evaluate the bene ts and disadvantages of nuclear power and renewable energy sources

•nuclear power 

          •advantages 

                    •raw material needed is very small 

                    •contributes relatively little to acid rain, global warming and climate change 

                    •there is a lot of research being carried out over safety 

                    •highly received from international government 

                    •many safety measures

                    •allows countries to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, cutting imports 

          •disadvantages

                    •concerns about safety of technology 

                    •potential for disastrous accidents to take place 

                    •living near plants may suffer from poor health 

                    •nuclear waste is difficult and expensive and dangerous to dispose 

                    •plants are expensive to build, and to close down 

•fuelwood

          •largest use in Asia and Africa, where wood is used for shelter, fuel, food and shade 

          •severe shortages limit development, as it is the cheapest energy resource

          •isolated rural areas rely on fuelwood, where they are far away from power grids 

          •use of fuelwood uses less deforestation then land for agriculture 

•geothermal 

          •advantages 

                    •renewable 

                    •provides constant supply

                    •unpolluted 

                    •creates jobs

                    •extremely cheap 

                    •water is reused 

                    •unaffected by weather 

          •disadvantages 

                    •high construction cost 

                    •high maintenance cost 

                    •limited to volcanic areas 

                    •groundwater is often poisonous 

                    •areas suitable are often affected by earthquakes 

•wind power

          •advantages 

                    •safe (not radioactive) 

                    •affects ecosystems minimally 

                    •very cheap after initial expense 

                    •creates jobs 

                    •small farmers can earn money 

                    •no global warming 

          •disadvantages 

                    •wind is inconsistent 

                    •spoils the natural attraction 

                    •expensive and inefficient 

                    •noisy

                    •cannot be used during storms 

                    •inefficient 

                    •can interrupt TV and radio reception 

•wave and tidal power

          •advantages 

                    •cannot see it visually 

                    •constant supply of electricity 

                    •no pollution 

                    •reservoir can be used for waterspouts, and attract businesses 

                    •no fuel costs 

                    •can respond to changing demand 

                    •stored water can be used for irrigation and for the people                    

         •disadvantages 

                    •difficult to withstand wave power 

                    •hard to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy 

                    •expensive to build 

                    •destroys habitats 

                    •can create geological damage e.g earthquakes 

                    •whole communities may have to move

•solar power 

          •advantages

                    •safe

                    •pollution free

                    •efficient and limitless

                    •opportunities in LEDCs where it is sunnier 

                    •can be used in remote areas where electric lines may be expensive 

                    •costs are being reduced 

          •disadvantages 

                    •hindered by weather 

                    •expensive  

                    •hard to construct 

                    •less effective for high-powered output uses 

•biofuels 

          •advantages 

                    •prices are more stable than oil prices

                    •supplies can be more secure and reduce reliance on import 

                    •fewer pollutants are produced 

                    •can be produced wherever there is sufficient crop growth 

                    •they can be blended with other fuels, reducing their reliance 

          •disadvantages 

                    •land used is often farmland, leading to food price increase and decrease in supply

                    •manufactures use significant amount of energy, creating emissions 

                    •low-energy output compared to traditional 

                    •ruin habitats by taking over land  

                    •forces people to move off their lives