Nuclear Barbarians: Recent Episodes
Emmet Penney
Emmet Penney talks to experts, workers, journalists, and scholars from all over the world about nuclear energy, energy issues, culture, and society. Subscribe to the substack to get the newsletter and the podcast sent directly to your inbox: https://nuclearbarians.substack.com/
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Late in the night on July 4th, Aalo Atomics took their test reactor critical. In this episode, Aalo’s co-founder and CEO, Matt Loszak, returned to speak with me about the company’s experience in the DOE’s reactor pilot program. The conversation took a fascinating look at moving fast and building things—from sourcing materials to cultivating mindset.
We recorded this a few weeks ago in anticipation of Aalo’s success. Needless to say I was notsurprised when the team got it over the line. Huge congratulations to them and everyone else in the pilot program.
You can read more about their criticality here.
This is the first in a series of check-ins with previous guests about the unfolding nuclear renaissance. In this episode, Tyler Bernstein, CEO and co-founder of Zeno Power, returns to talk with me about Zeno’s progress (check out our first episode here). We chop it up about the importance of Trump’s EOs, NASA’s commitment to a permanent lunar base, and—wait! I’m burying the lede.
Zeno has just acquired Vallecitos Nuclear Center in California, the first commercially owned nuclear plant. Though the plant itself is decommissioned, Zeno will be using its hot cells to industrialize the production of their nuclear batteries. My conversation with Tyler made the nuclear renaissance feel all the more real.
The thumbnail for this episode is a photo of one of the hot cells; to see more (as we discuss in the episode), you can check out this video.
I'll admit, I'm a bit of a fusion skeptic. But! There are exciting things happening in the fusion industry these days. So, I brought Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association, to talk to me about why things are looking up for fission's avant-garde cousin. Andrew's candor, insight, and enthusiasm made him a great guest. I had questions about everything from break-even hurdles to robotics and he handled it all with aplomb. I came away from this episode convinced that regardless of how near or far away commercial fusion may be, America should invest in R&D to try and crack it: the tech is too cool and the lessons we'll learn along the way too valuable.
In today’s episode, I got to talk about something near and dear to my heart (nuclear waste reprocessing) with Carl Perez of Exodys Energy, a nuclear waste reprocessing company. Carl is a wealth of knowledge, as you’ll hear in the episode. We discuss the basics of waste reprocessing, the history of the industry, what makes Exodys stand out, and why getting waste reprocessing right will change the world.
Check out Exodys here.
Today I’m joined by Julie Kozeracki, the Chief Investment Officer of the Energy Dominance Financing Office, which serves as the Department of Energy’s bank. We talk about her admiration for Admiral Hyman Rickover, the nature of the EDF, financing large light water reactors and small modular reactors, why the EDF’s operations are vital to a nuclear renaissance in America, and more!
I felt really lucky to speak with Julie. I’m a huge fan of hers and a major supporter of the EDF’s work.
Read more about the EDF here!
For this episode, my guest is Jeff Waksman, whose official title is Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. That’s a long title. In brief, he’s trying to get microreactors built for the US Army via the Janus Program. We discussed the nature of the program, unforeseen challenges in hard tech, why the Army is pursuing microreactors, and more!
You can learn more about Janus here.
And you can follow Jeff Waksman on X—which I heartily recommend.
One of the best parts of running this podcast is the chance to learn about aspects of the nuclear industry I know little about. Today’s guest, the President and CEO of United Clean Up Oak Ridge, taught me all about remediating nuclear sites. UCOR, the DOE’s contractor for the Oak Ridge Reservation, boasts an impressive suite of expertise and logistical acumen dedicated to turning over former Manhattan Project sites for civilian and government use. Ken broke down the steps of remediation and the heavy machinery needed (including robots!) to deliver on these projects. I really appreciated the beauty of his vision: remediating Manhattan project sites to spur the nuclear renaissance.
This episode brought out the little kid in me. A huge thank you to Ken for making the time for our discussion.
You can learn more about UCOR here.
Reed Clay, President of the Texas Nuclear Alliance, joined me today to talk about how Texas is gearing up for the nuclear renaissance. We discussed how he came to support nuclear by learning about waste, what has set Texas’s nuclear strategy apart from other states, how TNA’s annual summit is shaping the national nuclear landscape, and Reed’s advice for other states that want to become nuclear hubs.
Reed is a humble, hard-working guy and it was a pleasure to speak with him.
This episode is dedicated to all of the light water reactor fans out there. Especially if you like your LWRs in water. Listen to this conversation with the co-founder and CEO of Blue Energy, Jake Jurewicz, and you'll understand what I mean. Jake is a utility industry veteran with a lifetime of experience on construction sites, so our discussion about how his new company is going to site SMRs on waterways and ship them by barge gets into all kinds of deployment nitty gritty: management, permitting, financing, you name it.
