The Nuclear Revolution
Joyce H. Davis
Virginia College Online

The Nuclear Revolution
The unknown is daunting, even scary at times, causing hasty and irrational decisions. Lack of information and knowledge is the root of the reaction from society when one hears the word nuclear. At the present time, the United States is home to fewer than one hundred nuclear reactors. The cost of producing nuclear energy is comparable to the energy sources used today, and studies indicate that nuclear energy emits less greenhouse gases, gases that are a contributing factor to climate change and the deterioration of the ozone layer. Concerns arise about the safety of the workers and the public when it comes to the handling and the disposal of nuclear waste, but there have been no recorded deaths in the United States because of exposure to radiation from a commercial nuclear reactor. Precautions taken during the construction of nuclear power facilities helps to ensure the safety of the public in the wake of a catastrophic event. A new energy source is needed to address the issues pertaining to the energy crisis faced by society today. Nuclear energy is that source. Nuclear energy is a viable source of energy because the cost of producing it is low, because it emits less greenhouse gases than fossil fuels, and because it poses no threat to the safety of its workers or the public.
Because of the vast supply of uranium, costs involved with the production of nuclear energy are kept to a minimum; thus the ability to supply its customers with low cost energy. Kim Masters Evans, an Environmental Engineer and Writer of Scientific and Educational Publications, provides some insight into the abundance of uranium. She states, “The Nuclear Energy Agency and International Atomic Energy Agency estimate total world identified uranium resources at 8.3 million tons (7.5 million t) of contained