Nuclear Power

Thanks, bsh1! I apologize in advance for my delay. I have been extremely busy over this past weekend and I like to put a lot of time and effort into researching and writing my arguments. I. FrameworkI mostly agree with my opponent's framework. Countries should do what is best for their people and for their citizens, thus, my burden and goal is to prove that prohibiting nuclear power would be a net harm to citizens, and I will be showing the net-positives of nuclear power. II. Scientific Consensus Nuclear power is inherently a scientific issue. When I look at science issues, the first place I go is to journals and to experts in the particular field in question. Although a scientific consensus does not in of itself prove the benefits of nuclear power, understanding the scientific consensus helps us to understand where the scientific evidence actually leads. The science is clear not because of the consensus, but rather a consensus exists because the evidence is clear. In 2015, Pew Research took a poll of scientists that represented the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the largest bodies of scientists in the United States. Their poll found that 65% of AAAS scientists favor building more nuclear power plants. By contrast, only 35% of AAAS scientists support expanding offshore drilling [1]. III. Reliability Nuclear power is one of the most reliable energy sources today. Unlike most alternative forms of energy which require natural gas and traditional sources of energy to back it up (more on this later), nuclear power does not. Furthermore, nuclear energy by far has the highest average capacity as can be seen in this chart [2]. Nuclear Matters notes: "Nuclear power is the most efficient and reliable source of large-scale, around-the-clock electricity. Nuclear energy plants maintain a national average reliability between 85 and 90 percent, with many power plants routinely operating at 93 to 95 percent capacity over extended periods." Furthermore, "High reliability and dependability mean that electricity is available on the grid whenever needed, all the time.This is particularly important during periods of extreme heat or cold." [3]IV. EnvironmentA. Global WarmingClimate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest environmental threats we face today. Bruno Comby notes:"If we want to be serious about climate change and the end of oil, we must promote themore efficient use of energy, we must use renewable energies – wind and solar –wherever possible, and adopt a more sustainable life style. But this will not be nearlyenough to slow the accumulation of atmospheric CO2, and satisfy the needs of ourindustrial civilization and the aspirations of the developing nations. Nuclear powershould be deployed rapidly to replace coal, oil and gas in the industrial countries, andeventually in developing countries" This is because "Nuclear energy produces almost no carbon dioxide, and no sulfur dioxide ornitrogen oxides whatsoever. These gases are produced in vast quantities when fossilfuels are burned." [4] Furthermore, climateologist James Hansen noted: "Nuclear, especially next-generation nuclear, has tremendous potential to be part of the solution to climate change. The dangers of fossil fuels are staring us in the face. So for us to say we won't use all the tools [such as nuclear energy] to solve the problem is crazy." [5] B. Sustainability As I mentioned earlier, one of the problems with other alternative energy methods is that they all rely on fossil fuel and natural gas as a backup. [6] Furthermore, other methods are unable to supply the large amounts of energy that we consume each year. A 2014 paper published in Sustainable Materials and Technology concludes [7]: "Renewable energy sources (primarily wind and solar) will not be able to supply the needed large quantities of energy sustainably, economically and reliably. In addition, renewable energy sources with fossil-fired backup power will in many cases not contribute towards reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions. Distorting the market with subsidies and by legislation to attract intermittent energy technologies into applications for which they are not well suited is economically wasteful. Also, replacing stand-alone coal-fired stations with stand-alone gas-fired stations will, in many cases, not result in a reduction in the rate of emission of greenhouse gases due to (often poorly quantified) problems of methane leakage. Countries that depend on imported natural gas should be aware that they carry full responsibility for their part of the global consequences due to atmospheric leakage of methane associated with their part of the imported gas, including the leakage taking place outside their borders."In conclusion, a total ban on nuclear powe all at once would not be a wise move. V. CostsI'll go into more detail in the next round as this was also one of pro's contentions. Nuclear energy is one of the most affordable sources of power we have today. There is little fluctuation in the production cost, is one of the lowest-cost producer of baseload electricity, and among the most efficent sources of energy in the US. [8] The following chart gives a nice visual representation of the cost. (Image from: http://tinyurl.com...) VI. SummaryIn conclusion, we ought to embrace, not prohibit, nuclear power. Nuclear power is clean, affordable, reliable, and can help combat climate change. Please vote con! **Note: Please wait a day or so before posting your rebuttals.** VII. Sources1. (http://tinyurl.com...) 2. (http://tinyurl.com...) 3. (http://tinyurl.com...) 4. (http://tinyurl.com...) 5. (http://tinyurl.com...) 6. (http://tinyurl.com...) 7. (http://tinyurl.com...) 8. (http://tinyurl.com...)