History

• The largest thrust of nuclear research was during World War II when countries were racing to develop the first atomic bomb. When the war came to an end in 1945, some of the research was directed towards peaceful uses. By the end of 1951, a small nuclear reactor was functioning in America. The first pressurized water reactor was developed in 1953 and Westinghouse built the first commercial nuclear power plant, which started operating in 1962.
  
  

Types

• Nuclear power can be created through fission or fusion. In fission, atoms are split apart and energy is released by the breaking of the atomic bombs. In fusion, a hydrogen atom is joined to heavier elements. Fission is used in nuclear power plants. Nuclear power plants can use uranium and plutonium.
  
  

Applications

• Nuclear power has been applied in both military and peaceful settings. Though a fusion bomb, which introduces hydrogen into heavier materials has been created, only the atomic bomb, which splits atoms, has ever been used in warfare. Nuclear power has also been used in the military as an energy source to power submarines and satellites. Nuclear power plants have produced electricity for decades for civilian use.
  
  

Benefits

• Nuclear power does not release greenhouse gases or contribute to acid rain like coal and oil power plants do. If carbon taxes are passed, nuclear power will be economically competitively as well. Unlike other alternative energy sources, the technology for nuclear plants is ready to be used and can supply power regardless of weather conditions.
  
  

Warning

• The biggest concern about nuclear power is safety. Two nuclear plants, Chernobyl in the Soviet Union and Three Mile Island in America, have left a lasting impression about the safety of nuclear plants. Safety measures in the U.S. have improved since then, but critics argue that nuclear proliferation in countries without such stringent safety measures will result in more failures. The other concern with nuclear power is the radioactive waste that is created. Even though, according to the "Wall Street Journal," the problem of where to store waste is mostly political, most states will not build plants until the problem is resolved.