1. Greg Doyon

2.  Intro
 Arguments
 Policy Brief
 Challenges to Nuclear Power
 Conclusion

3.  Nearly all of our electricity is powered by fossil
fuels, especially coal
 Coal combustion for electricity and power is the
world’s largest source of anthropogenic Carbon
Dioxide release
 Excessive Carbon Dioxide is dangerous to the
environment and to human health
 In 2009, the EPA announced that carbon dioxide
and 5 other greenhouse gases threaten public
health and the environment

4.  This public health toxin can be eliminated or
at least reduced by the use of Nuclear power
fueling this country and worldwide.
 Nuclear power is cleaner and more efficient;
however, it comes with a negative branding
due to historical catastrophes of some
nuclear power plants.

5.  The world is too dependent on fossil fuels,
such as coal, to produce electricity.
 Environmental air pollution linked has been
linked to carbon dioxide.
 This air pollution has been known to cause an
increase in respiratory diseases such as
Asthma, lung cancer, and heart diseases, as
well as liver, nerve, and kidney damage. (US
Department of Energy, 2011)

6.  Study, linked CO2 emissions and an increase
in deaths:
 Computer models were used to determine the
amounts of ozone and airborne particles that
result from temperature increases caused by
increases in carbon dioxide emissions.
 Ozone causes and worsens respiratory and
cardiovascular illnesses, emphysema and asthma,
and many published studies have associated
increased ozone with higher mortality.
 Bergeron, L. (2008, January 3). Stanford Report. Study links carbon dioxide emissions to increased deaths .

7. Summary of severe* accidents in energy chains for electricity 1969-2000
OECD NON-OECD
Energy Chain: Fatalities: Fatalities/TW/y Fatalities: Fatalities/TW/y
: :
Coal 2,295 157 18,000 597
Natural Gas 1,043 85 1,000 111
Hydro 14 3 30,000 10,285
Nuclear 0 0 31 48
Data from Paul Scherrer Institut, in OECD 2010. * severe = more than 5
fatalities (Paul Scherrer Institut, 2012)
TW/y = terawatt per year
1 TW = 1 Trillion Watts

8.  Fossil fuel combustion. It provides 70% of our
electricity. Its emissions kill 24,000 Americans per year
(70,000 deaths—that’s about 1,200 Chernobyls per
year—if diesel and gasoline emissions are included).
Coal burning alone annually emits 2.5 gigatons of
CO2.
 Commercial nuclear power. It contributes 21 percent,
has never caused a single death to the public in the
US, and, because it doesn’t burn anything, makes 73%
of our virtually emissions-free electricity—the
equivalent of annually taking 68 million automobiles
off the road.” (Cravens, 2009)

9.  Provide more funding to nuclear research, especially in the
aspect of storing the spent fuel rods and radioisotopes.
 Entitle the government to own some of the constructed
nuclear power plant, and provide the defense necessary to
defend from terror threats
 Phase out the use of fossil fuel power plants within 12
years
 As the phasing out occurs, renewable resources will help
fill in the void, as nuclear energy starts up and fossil fuels
phase out.
 6 Nuclear power plants (3 in the North: East, Midwest, and
West and 3 in the South: East, Midwest, and West) should
be already constructed before the phasing out of fossil
fuel power plants begins

10.  There have been 3 major accidents with nuclear power plants in
our history, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima.
 These 3 accidents have given nuclear power a bad reputation.
 The United States used nuclear power as a weapon against Japan
in WWII.
 We have seen the type of damage nuclear radiation can do.
 Cost
 Fossil Fuels are much cheaper than Nuclear Power, as well as, our
complete energy infrastructure being based off of Fossil Fuels would
mean even more costs to change any structural needs and build power
stations
 Storing of nuclear radioisotopes and spent fuel rods
 Terror threats
 A terrorist attack on a nuclear power plant could be devastating

11.  Coal and other fossil fuel plants emit too much CO2
 CO2 is dangerous to human health as well as
environmental health
 Nuclear Power is much cleaner and safer for humans and
the environment
 With research, we will be able to develop proper
technologies to store radioisotopes and prevent nuclear
meltdowns or leaks.
 Government will be allowed to own a certain percentage
of the Power Plant, to ensure defense against Terrorist
attacks.
 Nuclear power can be a reliable source of energy, as it will
not deplete natural resources nearly as fast as fossil fuels

12.  Cravens, G. (2009, July 2). Nuclear Power is the Only
Alternative. Seed Magazine .
 Paul Scherrer Institut. (2012, February). World Nuclear
Association. Retrieved March 11, 2012, from Safety of
Nuclear Power Reactors: http://www.world-
nuclear.org/info/inf06.html
 US Department of Energy. (2011, March 8). How can
air pollution hurt my health? Retrieved March 11, 2012,
from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory:
http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/Frames/pollution-
health-effects-f.html
 Bergeron, L. (2008, January 3). Stanford Report. Study
links carbon dioxide emissions to increased deaths .