Could nuclear be the answer to our power problems?
Jun 17, 2024
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Jordan Dunbar from the BBC podcast The Climate Question discusses the potential of nuclear power as a green energy source, while exploring its benefits and drawbacks. The podcast also touches on the history of nuclear disasters like Chernobyl and the growing interest in nuclear power in African countries like Nigeria and Uganda.
Nuclear power provides a constant energy supply but faces high costs and public perception challenges.
African countries are exploring nuclear power as a solution to electricity needs despite financial and environmental concerns.
Deep dives
How Nuclear Power Works
Nuclear power operates through a process called fission, where a small particle is fired at a group of atoms, causing a chain reaction that releases a significant amount of energy used to heat water and produce electricity. Despite its high initial costs due to specialized training required for construction, nuclear power offers a constant and reliable energy supply, unlike solar or wind sources that depend on varying natural conditions.
Challenges and Perceptions
Nuclear power faces challenges including high costs of construction, billions of pounds, and frequent project delays. Public perception is also a significant issue, influenced by past nuclear accidents such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, leading to fears about safety and radioactive waste disposal. The negative portrayal of nuclear power in media and cultural references like 'The Simpsons' further contribute to public apprehension.
Global Adoption and Environmental Impact
While nuclear power offers low carbon emissions once operational, the storage and disposal of radioactive waste pose long-term challenges lasting up to 100,000 years. China is spearheading a surge in nuclear power plant construction, surpassing the US and France in capacity expansion. Meanwhile, African countries are considering nuclear energy as a solution to their electricity needs, despite financial barriers and environmental considerations related to water scarcity and climate change.
Nuclear power counts for just ten percent of the world’s total power supply and only 33 countries currently have nuclear power stations. But those numbers could soon change as China rushes to build new nuclear facilities and as African countries consider building their own.
Jordan Dunbar from the BBC podcast The Climate Question explains how nuclear power works, describes its benefits and drawbacks, and assesses whether it could ever be seen as a green form of energy.
Many people are nervous about leveraging nuclear power, partly because of the infamous disasters at nuclear sites like Three Mile Island and Fukushima. Alex from the What in the World team runs us through what happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986.
South Africa is the only country in Africa with a nuclear power plant — the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station near Cape Town. But ten other African countries — including Nigeria and Uganda— are looking into getting a plant of their own. Kevyah from the What in the World team explains why some African nations are considering a nuclear future.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: William Lee Adams
Producer: Alex Rhodes and Kevyah Cardoso
Editor: Emily Horler
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