From a Sustainable Development perspective, is nuclear energy a curse or a blessing?

Essay from the year 2016 in the subject Energy Sciences, grade: 20 out of 20, University of St Andrews, course: Sustainable Development, language: English, abstract: In the face of growing concerns about climate change, the calls for a shift away from fossil fuels as the dominant source of the world's energy are becoming more pronounced. Ultimately, the goal is energy production without further pollution. One option that has been proposed as a possible alternative is nuclear energy. However, debates continue to rage, especially in the field of sustainable development, about the suitability of nuclear power to replace fossil fuels. Using France and Japan as case studies, this essay argues that in the quest for sustainable development, nuclear energy will solve more problems than it will create, and it must be embraced as a vital part of the energy mix going forward.