DLD Week 6, Day 1

Nuclear Energy as an Alternate Energy Source Type your full name The Scenario The (fictitious) town of Solutionville is trying to figure out a way to replace their current coal-fired power plants with cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. At a recent town meeting, it was proposed that the town build a nuclear power plant. As a voting citizen of Solutionville, you must decide whether or not you support building a nuclear power plant to provide energy and electricity to homes and businesses. Today you will watch the videos, take notes and answer a few questions. This will lead us to Thursday, where we will construct an argument either for or against building a nuclear power plant based on the evidence provided using the CER format. World Energy sources: How do we create electricity? Where does it come from?Majority of the world relies on burning non-renewable fossil fuels to supply electricity for anything from powering your car to charging your cell phone.Most of the world's energy and electricity production comes from which of the following energy sources? fossil fuels nuclear energy solar energy traditional biomass Burning fossil fuels directly releases Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere causing a higher than normal rise in global temperatures over the past few hundred years. Cutting down trees (deforestation) has also lead to increase in CO2 in the atmosphere. As the fossil consumption increases, what has also happened to the amount of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere and global temperature? CO2 increased, temperature stayed the same CO2 increased, temperature decreased CO2 increased, temperature increased CO2 decreased, temperature decreased Nuclear Energy Explained: How does it work? 1 Within a nuclear reactor, Uranium-235 is split through nuclear fission which releases massive amounts of energy that can be contained and transformed into electricity through a nuclear power plant. Nuclear Power Plants provide energy through which of the following? nuclear fusion nuclear fission nuclear bombs burning fossil fuels “3 Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Is Terrible!” Record your notes on your own paper. “3 Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Is Awesome!” Continue recording your notes. Further instructions Hold on to your notes, you will need them for Thursday's activity. After watching the two videos above on advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fuel, please sort the following statements Advantage No carbon dioxide, CO2, or other main greenhouse gases are emitted from a nuclear powerplant When following regulations, there is little risk for nuclear power plant workers new nuclear technology has proved to be difficult to turn into weapons Nuclear power produces no air particulates that damage lungs like burning fossil fuels does The output of energy from a nuclear power plant is relatively high Disadvantage Nuclear power can be used to create weapons of mass destruction When rules aren't followed, melt downs can occur releasing radioactive material into environment Nuclear waste is toxic and must be stored far away from people, and food and water supplies Nuclear waste must be stored for thousands of years Land exposed to a nuclear melt down will be unused for decades Building new plants is expensive Nuclear power requires "behind the scenes" actions like mining, refining, and storing wastes that uses a lot of energy