Nuclear energy - perspective on public opinion

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More myths on nuclear power

1. It's a nuclear bomb waiting to happen.

People don't realize that in order to make a nuclear bomb, you will need to specifically made it to be a bomb. Nuclear power plant is designed specifically not to be a bomb. People always say what if the nuclear reactor blows up it will become a bomb. Well, even a normal gas power plant will blow up and becomes a bomb if you want it to. But ironically, no one is scared of a gas power plant blowing up. Nuclear power plant are designed to be safer than any other type of power plant. Even with the worst case scenario for a nuclear power plant it would still not blow up but it will melt down.

2. There's not enough uranium for the next 50-100 years.

With more advance reactor being created and used, the fuel efficiency will increase. It means, it will need less fuel to generate the same electricity. With new modern reactors having up to 99.5% efficiency, surely there will be enough uranium to last thousand of years. If you still not convinced, how about using thorium as nuclear fuel. As thorium is as 4 times more abundant than uranium, there is no problem in finding fuel for the reactor. Mind you, we are not going to use nuclear forever and ever. It's for us to buy enough time to develop new energy technology that are sustainable.

Nuclear power plant myths

1) Uranium is running out

There is 600 times more uranium in the ground than gold and there is as much uranium as tin. There has been no major new uranium exploration for 20 years, but at current consumption levels, known uranium reserves are predicted to last for 85 years. Modern reactors can use thorium as a fuel and convert it into uranium and there is three times more thorium in the ground than uranium.

Uranium is the only fuel which, when burnt, generates more fuel. In short, there is more than enough uranium, thorium and plutonium to supply the entire world’s electricity for several hundred years.

2) Nuclear is not a low-carbon option

During its whole life cycle, nuclear power releases three to six grams of carbon per kiloWatthour (GC kWh) of electricity produced, compared with three to 10 GC/kWh for wind turbines, 105 GC/kWh for natural gas and 228 GC/kWh for lignite (‘dirty’ coal).

3) Nuclear power is expensive

With all power generation technology, the cost of electricity depends upon the investment in construction , fuel, management and operation. Like wind, solar and hydroelectric dams, the principal costs of nuclear lie in construction. Acquisition of uranium accounts for only about 10 per cent of the price of total costs, so nuclear power is not as vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of fuel as gas and oil generation.

4) Reactors produce too much waste

Production of all the electricity consumed in a four-bedroom house for 70 years leaves about one teacup of high-level waste, and new nuclear build will not make any significant contribution to existing radioactive waste levels for 20-40 years.

5) Building reactors takes too long

The best construction schedules are achieved by the Canadian company AECL, which has built six new reactors since 1991, from the pouring of concrete to criticality (when the reactors come on-line), the longest build took six-and-a-half years and the shortest just over four years.

6) Leukemia rates are higher near reactors

Childhood leukemia rates are no higher near nuclear power plants than they are near organic farms. ‘Leukemia clusters’ are geographic areas where the rates of childhood leukemia appear to be higher than normal, but the definition is controversial because it ignores the fact that leukemia is actually several very different diseases with different causes. Men who work on nuclear submarines or in nuclear plants are no more likely to father children with leukaemia than workers in any other industry.

7) Reactors lead to weapons proliferation

More nuclear plants would actually reduce weapons proliferation. Atomic warheads make excellent reactor fuel; decommissioned warheads (containing greatly enriched uranium or plutonium) currently provide about 15 per cent of world nuclear fuel. Increased demand for reactor fuel would divert such warheads away from potential terrorists

8) Reactors are a terrorist target

Terrorists have already demonstrated that they prefer large, high visibility, soft targets with maximum human casualties rather than well-guarded, isolated, low-population targets. Any new generation of nuclear reactors will be designed with even greater protection against attack than existing plants, and with ‘passive’ safety measures that work without human intervention or computer control.


reference: www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/4259/
reference: www.wna.org
reference: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032001781.html
reference: www.cleanenergyinsight.org/interesting/wednesday-fact-series-npps-dont-cause-cancer/

What is actually Uranium?

