Nuclear Power
Nuclear power plants provide about 17 percent of the world's electricity and
about 20 percent of the electricity in the U.S. They are extremely clean
compared to coal-fired plants, which, perhaps surprisingly, release more
radioactivity than a properly functioning nuclear power plant. Many experts
believe nuclear power such as that being developed in this Sandia National
Laboratory experiment is an important option for the U.S. and the world to meet
pollution-free energy needs. But others cite significant problems with nuclear
power. For example, mining and purifying the uranium that fuels nuclear plants
is not a clean process; improperly functioning nuclear plants present
environmental and terrorism risks; spent nuclear fuel remains toxic for
centuries and must be stored; and transporting nuclear fuel to and from plants
can be hazardous.
