Kia ora kaitiaki and welcome to the final episode in my nuclear energy mini-series. Over the last three episodes, I’ve taken you through the science, the messy history, and the chaos of radioactive disasters - but today? Today I’m answering the question I’ve been dancing around since the start:
Do we actually need nuclear energy to hit our climate goals - or can we just stick with solar, wind, and good old hydropower?
As always, the answer isn’t as straightforward as we’d like (and yes, I find that annoying too). But after wading through data, opinions, politics, and a few mild threats on LinkedIn, I’ve come to a conclusion that might help you cut through.
In this episode, I talk through:
Why nuclear is low-carbon… but still not a silver bullet
What it really costs to build a reactor (spoiler: a lot)
The massive difference between what’s possible in theory and what actually works in reality
Why New Zealand should probably never go nuclear (hello, earthquakes)
How much land and water different energy sources really use
And the biggest roadblock to progress: not physics, not finances… but people
We also take a little trip around the world - from France’s nuclear grid to Australia’s rooftop solar obsession, from China’s reactor production line to why tiny island nations are betting big on batteries.
So - is nuclear the hero, the villain, or just a very expensive middle child?
Tune in and find out. I promise I’ll actually give you an answer at the end. Kind of.
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