Since there are a lot of talking about the nuclear and right now, as we go further into this kind of topic, so, one will think, what actually Uranium? So, there are some interesting part of Uranium for nuclear reactor that can be discussed with.

Well, uranium is a metal, like any other metal which is the heaviest occuring element on earth and occurs in many isotopes, like 16 isotopes. Before even the 20's era, uranium was not even has a high value in market, which means uranium still not highly demanded by the industries back in the time. Then until the last fifty years it was produced only as a by product and generally, for other essential purposes like nuclear power plant. Uranium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in Germany in 1789. Uranium was the first element that was found to be fissile.

Like any other internal combustion engine, it uses gasoline or diesel as the sole fuel, which in nuclear power plant, Uranium is the sole fuel of the nuclear reactor, to generate energy which will be transfered to the turbine to generate electricity. About 1 kilogram of uranium-235 theoretically could produce about ~80 TERAjoules of energy, which is equivalent to the energy that could be produced by 3000 tonnes of coal! Since Malaysia is using coal as one of the main materials to generate electricity, imagine how nuclear can contribute a lot of energy enough to supply electricity to us about 50 years, 100 years? =)

Furthermore, with the high rate of fission, it can produce a lot of energy which is enough to really generate the electricity. If the fuel of uranium is sized about small pencil can produce the same amount of energy like 3000 tonnes of coal, this definitely means the rate of efficiency is good. But all the good things, no matter how it is good, there is must be some kind on disadvantage about it. Nuclear explosions produce radiation. The nuclear radiation harms the cells of the body which can make people sick or even kill them. Illness can strike people years after their exposure to nuclear radiation.

But some people have take this characteristics of uranium as an advantage to create the nuclear bomb. This is why many people are afraid once they hear about nuclear - NUCLEAR BOMB. The main different between nuclear reactor and nuclear bomb is that nuclear reactor is the generate energy and therefore electricity so that people can use it for daily purposes, wheres nuclear bomb is definitely for destruction. People always have any kind of ideas to misuse anything or everything that actually for other purposes.

This is why we come with this blog to really open many people's eyes so that we see this type of energy source is not the kind that they are thinking about right now, mostly. This is one of the solution to really help the environment. With the global warming is highly occurring now a days, with nuclear, we definitely can contribute in the reduction of global warming. So, come on, we think about it and really push for nuclear in Malaysia. Go nuclear for Malaysia.

Sad but True

After a long semester since September, we have finally arrived at the end of this semester. Which means, there will be no more lecture on MEHB513 since all Uniten students are having the final examination weeks. So, what actually we have achieved through out this course and what actually we think about this course.

Well, first thing first, this does not mean this blog is going to stop once this semester is finish. To all our readers, we will try to update as many post as can be maybe after we have finish the final exam. This is a part of learning process and to stop right here with this informative knowledge about Nuclear Energy, have given us the oppourtunity to learn and think about other technology like Nuclear Energy.

So, so far, we think this course has given us the knowledge and a lot of essential informations not just about the physics part, which means all the calculation but has given us thought about the environment. How to really help the environment and to sustain all the things that we have right now, especially the energy demand. With this course, we have realized the important of gaining the energy but at the same time, environment improve.

Nuclear Energy definitely a 'Green Technolgy' compare to other energy industries nowadays. Although it is has a lot of benefits compare with the existing energy industries, there are still some disadvantages of this system. It is normal since not all things in this world are perfect. But the imperfection can always be improved.

So, do we need the nuclear energy to be operated in the near future? The answer will always be Yes but are we ready to accept this technology in the near future? For us, the answer still 'Not Yet' but still, it depends on the situation in Malaysia in the next 10 to 20 years. Why we can do it? Because we have a prototype and research and development already about the nuclear energy. Furthermore, with the increase of nuclear engineers nowadays in Malaysia will give a lot of advantages to nuclear energy in Malaysia in the near future.

