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