Throughout researching the different opinions and discussion points of the issue Nuclear power plants one would conclude that the sustainability and ethicality of the topic needs to be explored much further. With the information examined it is evident that the two points of opinions have very strong ideologies and beliefs. There is no disagreement that the need for a clean source of energy is extremely vital for the environment, as the environment has been taken advantage of in the past as an economic resource. Although the question is, what form should that clean energy be in? The sustainability of nuclear power plants is controversial; People against nuclear power believe that using a combination of alternative methods of “clean” energy, such as solar, wind and geothermal energy is the answer. These methods of energy also have environmental issues, although it is believed that these issues are not as disruptive as the nuclear power plants issues. “In fact, there are several other carbon-free or low-carbon options that are currently more cost-effective than nuclear power; these include wind power, combined-cycle gas power plants, and end-use efficiency measures. According to a recent analysis, nuclear power saves as little as half as much carbon per dollar as wind power and cogeneration, and from several-fold to at least tenfold less carbon per dollar as end-use efficiency” [1]

As discussed before, the major effects of a nuclear power plant to the natural environment and the people surrounding it are that there are human health effects, there is room for potential disasters such as environmental contamination, there is an extremely high cost of building nuclear power plants, there are unresolved problems of permanent and secure storage of high radioactive waste and there is still damage to the environment. On the other hand, If nuclear power plants are that clean source of energy, it is safe to say that huge effort is being put into improving the source as international research is currently being done to help prevent disasters like the past from happening. A lot of focus on safety improvements is being investigated; scientists are trying to generate passively safe plants and use of nuclear fusion for the future. Nuclear fusion has the capability to be safer as well as creating less radioactive waste from the nuclear plants. Severe thought needs to be made before making decisions to build additional nuclear power plants, as South Africa plan on doing so. “Nuclear power is not a solution for climate change. The massive subsidies needed to keep the nuclear industry alive are slowing and undermine the renewable energy revolution that is the real solution to climate change.”[2]

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[1] Richard W. Clapp. (1 November 2005). Guest Editorial: Nuclear Power and Public Health. Available: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.113-a720. Last accessed 22 April 2011.

[2] Greenpeace International. (2011). No more Chernobyls. Available: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/nuclear/nomorechernobyls/. Last accessed 16 April 2011.