Category — Renewable Energy

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 - It costs a lot of money to setup:

If you think it costs around $6 - 12 billion just to build one reactor, a lot of wasted tax dollars have been used to subsidize these big utility companies. Why not invest that money in other renewable energy such as wind farms or solar power?

2 - Does not aid global warming:

Nuclear enthusiast argue that reactors emit very little green-house gases. But what they do not realize is all the carbon dioxide released in other links in the nuclear chain. For example - gas-guzzling machines are used to mine the uranium, transport it to the reactors, and help build the reactor itself.

What's more is these reactors take years to be fully operational - wasting precious time in our fight against global warming. We could have used that time and money more wisely, such as improved research and development in solar and wind power.

3 - What happens to all that radioactive waste?

From mining to milling, processing to enrichment, fuel fabrication to fuel irradiation in reactors, large amounts of harmful, long-lasting radioactive waste is produced. In addition to 20-30 tons of high-level radioactive waste per reactor per year, this includes so-called "low" level radioactive waste.

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 way utilities currently "store" nuclear waste is irresponsible. The have made assumptions instead of finding scientifically safe places to dispose of the waste. Just imagine how much worse the problem would get if more reactor were built. Additional waste would soon have to be incinerated or buried in landfills. Who knows how much water, soil and air pollution that would cause!

6 - Where there's nuclear power, there's war and 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 greener energy solutions:

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.

Many remote farms and electrical facilities have wind farms that are used to harness power in areas of high wind. Wind powered generators can convert wind energy to electrical power at a very low cost. The only required fuel is air current which is free, does not pollute and in many parts of the country, inexhaustible. Wind energy as a power source is attractive as an alternative to fossil fuels, because it is plentiful, renewable, clean, and produces no greenhouse gas emissions.

Wind powered generators are are easy to make and use. The materials used to create wind turbines for the home can be obtained at a very reasonable cost. Wind powered generators have became especially popular due to the fact that they are an entirely self-sufficient form of energy, that rely upon an infinite supply of energy, as long as the wing blows.

Quality is crucial for wind powered generators because of the harsh weather they will be working in. You cannot have a windmill that breaks in a few months. If you buy one, you need to be prepared to pay a bit more for a quality machine. Or you can build build it yourself. The smaller scale machines are usually less durable and efficient. Small wind powered generators can produce quite a large amount of energy, up to 3,000 watts and more.

Residential wind turbines are very practical and are not that expensive. For instance, wind turbines dont need much maintenance, so the only costs connected with wind power wind power for homes are those of building and installing the turbines. Much work is being done today on micro wind powered generators, and better windmill design. They are clean, quiet and require very little maintenance. Plan on purchasing batteries to store excess energy for times when it's less windy.

Do a search for average wind speed in your area, you need to have a consistent wind speed of at least 10 miles per hour. Any less than that and you may want to look at solar panels as your alternate energy source. Most people do not just count on a wind powered generator to supply all of their energy. People usually complement it with a solar power system.

If you buy a turbine, look at the number of years of the warranty, it is a good deal if a manufacturer is willing to give a 5-year warranty on their product. Not all companies offer that kind of warranty.

Look for brand reviews by users. This is a great way to get to know other people's experience with the wind powered generators if you are thinking about buying one. Do a search for alternative energy forums to see what other people who have used wind generators and see what they say about their experiences with different models.