1. Warm-Up:
Q). What element do we use in nuclear power? Name 3 properties of this element.
Uranium
Naturally occurring
Radioactive
Very dense and heavy
Shiny
Good conductor….

2. Nuclear Power

3. Challenge Question
What are the environmental consequences of obtaining, transforming and distributing nuclear energy?
Any ideas?

4. Famous Nuclear Disasters
Fukushima, Japan & Chernobyl, Ukraine

5. Fukushima, Japan

6. Huge Nuclear Disaster An earthquake happened under Fukushima
Water to cool the reactors fell to dangerously low levels four hours after the fourth-largest recorded earthquake.
Everything began to fail
Explosions and fires spewed radioactive material
Today, there is still about a 12 mile radius that is unsafe
Looks like an atomic bomb explosion site

7. Chernobyl, Ukraine

8. Chernobyl, Ukraine
A stress test went bad and caused an uncontrolled reaction.
The water flashed immediately into steam and caused a steam explosion
Radioactive isotopes went airborne several miles
200x the radiation from nuclear bombs
Thousands of people were evacuated though many died and suffered radiation poisoning many years after the explosion.

9. New Chernobyl Sarcophagus

10. Where Does Uranium Come From?
Uranium is in rocks located all over the globe.
We extract the Uranium from rocks to use in nuclear power plants. ( Uranium 235)

11. How it Works -
Step 1 – collect Uranium ore, enrich it and send it to the power plant.

12. How it Works - Step 2 – split the Uranium atoms Nuclear Fission!

13. How it Works - http://www. bing. com/videos/search
Uranium atoms split creating intense heat
The heat changes water to steam
Steam turns a turbine
The turbine powers the generator
Moves the magnet inside copper wires creating a flow of electrons
The Electricity goes to the transformer where power is adjusted
Electricity travels to powerlines and then to your home.

15. Transferring into Usable energy
Nuclear reactor differs from fossil fuel-based plants in that it doesn’t burn anything and doesn’t produce any carbon-dioxide emissions. Zero air pollution

16. No Air Pollution However…
Once the fission reaction is over, the spent fuel rods are highly radioactive!!!!
Problem ?!?!?!?!?!

17. Where is this Nuclear Waste going to go?
With your group, decide what to do with the nuclear waste. Where will it go? What will happen to it?
Write your solution on your note sheet.

18. The Federal Government decided…
it was better to consolidate all the waste in one place rather than risk contaminating multiple sites.
President Bush signed a bill in 2002 that said all of our waste was going to go to Yucca Mountain in Nevada to be buried.

21. Pros It’s a remote place
The tunnel drilled into the mountain should be safe for at least 10,000 years.
Consolidating all nuclear waste in one area means
protecting only one site from terrorist attacks, spilling accidents and other problems.

22. Cons
Transportation of thousands of tons of nuclear waste from around the country could potentially harm people near the routes of transport if an accident occurs.
Not sure if it has been properly scientifically proven that the method of holding the waste is safe.

23. Cons What about earthquakes? Terrorist attacks/
Leaching happens earlier than predicted?

24. What now?
President Obama ended the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal project and it is no longer considering Yucca Mountain as a final resting place for nuclear waste.
This issue is still being debated today!

25. McGuire Nuclear Power Plant

26. Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant
One of the most lethal patches of ground in North America is located in the backwoods of North Carolina, where Shearon Harris nuclear plant is housed and owned by Progress Energy. The plant contains the largest radioactive waste storage pools in the country. It is not just a nuclear-power-generating station, but also a repository for highly radioactive spent fuel rods from two other nuclear plants. The spent fuel rods are transported by rail and stored in four densely packed pools filled with circulating cold water to keep the waste from heating. The Department of Homeland Security has marked Shearon Harris as one of the most vulnerable terrorist targets in the nation.
In April 2000, the plant’s safety monitoring system, designed to provide early warning of a serious emergency, failed. And it wasn’t the first time. Indeed, the emergency warning system at Shearon Harris has failed fifteen times since the plant opened in 1987

28. Overall… Pros to Nuclear Power Cons to Nuclear Power Reliable
Inexpensive
Produces lots of energy
A little uranium can go a long way (In comparison to fossil fuels)
No greenhouse gasses
Nonrenewable energy source
Nuclear waste is very dangerous and we do not have a solution as to where to put it.
Dangerous to transport

29. Nuclear Energy Careers
Engineers – Nuclear, Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical, Structural
Professionals – Health Physics, Industrial Safety, Information Tech, Training
Skilled Workers – Electricians, Welders, Pipe Fitters, Machinists

30. Funny Simpson’s clips