Nuclear Radiation and Nature

Most of the human exposure to radiation is from natural causes (such as background radiation). The remaining amount comes from medial procedures such a x-rays. It was believed that living next t o a nuclear factory would increase your risk for cancer since radiation pulses through your cells. However, the chance of radiation giving you cancer is 1 in 50 quadrillion. As you can see, that is pretty slim.

The effects of nuclear power on fauna, however, are not exactly known. After the disaster in Chernobyl in 1986, the Ukrainian government set up a project called The Zone of Alienation (a perfect case of an 'involuntary park'), which was an area around Chernobyl which no one was supposed to enter. This was done in order to prevent looting and further spread of radiation across the area. Reports filled in that, there were dozens of mutated deformities in bird and mammal roaming around the area. However, the only confirmed case were several cases of partial albinism in swallows. It seems that most of nature in The Zone of Alienation has actually flourished due to almost no human interaction. It is somewhat of a 'Radiological Reserve'. Beavers, deer, and elk have even multiplied and are starting to move outside the Zone. Even the rare lynx has been spotted, and plant life is abundant.

Nuclear plants also do not directly create air pollution. Since there is no burning, such as in fossil fuels, nuclear plants do not create carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, the three main groups of greenhouse gases. However, the nonethecal methods of nuclear waste indirectly lead to higher emissions of greenhouse gasses. Nuclear waste disposal standards continue to rise as controlling the amount of greenhouse gases becomes a global issue. However, nuclear plants are typically cleaner than fossil fuel burning ones.

As you can see, the effects of nuclear power on nature are practically none. Human exposure to extra radiation does not really increase the chances of getting cancer. And plants and fauna seem to be almost better off in a radiation zone. Furthermore, nuclear plants are cleaner and don't waste as much energy as fossil fuel ones do, and is one of the reasons countries are starting to realize the investments of building them.