Atomic Show #316 – Emmet Penney, Pronuclear Poet

Atomic Show #316 – Emmet Penney, Pronuclear Poet

Emmet Penney is an unlikely, but effective pronuclear advocate. He earned his degrees in fine arts and great books and worked for several years as a professional poet – along with working in a bookstore as a way to keep paying the bills. He gradually transitioned from poetry into writing thoughtful essays on a variety…

Why would climate publications disrespect nuclear fission?

Why would climate publications disrespect nuclear fission?

Here is another instance of climate reporting that treats nuclear fission as if it barely exists. Before COP28, Cipher published an “Exclusive” that led off with “The United States is working behind the scenes to ensure nuclear power is not excluded from an expected global pledge to boost renewables at the upcoming climate summit in…

Why did The Energy Gang overlook the newsworthy impact of nuclear energy on COP28?

Why did The Energy Gang overlook the newsworthy impact of nuclear energy on COP28?

The Energy Gang’s Dec 15 episode discussed the major outcomes from COP28. Ed Crooks (@Ed_Crooks), Dr. Melissa Lott @mclott, and Amy Harder (@AmyAHarder) completed the show without mentioning nuclear energy. That episode of the long-running, respected energy podcast was produced just four days after a focused episode reporting on #nuclear energy’s important role at COP28….

Oliver Stone’s “Nuclear” – An optimistic look at a powerful tool for addressing climate change and energy security

Oliver Stone’s “Nuclear” – An optimistic look at a powerful tool for addressing climate change and energy security

By early 2019, Oliver Stone, a successful filmmaker who has created a long list of popular works of art, had become increasingly concerned and even depressed about what he had learned about the risk climate change posed to humanity. He’d watched Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” and paid attention to dire warnings coming from credible scientific…

Nuclear advocates overwhelm a clean energy poll with a write-in candidate

On January 12, 2022, the New York Power Authority posted a poll on its Twitter feed. It asked people to vote for the clean energy technology they would like more of in 2022. The poll listed electric vehicles, green hydrogen, solar and geothermal. Within a couple of hours, more than sixty users had responded to…

U. S. should strengthen and export its atomic energy capabilities

Donald Trump has once again caused a huge stir with the issuance of a 140 character statement of purpose. Here is the tweet heard around the world: The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)…

Maria Korsnick describes nuclear industry strategy under incoming Trump Administration

Maria Korsnick, the new President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, recently talked with Monica Trauzzi, host of E&E News’s OnPoint. Korsnick and Trauzzi discussed the nuclear industry’s near term future and its public information strategy under the coming Donald Trump Administration. A complete transcript of the interview is posted on the E&E News…

Maria Korsnick brings fresh thinking to nuclear energy leadership

Maria Korsnick has a passion for nuclear energy and a well- informed view of the challenges and opportunities the U.S. nuclear industry faces. That was my impression after recently attending her first press conference as NEI’s new president and CEO. “If we hope to maximize nuclear energy’s immense potential globally, the United States must take…

Watts Bar Unit 2 has been shut down since Oct 22 due to transformer issues

Last week, with significant fanfare, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced that Watts Bar Unit 2 had begun commercial operation. It had completed a 20 day reliability run following the completion of power accession testing. That October 19th declaration changed the status of the reactor from a capital construction project to a working asset. That status…

Public is rational about radiation; the industry isn’t

Malcolm Grimston, a senior research fellow at Imperial College in the UK, gave a fascinating talk to the Canadian Nuclear Association’s February 2016 meeting. His message includes powerful suggestions for people who are excited about the prospects of using nuclear energy to solve some of humanity’s most wicked problems. It’s also a critical message for…

Advanced Reactor leaders: Will you put one in your backyard?

I returned from the Nuclear Energy Insider International Advanced Reactor and SMR Summit with revived energy, optimism and passion for participating in an expanding effort to smooth and straighten the tortuous path associated with producing increased quantities of clean energy from atomic fission. The effort isn’t small, it isn’t narrowly focused, and it isn’t–by any…