Like all forms of electricity, nuclear energy generates waste. In the United States, more than 70 million homes are powered by nuclear energy, which generates 2,200 tons of spent fuel per year. Collectively, all spent fuel since the 1950s could fit on a single football field at a depth of less than 10 yards. For comparison, to power the same 70 million homes with coal, this is what the waste looks like: - 642M tons of carbon dioxide - 275M tons of sulfur dioxide - 183M tons of nitrogen oxides - 6.1M tons of particulate matter - 15.29 tons of mercury Like its power, nuclear's waste is also small and compact. The more you dive into the facts, the more common arguments against nuclear power start to fall apart.