Energy demand will always increase, as well as the population. So, to really supply sufficient energy to the people, new device or technology is always welcome. Then, nuclear energy will always first come to mind. We hope that to all our readers, please comment and spread this information to any related people that you might know since nuclear energy in the future. We have start to think how actually we can change the misconception about nuclear energy to the people around us who still not aware the advantages of nuclear energy.

Furthermore, we would like to thank to all our lecturers who have taught us and supply the most important information though out the semester. We thank you a lot!. And all the best to all Uniten students in the coming examination.

GO NUCLEAR ENERGY!! =)

Our beloved nuclear lecturer
-dr nor azlan mostafa-

Evening with Dr. Michiro Furusaka

On the 8th of December 2011, we were given the honor by having Dr. Michiro Furusaka who gave a talk about

Quantum Beam

Dr. MICHIHIRO FURUSAKA, PhD, is a professor at the Graduate School of Engineering at Hokkaido University, Japan, working in the field of neutron instrumentation and optics. He is a word-renowned quantum Science and researcher and his research area includes condensed matter physics, biophysics, chemical physics and nuclear engineering. Currently, he is developing a new mini-focusing small angle neutron scattering instrument. The talk was held at Universiti Tenaga Nasional's college of engineering, room BM-1-003/004.

The talk on quantum beams was quite an eye opener for us students. Dr. Furusaka expose us with the potential of the quantum beam physics and how it can be applied. A little bit disappointed thou because most of us can barely heard him. The talk went on for about an hour and basically he covers 3 topics from quantum beam physics:

• Light (laser), X-ray, y-ray, electron beam, neutron beam --- all quantum beams
• Neutron scattering. Transmission electron magnifier, x-ray diffraction --- all applications of quantum technology
• X-ray, proton radiation therapy; medical application --- all applications of quantum technology

For further information on the talk you can check out this links:

http://nuclearedition.blogspot.com/

http://gogonuclear.blogspot.com/

Nuclear Poison

A nuclear poison is a substance with a large neutron absorption cross-section. Simply put, it can absorb neutron very effectively.

Where do these poisons come from? For starters, in the nuclear reactor, there will be material that is produce by the fission reaction that can absorb a lot of neutrons. Because we need neutrons to keep the reactor running, having less neutrons will result in less power being generated. In fact, if the poison level is unchecked, it may cause the nuclear chain reaction in the reactor to stop.

The radioactive materials in the reactor will decay. From time to time, there will be materials in the reactor that its decay process will result in a new substance that have a high neutron absorption cross section. This too will lead to an increase in the amount of nuclear poison.

Let's say that u have a jug of water. Then, a sponge is put inside the jug. After a while, you will noticed that the level of water inside the jug has decreased. Imagine that the water is the neutron and the sponge is the poison. Neutron level will be reduced by the existence of the poisons.

But sometimes, you will need to keep some amount of poison in the reactor. Why you ask? It is because the poisons can be used to regulate the reactivity of the reactor. For example, you want to run the reactor with a 200 grams of U-235. Since the radioactive material will decay, the amount of fuel will decrease over time. In order to solve the problem, you will need to put more than 200 grams in the reactor. The more fuel you use, the reaction rate will be higher. So to effectively control the neutron level, poison is put inside the reactor.

Mining for Uranium

According to the World Nuclear Association, the largest national share of nuclear reserve was Australia (1,243,000 tones, 23%), followed by Kazakhstan (817,000 t, 15%), Russia (546,000 t, 10%), South Africa (435,000 t, 8%), Canada (423,000 t, 8%), USA (342,000 t, 6%), Brazil (278,000 t, 5%), Namibia (275,000 t, 5%), Niger (274,000 t, 5%), Ukraine (200,000 t, 4%) and Jordan (112,000 t, 2%).

