Julio Garcia Reflection 3 Bio-1010 Katheryn Randazzo Nuclear Vs Solar and Wind The Power of the Future

Everyday we use energy in many forms and we dont notice it completely. Where dose it come from, and how can we use the most earth friendly form of it? In the TED talk debate Stewart Brand and Mark Jacobson bring an awareness of the benefits and the cons of nuclear, wind and solar power. Both parties were very informative and were very passionate about their positions they were taking. Nuclear power is a form of energy but it is not the only reliable power source. There are a few different forms of sources to make power. There are nuclear power plans that use a core reactor, and a stable process harvests the energy. Another form is solar power; this form uses solar panels that use the sun to generate power that is converted directly into an electric current. That current travels through wires in the ground to a storage that can be utilized when needed. The third form is wind-generated power; this form is unique because it uses windmills that capture the wind. One of the most common sources of energy but that is not clean, and emits CO2 in the air and is harmful to us. The wind turns the windmills that turn turbines that are producing energy. With all of these amazing forms to produce energy I would think that it would be simple for them all to exist in harmony. Unfortunately that is not the case; there is a separation of these forms of energy. There are some people that are for nuclear energy and support it with very factual

evidence that it can be very resourceful. But there is a counter part that thinks otherwise; they fear that it is better to have sustainable and clean energy such as solar and wind that do not hold a potential threat of terrorist attack. Another fact to take into consideration is the carbon foot printing that is effecting the environment. Nuclear power has a carbon footprint that is immensely larger. The amount of land that is used for a plant is more than double, and the nuclear waste product cannot be broken down efficiently into a usable bi-product. Solar and wind energy have a smaller carbon footprint, that occupy a minimal amount of land and produce a cost competitive. Also solar and wind have no waste that makes it very competitive in the energy market, and is very earth friendly. My opinion of the different types of energy is that I believe it always will be a pressing matter of how the earth is affected by human actions. I think that if there is a way that we can be sustainable as we have been for the past years, but not of the cost of our environment. I think we are on a better long-term path that will allow us to live longer on the earth and make it possible for a better future. In my opinion I think that we can easily alter our lifestyles to be greener, and be able to thrive from our resources that dose not destroy the environment.

Bibliography

Bunn, Matthew, and Fred McGoldrick. "A Nuclear Blind Alley for the U.S."Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/31/opinion/la-oe-bunn-nuclear-proliferation20131231>.

Carpenter, Susan. "Solar Power in California Is Still a Hot Topic." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/27/home/la-hm-0827-state-of-solar-20110827>.

"Debate: Does the World Need Nuclear Energy?" Stewart Brand + Mark Z. Jacobson:. TED, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <https://www.ted.com/talks/debate_does_the_world_need_nuclear_energy#t-1076581>.