Is nuclear power a better option for energy than fossil fuels?

As the debate over how to mitigate global climate change continues, one of the biggest issues is how to replace fossil fuels that create carbon emissions with clean and sustainable energy. While wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower are big contenders, there's a renewed interest in nuclear energy as a way to provide efficient power. But with the fallout of well-known disasters like Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima hanging over the industry; the environmental impact of uranium mining and storing radioactive waste; and the costs of building and maintaining reactors, is nuclear power really a better option than fossil fuels?

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Additional resources to think about

Green New Deal Aims To Address Climate Change. Would It Work Without Nuclear Power?
In this full episode of On Point, David Folkenflik talks to climate change experts and reporters about the Green New Deal and its relationship to nuclear power.

Finding Room for Nuclear Energy in the 'Green New Deal'
This video from Bloomberg asks whether nuclear energy is safe enough to play a potential role in combatting climate change.

What's Next for Nuclear?
KQED QUEST explores the history and future of nuclear power.

Nuclear Energy Explained: How does it work? (1/3)
3 Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Is Terrible! (2/3)
3 Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Is Awesome! (3/3)
In this trio of videos from Kurzgesagt, we learn how nuclear energy works as well as the pros and cons.

Is Nuclear Power Good Or Bad?
The guys from The Good Stuff take a look at the pros and cons of nuclear energy and whether it still has a place in the future.

How do nuclear power plants work? | TED Ed
M.V. Ramana and Sajan Saini detail the challenges of nuclear power, and how exactly it works to create energy.

Why Nuclear Power Plants Must Be Part of the Energy Solution
This article from Yale E360 takes a look at how nuclear energy is the best solution for large-scale power.

5 Fast Facts About Nuclear Energy
This infographic from the U.S. Department of Energy gives a quick overview of some statistics and facts around the United States' nuclear power program.

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