Fascinating
I found this fascinating in my environmental geology lecture today.
A 1,000 megawatt nuclear reactor uses 25 tons of of material each year and produces 25 tons of radioactive waste. The density of uranium is 19g/cm3, so that means there is 1 cubic meter of waste per volume.
A similar coal power plant burns 2,500,000 tons of material each year and produces the following wastes:
-6.5 million tons of carbon dioxide
-9,000 tons of sulfur dioxide
-4,500 tons of nitrogen oxides
-1,500 tons of ash.
The system of nuclear power has definitely not been refined yet, but doesn't that stop and make you think about our continued dependence on fossil fuels....
Here's another thought blaster for ya:
Coal and natural gas cost 5-7 cents per K/Wh (kilowatt hour). Wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydroelectric cost the same or less to produce the same amount. (And are renewable and much cleaner too.)
A 1,000 megawatt nuclear reactor uses 25 tons of of material each year and produces 25 tons of radioactive waste. The density of uranium is 19g/cm3, so that means there is 1 cubic meter of waste per volume.
A similar coal power plant burns 2,500,000 tons of material each year and produces the following wastes:
-6.5 million tons of carbon dioxide
-9,000 tons of sulfur dioxide
-4,500 tons of nitrogen oxides
-1,500 tons of ash.
The system of nuclear power has definitely not been refined yet, but doesn't that stop and make you think about our continued dependence on fossil fuels....
Here's another thought blaster for ya:
Coal and natural gas cost 5-7 cents per K/Wh (kilowatt hour). Wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydroelectric cost the same or less to produce the same amount. (And are renewable and much cleaner too.)