With current technology, there are three main techniques in use for uranium mining. These are open pit mining, underground mining, and in situ leach mining. In open pit mining, the land above the material is blasted and dug away to reveal the ore body. After they have found the fuel deposit, it will be blasted, excavated and removed with dump trucks. Underground mining is carried with access tunnels, and drilling and blasting. In situ leach mining involves drilling boreholes down into an ore body, pumping a leaching fluid into the ore and then pumping the resulting solution to the surface to extract the uranium. The leaching fluid is sometimes a combination of acids or sometimes alkaline solution. The type of the solution used depends on the type of the ore body.

Ranger Uranium Mining Plant in Kakadu, Australia

The future of nuclear? :D

taken from greennuclearbutterfly.blogspot.com

Nuclear Fuel Conversion

After the uranium deposits taken out from the earth, it will go through a process call conversion. The uranium deposits are not in its pure form but as Uranium Oxide (U₃O₈). This material is also known as yellow cake because of its bright yellow color. During conversion process, Uranium oxide will be converted into Uranium Hexafluoride (UF₆). Since at high temperature Uranium Hexafluoride will turn into gas substance but will change to solid form when at room temperature. This will make it easier to transport it or to process it. That is why most commercial uranium enrichment facilities use it. Before it is being send to the next process that is Enrichment, it will be turn to gaseous state first.

Iranian technicians at the Uranium Conversion Facilities in Isfahan

Nuclear Energy in Malaysia = No Support??

When we talk about nuclear energy, a stereotype person will always think about nuclear bomb, about radioactivity, about chernobyl or any kind of negative effects. We cannot blame them because the knowledge about the effectiveness of a nuclear energy are now well explained which many people have miss the actually functionality of this system. Hence, we think with a proper education system and a way better spread of information, we can teach and educate many people especially in Malaysia about the goods and advantages of having a nuclear power reactor to generate energy for electricity.

Malaysia is considering to build the first ever nuclear reactor on 2021, which means about 11 years from now. It seems Malaysia is serious in making this system works here. Although there are some voices who are very concern and neglect this system totally for Malaysia, we still think it is better for the future. So, how actually we want to educate the people in Malaysia to know the advantages of this nuclear energy system in 11 years time?

Well, with the concern of global warming, all people in Malaysia experience it. We can feel how the wheather changes everytime and how actually the temperature at certain area in Malaysia. The heat is too high to be conformed with! We seems to have drink at least 3 or 4 mineral waters per day just not to get dehydrated. This is because the global warming. This global warming occuring because the CO, CO2 or hydrocarbon gases that being released from many sources that include combustion, like our cars, the factory and now surprisingly, our own power plant which uses the coal as the main burner to generate heat for electricity.

With the no CO or CO2 emission will be emitted through out the heating process, nuclear energy is ideal for the environment. Maybe the effect will not be instantenously but with a smaller reduction percentage, it still can help the environment. Same with the automotive industries which there have develop the hybrid engine which still emiited CO and CO2 to the environment but with the concern from people for environment, the small percentage can still help the environment if all are using the system. And this is also same for nuclear energy.

According to some, even when accounting for the fossil fuel used in mining uranium, processing it, building and decommissioning of the nuclear plant, the picture remains good from this perspective. Less than one hundredth of carbon dioxide gases is produced by nuclear power plants compared to coal or gas-fired energy plants. This means nuclear energy also emits less greenhouse gas than renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind, solar and biomass. Lower greenhouse gas, the lower the temperature will be.


Furthermore, nuclear energy is a very efficient energy source up to date. Why? Because with a very small amount of fuel (uranium, like have been mentioned before in the other post), the power generation is enormous! Enormous energy production = Efficient! Hence, there are a lot of energy can be produced to generate electricity. Can be reach about almost 1GW of energy, dependent on the system itself. One ton of uranium produces more energy than is produced by several million tons of coal or several million barrels of oil. With the price hike of the oil and coal, nuclear can be said the ideal solution for Malaysia in the future.


"The same la, uranium also very expensive. So, no use of using nuclear.." It is true, uranium is also expensive because the source is not easily found. Furthermore, the demand now a days is high, which means the supplier need to rise up the price also, according to the demand. But if we compare the expenditure of uranium with the energy that nuclear would generated, with the expenditure of coal with the energy produced, nuclear energy will end up to be the most worthwhile energy source because of its high energy generation.