Check out Blue Energy's website, LinkedIn, and X account.
Craig Fuller comes from a legacy trucking family. He’s also the CEO and founder of Freightwaves, the Bloomberg of logistics. So, Craig’s the perfect guy to write an accessible primer on supply chains, which is exactly what he’s done. He came on the show to talk about the new book, Moving the World: How the Supply Chain’s Evolution Affects Us All (which you can pre-order here!). We dig into what the Covid crisis taught us about supply chains, why reshoring makes sense both economically and strategically, and how supply chains and the grid are similar.
Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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Zeno Power, a cutting edge nuclear company, is making batteries powered with Strontium 90 for niche deployment cases: the moon, the arctic, and the seafloor. I got to pick Zeno cofounder and CEO Tyler Bernstein’s brain about their exciting new technology, why Zeno’s work is critical in our increasingly multipolar world, and the upsides of competing with China.
This was a fascinating discussion and I think you guys are going to love it.
Not long after we recorded this episode, Zeno added former NASA chief technologist AC Charania to its team as SVP of Space Business Development.
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Matt Loszak, the cofounder and CEO of Aalo Atomics, joined me to talk about Aalo’s progress rolling SMRs off the factory line. We get into Aalo’s test reactor at Idaho National Labs, a DOE path toward approving nuclear designs, how Trump’s nuclear executive orders have helped the industry, “zero power criticality,” and more.
Since we recorded this episode, Aalo has closed its $100 million Series B and has officially been selected by the DOE to test the Aalo-X reactor at INL by hitting zero power criticality. And then they broke ground on the project just a few days ago!
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There are so many exciting developments in the nuclear space, I can hardly keep up. And not just in the realm of reactors. Kurt Terrani, the CEO of Standard Nuclear, joined me to talk about his new company and its ambitions for TRISO fuel. For me, this was a major download on nuclear fuel types. Kurt’s a very knowledgable dude working with a highly experienced team.
Check out Standard Nuclear on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.
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On today’s episode, I spoke with Scott Lathrop, the Founder and Chief Executive Director of Native Nuclear. Like me, Scott sees nuclear power as a multi-generational infrastructure investment that serves as a sheet anchor for healthy communities and healthy economies. But he brings a distinctly native perspective to nuclear that subverts stereotypes, just like the educational work his organization is doing in tribal energy politics. I learned a lot from Scott during this interview and I know you guys are going to enjoy it!
Check out Native Nuclear on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe
Former navy nuke Ari Brown joined me to talk about his experience in the service. For me, his story offers profound insight into what it takes to institutionalize excellence.
Then we talk about his new company, Bellwether LLC, and how Ari is using his programming background and acoustic analysis skills to figure out how to fix machines in an innovative way.
Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe
For this episode, Joe Klecha, the Chief Nuclear Officer at The Nuclear Company, joined me to talk about his background as a navy nuke, his time working on the Vogtle build, and what it takes to pull off megaprojects. Then we discuss how TNC’s recent deal with Palantir is going to unleash fleets of new nuclear power plants.
I learned so much from this episode—Joe is a patriot, a leader, and a wealth of knowledge. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did.
Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe
On this episode, Andrew Kirima of the Texas Nuclear Alliance stops by to talk about his origins as a nuclear advocate, what’s been going on with nuclear in Texas, and how the TNA fits into the American nuclear scene.
Register for the TNA Summit this October!
Check out Andrew on X and LinkedIn.
And also check out the other nuclear project Andrew is involved with: Exodys Energy.
Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe
In a special bonus episode, I speak with comic book writer Aubrey Sitterson about his new hard scifi geopolitical space opera, Free Planet.
This comic has it all: energy literacy, questions of science and technology, the trials and tribulations of democracy, and some incredible layouts.
I hope you guys enjoy this break from our usual programming. I encourage you to head down to your local comic shop and snatch up Issue 01, which you can read a sample of here.
Also: check out Aubrey’s Substack, Atlantis Still Sunk, which is chalk full of behind the scenes deep dives into the making of and research behind Free Planet.
Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe
Benton Arnett, Director of Markets and Policy at the Nuclear Energy Institute, joined me to talk about nuclear’s prospects today and what makes it such a boon for energy security.
Benton’s a great guy with a deep knowledge base. I had a lot of fun chatting with him and learned things about the nuclear supply chain construction that surprised me!
Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe
John and I are back with the first installment of our series on one of Galileo’s masterworks in the history of philosophy and science: Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems. We dive into the historical context in which the work was published and then discuss the book’s dedication to the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
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Film critic and writer Andrew Plimpton returns to the pod to talk about one of the greatest American films of all time—Chinatown—which also happens to be a canonical film about the politics of energy. We dive into the film’s themes, noir as a genre, Jack Nicholson as a writer, and much more.
Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe
Spencer Klavan joined me to talk about his new book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science Through Faith. We talk about "Newtonian" Default Mode, the history of science, what innovations in physics mean for the faithful and secular alike, and much more!
Check out Spencer's Substack, Rejoice Evermore.
Check out The American Mind’s Roundtable.
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One of my favorite things about running this podcast is getting to talk to people with way more experience than me. Dr. Scott Tinker, a geologist and energy expert with decades of experience, joined me to talk about the breadth of his career, how our understanding of energy has changed over time, energy realism, teaching people the energy basics, and more!
Check out the Switch Energy Alliance!
And Scott’s show, Energy Switch!
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John and I finish up our series on the esoteric origins of the Enlightenment by diving into romanticism, mesmerism, the forgotten aspects of Jung, American New Age stuff, and way more!
Next up: Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems.
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In our penultimate Hanegraaff episode, John and I take a look at how “magic,” “superstition,” and the “occult” became epithets divorced from critical reasoning, the uncomfortable overlap between occult and scientific practices, and I deliver a brief monologue on how all of this shows up in the work of HP Lovecraft.
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In our second episode on Hanegraff’s Esotericism and the Academy, John and I dive into the “history of error,” and how Protestantism and refinements in historical practices began to put pressure on the Renaissance conceptions of perennial philosophy and ancient wisdom.
John also had some corrections for Hanegraff!
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John and I are back with our new series. This time we’re working through Wouter Hanegraaff’s Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Culture.
Hanegraff’s project looks at the debates over the recovery of ancient texts and their impact on Christian life and thought and what that means for us today, especially when it comes to our weird world of scientism on the one hand and woo-woo New Age-y stuff on the other. The material is dense and you might feel a little overwhelmed listening to the podcast—don’t worry! After the first two episodes (the first half of the series) it gets way easier and more fun, but this episode in the next are necessary listening/reading (if you want to follow along in the book) to appreciate the second half.
However, if you haven’t listened to our series on Michael Gillespie’s The Theological Origins of Modernity, don’t listen to this one just yet. You can start the Gillespie series here, as it provides great and more accessible background for the Hanegraaff.
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John and I finish up our series on Michael Gillespie’s Theological Origins of Modernity—offering a break down of his final chapter and our closing thoughts.
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John and I spend this, our penultimate episode in the series, discussing Hobbes—his anthropology, his physics, his politics—and the nature of modernity’s “new science.”
If you have questions for our final Q&A episode, please leave a comment!
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John and I return to Gillespie’s book to talk about Luther, Erasmus, and Descartes and to dig into the motivations behind the ideas that inspired the philosophies that brought about the scientific revolution.
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Grant Dever joined me to talk about his recent work on the loss of Indian Point, lowering energy costs in America, the vitality of energy prosperity for America’s future, and more.
Autopsy of a Perfect Policy Failure: The Closure of Indian Point by Grant Dever
Liberating America: Overcoming Energy Scarcity and Inflation by Grant Dever
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John and I continue our journey through Gillespie’s Theological Origins of Modernity, this time we dig into Petrarch, Martin Luther, the underpinnings of enlightenment humanism, and more.
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John returns for the first installment of another reading series. This time we’re tackling Michael Gillespie’s The Theological Origins of Modernity, a book that aims at getting to the root of some of the major questions we face today as products of both the Industrial Revolution and the Enlightenment.
This is also the first in what John and I hope will be a longer project of delving into the history of the philosophy of science. After Gillespie we hope to explore works by Francis Bacon, Descartes, Galileo, Leibniz, Thomas Carlyle, David Hume, Edmund Husserl, and others.
We aim to conclude each author with a Q&A episode. So, if you have any questions, please leave a comment on the Substack—we’ll round them up and get to them at the end of each series.
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Rachael Zisk just launched a nuclear energy newsletter — Ignition — which is great. I brought her on to talk about her new venture, the challenges of covering highly technical topics, how the media landscape is changing, and more!
Subscribe to Ignition.
Subscribe to Payload.
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John and I finish up our discussion of the Machine in the Garden. We reflect on Leo Marx’s contribution—both its successes and failures. And we consider what opportunities there are to think about the American relationship with the Machine.
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Director Tyson Culver joined me to talk about his new docu-series with —Juice: Power, Politics, and the Grid. We talk about what Tyson learned while making documentaries with Robert about the grid and what’s currently going around with America’s electricity sector. Check it out!
You can watch it on YouTube here:
And you can watch their first documentary together here:
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John and I continue our series on Leo Marx’s The Machine in the Garden.
In this episode, we talk about Emerson, Thoreau, Melville, and Hawthorne.
We recorded this one a bit before Christmas last year.
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A reading of a piece I wrote for the American Mind.
You can read the text here.
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Author and mechanic of joined me to talk about the nature of progress, our over designed world, the limits of laissez faire, safetyism, the current golden age of hotrodding, and so much more.
