Nuclear Energy: Energy of the Future or Imminent Disaster Background Since the year 1954 people have been faced with the conundrum of nuclear energy. This process, although unknown to some, occurs when decaying uranium heats water which then spins a turbine that produces energy. In the coming years, nuclear energy will play an important role in global energy consumption if we are to reach carbon targets. Although nuclear energy has existed for over fifty years, the battle over its use is still ongoing around the world. When most people hear about nuclear energy, the first thing that comes to mind is nuclear disasters. One of the most notable events took place “On April 26, 1986, [when] human error caused an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant north of Kiev, Ukraine. The accident resulted in the death of fifty workers and leaked radioactive materials across Europe.” (Duprea 2) Accidents like these and others have made the public quite weary of nuclear energy. This is for fear of contracting diseases, such as cancer, due to the radioactive material released in such accidents. Although these accidental disasters are not the only threat to the public. Another serious threat to nuclear facilities is the potential for a terrorist attack. “According to a report published by the US government commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda initially planned to hijack planes and fly them into US nuclear facilities.” (Duprea 3) This leads us to ask whether these facilities are worth the future possibility of a nuclear disaster on home soil? Although accidents are one of the harmful effects on the environment, they are not the only one. “The creation of usable energy in nuclear plants leaves a radioactive waste byproduct, composed of matter such as spent 'nuclear fuel'.” (2) These nuclear wastes are very deadly when they contact or enter