“The drawbacks to the use of nuclear power mean that it is not a long-term solution to the problem of meeting ever-increasing energy needs.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement.

The world has always been reliant on energy in one way or the other. The introduction of nuclear power to generate energy proved to be a boon for the modern world, especially the more advanced nations. However, due to the confinement of nuclear source to the developed countries and given the availability of other safer and renewable resources, I think that nuclear power would not be a viable source to fulfill the ever increasing energy needs.

First and foremost, nuclear power is in no doubt one of the best, if not the best, ways of generating energy. The rate with which it can produce energy cannot be matched by any other sources as very high amount of energy can be generated from a single plant. Furthermore, when it comes to cost, the initial cost of nuclear power plants is comparatively less than the other alternatives, for example the solar power, although the latter may prove to be more economic in the long run. Even though there are some bright sides of this, still its darker sides overwhelm the bright sides.
Nuclear energy, as we know, uses Uranium as its principle source, which is present in a limited supply. The recent research has shown that the supply of Uranium is expected to last for the next five to six decades only. Unlike water or wind, it does not get replenished through natural or other known processes. On the other hand, resources like wind, water or even solar will be there for eternity, which if utilized efficiently will surely help to sustain the increasing energy needs in the future.

Taking safety into consideration, no one can deny the fact that nuclear power is an extremely hazardous source. It is evident from various accidents and leaks of nuclear power plants across the world, be it the Chernobyl disaster in the 80’s or the infamous Fukushima disaster in the late 70’s. The radiations resulting from this is extremely harmful, not only to the human beings but to the whole environment, which can eventually disturb the whole ecosystem.

All in all, the drawbacks of use of nuclear power easily outweigh the benefits it can provide. Considering the safety and renewable aspect of other alternatives, nuclear power cannot be considered as the most suitable source to meet the ever increasing energy needs for long term.