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People may argue that 25% of the world’s energy is produced through nuclear power, but what they do not understand is all the problems it brings:

1 – Extremely Expensive To Install:

Nuclear power plants are definitely not a cheap investment. At around six to twelve billion dollars each – just for installation – taxpayers have subsidized billions of dollars to keep the utilities afloat. This money could have been invested in cleaner renewable energies instead.

2 – It causes global warming:

Nuclear is seen as a relatively clean alternative energy. But that is complete nonsense! While the reactor may not emit green-house gases, the rest of the activities certainly do. How do you think the uranium is mined and transported? How do you think the reactor was built? And all the building material transported? That’s right – trucks and machines – all of which emit carbon into the air.

Another thing is the installation of a nuclear reactor takes far too long to have any positive impact on global warming. Why not use that money and time instead in the technological advancement of cleaner renewable energies, like solar power?

3 – The bi-product is radioactive waste:

20 to 30 tonnes of highly radioactive waste is produced by just one nuclear plant every year. This excludes what the authorities like to call “low” level radioactive waste produced in the rest of the supply chain – such as during the enrichment process.

4 – Any accident would be catastrophic:

A nuclear reactor is so vulnerable to damage or attack it could be considered a nuclear bomb just waiting to be detonated. And if an accident were to happen the precautions in place are ridiculous. Not to mention that the utilities are liable for less than 2% of the actually cost of damage that could be caused. Guess who pays for the remaining 98%? We, the taxpayers, of course.

5 – Increased risk of cancer:

Though authorities deem the levels of radiation emitted to be “safe”, children and other vulnerable individuals are not taken into account when reaching this conclusion. This is very irresponsible, and could lead to more cancer cases as the number of reactors increases.

The current solution for the “disposal” or “storage” of this waste is unacceptable. There is no scientifically safe place to dump this waste, and new reactors would exacerbate the problem. Additional “low” level radioactive waste would have to be dumped in landfills or incinerated, polluting the water and air.

6 – Nuclear development aids terrorism:

A country’s national security always feels at threat when extremist countries start harnessing nuclear power. Just think about Israel attacking Syria’s so-called nuclear site back in 2007, and how uneasy America was when Iran was developing its own nuclear program. Nuclear power sets the stage for the production of atomic bombs, so as long the number of reactors increases, the likelihood of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear weapons increases.

7 – There are cleaner alternatives:

There already so many better, cheaper, “greener’ ways to produce electricity today, that we are surprised nuclear power is still invested in so heavily. Why not spend those billions of dollars building more wind farms and solar power stations instead, and invest more in the technological advancement of these renewable energies?

The good thing is we do not have to wait for the utilities to switch to renewable energy. We can do it ourselves at home right now. It is actually rather straightforward and affordable to build your own working solar and wind power system at home. All it takes is some initiative.