The only concern for the cost is for the construction of the reactor because it is hard to manufacture. But although it is expensive to manufacture, there is no different from any other power plant to build. But the space or compound require to build the nuclear power plant is quite smaller compare to other power plant like hydro. Smaller compound = smaller destruction to the environment. Hence, the environment also can be saved slowly by nuclear power plant.

These all information from us are definitely to try to change the misconception of the people around about nuclear, especially in Malaysia because it seems, this nuclear power plant is quite underestimate by the people. Although there are some pros and cons for nuclear energy, with the situation in Malaysia, it seems this is one on the proper way to really contribute to the environment. 11 years is quite a long period but with a proper education and the spread of information, we can change our own stereotype of thinking about the nuclear power plant. One failure does not mean the entire system is a failure. Sustainability is the way of improving things. The same with nuclear energy.

Go Nuclear for Malaysia 2021

The back-end of nuclear fuel cycle

Nuclear power is a gift to the human kind. Why? Because of the amazing fact that the nuclear fuel is renewable. It is renewable in a sense that it can be recycled over and over again. Can you recycle back coal? oil? gas? For that reason alone, nuclear power is special.

The used fuel or nuclear waste from a single 1000 megawatt nuclear plant that has been operated for 40 years is equal to energy of 130 million barrels of oil or 37 million tons of coal. Can you imagine that?

Used fuel rods can be process to remove the high radioactive fission products and separate the fissionable U-235 and plutonium. Plutonium can be used to make a mixed-oxide fuel (MOX) which is being used in reactors all over Europe. With new developed technology, all of the spent fuel can be made usable. It means no radioactive waste.

With this we can continue to develop nuclear fuel as a source of electricity and there is no limits to what we can achieve. Not to mention, with a cheap and clean source of power we can help to save our planet in the process. What good if we have all the electricity in the world but we don't have a a planet to live on.

In the future, as the world experience shortage in fossil fuel, plutonium will be more valuable as fuel for nuclear reactors than as weapons of mass destruction. Imagine a world where nuclear is only use for power generation.

So we as the future of our generation, must take matters with our own hands. Who are they to deny our rights for clean and cheap energy. It is us who will lead this country. Support nuclear in our country. Help reduce the emission of C02. Save our planet. For the future of our own country. Say yes to nuclear power. Say yes to our future.

Nuclear Power Plant

What is nuclear power plant (NPP)? Actually, it can be defined as an electrical generating facility using a nuclear reactor as its heat source to provide steam to a turbine generator. In our country Malaysia, there are many type of electricity-generating power station in Malaysia. The make use of hydro-power, gas-fired, coal-fired (combined gas/coal), oil fired, biomass and hybrid power are remain as the main sources to generate electricity. Our country has enough skilled labor to operate power plant. It is simple because we have experience about how to operate hydro-power, gas-fired, coal-fired and etc.The whole system of power plant including steam turbine generator also we are capable of. How about if we replace the others heat sources with nuclear reactor? The concept stills the same, the steam turbine generator still being used. The different is only the heat source. It is sound easy, but the acceptation of Malaysian about nuclear reactor need to be considered. They need to be provided with simple and true information about nuclear power plant. Nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear fission may be sustained and controlled in self-supporting nuclear reactor. It is heart of a nuclear power plant. A fissionable material of fuel, a moderating material, a reflector to conserve escaping neutrons, provisions of removal heat, measuring and controlling instruments and protective devices are include as parts of nuclear reactor. Figure above shows the general idea how to use nuclear reactor to produce the electricity.

What are the major components of nuclear reactors? There are 5 major components of nuclear reactor as listed as below.

