The Atomic Show #090 – Talking nuclear and climate change with Mark Seall of TalkClimateChange.com

Mark Seall and Rod Adams talk about nuclear power, its role in fighting climate change and poverty, and Mark’s growing understanding of the risk tradeoffs associated with energy production systems.

Mark Seall is a Brit living in Switzerland who has developed a strong interest in environmentalism and in the European activities aimed at reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Last year he started a blog titled TalkClimateChange.com and he also is a contributing blogger at Green Options.

He recently determined that he wanted to participate in the nuclear power debate that has been growing in the UK and in Europe, but upon consideration decided that he did not yet know enough to make a well reasoned comment. Instead, he set up a debate forum on Green Options that he titled Nuclear Energy “Live” Debate and invited me to play the role of the pro-nuclear “expert”. I enjoyed the experience and decided that it would be useful to invite Mark onto The Atomic Show so that he could talk about his efforts, what he learned about nuclear energy from the debate and how he now feels about its potential for good in the future.

We talked about a range of topics including risk perception, Chernobyl (who can avoid that topic in any pro or con discussion about nuclear energy), technology improvements in nuclear power, personnel training programs, and energy system marketing efforts.

Hope you enjoy the conversation.

Okay – I cannot help myself. It is time to brag just a little. Yesterday, Mark made an announcement on his blog that he was Coming Off The Nuclear Fence and stating that “However, when faced with pressing realities and faced with a choice between relieving poverty, aggravating climate change, or accepting a manageable risk it looks like nuclear is our option – for now.”

I like to think that my atomic evangelism effort has had something to do with this decision.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:07 — 23.8MB)

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