ENVS 1000U Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Uranium Mining, Radioactive Waste
18 Dec 2016
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Most of our energy still comes from natural gas, oil and coal: 3 fuels power two-thirds of (cid:449)orld"s ele(cid:272)tri(cid:272)ity generation. Gi(cid:448)en fossil fuel"s su(cid:271)stantial dra(cid:449)(cid:271)a(cid:272)ks, need to shift to using less easily depleted environmentally gentler fuels. Three alternative energy sources are currently the most developed and most widely used: nuclear energy, hydroelectric power, energy from biomass. These are all (cid:862)(cid:272)on(cid:448)entional alternati(cid:448)es(cid:863) to fossil fuels: exert less environmental impact, have benefits and drawbacks, viewed as intermediates along continuum of renewability, nuclear energy. Nuclear energy = energy released when an atom is split (fission) or combines with another to form a new atom (fusion) Public safety concerns and costs of addressing them have constrained the development and spread of nuclear power in the united states, and many other nations. Nuclear fuel cycle = the process when naturally occurring uranium is mined from underground deposits, processed into usable fuel source, used and disposed of in waste facilities.