ª Nuclear fuel

ª Moderator

ª Coolant

ª Reactivity Control Material

ª Structural Material

The nuclear fuel is used to undergo nuclear fission by neutrons. It must have high thermal conductivity, irradiation, chemical stability and also excellent nuclear characteristics. The example fuel that can be used is uranium, etc. The moderator is used to reduce neutron energy by scattering without significant capture. It must have desirable characteristics to function efficiently such as large scattering cross section, small absorption cross section, large energy per collision and low atomic number. The example of moderator can be used are Deuterium, graphite and etc. For coolant, it is use to remove the fission heat from the primary heat source such as a reactor core or breeding blanket. The coolant must have excellent heat transfer, chemical stability, small pumping requirement, irradiation stability and abundance (low cost).The most natural coolant is water. The reactivity control material is needed to control the neutron flux in the core by absorbing neutrons. It can be done by using control rod. The structural material is used to maintain geometry. The structural must has high strength, ductility, corrosion resistance, small absorption cross section and high thermal and irradiation resistance. Zircaloy can be used as material.

Picture above shows the basic components of nuclear power plant. The most common of nuclear reactor type that been used nowadays are Pressurize Water Reactor (PWR) and Boiling Water Reactor (BWR). The picture above shows the example of PWR nuclear reactor type.PWR and BWR and the other type of nuclear reactor that commonly used will be discussed in other post.

Malaysia Energy Option - part 2

Currently in Malaysia there is a lack of available competitive and sustainable alternative energy sources for the long term. At the moment we rely heavily on gas, oil, hydro and coal for our energy. As prices for gas and oil increases, so does the operating cost that will be burdened by the utilities companies. The same goes for coal, as our country import over 90% of its coal from other country such as Australia and Indonesia. Yet, coal seems unable to meet with the nation's ever increasing demand for electricity. Because of this, we need to enhance our national energy security due to depleting indigenous resources. We also need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

That's where nuclear energy comes in. Among the key point of nuclear power is the nuclear fuel is energy intensive. Also nuclear power refueling cycle is between 12 to 24 months. Which means that the nuclear plants can be operated without interruption for a few years. Also not to mention that nuclear power plant has zero carbon emission. This will go a long way in solving the world's CO2 emission problem.

It can be observed that countries with higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and energy consumption per capita than Malaysia have gone for nuclear power. But also some countries with lower GDP and energy consumption per capita than our country are thinking of nuclear power

Malaysia Energy Option - Part 1

During the past 50 years, global coal usage has doubled, while oil demands has risen sevenfold and natural gas usage more than tenfold. Fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil shale and tar sands won’t last forever and eventually they will be exhausted.

“Malaysia's leader warned of a global crisis over the tussle for energy resources amid declining supply, and urged major oil producers and consumer nations to jointly develop new resources. The growing demand for depleting oil and gas resources is likely to trigger more intense competition to gain access and control over these resources” (“PressTV website”, June 2006).

Malaysia is an oil exporter, but if we do not find new oil reserves, then in the near future we will become a net importer, this means we cannot continue to lean on the oil sector. Also, the price for fossil fuels has gone up drastically in the recent years. We are too dependent on fossil fuels which mostly are imported for our energy supply.

According to The Star on the date 20^th September, 2008, Malaysia will turn to nuclear energy to generate electricity by 2023 as supplies of fossil fuel eventually run out. Former Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Mansor said,” the use of nuclear energy was also an alternative to counter high global oil prices. The increase in coal prices had been exceptional and we need to act now”.

“The government would look at alternative energy sources, including nuclear power, to help the nation reduce its reliance on oil, which has hit nearly US$140 a barrel on global markets. The government hiked fuel prices this month by 41 percent, saying the deeply unpopular move was needed as subsidies would have ballooned to US$17 billion this year” (“The China Post Website”, 2008, paragraph 2).

The Malaysia’s national energy situation is that the country is lacking of available competitive, sustainable alternative commercial energy sources for the long-term, especially beyond 2020. Thus there is a need to enhance national energy security due to depleting local resources.

What say survey?

