Nuclear Energy- Impacts Of Energy Production Flashcards
Explain briefly how nuclear power stations work.
They use the heat energy released from the breakdown of atoms of uranium and plutonium to generate electricity.
When did the first nuclear commercial reactor open?
1956.
How many nuclear reactors for nuclear energy are there now?
439 reactors in 31 countries.
Nuclear energy supplies ________ of the worlds electricity which makes up ________ of the total energy consumption.
> 15% world electricity
>6.3% total energy consumption
How long do power stations normally last?
Around 40-50 years. Government are looking at possibilities of running 104 American stations for up to 80 years.
List five general advantages of nuclear power as an energy source.
- relatively safe to be around
- cheap running cost when set up. economic
- low co2 emissions- little glob warming
- efficient- a million x more efficient than fossil fuels- lots energy from small fuel
- less toxic waste released than fossil fuel plants
List the nine disadvantages of using nuclear power as an energy source.
*decommissioning cost can be v.high- up to £30BILLION
*waste stays for 1000s years
*disasters can be huge- Chernobyl- deaths/ illness/ contamination etc.
*NIMBY effect
*non renewable- limited uranium/ plutonium reserves
*waste highly radioactive- v expensive to control
*take up to 10yrs to build
*£1.5-2.25bn to build
*some GHGs produced by generators
And during material mining and transport of nuclear material
List the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear explosion disaster in 1986 in Ukraine.
- 56 deaths by explosion
- 1000’s death/illnesses by radiation
- radioactive material as far as Ireland- 3441km away
- Scandinavian food supplies effected for several years- esp fish
- chernobyl still heavily contaminated
- 4km^2 area forest around Chernobyl died
Explain how France has benefitted from its high use of nuclear power to provide energy.
France- 78% electricity produced from nuclear- has cleanest air and cheapest electricity of any European industrialised country.
Nuclear power could be an alternative to what?
Alternative to fossil fuels.
How much will the new Hinkley C nuclear power station cost to build?
£16 BILLION.
Describe the mixed views that the residents of Somerset, which is where the new Hinkley nuclear plant will be, have about the proposed plant.
- positive- see it will create hundreds of jobs for the local area/ provide new energy for future
- negative- NIMBY/ danger concerns/ radioactive waste concerns
The new Hinkley power station is a bigger project than…
The 2012 Olympic park built in London.
Explain how the new jobs caused by the proposed Hinkley power station will have positive social and economic knock on effects elsewhere.
Created business for a small seeing company to make workwear for over 500 people- jobs and money to local economy provided.