Here are the pieces we discussed:
Misanthropic Use of the Nudge by Matthew B. Crawford
A $5,600 Taillight Repair? by Matthew B. Crawford
For a way more thorough look into Chernobyl, which comes up towards the end, check out this thread from my friend which has tons of links to resources etc. if you want a way better explanation of what happened than what I give here.
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I got to sit down with Doug Sandridge, an oil and gas guy with decades of experience, to talk about his shocking new project: OIL AND GAS EXECS FOR NUCLEAR. This is the story of someone called to action to stand up for energy abundance for all—Doug’s a great guy and I loved chatting with him.
Check out the declaration of Oil and Gas Execs for Nuclear.
Read Doug’s op-ed for Grid Brief.
Check out Doug’s Substack:
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Isaiah Taylor, the founder of Valar Atomics, joined me to talk about his new venture, how he wants to turn the nuclear energy over on its head, how his Christian faith and Midwestern roots inform his work, and much more.
Reach more about Valar here.
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John and I are back with our third installment of our reading series on The Machine in the Garden by Leo Marx.
This chapter is all about “the machine” as a symbol in American life and letters. We talk about obscure figures like the Pennsylvanian manufacturer Tench Coxe, Thomas Carlyle’s “Signs of the Times,” the Newtonian reconciliation of art and nature, 19th century machine boosterism, and more!
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Writer and film critic Andrew Plimpton returns to the pod to speak with me about Scorsese’s latest film, which centers around oil rights and a covert assault on the Osage tribe. We discuss the merits and demerits of this epically long film, Scorsese’s legacy, the American project, and more.
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John and I continue our series on Leo Marx’s The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America.
This chapter delves deep into the symbol of the garden—we dive into Marx’s reading of Jefferson, the nature of the pastoral ideal and how it evolved, the vision of Virginia, and more.
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Hugo Kruger is a razor sharp engineer with a deep knowledge of energy systems. He came onto the show to talk to me about what’s going on with South Africa’s grid. I learned a ton from this episode—I hope you guys enjoy it!
Check out Hugo’s work on Substack.
Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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John Goodson, my old co-host from the ex.haust podcast, joined me in the first of our series on Leo Marx’s The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America. There are a few audio problems in this episode, for which we apologize. Thankfully, they’re brief.
“Believing in America,” Leo Marx, Boston Review.
The Elizabethan World Picture: A Study of the Idea of Order in the Age of Shakespeare, Donne and Milton by Eustace Tilyard
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Spencer Klavan (author, podcaster, and editor) joined me to talk about that horrible Apple clean energy/Mother Nature video, neo-paganism as social and ideological force, quantum physics, epistemology, THE LORD, and more.
Watch the Apple video here.
“Mother Nature Returns,” Spencer Klavan, Rejoice Evermore
“Where Wind Meets Matter,” Spencer Klavan, Claremont Review of Books
Listen to Young Heretics, The Round Table, and The Close Read
Buy Spencer’s book: How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises
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Nick O’Hara—writer, host of the Gridlocked podcast, and owner of an enviable speaking voice—joined me to talk about climate, energy, how to have a sane conversation in insane times, and much more.
Listen to Gridlocked: Why the 21st Century is Broken and How to Fix It.
Why Big Oil Loves the Renewable Energy Industry by Nick O’Hara, Salon.
We abandoned nuclear power. Now the earth is paying the price. by Nick O’Hara, Salon.
Abandoning nuclear power was a mistake. Germany must return to the future of energy. by Nick O’Hara, Salon.
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Wireline worker Andrew De La Rosa came on to talk to me about the fracking process and how wireline works. I learned a ton from this conversation and had a great time. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Follow Andrew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tejanobrown
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Writer and film critic Andrew Plimpton joined me for a new running series we’re doing: Energy Cinema. For our inaugural episode, we decided to talk about the new Oppenheimer movie. Hope you enjoy it!
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Entergy’s Chief Nuclear Officer Kimberly Cook-Nelson stopped by the pod to talk to me about Entergy’s nuclear fleet, her experience working in the nuclear industry, how utilities plan on changing nuclear comms, and more.
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Juan David Rojas returns to Nuclear Barbarians to talk to me about Brazilian industrial history. We touch on Eletrobas, Petrobras, Brazil’s nuclear energy missteps, and a whole lot more.
“The Center That Will Always Hold: Brazil’s Lost Decades,” by Juan David Rojas, American Affairs
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Pat O’Brien, Holtec’s Director of Government Affairs and Communications, sat down with me to talk about his background in nuclear energy, Holtec’s attempts to save the Palisades plant in Michigan, its new SMR design, and more!
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Jonah Messinger wrote a thoughtful piece on cold fusion for the Breakthrough Institute. I brought him on to talk about cold fusion, science as a process vs. science as an institution, and more!
