The Argument for Nuclear Power

Deductive Argument – Draft We live in an era of untold gasoline prices and frequent political dialogue about finding and using alternative forms of energy. Some of these alternative energy sources that are being bantered about and, in some places, implemented include solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. The majority of Americans would agree that all of these forms of alternative energy are safe and should be pursued as new means of powering the country. However, there is one well-known energy source that stirs up dissent and division among the country’s citizens: nuclear power. It’s no secret that in the past decade or so the United States has been actively seeking to curb its dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels such as coal, foreign oil, and also oil and gasoline that is produced right here in the country. Fossil fuels are known to be harmful to the environment and their steeply rising costs in recent years have caused a significant negative impact to the economy. Just a few months ago on December 5th, 2013, President Barak Obama signed a memorandum directing the federal government to get twenty percent of its electricity from renewable and alternative energy sources by the year 2020. According to a statement from the White House, that would be more than double the current percentage of electricity that comes from alternative or renewable energy. In his memorandum the President wrote: “In order to create a clean energy economy that will increase our nation’s prosperity, promote energy security, combat climate change, protect the interests of taxpayers, and safeguard the health of our environment, the federal government must lead by example.” The use of nuclear power is a polarizing topic among many Americans. Due to historical catastrophes such as the disasters at Chernobyl in the Ukraine in 1986, and the Fukushima Daiichi reactor in Japan in 2011, many people are strongly against the United States pursuing nuclear energy due to the perceived risks and