Environmental Protection
“Nuclear energy produces zero emissions during its operation. When measured against other forms of electric generation, nuclear power’s environmental impact is smaller in several ways.
Low pollution
Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power does not emit any gases or particles during its operation that contribute to smog and acid rain. This makes nuclear power an excellent choice for provinces and countries that want to achieve clean air, as Ontario did when it transitioned away from coal.
Fighting climate change
Nuclear electricity generation does not emit any greenhouse gases during operation, just like renewable energy sources, such as hydro, wind and solar power. Adding nuclear power to the energy mix is a practical way to protect the environment and combat climate change.
However, that figure does not include the whole life cycle operation of each form of power generation. When mining, construction, transportation, and disposal are taken into account, nuclear power still ranks alongside renewables, with lifetime carbon emissions of approximately 20 grams per kilowatt-hour.
Fossil fuels have considerably larger emissions. To generate the same amount of electricity as nuclear does, when the full life cycle is taken into account, natural gas emits 29 times as much carbon, while oil emits 52 times as much, and coal emits 62 times as much.
Low land use
Every form of electricity generation takes up land, but some use more than others. It would take an area the size of Nova Scotia to hold all the mining operations and nuclear power plants needed to supply the entire world’s electricity demand. For the same amount of energy, an area the size of Alberta would have to be covered with solar panels, or an area the size of Quebec would have to be equipped with wind farms. The footprint of hydroelectric power, which requires flooding of large areas around dams, is significantly larger than that of nuclear power.