Fusion Runs Hot And Cold by Jonah Messinger
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Dr. Chris Keefer of Decouple came on the pod to talk about Canadians for Nuclear Energy’s new report, The Case for CANDU: Why Ontario's Homegrown Nuclear Technology Is Its Best Option In A Time Of Rising Electricity Demand.
The Report: https://www.canfornuclearenergy.org/
Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Keefer
Check Out Decouple: https://www.decouplemedia.org/
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Collin McClelland of Digital Wildcatters joined me to talk about oil and gas, telling better energy stories, and tons more. This is some of the most fun I’ve had hosting the show—hope you guys like it!
DW Website:
https://digitalwildcatters.com/
EQT Documentary:
Collin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fracslap
Collin's Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fracslap
Collin's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-mclelland/
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Cinematographer and documentarian Jesse Freeston joined me to talk about how he got nukepilled, his wonderful videos for Decouple Studios, the rat park, and how nuclear fits into his view of global flourishing.
Check out Jesse’s videos:
Inside the World’s BIGGEST Nuclear Plant (the one that got Ontario off coal)
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Nuclear Waste
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Alex Trembath, the Deputy Director of the Breakthrough Institute, joined me to talk about the deep contradictions in environmentalism, climate anxiety, the Jefferson/Hamilton divide, and much more!
Some of Alex’s work.
Support Breakthrough.
Subscribe to my energy newsletter, Grid Brief.
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Earlier this year (February), Paul Diduch invited me to speak at the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at CU Boulder. It was my first time ever giving such a lecture and I’m grateful to both him and the Benson Center for the opportunity.
This is strictly the audio and the Q&A portion has been edited out as the questions are really difficult to hear. If you’d like to watch it and hear the Q&A, where I whiff on a couple technical questions and Alex Priou of the New Thinkery podcast asks me pointed questions about Nietzsche and nihilism, you can click here.
Some have asked me to publish the written version of this. I’m going to try to get to that, but after listening to it I feel there are defects in the argument that I need to fix. So, it may take me a while to get to it. But it will happen this year.
Also: this is for Substack subscribers only, as all future bonus content will be.
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Noah Rettberg returns to the pod to talk to me about synthfuels derived from carbon.
We also want Monster Energy to sponsor us. CALL ME MONSTER.
Anyone else interested in advertising on the podcast can reach me here: emmet@nuclearbarbarians.com.
Nuclear Now.
Chicagoans! Get your ticket to see Nuclear Now at the Alamo Drafthouse in Wrigleyville on May 1. Say hey if you see me!
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Juan David Rojas joined me to talk about AMLO, Pemex, and Mexican energy.
AMLO and Mexico’s Fourth Transformation by Juan David Rojas
Follow Juan.
Subscribe to my energy newsletter.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Grant Dever, one of the brightest whippersnappers in the whole Lone Star state, joined me to talk about nuclear in Texas, but then the conversation ranged all over the place with a long meditation on hope.
Texas Should Continue to Lead in Nuclear Power by Grant Dever
Subscribe to Grid Brief.
Check out Nuclear Now!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
My good friend and all around nuclear energy badass Paris Ortiz-Wines of Stand Up for Nuclear swung by to talk about what’s changed in the nuclear narrative and what we can and should do about it. It ended up being a far-ranging discussion about fear, hope, and how people change their minds.
How can advocates amplify global shifts in the nuclear energy narrative? by Paris Ortiz-Wines
Check out my daily energy newsletter.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Alan Medsker, the one man nuclear revolution in Illinois, joined me to talk about convincing politicians in the Prairie state to protects its nuclear plants and repeal its moratorium.
Read about Alan’s efforts to bring pro-nuclearism to the Episcopal Church.
Subscribe to my daily energy newsletter.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Darius Mortazavi of the new chemical engineering Substack, Feedstockland, joined me to talk about the industrial chemical processes, the newsletter game, industry comms, energy realities, and more!
“Visible Emissions and Invisible Problems” by Darius Mortazavi
“Casino, Chemicals, and Kinetics!” by Darius Mortazavi
Check out his other newsletter, The Column.
Subscribe to my daily energy newsletter, Grid Brief.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Doomberg, one of the best and most popular Substackers in the world, joined me to talk about the problems besetting the so-called energy transition, political decadence, and our quantum-pilled energy future.
Thar She Blows by Doomberg
The Streisand Effect by Doomberg
Subscribe to my daily energy newsletter, Grid Brief.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Author and journalist William D. Cohan joined me to talk about his new book on the rise and fall of General Electric—Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon.
Follow William on Twitter.
Check out Puck News.
Subscribe to my energy newsletter, Grid Brief.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
The climate scientist Roger Pielke Jr. joined me to talk about the origins of the 1.5c warming goals, its strange origins, and the troubled relationship between science, expertise, and politics.
Check out Roger’s Substack.
Check out his book.
Subscribe to my energy newsletter.
