"In fact, nuclear protects our air quality as a form of zero-emission clean energy. That's because nuclear fission generates electricity without the harmful byproducts that coal, oil and natural gas emit."
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The word "nuclear" never once appears in the entire document. Nuclear is about as clean as it gets.
Is Nuclear Energy Renewable Energy?
Most supporters of nuclear energy point out the low carbon emission aspect of nuclear energy as its major characteristic to be defined as renewable energy. According to nuclear power opponents, if the goal to build a renewable energy infrastructure is to lower carbon emission then there is no reason for not including nuclear energy in that list. [1]
But one of the most interesting arguments for including nuclear energy in the renewable energy portfolio came from Bernard L Cohen, former professor at University of Pittsburg. Professor Cohen defined the term 'indefinite'(time span required for an energy source to be sustainable enough to be called renewable energy) in numbers by using the expected relationship between the sun (source of solar energy) and the earth. According to Professor Cohen, if the Uranium deposit could be proved to last as long as the relationship between the Earth and Sun is supposed to last (5 billion years) then nuclear energy should be included in the renewable energy portfolio. [2]
In his paper Professor Cohen claims that using breeder reactors (nuclear reactor able to generate more fissile material than it consumes) it is possible to fuel the earth with nuclear energy indefinitely. Although the amount of uranium deposit available could only supply nuclear energy for about 1000 years, Professor Cohen believes actual amount of uranium deposit available is way more than what is considered extractable right now. In his arguments he includes uranium that could be extracted at a higher cost, uranium from the sea water and also uranium from eroding earth crust by river water. All of those possible uranium resources if used in a breeder reactor would be enough to fuel the earth for another 5 billion years and hence renders nuclear energy as renewable energy.
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So either Ocasio-Cortez is confused about the merits of nuclear energy or she's being misrepresented by her detractors or both.
"Nuclear energy is by far the largest source of clean-air energy in the United States, generating more than 56 percent of the nation's emission-free electricity."