Nuclear Power May Prevent Deaths (Nuclear Chem)

Researches have conducted a study about how nuclear power can prevent more deaths than it causes. Nuclear energy can lead to fewer pollution-related deaths and less greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil-fuel energy like coal. Using nuclear power has prevented about 1.8 million air pollution-related deaths globally and could save millions of more lives in the years to come.

Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear power is generally seen as dangerous and unstable as in 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. In addition, there are possible risks it poses to the environment and human health. However, the good may over weigh the bad because two researchers have conducted a study that nuclear energy may actually save lives. They found data from a 2007 study on the average number of deaths per unit of energy generated with fossil fuels and nuclear power. The NASA researchers combined this information with historical energy generation data to estimate how many deaths would have been caused if fossil-fuel burning was used instead of nuclear power generation from 1971 to 2009. They estimated that the use of nuclear power has caused about 5,000 deaths while it prevented about 1.8 million deaths.

After comparing the deaths, they compared carbon emissions from nuclear power to fossil fuel sources.  Looking forward, switching out nuclear for coal or natural gas power would lead to the release of 80 to 240 gigatons of carbon by 2050. This may seem like a lot but previous climate studies suggest that about 500 gigatons of carbon would be released between now and 2050. The researchers say their results strongly support the case for nuclear as a critical energy source to help stabilize or reduce greenhouse gas concentrations.

This discovery is one of basic research due to the scientists’ estimation of how many deaths and how much emissions are released. This is only a study and there is much more research to be done. This relates to green chemistry because of the global warming. If switched to nuclear energy, less gas would be emitted so that would lead to less global warming.

Resources: https://cen.acs.org/articles/91/web/2013/04/Nuclear-Power-Prevents-Deaths-Causes.html