Articles Discussed:
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Julius Krein, the editor of American Affairs, sat down to talk with me about the origins of ESG and how to fight it.
Here's Julius's piece in Compact: https://www.compactmag.com/article/why-the-right-can-t-beat-esg
Follow Julius on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliusKrein
Subscribe to American Affairs: https://americanaffairsjournal.org/
Check out my newsletter: https://www.gridbrief.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Dr. Chris Keefer swung by to talk about all his big moves in Canada and why the Save Pickering campaign is popping off.
Check out the Save Pickering campaign: https://www.canfornuclearenergy.org/save-pickering
The Decouple: https://www.decouplemedia.org/
Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Keefer
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Austrian nuclear advocate Dominic Wipplinger joined me to talk about how nuclear support has changed, and what got him interested in nuclear. And he gives me an education in Austrian nuclear history. I learned a lot and I hope you do too!
Here's Dominic's info: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NukerKernundEnergietechnik Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-wipplinger-682868234/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/55966637310/user/525989865 Nuklearia: https://nuklearia.de/
Discord: https://discord.gg/kGvXB9q Our regular meetup, at the 13th and the last Thursday of each month, 20:00 CET takes place in this channel: https://discord.gg/vF2HQZ9r
Twitter: @Nuklearia
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Nuklearia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nuklearia Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuklearia/
Austrian Nuclear Society: http://www.oektg.at/
Young generation Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/55966637310
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Noah Rettberg joins me again to talk about synth fuels. This time we go into hydrogen production and a whole bunch more. I love having Noah on as I always learn a ton.
Follow him on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NoahRettberg
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Phil Ord, who's been advocating for nuclear for way longer than I have, joined me to talk about how he became a "nukebro." We also talk about climate change, renewable propaganda, and how the nuclear movement has grown since Phil got into it.
Note: we recorded this a week before Diablo Canyon was saved.
Check out Phil's stuff:
https://twitter.com/FissionPhil
https://www.americansfornuclearenergy.org/
https://twitter.com/Americans4Nukes
https://www.facebook.com/americans.for.nuclear.energy/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Noah Rettberg joined me to talk about synthetic fuels. I learned a ton--and there's so much more to learn we're going to do a follow-up!
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoahRettberg
Subscribe to Grid Brief: https://www.gridbrief.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Nuclear advocate, UC Davis grad student, environmentalist, and barbell squatter Amelia Tiemann joined me to talk about convincing people of nuclear, the Beautiful Nuclear Report, and more!
Check her out in Twitter: https://twitter.com/TiemannAmelia
Subscribe to Grid Brief: gridbrief.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
My friend James Fleay, founder of Down Under Nuclear Energy (DUNE), joined me to talk about what's stopping Australia from building nuclear. We talk about the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, electricity spot market, economic complexity, human capital, Australian economic history, and more!
Detailed description of how the anti-nuclear legislation was snuck in under cover of darkness in Australia: https://www.brightnewworld.org/media/2018/10/18/history-of-australias-nuclear-prohibition-5ceab
Interested listeners can email DUNE at: info@downundernuclearenergy.com.au
Subscribe to Grid Brief: https://www.gridbrief.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Mark Hinaman joined me again to talk about his vision for the Fire2Fission fund, nuclear regulation, the value of human capital, what the fossil fuel and nuclear industries can do better, and more!
Check out his blog: https://fire2fission.com/2022/03/19/fire2fission-a-fund/ Follow Mark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkHinaman
Subscribe to Grid Brief: https://twitter.com/GridBrief
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Dr. Chris Keefer, the host of the Decouple podcast, stopped by to update me on the incredible progress being made in Canada for nuclear energy.
https://www.gridbrief.com/subscribe
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Brian Gitt was once a true Amory Lovins all-renewables believer. But then, as he spent time in the industry, things stopped adding up. We talk about his journey towards the radiant light of nuclear and what renewables advocates leave out when they make their case.
Follow Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianGitt
Check out his website: https://briangitt.com/
Subscribe to Grid Brief: https://www.gridbrief.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Mark Hinaman, who grew up in an oil and gas family and found great success in fracking, is now turning towards nuclear for a vision of the future. In this first episode in a two-parter, Mark and I dove into his background, what nuclear can learn from O&G, realistic energy transitions, and so much more. I absolutely loved talking to him and am looking forward to part 2.
Check out Mark's work: https://fire2fission.com/2022/03/19/fire2fission-a-fund/ Reach him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhinaman
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Jenifer Avellaneda is one of my favorite new Twitter follows. She's a young Nuclear Risk Analyst for Westinghouse whose been passionate about nuclear since she was a kid and who does a great job of communicating nuclear safety to the public. We had a fun chat about her background and our mutual love of nuclear.
Follow Jenifer: https://twitter.com/NuclearHazelnut
Subscribe to Grid Brief: https://www.gridbrief.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Wiliam Davison of Crisis Group joined me to talk about GERD. It's a hugely informative episode about the hurdles developing countries face in scaling up the energy ladder.
