Nuclear Power

Nuclear power generates electricity through controlled nuclear fission — splitting uranium or plutonium atoms to release heat, which drives steam turbines. It provides approximately 10% of the world's electricity and 20% in the United States — with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. France generates 70% of its electricity from nuclear power. Three major accidents — Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986), and Fukushima (2011) — have made nuclear power politically toxic despite evidence that it has caused fewer deaths per unit of energy than coal, oil, or natural gas. The Chernobyl exclusion zone, now a wildlife sanctuary, has seen remarkable ecological recovery. Fourth-generation reactor designs promise walk-away safety, burning nuclear waste as fuel.