Energy pros and cons with coal and nuclear power

Coal has been in use for a long time, it is also a relatively inexpensive form of energy and there are lots of coal. The big problem is the disposal of hazardous waste. Coal requires ton of fuel to run and produce ton of waste. Most of that waste goes up the smoke stacks or dumped back into the environment and lead to acid rain or smog. The impact on the environment is significant and burning coal is one of the contributor of global warming.

Coal contains small quantity of uranium, and other decay products such as radon but the volume coal can produce large amount of energy. For every kilowatt of an hour energy produced, coal burning station release more radioactive materials into the environment than any nuclear reactor.

Coal advantages and disadvantages

Coal pros and cons

Here are coal pros and cons for using coal for electricity

  1. Pros: High quantity available to use as a fuel for combustion for locomotion and generating electricity. Coal is one of the most plentiful resource in the world.
  2. Pros: Relatively cheap due to the large amount of coal available and coal are easy to access.
  3. Pros: Large amount of electricity can be produce using coal at low price.
  4. Pros: Coal power plants can be built anywhere in the world.
  5. Pros: Coal is also very versatile, it can be burn and it can be transformed into liquid or gas.
  1. Cons: Produce large amount of pollution, the dirtiest source of electricity comes from coal according to the Environmental Defense Fund.
  2. Cons: Coal burning produce acid rain and release carbon dioxide which cause global warming.
  3. Cons: Coal burning release toxic gas into the air we breathe, which may lead to health problems, especially for people with respiratory problem and people with asthma.
  4. Cons: Coal is nonrenewable, which mean it can run out and cannot be recycle.
  5. Cons: High transportation cost for countries with no coal resource.
  6. Cons: Mining coal may lead to mining accidents.

Nuclear advantages and disadvantages

Nuclear pros and cons

Here are the pros and cons for using nuclear energy

  1. Pros: One main nuclear benefit is the low amount of carbon dioxide because there is no burning of fossil.
  2. Pros: Can produce high amount of electricity in a single nuclear power plant.
  3. Pros: Does not need a lot of space to build a nuclear plant.
  4. Pros: Nuclear is reliable, less chance of power shortage because of natural disasters.
  1. Cons: Possibility of nuclear meltdown. Nuclear radiation fallout cause by a meltdown can contaminate the environment for hundreds of years. Making it unsafe to live.
  2. Cons: One major nuclear energy issues is nuclear waste, which is still an unsolved problem.
  3. Cons: Waste product produce by nuclear can be used as weapons and bombs.
  4. Cons: High cost for nuclear plant and requires constant safeguards.
  5. Cons: Require high level of security from terrorist attack.
  6. Cons: Require Uranium, which is a very rare resource and may last for about 30 – 60 years.
  7. Cons: Nuclear power plant take about 20-30 years of planning to build a single plant and nuclear power plant last about 30 – 60 years..

“We may be smart enough to solve our problems with technology but we are not smart enough to foresee the problems that our technology will create.” Elbert Einstein.

The feedback on the environment is never immediate on pollution and the collective effects of millions of people using more and more electricity is enormous. Applying the principle of conservation is essential if we were to look after our world.

Author: Electricity Companies


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11 thoughts on “Energy pros and cons with coal and nuclear power

  1. I approve the use of coal but I think that we need to find a safer way to use it. Global warming is a big problem and is effecting us greatly in todays society and coal is one of the main things that causes global warming. Also many people are using it for granted since we have so much of it. We should really be more careful and realize that if everybody is using to much coal, no matter how much the Earth has we are going ot run out of it. There is a lot more reasons not to use coal than there is to use it, so the next time you are going to use coal you should be more considerate of the environment and think about the future.

    1. Coal is dirty energy. We should all be using solar by now, but the solar panels are so darn expensive. Why aren't the solar panels be more cheaper? If we can buy solar panel for less, we don't need coal or even nuclear to power everything.

      1. If you maximize demand and supply price will drop. Beginning Economics. So if more people use it they will become more affordable.

  2. Global warming is a real happening. But i do not think that it is all because of us. It is a part of the natural cicle of things. Earth has had many global climate changes throughout its history. From ice-ages, to an all year steam out. But we as a speices are so afraid of change, that we are freaking out about it, the polar bears dienig and what not. And if they do go extinct, then why can't we just clone them? You know, like put they're DNA in with a grizzly's? Sure it won't be the same, but seriously.

    But it's just natural. The ocean will rise, cities will flood, homes will be destoyed. It is not a very pleasant thing. Do you think that the mammoths were to happy about it?

    We can't fight mother nature. We can stop polluting our earth like we do tho.

    Clean energy isn't bad. It just shows us how weak we are when it comes to changes. We'll get over it, like we have ever since our existence. It might take some time, but if we are any kind of a speices, we will adapt.

    If we can't…?

    Then, we'll all be swimming with the polar bears at that point.

  3. There is just such a quantity we have to learn so that we can fully harness our resources and help keep Earth clean.

  4. Hell, if Mr. Edwards is really that concerned, he could just open source the plans and put it on the internet for free and become know universally and historically as the man who solved the energy problem and he would probably get a Nobel prize and could do speaking engagement at 250,000 a pop and still make millions all while being regarded as a saint right there next to Mother Theresa.

  5. It’s laborious to seek out knowledgeable individuals on this subject, but you sound like you understand what you’re talking about! Thanks

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