Demand for electricity is increasing and consumption of fossil fuels is reaching dangerous levels. Half of pollution is caused by coal, gas and fuel oil power plants. Carbon dioxide is produced by the burning of coal and the production of radioactive materials. Coal-fired power plants emit more radiation into the air than a nuclear power plant. Fossil fuels are running out and the coal used in many power plants is now sulfurous, causing more pollution than ever. Nuclear energy has many disadvantages, and many more than fossil fuels. Renewable energy appears to be the solution, but the government bureaucracy has yet to actively increase its use. Renewable energy accounts for only 8%, nuclear energy 9%, and an incredible 80% for fossil fuels, with coal burning accounting for half of that 80% (Smith, p. 3). Why do so many people believe nuclear power is the solution? And since “fracking” is a hotly debated topic in the United States, nuclear power doesn't seem to be the answer either. In Jeffrey M. Smith's article, "The Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power," he cites one for and four against nuclear power. The pros being carbon-free electricity and the cons being disaster risk, long-lived nuclear waste, cost and issues with uranium mining. The disadvantages disproportionately outweigh the advantages. The two main points covered in this document will be the cost and extraction of uranium. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The phrase, “Nuclear power plants are known to be expensive to build, but relatively cheap to operate” (Smith, p. 2), is misleading. It is correct to say that the plants are expensive to build, costing over $10 billion, but that they are cheap to operate is a lie. The only reason they are inexpensive to run is because of the government subsidies they receive. This allows the companies that own these reactors to offer the consumer lower costs to corner the energy market. The US government has had to support these plants for over 50 years and these subsidies come from taxes paid by consumers, making nuclear power very expensive for consumers and the government. In the event of a disaster, the costs would be astronomical. In a Jamestown Community College report on the cost benefits, it noted that the technology was already in use or available and was capable of producing large amounts of electricity. The downsides listed in the same report primarily related to health concerns such as higher rates of industry-related deaths, immediate deaths and/or injuries in the event of a meltdown, and lethal doses of hazardous waste that could last 12 00 human generations. Uranium may be cheap and more powerful to use and uranium itself is not bad, but the health and environmental concerns far outweigh the benefits of using nuclear energy. Mining “waste” is the main problem. “The main danger lies in mining waste; it contains radium, which is highly radioactive” (Smith, p. 3). The health risks associated with it are lung cancer, bone cancer and lymphoma (to name a few)..