”The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and thus we drift towards unparalleled catastrophe.” -Albert Einstein

In order for a new technology to realize long-term success, especially on a global scale, society must first be willing to accept it with open arms. However, this acceptance does not happen overnight. The first questions that you might ask when being introduced to a new technology are: 1) How will this technology directly benefit me? 2) Is it safe? and 3) What economic incentive do I have to invest in this? I will be answering all of these questions in regard to nuclear energy, not only to educate you on its complex history, but hopefully help convince you (or reassure you) that nuclear power is worth fighting for and may very well save us all.

The footprint that nuclear energy has left on the world has been quite explosive (both literally and metaphorically). Nuclear has faced a lot of scrutiny over the past decades, which is understandable considering how much destruction it has caused. From the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII to the nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl, people have good reason to be leery. However, as society has matured, so has our technology and our ability to wield it properly. Along with this, the discourse within nuclear has transitioned from “let’s make weapons of utter and complete destruction” (looking at you, Oppenheimer) to “let’s find a way to create clean energy out of this and actually change our planet for the better”. This is definitely progress.

In order for nuclear to be considered as a viable energy source, one must convince the general public that it is. Considering nuclear’s turbulent history, this has proven to be a challenge. Luckily, most people have been convinced over time that nuclear energy is a safe and viable technology that will benefit mankind. This has been achieved mainly through means of simply educating the public (as is the aim of this blog post). In general, people are convinced that nuclear energy is a promising alternative to more traditional forms of energy production which release harmful greenhouses gases into the environment. Safety is another concern. The last thing we want to do is repeat another nuclear meltdown. With this in mind, scientists have spent years working around the clock to ensure nuclear reactors are foolproof. Advances such as the development of more efficient cooling systems, better recycling methods for fuel, and developing more compact reactors to support smaller power grids, have allowed us to deem meltdowns impossible. Also, to quote Dixie Lee Ray,

“A nuclear power plant is definitely safer than eating, because 300 people choke to death on food every year.”

The last piece of this puzzle is the economics. While I am not an expert on the economics side, as a scientist in the field I believe part of my duty is to help educate the general public as best as I can in all aspects. With that being said, you do in fact have an economic incentive to support nuclear energy, and I will do my best to explain why.

A way to determine whether nuclear power is economically viable is to perform a cost-benefit analysis. In other words, we are answering the question of how does the amount of money we put into this technology compare to the amount we are getting back? There are reasons why nuclear may not be cost-effective in the short term. Nuclear power plants require an insane amount of upfront costs, not only to actually construct the plants, but also to allocate enough funding to support security measures as well as protection for nuclear waste. This can easily amount to billions of dollars. But in order for this cost-benefit analysis to be useful, we need to look further than just the short term. As it turns out, the amount of return we will get from nuclear energy in the long run far outweighs the initial expenditures.

Let’s talk numbers. First of all, according to energy.gov, the nuclear industry has created over half a million jobs in the US and contributes roughly $60 billion to the GDP each year, which contributes positively to the health of our economy. In addition, uranium fuel for a power plant is so efficient that one uranium pellet creates as much energy as one ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil, or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. To put things in perspective, right now one uranium pellet is about $1.30, compared to roughly $670 for the 149 of gallons oil. I’m sure we’re all aware of the effect recent inflation has had on our gas prices. Imagine how much money we would save if we turned to uranium fuel instead. I’m willing to bet that outrageous upfront cost to build that power plant doesn’t seem so scary now after all.

I’m feeling eternally grateful that this blog allows me to write about things I am passionate about. Nuclear energy is one of them. Not only does my career depend on it, but the future of humanity does too. I believe it is the answer to our worldwide energy problem, and hopefully I’ve convinced you of this. The more people who believe in it, the greater chance it will become a success. Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for more posts on this topic.