substance is stored somewhere in Russia which can be potentially dangerous. Besides, a report from 2016 shows that only 15% of our nuclear waste is recycled and all the places where used uranium is stored have been overfilled long ago. So where does all this waste go? If it is not stored properly, the radioactive elements can get into soil and ground water and finally to the people. Unfortunately, I did not find an answer to this question.

To sum up, uranium is neither good nor bad for the planet. All the sources I used have said the same thing: uranium is dangerous for people, not for the environment. Thus, Nuclear energy IS green energy as long as the nuclear waste is treated properly.