Compared to other energy sources, nuclear power plants produce 0 direct greenhouse gases, the main cause of global warming. This comes from the fact that nuclear power plants create energy by breaking down atoms rather than burning fuels that can release unwanted molecules into the air. On that note, by relying more on these plants, it is possible to greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and slow down the rate of global warming.

Nuclear power is extremely effective. 1 kilogram of Uranium-235 can generate over 24 million kilowatts of electricity, While 1 kilogram of coal only generates about 8 kilowatts of electricity. This means that nuclear power plants can easily produce enough energy to meet not just the needs of homeowners, but also of factories and other industrial and commercial establishments.

Compared to other types of power plants, nuclear power plants have lower operating costs. Uranium, the original energy source of nuclear power plants, is relatively less expensive to obtain than other fuel sources since it can be easily found in most rocks and even in sea water. Nuclear reactors can also last up to 60 years, which means there’s no need to build a new power plant every now and then.

Uranium is one of the least plentiful minerals—making up only two parts per million in the earth's crust—but because of its radioactivity it is a plentiful supply of energy. One pound of uranium has as much energy as three million pounds of coal. Radioactive elements gradually decay, losing their radioactivity. The time it takes to lose half of its radioactivity is called a "half life." U-238, the most common form of uranium, has a half life of 4.5 billion years. Uranium is found in a number of geological formations, as well as sea water. To be mined as a fuel, however, it must be sufficiently concentrated, making up at least one hundred parts per million (0.01 percent) of the rock it is in.

Nuclear power plants may not produce a lot of greenhouse gasses, but they do create large amounts of radioactive waste by-products during the energy creation process. These waste have high temperatures and emit large amounts of radiation so, if they’re improperly disposed of and dumped in forests, lakes, and other areas, they can easily contaminate the land and bodies of water and destroy plants and animals in the vicinity. The worst part of this is that radioactive waste can last for thousands of years, which means they can continue doing harm even millennia from now.
The mining process is also similar to coal mining, with both open pit and underground mines. It produces similar environmental impacts, with the added hazard that uranium mine tailings are radioactive. Groundwater can be polluted not only from the heavy metals present in mine waste, but also from the traces of radioactive uranium still left in the waste.