Atomic Split

Since the 1950s, nuclear power has been met with a resounding “nein danke!” from many left-wing campaigners, even as it has become a fixture of the energy mix, powering 15% of the UK grid today – down from 25% in the 1990s.

Supporters on the left say nuclear is a necessity if we stand a chance of decarbonising the economy. Its detractors argue that it’s just another lethal fossil fuelling an extractive and unjust system. Can both be right?

To get a fresh perspective on this decades-old debate, Craig Gent, head of operations at Novara Media, meets two experts from either side of the divide: Andrea Vetter, a transformation researcher and activist in Germany and the co-author of The Future is Degrowth: A Guide to a World Beyond Capitalism, and Matthew T. Huber, a professor of geography at Syracuse University in New York and the author of Climate Change as Class War.

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We’re up against huge power and influence. Our supporters keep us entirely free to access. We don’t have any ad partnerships or sponsored content.

Donate one hour’s wage per month—or whatever you can afford—today.