Syllabus Coverage: NFC1.1
Key Points
- The chief environmental benefit of nuclear power is the drastic reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to fossil fuels.
- Nuclear power also produces negligible SO₂ and NOₓ emissions during operation.
- Surprisingly, nuclear power can also reduce public radiation exposure compared to coal, because coal-fired stations release significant radioactivity (mainly uranium and thorium) in fly ash.