Read more about it here:
Shock death intensifies dam debate: was Abiy pessimistic or realistic about GERD? https://medium.com/@wdavison10/shock-death-intensifies-dam-debate-was-abiy-pessimistic-or-realistic-about-gerd-d306a98686fe
Nile Dam Talks: Unlocking a Dangerous Stalemate https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/ethiopia/nile-dam-talks-unlocking-dangerous-stalemate
Subscribe to Grid Brief.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Madi Hilly of the Campaign for a Green Nuclear Deal joined me to talk about her organization's latest report on repowering retiring coal plants with nuclear reactors. We talk about giving energy communities a chance to choose their future, preserving American industrial ability, obstacles to repowering, and much more.
Read the report: https://gndcampaign.org/repowering-coal
Follow Madi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadiHilly
Subscribe to Grid Brief: https://www.gridbrief.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Return guest Robert Bryce joined me to talk about the NRC’s decision to rescind its license extension to Turkey Point in Florida. The conversation then turns to the dismal state of current energy policy, Biden’s State of the Union, the problem with how most people (especially those in the media) think about energy, what we can do about it, and some of my weird theories about how the internet has deeply changed our polity
Read Robert’s piece on the Turkey Point situation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertbryce/2022/02/28/nrc-rescinds-license-extensions-creates-more-uncertainty-for-investment-in-nuclear-sector/?sh=2ff439262e55
Follow Robert on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pwrhungry
Buy his book: https://www.amazon.com/Question-Power-Electricity-Wealth-Nations/dp/1610397495/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QA7TJC0QTXBM&keywords=robert+bryce&qid=1646363158&sprefix=robert+bryce%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1
Watch his movie: https://www.amazon.com/Juice-How-Electricity-Explains-World/dp/B088N9SBC8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2Y5ZRK58Y7TMG&keywords=the+juice%2C+documentary&qid=1646363193&sprefix=the+juice%2C+documentary%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-4
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Princy Mthombeni from Africa4Nuclear sat down with me to talk about how she ended up becoming such an amazing advocate for nuclear, the obstacles to building nuclear in Africa, overcoming energy poverty, and more!
Check out her youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQZmA_Zryw077ModGyDEKpw Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Princymthombeni
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
DJ LeClear, The Rad Guy, sits down to talk to me about working in radiation safety, how he became a nuclear advocate, how he changed his mind on climate, what it means to be an advocate, and more!
Follow The Rad Guy:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCNRNPA4-VzJiNVOHEmLSEAg
www.instagram.com/theradguyglows/?hl=en
www.tiktok.com/@theradguyglows?lang=en
twitter.com/ThatRadGuy5
www.patreon.com/join/TheRadGuy?
rads-glowing-apparel.creator-spring.com/
Subscribe to my newsletter to get curated energy news and analysis in your inbox: www.gridbrief.com/subscribe
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Italian nuclear advocate Luca Romano joins me to talk about the history of Italian nuclear, how he's amassed such an impressive pro-nuclear following, the great news of the EU's new green taxonomy, and more!
Support Luca's work!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/nicodaemon
Facebook: https://facebook.com/AvvocatoAtomico
Instagram: https://instagram.com/avvocatoatomico/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AvvocatoAtomico
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/avvocatoatomico
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeieWsvQm00yw4GzBNLzJPw
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@avvocatodellatomo?lang=en
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Isaac Orr of the Center of the American Experiment returns to talk about his latest article on MISO's potential for cold weather blackouts this winter. We dive into what's happening with solar in Minnesota, grid unreliability, coal, how wind turbines can be net consumers of energy in cold weather, phony environmental justice language, and more.
Check out Isaac's article here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Emmet chats with Edgardo Sepulveda to discuss some of the history of public power in Canada and the US in the context of trying to save the publicly-owned Pickering Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) from being shut down in 2025 in his home province of Ontario, Canada. This episode is a type of follow-up to Emmet and Edgardo’s first episode “A Brief History of the American Electricity Grid From the 1920s to Closure of Indian Point” in June 2021 (https://exhaust.fireside.fm/41).
Edgardo discusses how Progressive Era organizers and politicians pushed back against private monopolies on both sides of the border and how in Ontario they succeeded by establishing in 1906 what would become for a while the largest publicly-owned integrated power system in the world. In the US the “Ontario experiment” would become a rallying cry for many reformers, including FDR that would use it as model for the NY Power Agency (NYPA) and the New Deal’s Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Rural Electrification Administration (REA). Fast-forward, and public nuclear power accounts for more than 60% for Ontario’s electricity. But the public company has decided not to refurbish and extend the life of Pickering’s 6 reactors, accounting for a whopping 17.5% of total generation. To be replaced by what? You guessed it: increased gas generation.
