Nuclear Energy

Most scientists agree that we are seeing the effects of global warming already. Therefore alternative energy must be employed. In this case nuclear energy can be a good advantage. There are lots of debates about the usage and building of nuclear energy reactors. Nowadays, nuclear energy provides 13% of world electricity needs. Currently there are 442 nuclear reactors in the world with at least another 12 under construction in Asia, Brazil, Finland, Australia, India and China. Energy demands are growing fast everywhere. During the last decade world energy use grew by 20% and has been at around 3% per year growing.

The fuel for nuclear reactors, uranium is obtained from open-cut mines and is not expensive to mine. World reserves are estimated to last 150 years to even hundreds of centuries. Present reactors only use some 1% of the energy available in uranium but in future fast breeder reactors could recycle spent fuel rods at a 99% efficiency rate.

But our generation has witnessed some nuclear radiation accidents. One serious nuclear accident has occurred, in Chernobyl in 1986. It affected many thousands of people, livestock and agricultural production over a large geographical area. In the case of Chernobyl in the Ukraine, nuclear fall-out reached as far as areas of the UK. Another accident was at Fukushima Daiichi, one of the 15 largest nuclear power stations in the world. The station suffered major damage from the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. The earthquake and tsunami disabled the reactor cooling systems, leading to nuclear radiation leaks and triggering a 30 km evacuation zone surrounding the plant.

Disadvantages include that nuclear power requires a large capital cost, involving emergency, containment, radioactive waste and storage systems. Long-term storage of nuclear waste is difficult. No one can predict who will access this waste in future and for which purposes. Ground water contamination would be a deadly nuclear legacy.

What have we done to get us here? We may have to adjust to the reality and use less energy than we actually think we need. We need to review our priorities. Is it better to use more of the energies of relationship and care for each other and our environment?

ACTIVITIES:

Exercise 1: Answer the following questions:

1. What is solar energy?
2. How is the solar energy converted?
3. How is the solar energy used?
4. What is wind energy? Is it hot air? Is it renewable?
5. Is wind energy greater than solar?
6. How can biomass energy be used?
7. Is bio energy renewable?
8. What technological processes can be used in generating energy?
9. In what form the geothermal energy can be observed?
10. Which parts of the Earth are known for close geothermal energy?
11. Can you name one or two volcanoes?
12. How is geothermal energy used?
13. Can nuclear energy be employed as an alternative energy source?
14. What nuclear radiation accidents have you heard about?

Exercise 2: Find the English equivalent to the Russian word:

1) энергия:

a)environment

b)energy

c)enemy

2) защита:

a) protection

b) pollution

c) population

3) источник:

a) source

b) science

c) device

4) поверхность:

a) surface

b) solar

c) subsequence

5) влажность:

a) humanity

b) humidity

c) humility

6) возобновляемый:

a) reactive

b) renewable

c) retainable

7) углекислый газ:

a ) carbohydrate

b) carbon monoxide

c) carbon dioxide

8) загрязнение:

a) position

b) pollution

c) protection

9) ядерный:

a) chemise

b) nuclear

c) future

10) утечка:

a) peak

b) leak

c) algae

Exercise 3: Match the halves of the expressions and translate them:

Exercise 4: Find the statements true or false:

1.Solar energy is the sun’s rays that reach the Earth.

2.Solar energy can be converted into neither heat nor electricity.

3.Vatican intends to become the first solar-powered state in the world.

4.Wind energy is not greater than the solar energy.

5.Biomass energy can not be used for lighting, cooking, space heating and water heating.

6. Nowadays geothermal energy can be used directly for hot water and for converting heat into electricity.

7. Nuclear energy is widely used in the world.

8. There are no disadvantages of using nuclear power energy.

Exercise 5: Fill in the gaps with appropriate modal verbs (see Grammar review):

1.You … not speak while the teacher is speaking. (obligation)

2.To avoid global warming we …alternative sources of energy. (requirement)

3.You … stop eating so much fast food. (advice)

4.Various types of energy … be used for heating our houses. (possibility)

5.This building …be heated by geothermal energy. (probability)

6.We hope that nuclear power …not be the only available source of energy for future generations. (certainty)

7.For safe future we … to review our priorities in using energy. (requirement)

Exercise 6: Match the term with definition:

Exercise 7: Make these words negative using prefixes: