Nuclear > Wind

*concerning co2 emissons* My opponents evidence states there is little or no difference in co2 emissions between the two. I have no problem with that argument in itself. It's a great advantage for both side. However, I will direct your attention to contention 3, sub point C, which states that methane, ten times more powerful than co2 is emitted from nuclear power plants. More on methane by saying, Methane (CH4) is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted in the United States from human activities. (1) and"If methane is allowed to leak into the air before being used"from a leaky pipe, for instance"it absorbs the sun's heat, warming the atmosphere. For this reason, it's considered a greenhouse gas, like carbon dioxide. (2) *concerning carbon footprints* I do not find the amount of concrete it takes to build something to be an issue. Wind does not have as huge of an impact as my opponent makes it seem." All forms of energy extraction and generation entail land use and habitat impacts, whether in terms of mineral extraction or emissions. Wind energy projects do not contaminate or pollute the land upon which they are built, or any adjacent waters. (3) concerning job creation Great. More jobs. However at this time I would like to point out that this argument is not unique to nuclear power. Any business anywhere will create jobs, including wind energy. Planning, building and operating a typical utility-scale wind farm creates 1,079 jobs over its lifetime (4). Developing, constructing and operating a windpark requires coordinating the efforts of many different teams and individuals. Each of the three stages involve different steps: During the pre-development and development phase, jobs created include: Project developers Field engineers Environmental managers and consultants Legal and permitting support Community outreach Document control Administrative and office support.(8, used again below) I would also like to point out that his source, the nuclear energy institution, has the possibility to be biased. From their about us section 'our mission is to foster the beneficial use of nuclear technology.'(5) This source has a strong chance of bias, and therefore cannot be trusted." Concerning the unreliability of wind. In this argument my opponent uses a study and data that took place over a single day as his first source. If this is intended as an argument, more data that is gathered from several days is needed to provide a more accurate representation. We also must consider the information that is left out of these arguments, such as how many wind turbines are used in Britain, as a small number of turbines will result in a small amount of electricity. Concerning the death wind causes" This information is outdated. The opening sentence from the article used is"I wrote this back in 2008. (6). There are also very strict rules about wind turbines and plants as well. "Where danger could arise from pressurization, the plant will have vents."(7). I give you one sentence from a 43 page document on wind energy rules. Concerning economics I will begin by saying that tge Germany argument applies to all renewable energies, not specifically wind. That being said this argument could apply partially to nuclear power as well. In contrast to what my opponent says, wind is beneficial to the economy. "Windparks bring economic development to the rural communities that host them. Developing our nation's wind energy resources creates demands for turbines and turbine components, which stimulates the manufacturing sector. Wind energy helps to stabilize wholesale electricity costs, which is good for both consumers and for businesses. (8) "The exact amount will vary from state to state and town to town, but a good rule of thumb is at least $1 million per megawatt over a twenty year period. For example, Noble's three Clinton County, New York windparks (located in the towns of Altona, Clinton, and Ellenburg) total 280 megawatts, and are expected bring about $360,000,000 to the local community over the next 20 years." (8.) To sum up this argument, wind energy is a extreme benefit to it's surrounding economy." Concerning health I would like to show you the opening quote from the first source given."The study by a panel of independent experts found that the irritation caused by the noise around wind farms can effect certain individuals. (9). I would like to emphasize the CERTAIN. Again from my opponents evidence," Scientists dismissed the idea of a "wind turbine syndrome" where the vibrations in the air or the particular sound waves from wind turbines cause headaches, nausea and panic attacks. (9). His evidence as far as wind turbine syndrome is contradictory and therefore must not be considered in this debate. "The Government insisted that wind farms do not have a direct impact on health."(9). If stress is the only side effect and you deem it to be reason enough not to build wind turbines, by the same reasoning stress alone is reason enough to not get married, to not go to school, to not have a social life. Stress can be caused by anything and everything." Concerning weather. I would like to point out at this time that nuclear power plants are also susceptible to mother natures wrath. The Fukushima disaster was caused by a tsunami. I beleive majority of you will agree with me if I say a nuclear power plant being destroyed is more dangerous than a few fires." Concerning cost efficiency. The article that states the cost of wind vs fossil fuels has no author or date to be seen. For that reason I will dismiss evidence number 21 as unreliable. My opponent also states the words of George Taylor, saying that the cost could be higher due to hidden costs. I would like to point out my opponent never says exactly what these hidden costs could include. That makes this argument questionable in its logic. Concerning fuel poverty. My opponents main argument in this revolved around the fact that wind energy did not create enough jobs, which caused deaths. Again I will direct you attention back to my paragraph concerning job creation, which talks about how many jobs wind creates, as well as provides a small portion of the types of jobs." 1"http://epa.gov... 2"http://www.edf.org... 3"http://www.mass.gov... 4 http://mobile.bloomberg.com... 5 http://www.nei.org... 6"http://nextbigfuture.com... 7"http://windhse.org... 8"http://www.noblepower.com... 9"http://www.telegraph.co.uk...