Episode 7: The Advocate and the Professor

Gridlocked: Why the 21st Century is Broken and How to Fix It

In the podcast’s third panel discussion show, Gridlocked writer and producer Nick O’Hara is joined by:

• Isabelle Boemeke, founder and executive director of Save Clean Energy and creator of online persona Isodope; and
• Jacopo Buongiorno, MIT professor of nuclear science and engineering and director of the Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems.

The panel builds on many of the issues raised in the previous And Now for Nuclear episode of Gridlocked, addressing key considerations of nuclear energy and the role it can play in helping us ‘solve’ climate change.

In the show, Isabelle and Jacopo discuss some of the perceived drawbacks of nuclear energy and the extent to which common objections to nuclear might be justified. These standard criticisms levelled at nuclear include the cost of building new nuclear plants, fears of radiation exposure and how nuclear waste (spent fuel) is handled and stored.

Our panellists also talk about security and the current hot topic of the war in Ukraine and whether it should give us pause for thought: should we be concerned that nuclear facilities might be vulnerable to attack/ sabotage from either state or non-state actors?

The show ends with Jacopo and Isabelle discussing the possibilities for nuclear and the extent to which right now might be considered to be nuclear energy’s “moment.”

Suggested Links:

• Gridlocked
• Renovata
• Jacopo Buongiorno
• Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems
• Save Clean Energy
• Isodope