## Nuclear Energy

#### Nuclear energy, already deployed widely with a variety of purposes, is safe, saves lives, and reduces pollution**



*   [Kharecha and Hansen 13](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es3051197?source=cen)
    *   Global nuclear power has prevented:
        *   **1.84 million deaths** related to air pollution
        *   **64 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions** that would have resulted from fossil fuel burning
    *   On the basis of global projection data that take into account the effects of the Fukushima accident, nuclear power could, by midcentury, additionally prevent:
        *   an average of **4.2 hundred thousand to 7.04 million deaths**
        *   **80 to 240 gigatonnes CO2 emissions** due to fossil fuels
*   [World Nuclear Association 19](https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx) 
    *   Nuclear energy now provides about **10% of the world's electricity** from about **450 power reactors**.
    *   Over **50 countries** utilise nuclear energy in about 225 research reactors. 
    *   These reactors are used for the production of medical and industrial isotopes, as well as for training.
*   [Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Information](http://nuclearconnect.org/know-nuclear/applications/energy) of the American Nuclear Society
    *   Pollution prevented from being released into the atmosphere:
        *   5.1 million tons of sulfur dioxide
        *   2.4 million tons of nitrogen oxide
        *   164 million metric tons of carbon
    *   Material Cost — one kg of Uranium is the approximate equivalent of:
        *   42 gallons of oil
        *   1 ton of coal
        *   17,000 cubic feet of natural gas
    *   Monetary Cost:
        *   Nuclear plants: 2.40 cents per kilowatt-hour
        *   Coal-fired plants: 3.27 cents
        *   Oil: 22.48 cents
        *   Gas: 3.40 cents
    *   Efficiency
        *   Nuclear power plant capacity factors: over 85%.
        *   Fossil fired plants: 50-60%
        *    Solar and wind: 30% or lower