Environmentalists+Per+7-8

=Should Council Bluffs build a Nuclear Power Plant?=

**Comparisons Between Energy Sources** -1 uranium pellat is equal to: -1780 lbs of coal -149 gallons of oil -17000 cubic feet of Natural Gas || * More expensive overall, because of emergency, containment, radioactive waste, and storage system costs
 * Type of Energy || Pros || Cons ||
 * Gas/Oil || * Easy to obtain
 * More useful for space heating
 * Strong distribution methods || * Not always available during certain weather conditions(Harsh winters)
 * Plays a large goal in global warming
 * Generation cost are high
 * Possible price swings based on supply and demand ||
 * Nuclear || * Nuclear fuel (Uranium) is inexpensive
 * Most compact waste
 * It does not release any greenhouse gases or acid rain
 * Less Uranium goes a long way
 * Needs a long term storage system to be developed in most countries.
 * Uranium is non renewable and only expected to last another 30 to 60 years.
 * If meltdown were to occur, the radioactive particles would remain in the air for a very long time. ||
 * Coal || * Inexpensive
 * Easy to recover
 * Renewable resource || * Requires expensive air pollution controls
 * Plays a large role in global warming
 * Requires elaborate transportaion system (trains) ||


 * =**[[image:reactormap.gif width="605" height="407"]]

__**Meltdowns**__
How does a meltdown occur?


 * =====__**Three Mile Island**__=====

-A valve controlling the coolant malfunctioned -Caused the amount of cool water coming in to decrease -Caused temperature to rise -Emergency Core Cooling System turned on which caused the process to slow down -Still wasn't enough coolant -Valves opened to release steam -Worker discovered open valve and shut it -Cause hydrogen gas to accumulate and cause an explosion -Didn't damage entire system but cause radioactive gas to be released

- -An experiment was going to take place -The power of a reactor dropped -Removed control rods to bring the power back up -They increased the water flow out of the reactor -Which removed heat more quickly and a lower level of water in the steam seperator -Increased water flow going in the reactor trying to raise the level of water -The heat and the pressure caused the coolant inside the core to boil -Operator closed turbine feed valves -Caused too much steam to produce -The fuel rods began to shatter -Caused two explosions, and outside air mixed with graphite to start fire
 * =====__﻿**Chernobyl**__=====


 * Radiation release from Chernobyl were 200 times stronger than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs combined
 * In the year before accident happened there were only 2 cases of thyroid cancer in children in the region surrounding the plant, six years later there were 42 cases, which is 21 times the rate.

__Nuclear Spill Video __

**__Health Risks__**

 * ======All humans have particles of radiation in their body already======
 * ======When there is an abnormal amount of radioactive particles in persons body, diseases are formed======
 * ======Inhaling- Lung cancer======
 * ======Iodine, found on leafy vegetables and in milk, is absorbed through soil- Thyroid Cancer======
 * ======People can not live without their thyroid gland======
 * ======Strontium, absorbed in cow and goat milk, leads to breast cancer, bone cancer and leukemia======
 * ======Plutonium- most dangerous known element, one-millionth gram can cause liver cancer, or spread to bones======
 * ======Radium mining is more dangerous than other underground mining======
 * ======Radiation Exposure Compensation Act======
 * ======$50,000 to individuals residing or working "downwind" of the Nevada Test Site ======
 * ======$75,000 for workers participating in atmospheric nuclear weapons tests ======
 * ======$100,000 for uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters ======

Sources: [|http://www.nucle][|artourist.com/basics/why.htm] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []