React Now

Everyone loves to use their cars, microwaves, portable media players, and other life-enhancing technology, but it's often true that these items are being used at the cost of the environment. It's important to learn as much as possible about how to power everyone's life without damaging the Earth, and this article will help you do just that!

Wear natural fabrics instead of always using the air conditioning during summer. Fabrics, such as cotton, draw the moisture further from your skin and let it stay cooler. Lighter colors also make you feel cooler.

Do things like wash your clothes inside some cold water, if you can. Almost 90 percent of the consumed energy while washing your clothes is spent on heating up the water. Most good quality laundry detergents work just as well in cold water. Don't forget to only wash clothes when you have a full load s you are as efficient with your energy as possible!

Try heating your home with a wood pellet stove. The pellets burned in a pellet stove are made of highly compact sawdust. They burn so cleanly than they are not required to get an EPA certification for emissions. Be aware, however, that the cost of the pellets may be high in some areas. This site, electricitycompaniestexas.com, has other tips for energy saving in case switching your heating source is not an option.

As a way to live greener, purchase power strips for your home. In areas where you have multiple electronics, you can utilize these power strips as a central hub where you may shut off all power to these electronic devices when they are not in use. As an example, if you have a home office, by plugging in your computer, printer, wireless router, and desk lamp into a power strip, you can turn them all off with the flip of a single switch when you are finished with your day's work.

One way to help with reducing energy is by using solar panels in your home. Solar energy harnesses the power from the sun which is then used to provide energy to things like getting hot water, drying clothes and keeping your home warm during the winter. Solar energy is also pollution free and helps to lower the carbon footprint along with other greenhouse gases and terrible emissions.

Whether you want to listen to music or drive across the country, the fact that you're taking the time to learn how to do it in an environmentally responsible way is commendable. Use what you've read in this article to continue doing what's best for the environment and people around you.

Life-Threatening Radioactivity

Volatile nuclear energy has several negative influences on the earth's environment. Many environmental groups protest the use of nuclear energy due to its routine and catastrophic health risks. Events such as overheated fuels due to nuclear reaction have contaminated geographic regions leading to health concerns for the local population. The release of life-threatening radioactivity from explosions has led to the evacuation of residents near nuclear energy plants. Dangerous radioactive isotopes are also released from nuclear plant reactors. Nuclear power plants also create liquid and gaseous poisonous chemical emissions that enter the earth's environment.

Dangerous Pollutants

In addition, uranium mining is necessary to provide ore that powers nuclear power plants. Radon gases emitted from uranium ore lead to a significant health risk for miners increasing chances of developing lung cancer. Many uranium mines have been abandoned leaving exposed ore called tailings that release radioactivity. At a nuclear reactor site, radioactive plutonium waste is emitted into the air, water and soil creating pollution. Plutonium waste travels through soil, water and air systems to enter the human body where it accumulates in the bone marrow. Three varieties of radiation may lead to cancer, genetic damage, radiation sickness and death.

Currently nuclear energy only accounts for a little over five percent of the world's energy; it is unclear what the future holds in store for this energy source.

Proponents of nuclear energy tout it as an effective way to cut carbon monoxide emissions and reduce the greenhouse effect. They believe that nuclear power plants are a manageable and renewable way to create energy.

Opponents of nuclear energy believe that it poses a significant environmental risk, as well as a health risk. Radioactive waste is a by-product of nuclear energy that must be managed to protect the lives of people and animals. Typically, the waste is stored in steel tubes that are then housed in a concrete cylinder. However, there have been several incidences that improperly stored waste has seeped into rivers and water supplies.

Others point to nuclear mishaps as a reason to discontinue nuclear energy. The largest disasters involving nuclear power plants include Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima Daiichi. These incidences generated mistrust of nuclear energy among the public. After the Fukushima incident in 2011, opponents of nuclear energy proposed the discontinuation of nuclear energy in several countries. Germany immediately shut down eight reactors with plans to close the remaining nine by 2022. Spain, Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland pledged to reduce their reliance on nuclear power. Italy, which began a phase out of nuclear power after Chernobyl, reaffirmed its decision to remain nuclear free.

Still, many countries have no plans to eliminate nuclear power. The United States, Brazil, China and India all plan on continuing to build nuclear power plants.

Even though nuclear power is a relatively new energy source, there have been several accidents in which nuclear power plants have spilled radiation into their communities, causing devastating effects for years afterward. Accidents have occurred in countries all over the world, and some have happened quite recently.

Perhaps the best known nuclear power accident occurred in 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant near Pripyat, Ukraine. When an explosion occurred in the plant's reactor 4, radioactive material was expelled into the air and winds carried it over 100,000 square kilometers. Some workers received fatal doses of radiation within mere minutes, and the official death toll was 31 people.Get more information here. http://www.businessinsider.com/potential-cost-of-a-nuclear-accident-so-high-its-a-secret-2013-3 Unfortunately, that count may not be accurate, as it does not account for cancer- and birth defect-related fatalities that have occurred in the years since the disaster.

In 1979, the worst recorded nuclear accident on United States soil occurred at the nuclear power generator on Three Mile Island, just north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When a partial meltdown occurred in the reactor core, a radioactive plume was released. Although no deaths were recorded, some studies show leukemia and lung cancer rates in Harrisburg that are 2 to 5 times the rate in the general population.

The most recent nuclear power accident occurred as the result of a natural disaster. In 2011, an earthquake damaged reactor 5 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant near Fukushima Japan. Long term effects have yet to be seen, but at least 300 people have been exposed to high levels of radiation, and seawater used to cool the melted reactor has been contaminated with radiation and spread the radioactive material to local seafood and agricultural crops.

The nuclear power plant meltdown that occurred in Japan in 2011 has had scores of negative impacts for the nation. In addition to the massive displacement of large sections of the population, there have been troubling economic ramifications as well. Among those ramifications has been an enormous trade deficit. Among the reasons for this is that Japan is now importing a great deal more fossil fuel for the purpose of providing for domestic energy. There is a decidedly negative attitude domestically towards expanding any further nuclear power due to the meltdown. This has led to a change in attitude towards the use of traditional forms of energy which has led to the increase in the importation of oil.

The other obvious concern that is being raised in the aftermath of the meltdown will be the long term health issues that may arise due to the presence of radiation. It could be many years before the full impact is noted although there is no guarantee such effects could be a dire as some predict. Again, only time will reveal the true answer.

The plant meltdown in Japan was one of the worst nuclear accidents in history. The full impact of it has yet to be fully realized.

Nuclear power, while it does provide energy in large amounts, carries the possibility of disaster as we've seen at reactors like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. However, the challenge is to find sources of fuel that burn clean and which can fill the huge gap left behind by the absence of nuclear energy plants. Fortunately there are answers, if we find them.

Solar and wind energy are the two biggest solutions that people have embraced thus far. The sheer amount of solar rays that the United States receives, along with the amount of coastline that experiences constant wind, has led to a lot of speculation, building and investment in technology to generate as much electricity as possible. In fact there are still developments being made, such as the latest solar panels at UCLA which are 70 transparent because they absorb infrared light, making them useful as windows. There's also been a paint developed that acts as a solar battery. So a house could be shingled with solar panels, painted to become a battery, and even the windows could generate the needed electricity. Solutions like this, turning every possible surface into a generator, are needed to fully replace our nuclear power.Can't get enough? There's more: Clear Solar Film Means Power From Windows, UCLA Says - Bloomberg

The safety and effectiveness of nuclear reactors in the United States are constantly in question. From 1958, when the first nuclear rector was built, there have been concerns about the safety of nuclear power.

There have been numerous accidents involving America's nuclear reactors since the early 1960s. A test reactor in Idaho Falls suffered a small explosion in 1961 and a partial meltdown occurred in Michigan in 1966. The worst nuclear plant accident occurred in 1979, when the reactor at Three Mile Island suffered a partial meltdown and a loss of coolant. The Pennsylvania reactor released both iodine and radioactive gases into the environment.This/tag helps explain it more. While the amounts released were quite limited the event effectively ended the growth of nuclear power in the United States.

Orginally there were to be at least 250 nuclear reactors, but only 132 were actually built. 27 of those were permanently closed to concerns over reliability and 35 other plants have been shut down due to problems for over a year or more on at least one occasion. Future issues with nuclear plants may be related to the granting of licenses which allow nuclear plants to operate after their 40 year service license has been met.

There is much controversy over the use of nuclear power plants. A large concern is regarding "nuclear fallout" which has and does occur when there is a core meltdown at a plant. Nuclear waste is an equal concern and occurs due to storage leaks. This waste from nuclear plants results in contamination of the earth and water sources.

The issue with storage leaks is that nuclear waste must be stored for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Currently there are not adequate storage vessels available to safely store the highly radioactive chemical waste for the necessary long periods of time which are required.

Thus the associative contamination incurred leads to health problems. Most high on this scale is that of cancer, birth defects, and sterility. Radioactive contamination can be breathed in, digested by consumption of food and drinks, or enter through an open wound. It can also be spread by the wind thus contaminating expansive outlying areas.

It is no wonder that those whose homes are near a nuclear power plant voice their complaints and concerns. The reason for the complaints is that the concerns don't appear to be taken seriously, nor the health issues or illness's being responsibly addressed.

Nuclear power plants are one of the most dangerous facilities in the world today. They are not only dangerous, but very costly and unstable as well. Millions of dollars are spent on these plants in order to build and upkeep them. The system is very inefficient as it uses just about the same power to run as it produces.

Radiation leaks are also a major problem for nuclear plants. These leaks worsen the environment and can go a long time without being detected. This can cause major health issues to those who live near it. Even a small bit of exposure can lead to incidents as major as death. Another issue at hand is radioactive waste which is stored in our Earth polluting the grounds. This could mean that the waste can spread throughout our soil and into our water systems. If a natural disaster strikes and damages a plant, this could mean people miles away would have to be evacuated in order to escape from any exposure.

The risks and dangers involved are not worth it for such an inefficient system. Our main focus should be looking into an alternative energy source such as hydroelectric or solar-powered systems. In the end, those two systems will sustain life on Earth and will remain completely renewable.Can't get enough? There's more: Alternative to the way we make energy