Emissions, such as water vapor, from cooling towers and exhaust and ventilation systems in nuclear plants generally increase the temperature of the surrounding environment. These emissions are never toxic since in most cases it's just water vapor; however, continued interaction of the vapor and other emissions with the environment would eventually lead to changes in the microclimate of the plant's vicinity.
Other than producing power, nuclear energy is a component for making weapons that are very destructive and that release radioactive materials to the environment. The effects of radiation are normally residual and continue to affect the environment for a long time. Radioactivity damages the cells of living organisms, including plants causing mutation in progeny. To add to this, the plants may fail to reproduce after exposure to radioactivity.
Radiation from nuclear energy emissions affect humans and other animals in a similar way as it does plants. It affects the cells of the body causing abnormal growths and may lead to development of cancer. However, if not exposed for long, the cells can naturally repair themselves after exposure to radioactivity.
According to the Nuclear Energy Information Services (NEIS) a nonprofit organization committed to ending nuclear power, using nuclear energy for power is uneconomical and unnecessary. For example, the NEIS studies show that the United States has spent nearly half a trillion dollars in developing nuclear energy, yet it only supplies about 10 percent of the country's total energy needs. To add to this, people relying on nuclear energy for power, such as those in Illinois, spend more on their electrical bills as compared to other sources. Some people also argue that nuclear energy is unnecessary. As it supplies about 22 percent of electrical power used in the U.S. yet, unfortunately, people misuse and waste 25 percent of the power supplied to them.