“Ain’t no spongers. These remains, which are millions of years old, were converted by heat and pressure in the earth's crust into carbon-containing fuels. That's beyond the tonnage of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute directly to climate change. Nuclear energy is cleaner while generating electricity. Coal Energy vs Nuclear Energy. Ms. Kumar takes great pains to detail Mr. Coles’s political connections. I have a lot of admiration for that kind of determination and found myself wanting to do something to help. Raising water temperature in this way may also alter the way carbon dioxide is exchanged with the air by ocean bodies, leading to major shifts in weather patterns such as hurricanes (See references 1, 3, 4). Cost is important when considering the pros and cons of nuclear energy vs fossil fuels. There has been a steep decline in the energy reserves because of people’s dependence on fossil fuels. Please subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. Average total costs in mills per kilowatt-hour reported for 2017 are, in order of increasing cost, 10.29 for hydroelectric power (including both conventional hydroelectric and pumped storage hydroelectric plants), 24.38 for nuclear power, 31.76 for gas turbine and small scale (defined as gas turbine, internal combustion, photovoltaic or solar and wind plants) and 35.41 for fossil steam plants. One of the groups mentioned is the Southern Environmental Law Council (SELC). Frightening as those episodes may seem, however, the danger of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions may be more urgent -- and thus make nuclear a better choice than coal for the environment. For comparison, consider the operating times for other energy-generating sources: coal plants (54%), natural gas plants (55%), wind generators (37%) and solar plants (27%). Some neutrons are also released in the split. In fact, 90 percent of the carbon emissions from electricity generation in the United States come from coal-fired power plants. Unfortunately, Walter Coles is also getting quite a bit of flack about his chosen path. But this resource is limited. Nuclear energy can be released by splitting a uranium atom. While the operating costs for nuclear power plants exceeds the cost of other electricity-generating power sources, the total cost is less than most. The nucleus of an atom is made of protons and neutrons. Their Board of Trustees list provides enough information about the professional lives of its members to show that they have at least some interest in making money in the energy business and in energy regulations. Nuclear power plants already provide energy in thirty states. Mr. Coles, whose farm includes a 2 century old brick home, wants to develop the mine to help the local economy. In addition, nuclear power plants operate more reliably than other power generation facilities. According to the best available data, Mr. Cole’s farm happens to be on top of a mineral deposit thought to include 110 million pounds (55,000 tons) of uranium. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. With per-ton prices doubling in the past six years, Virginia unearthed about $1.6 billion worth of coal in 2006, much of it to feed the growing energy demands of the Washington region. “Everybody you see here works,” says Trapp, his smoke-cured voice a low rumble. This energy is released through fission (splitting atoms) or fusion (merging of atoms to form a larger atom). She is also listed as a director and vice president of the Martinsville Bulletin. Among the worst offenders are sulfur dioxide, which contributes to the formation of acid rain; nitrogen oxides, which combine with VOCs to form smog; and toxic compounds of mercury. Work in the mines hasn’t been as good as it is now in a generation. Wages are up, bosses are hiring and rookie miners can start at $18 an hour — a small fortune in a region where, as Trapp says, “if you ain’t working in the mines or in the prisons, you don’t make money.”. These miners got addicted to painkillers that they often started using by legitimate prescription following workplace injuries. Two popular options are coal energy and nuclear energy. They emit pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, toxic metals, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Nuclear power has some drawbacks, though: The depleted uranium is highly radioactive waste and must be stored underground in steel-lined concrete cases surrounded by water. I find it disheartening to think that a former leader of a major state agency like the Department of Natural Resources would stoop to an immediate ad hominem attack instead of learning more about the opportunity to build a new industry being offered by Mr. Coles. Generation of electricity is one of the predominant uses of fossil fuels. That residue forms a toxic mess with pollutants such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury (See Reference 5). He said he wanted to make sure that the mining was done safely and that it would benefit the community through jobs, taxes and economic development.“There’s too much uranium here. He has a federal government pension under the old retirement system and a 200 acre family plot of land.