Nuclear power plants are considered attractive to financial supporters and the government because of their baseload functionality. Perhaps even more notably they do not emit any of the six common air pollutants (ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, or lead) nor do they emit any greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, or fluorinated gases). The latter fact has increased backing from non-traditional supporters of nuclear power – environmentalists. In comparing the advantages of nuclear energy vs. renewable energy one characteristic is glaringly prominent – nuclear power’s energy density is tremendously higher. Energy density, as defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “the amount of energy (as in a beam of radiation) per unit volume.” To explain this, nuclear energy uses less mass of fuel to produce more energy. Another distinct quality that makes nuclear power advantageous is its reliability compared to renewable energy sources. Weather has a great impact on the efficiency of renewables, whereas nuclear energy is sustained at full capacity regardless of the weather. Wind power and solar power have gained support over the last few years; however they take up massive areas of land for the solar arrays and wind turbines. Biofuels also take up land which might otherwise be used to sustain the food supply. Nuclear plants require less land and therefore minimize the displacement of habitats surrounding them. Nuclear power does have its disadvantages – risk of accidents and radioactive waste. However when proper training and implementation of proven safety protocols are established the risk of accidents is significantly reduced. For example, “the U.S. Navy has accumulated over 5,400 “reactor years” of accident-free experience, and operates more than 80 nuclear-powered ships.” http://www.navy.mil/navydata/testimony/safety/bowman031029.txt  The disposal of radioactive waste seems to a major point of contention between those for and against nuclear power.

Cost reductions dominate the discussion and mission of businesses worldwide. Increasingly businesses are turning to bean-counters to provide ideas for saving money. More often than not labor costs headline the list of means to reduce operating costs. More and more traditional jobs are being out-sourced to lessen the costs of payroll – saving money by not paying benefits or payroll taxes. This deters opening a position within companies for sustainability managers. One role of a sustainability manager is to implement policies for reducing energy costs. This opens up the opportunity to provide energy cost reduction consultation to businesses. Determining the energy demand to sustain operations and offering suggestions to meet those demands with “green energy” and “green building” techniques can create a long term savings for companies. This service will increase in demand as the world transitions away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.