What Is Nuclear Power?
Before diving into Bill Gates’s $1 billion announcement, it’s first crucial to understand what nuclear power is and why there is such a heated debate surrounding this sustainable energy source.
Source: Adobe Stock
Nuclear power is a zero-emission, plentiful energy source that is created through nuclear or atomic reactions, otherwise known as nuclear fusion. However, nuclear power isn’t yet ready to completely replace fossil fuels.
Nuclear Power Is Still Being Perfected
Harnessing nuclear power is no easy feat. It’s a complicated and irritatingly difficult process, but scientists around the world have been working to finalize a way to use nuclear fusion to power the planet.
Source: Pexels
And they’ve certainly made headway. In 2020 alone, enough nuclear energy was created and used to reduce global carbon emissions by 470 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. That’s the equivalent of removing 100 million cars from the roads.
Environmentalists Against Nuclear Power
Even before they had reached this milestone, many scientists all around the world knew that nuclear power was the future; they simply had to work to find safe and sustainable ways to harness it.
Source: Freepik
However, many environmentalists have been vehemently opposed to the research and use of nuclear power as the energy source to replace toxic fossil fuels.
Environmentalists Prefer Solar or Wind Energy
What’s interesting is that while millions of people want desperately to find renewable or sustainable energy sources to replace the existing fossil fuel methods that they know are dangerous, few are excited about nuclear power.
Source: Freepik
Instead, they’ve placed their faith, money, and energy into highly unreliable sources like solar or wind farms. Progressives in the field, like Bernie Sanders or Ed Markey, have both publicly supported solar and wind energy and rallied against nuclear fusion.
There Will Never Be Enough Sun or Wind to Replace Fossil Fuels
Michael Shellenberger, the founder of the pro-nuclear non-profit Environmental Progress, used to be an anti-nuclear activist, but he recently changed his tune. He said in his TED Talk: “It’s natural that those of us that became very concerned about climate change would gravitate towards really romantic solutions like harmonizing human civilization with the natural world using renewable energies.”
Source: Freepik
Schellenberg continued, “[But] over time, it gradually struck me that there was really no amount of technological innovation that was going to make the sun shine more regularly or wind blow more reliably.”
Bill Gates Invested $1 Billion Into Nuclear Power
Schellenberg is not the only person who has recently realized the immense benefits of nuclear power; Microsoft founder, philanthropist, and multi-billionaire Bill Gates has also embraced the newest form of zero-emission energy.
Source: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
In fact, Gates recently announced that he donated a whopping $1 billion to the research and generation of nuclear power, explaining, “[Nuclear power] is a big step toward safe, abundant, zero-carbon energy, and it’s important for the future of this country that projects like this succeed.”
TerraPower Will Be the Next Big Name in Sustainable Energy
Gates gave his money to the growing Wyoming-based company TerraPower. The new company estimates that building the plant and nuclear reactor will cost an almost unbelievable $4 billion, so Gates’ $1 billion is just 25% of the funding it needs to complete construction.
Source: TerraPower
However, they recently announced that construction is well underway and that they expect to be up and running by the end of 2024.
The TerraPower Natrium Reactor Could Change the World
They plan to build and use a Natrium Reactor within the giant TerraPower nuclear plant to provide millions of Americans with zero-emission and environmentally friendly energy. In addition to being wildly powerful, the 345-megawatt Natrium Reactor is also supposed to be much safer than previous generations as it uses sodium to cool the reactor.
Source: TerraPower
According to TerraPower, the Natrium reactor “redefines what nuclear technology can be: emissions-free, competitive and flexible. Built for the 21st-century grid, TerraPower’s Natrium technology is one of the fastest and lowest-cost paths to advanced, zero-carbon energy.”
The Nuclear Energy Institute Is Extremely Excited About TerraPower’s Plan
Although TerraPower has yet to be approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the company, Gates, and even the Nuclear Energy Institute are confident that it will pass with flying colors.
Source: Wikipedia
Nuclear Energy Institute president Maria Korsnick explained, “[TerraPower] marks a significant step forward for the future of nuclear energy. We are shaping a brighter, cleaner future for our nation.”
Some Countries Have Abandoned Nuclear Energy
It’s no secret that fossil fuels are killing the planet, but with so many people still opposed to nuclear energy, countries and corporations around the world are struggling to find ways to produce enough sustainable energy to eliminate hazardous fuels like gas, oil, and coal for good.
Source: Wikipedia
What’s especially frustrating for many scientists in the field is that some countries have abandoned nuclear research in order to appease the environmentalists. In fact, Germany has shut down all of its nuclear power plants since the Green Party prompted them to do so.
Environmentalists Can and Should Change Their Minds
As Shellenberger explained in his TED Talk, “As the facts have come in, many of us have started to question our prior beliefs and change our minds.” In other words, many environmentalists and scientists who were previously anti-nuclear have since seen its many benefits.
Source: Freepik
Science is constantly changing, and people need to be able to adjust their previous opinions to find the best possible solution for the future. In this case, those who have historically been against nuclear power can and should change their minds if they want to save the planet as they say they do.