Nuclear-powered energy plants have been around for decades. The vapor-spewing towers are an unmistakable trademark of clean nuclear power. But what makes these reactors environmentally clean? It's because the nuclear reactors aren't burning anything to generate power, they are utilizing the heat created by radioactive substances. This means no direct emissions from the fuel. The only things coming out of these reactors are water vapor because water is used to cool and control the temperature of the reactors and in many cases, the water vapor that is made is also used to create additional electricity by moving turbines that are built into the chimneys of the reactor. After all those positives, it's no wonder nuclear power accounts for a fifth of America's power every year. But there some cons to the radioactive workhorses of the west. Nuclear reactors are very high maintenance and human error can lead to the meltdown of a plant, rendering the surrounding area inhospitable. Thankfully there are many modern measures in place that make the reactors of today extremely safe and the risk of a meltdown is practically 0. Though real problems arise after the nuclear plant runs its course when the radioactive material is spent. The nuclear waste that is left is extremely hard to dispose of safely. You cant bury it, and you cant dump it, so what happens to the radioactive waste? It is actually stored in select remote facilities, where it will sit until we find a real way to use or truly dispose of the toxic contents. That is a very basic rundown of how nuclear reactors work and their place in the world.