Check out Edgardo’s analysis of how the refurbishment of Pickering is the least-cost climate-friendly option: https://edecarb.org/analysis/ontario-ix For a historical overview of public ownership in the first 40 years of the 20th century, check out Mark Sholdice’s “The Ontario Experiment: Hydroelectricity, Public Ownership, and Transnational Progressivism, 1906-1939” https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/15239
If you want to find out more about the effort to Save Pickering, this is the site: http://savepickering.ca/ and here are the Twitter (@NuclearSave) and Facebook (@savepickering) Edgardo tweets at @E_R_Sepulveda. Also, check out his “Profiles in Decarbonization” site (www.edecarb.org) where he analyses the electricity price and emissions performance of 30 high-income countries over the last 50 years.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
The legendary Rod Adams (@atomicrod) of Atomic Insights and Nucleation Capital joined me to talk about his time as a Navy nuke, changes in nuclear, what advanced nuclear is all about, and more!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Nick Touran, creator of whatisnuclear.com, joins me to talk about stewarding our nuclear past and learning from our engineering forefathers. Nick’s a great guy and I’ve learned a lot from his work. We had a fun time chatting and I encourage everyone to consult his website for valuable information about the development of nuclear energy in America.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Host of the famous Titans of Nuclear podcast and Managing Director of the Energy Impact Center, Bret Kugelmass joined me to talk about his background, the corruption of the American utility industry, nuclear deadlocks, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, regulation, and more!
Check out Bret's podcast, Titans of Nuclear.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Pronuclear zoomer Aidan Swanson came on the pod to talk to me about how he got into nuclear, his research on RTOs and natural gas, the posi/doomer divide amongst his generation, and more!
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MemdeeCapital
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
King of the energy analysts Mark Nelson swings by to talk about COP 26, his visit to Ghana, the energy crisis and how it's changing minds about nuclear.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
I got to speak with Heather Hoff, an employee at Diablo Canyon and founder of Mothers for Nuclear. This one was a big deal for me—I really admire Heather and all the work that she does. We talked about how Heather came to work at Diablo, how she overcame her fears of nuclear and became one of its fiercest advocates. We also talked about the amazing march to save Diablo that took place over the weekend.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Author of Shorting the Grid and Campaigning for Clean Air, Meredith Angwin joins me to talk about electricity wholesale markets, grid resiliency, the beauty of energy, and more!
Follow Meredith.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Gavin Mendel-Gleason of the Workers’ Party of Ireland joined me to talk about the absolute state of the Irish grid, how they’re facing the energy crisis, the Irish public’s feelings about nuclear, and what might be next for the country as its burgeoning data center economy makes it more and more power-hungry.
Check out his Why Nuclear Power is Necessary brief for the WPI.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Dr. Chris Keefer, host of the Decouple podcast, joined me to talk about how he went from being a neo-Luddite to a full-blown nukepilled doctor of medicine and one of nuclear’s most powerful advocates. We talk about fragilizing green policies, the importance of labor for nuclear energy, why mitigation is the wrong way to think about handling climate change, and more.
Check out his podcast, and follow him on Twitter.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Energy reporter Angelica Oung joins me to discuss China's energy crunch and Taiwan's energy future. I learned so much and had a great time! We discuss the trade-off and tribulations of China's command economy, what's happening with Chinese coal, how Taiwan's president basically spoke the Taiwanese renewables economy into being, and more!
China Faces a Cruel and Dirty Winter, Angelica Oung, Citywire.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
I’m really excited to bring you guys this episode with my friend Robert Bryce, author, podcaster, husband, dad, and an all-around great guy.
Robert and I talked about his career, watching Enron implode, how electricity shapes our lives, and why the grid is the commons. We touch on other stuff too!
Check out Robert’s latest book, A Question of Power, and his documentary, The Juice: How Electricity Explains the World.
Definitely check out his podcast, Power Hungry. It’s one of my staples.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com
Isaac Orr, a policy analyst at the Center of the American Experiment, joined me to talk about the recent report he co-authored on what the Clean Energy Performance Program would mean for the state of Arizona. We talk about the report, the suburban mindset, the hard winter ahead, elite resentment against regular people, and more!
Check out Isaac's report here.
Follow him on Twitter.
If you like the episode: rate, review, like, and share!
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Emmet introduces himself and then sits down with Paris Ortiz-Wines (https://twitter.com/ParisOrtizWines), the global organizer of Stand Up for Nuclear (https://twitter.com/StandUp4Nuclear), to talk about the international nuclear scene, Paris' background, why nuclear gives us so much hope, and more!
Check our Paris's work and get involved with Stand Up! (https://standupfornuclear.org/)
Sign up for the Nuclear Barbarians substack to get podcast episodes and more delivered straight to your inbox. (https://nuclearbarians.substack.com/)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nuclearbarians.substack.com