Despite its benefits in terms of cost and lower pollution, nuclear power is still poorly understood by the public. With all the misinformation circling the subject, the average individual might come away with more than a few wrong ideas.
In a TikTok video, nuclear engineering doctoral graduate Kaylee Cunningham (@cunningham.kaylee) discussed nuclear power's potential for producing massive, unparalleled energy yields, debunking a common misconception that nuclear plants can't keep up with high electricity demand.
@cunningham.kaylee Replying to @max.of.mu the insanely high power density of nuclear makes it easier to produce more electricity! 1 nuclear plant produces the same amount of electricity as 2 coal plants or 3 renewable plants! #nucleartok #nuketok #airport #msnuclearenergy #climatechange #engineering #greenscreen #stem ♬ original sound - Ms. Nuclear Energy
"This is so not correct," she explained. "Nuclear energy actually has the capability of producing way more energy or electricity for way less fuel."
Citing the Nuclear Energy Institute on-screen, she added, "One uranium fuel pellet that's the size of a gummy bear can produce the same amount of electricity as one ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil, or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas."
Unfortunately, misinformed inhibitions about nuclear power have the potential to reduce its popularity as a prospective energy source in the future, despite its evident benefits.
In addition to the fuel efficiency that Cunningham describes — an efficiency that, when powering homes and residential areas, would no doubt drive down electric bills — nuclear power does not directly release carbon air pollution, unlike fossil fuels.
After all, making efforts to lower our levels of planet-warming carbon pollution is essential to keeping ourselves and our planet safe. As crops start to fail, freshwater runs dry, and global weather patterns take turns for the worse, we all will feel the reverberations.
However, nuclear is not a "perfect" energy source. While the splitting of atoms to release energy doesn't release carbon dioxide, mining and refining the fuel cause their own share of environmental burdens that offset some of the benefits, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Still, researchers are making headway in nuclear alternatives to fission-based power. Fusion, for example, yields higher amounts of energy than fission while producing less radioactive waste.
Remaining informed is key.
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Which of these factors would most effectively convince you to support nuclear energy projects in your area? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Lower energy bills 💸 "It seems like most people's issues with nuclear is based on misinformation, often from nuclear energy detractors spreading falsehoods," one TikTok user commented under the original video.
"The only real issue with a nuclear future is we won't have time," wrote another. "We can switch to renewable wildly faster. If we wait for nuclear, we won't make it."
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