{"id":272508,"date":"2023-12-05T20:15:52","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T14:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=272508"},"modified":"2023-12-05T20:15:52","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T14:45:52","slug":"on-the-utility-of-nuclear-power-embracing-nuclear-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/on-the-utility-of-nuclear-power-embracing-nuclear-power\/","title":{"rendered":"On the utility of Nuclear Power \u2013 Embracing nuclear power"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source:<\/strong> This post on the utility of Nuclear Power has been created based on the article \u201cEmbracing nuclear power\u201d<\/strong> published in \u201cBusiness Standard\u201d<\/strong> on 5th<\/sup> December 2023.<\/p>\n

UPSC Syllabus Topic: <\/strong>GS Paper 3 Environment – Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.<\/p>\n

News:<\/strong> The article discusses the importance of nuclear power in achieving renewable energy targets as part of the global commitment to prevent further climate change.<\/p>\n

Two pledges concerning renewable energy were announced at the recent UNFCCC COP-28. This includes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Tripling of the global renewable energy capacity by 2030.<\/li>\n
  2. Tripling nuclear energy by 2050 (pledge by 22 countries).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In addition to this, the International Atomic Energy Agency<\/strong> drafted a statement, alongside multiple countries, making it clear that “net zero needs nuclear power”.<\/p>\n

    This highlights the importance of nuclear energy as a tool to achieve renewable energy targets. However, India was unwilling to sign these declarations (due to references to phasing down coal generation).<\/p>\n

    What are the advantages of Nuclear Power generation compared to other renewable energy sources?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    High Output: <\/strong>Just around 400 nuclear reactors in 30 countries produce 10% of the world’s power and represent 25% of global low-carbon generation.<\/p>\n

    Consistent Power Generation:<\/strong> Unlike solar or wind power, which are intermittent and dependent on weather conditions, nuclear power provides consistent electricity ensuring a stable energy supply.<\/p>\n

    High Energy Density: <\/strong>Nuclear reactions release a tremendous amount of energy from a small amount of fuel, making it highly efficient.<\/p>\n

    Less Land Requirement:<\/strong> Nuclear power plants typically occupy less land compared to large-scale renewable projects like solar or wind farms.<\/p>\n

    What are the disadvantages of Nuclear Power generation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Radioactive Waste:<\/strong> Nuclear power generates radioactive waste that remains hazardous for thousands of years. Proper disposal and management of this waste poses significant challenges.<\/p>\n

    Risk of Accidents:<\/strong> Nuclear accidents can have grave consequences, as seen in incidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima.<\/p>\n

    Limited Fuel Availability:<\/strong> While uranium, the primary fuel for nuclear reactors, is available, its supply is finite. There are concerns about potential scarcity in the long run.<\/p>\n

    Nuclear Proliferation: <\/strong>The technology used in nuclear power plants can also be diverted for the production of nuclear weapons, raising proliferation concerns.<\/p>\n

    A detailed article on Nuclear Energy<\/strong> can be read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    What should India do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Revisiting the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act:<\/strong> It has led to limited private investment in the nuclear sector in India.<\/p>\n

    Diversification:<\/strong> India remains overdependent on Russia. Current liability systems must be changed to make it easier to bring in newer reactors from France and other countries.<\/p>\n

    Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Critically analyse Nuclear Power as a viable source of energy. Discuss its impact in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Source: This post on the utility of Nuclear Power has been created based on the article \u201cEmbracing nuclear power\u201d published in \u201cBusiness Standard\u201d on 5th December 2023. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 Environment – Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation. News: The article discusses the importance of nuclear power in achieving renewable energy targets as… Continue reading On the utility of Nuclear Power \u2013 Embracing nuclear power<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230,9],"tags":[10503,59,216],"class_list":["post-272508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","category-public","tag-business-standard","tag-environment","tag-gs-paper-3","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1701787564},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272508\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}