A comparison of the environmental effects of using nuclear energy and coal energy ( detailed instructions are provided )
Instructions:
Your task is to compare the environmental and public health impact of one energy source for the production of electricity with the effects of coal (choose from nuclear, natural gas, hydro, solar, wind, geothermal or biomass). Assuming now a significant contribution of this technology to electricity production (assume production of 10% of US electricity production by your energy source, if currently lower), what health effects and environmental damage would be expected at that level of energy production? Note that if you choose solar, wind or other technologies currently below 10% you would have to describe how that increase is to be achieved (how many wind turbines, how great an area of solar panels, what solar technology, etc.)

1. Current Status and Potential: two paragraphs describing the real current status (not extrapolated to 10%) of the energy source for electricity production in this country (how much electricity is produced, where is the production located, is it growing). Evaluate the growth potential of this energy source for electricity production. What are the main obstacles to increasing the usage of this source?
2. Explanation and evaluation of effects: Evaluate the environmental and public health effects of this energy source in terms of the following categories discussed in class. Try to identify the most significant effects of the categories below:

a) Construction
b) Mining
c) Normal Operation
d) Accidents
e) Long Term effects

Think of possible damages to the environment (land, water, air) either now or in the future. Also think of effects on public health.

Be sure to consider the following:

• Can the deleterious effects be effectively mitigated by use of appropriate technology?
• Evaluate the effects in terms of deleterious effects per kwh produced. Do the effects scale directly with the number of kwh produced? For example, while emissions from fossil plants scale linearly with energy produced, the number of deaths during construction of a power plants may not (a 1200 MWe plant may not be twice as dangerous to build as a 600 MWe plant).