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In the mid-20th century, nuclear energy was seen as the technology of the future. Then, questions about its environmental impact and waste, alongside crises like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, created a major public backlash, and the construction of new nuclear in places like the US stalled altogether.
But as the climate crisis pushes demand for non-fossil fuel energy, nuclear is once again being positioned as the energy source of the future: emissions free and a reliable baseload, ready to be deployed at scale again.
As M. V. Ramana, physicist and Professor at the University of British Columbia, argues in today’s episode however, the case for new nuclear power is not just misguided, but potentially dangerous. But the reasons he thinks so might surprise you, going beyond the standard points about accidents and waste to the heart of the political economy of the energy transition.
This talk was originally presented in partnership with the How The Light Gets In Festival, held in London in September 2025