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ENERGY SOURCES COMPARISON

As the world's population increases and there is continued comparison to the current western European, Japanese, and North American living standards, there is likely to be demand for more electrical power. Energy sources available in the world include coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, gas, wind, solar, refuse-based, and biomass. In addition, fusion had been originally proposed as the long-term source.

Every form of energy generation has advantages and disadvantages as shown in the table below.

Source	Advantages	Disadvantages
Coal	Inexpensive Easy to recover (in U.S. and Russia)	Requires expensive air pollution controls (e.g. mercury, sulphur dioxide) Significant contributor to acid rain and global warming Requires extensive transportation system
Nuclear	Fuel is inexpensive Energy generation is the most concentrated source Waste is more compact than any source Extensive scientific basis for the cycle Easy to transport as new fuel No greenhouse or acid rain effects	Requires larger capital cost because of emergency, containment, radioactive waste and storage systems Requires resolution of the long-term high level waste storage issue in most countries Potential nuclear proliferation issue
Hydroelectric	Very inexpensive once dam is built Government has invested heavily in building dams, particularly in the Western U.S.	Very limited source since depends on water elevation Many dams available are currently exist (not much of a future source[depends on country]) Dam collapse usually leads to loss of life Dams have affected fish (e.g. salmon runs) Environmental damage for areas flooded (backed up) and downstream
Gas / Oil	Good distribution system for current use levels Easy to obtain (sometimes) Better as space heating energy source	Very limited availability as shown by shortages during winters several years ago Could be major contributor to global warming Very expensive for energy generation Large price swings with supply and demand Liquified Natural Gas storage facilities and gas transmission systems have met opposition from environmentalists.
Wind	Wind is free if available. As it turns out, the US has many areas available. Good source for periodic water pumping demands of farms as used earlier in 1900's Generation and maintenance costs have decreased significantly. Wind is proving to be a reasonable cost renewable source. Well suited to rural areas. Examples include Mid-Columbia areas of Oregon and Washington, western Minnesota, Atlantic Ocean off Cape Cod.	Need 3x the amount of installed generation to meet demand Limited to windy areas. Limited to small generator size; need many towers. Highly climate dependent - wind can damage equipment during windstorms or not turn during still summer days. May affect endangered birds, however tower design can reduce impact..
Solar	Sunlight is free when available Costs are dropping.	Limited to southern areas of U.S. and other sunny areas throughout the world (demand can be highest when least available, e.g. winter solar heating) Does require special materials for mirrors/panels that can affect environment Current technology requires large amounts of land for small amounts of energy generation
Biomass	Industry in its infancy Could create jobs because smaller plants would be used	Inefficient if small plants are used Could be significant contributor to global warming because fuel has low heat content
Refuse Based Fuel	Fuel can have low cost Could create jobs because smaller plants would be used Low sulfur dioxide emissions	Inefficient if small plants are used Could be significant contributor to global warming because fuel has low heat content Flyash can contain metals as cadmium and lead Contain dioxins and furans in air and ash releases
Hydrogen	Combines easily with oxygen to produce water and energy	Very costly to produce Takes more energy to produce hydrogen then energy that could be recovered.
Fusion	Hydrogen and tritium could be used as fuel source Higher energy output per unit mass than fission Low radiation levels associated with process than fission-based reactors	Breakeven point has not been reached after ~40 years of expensive research and commercially available plants not expected for at least 35 years.

Conclusion:

Throughout the world, we need every energy source we can get - including nuclear. As one can see from the table above, all energy sources have BOTH advantages AND disadvantages. Nuclear has a number of advantages that warrant its use as one of the many methods of supplying an energy-demanding world. Even with conservation efforts, energy demand has been and will continue to increase. Other factors can accelerate that increase, e.g. the proposed shift to electric cars to meet environmental air quality goals. In using each and every one of these forms of energy production, we need to make sure we conserve as much as we can so we leave sources for future generations. Energy suppliers need to ensure that they do not contribute to short and long-term environmental problems. Governments need to ensure energy is generated safely to that neither people nor the environment are harmed.

Source: http://www.nucleartourist.com