How fear of nuclear power is hurting the environment

In 2015 I was honored to co-author “An Ecomodernist Manifesto” with 11 other environmental scholars, scientists and activists. The manifesto offers a sweeping vision of how humans can address ecological crises while lifting all humans out of poverty.

In 2013, I was one of the environmentalists featured in the award-winning documentary, Pandora's Promise, who changed their minds about nuclear energy. The film sparked and international debate and won numerous awards. "When was the last time you saw a documentary that fundamentally changed the way you think?" wrote Entertainment Weekly. You can watch Pandora’s Promise on Netflix or YouTube.

I was mesmerized by Stewart Brand’s 2009 TED talk on the same subject but I hadn’t really become pro-nuclear until I read his book. I was surprised to learn how modest the health impacts of radiation exposure were. But what was really moving was the way Stewart made the case for nuclear within the larger context of lifting all humans out of poverty.

"The Liberation of Nature" and "Renewable and Nuclear Heresies" crystallized my thinking more than any other two articles. In the first, Ausubel shows how humans save nature — we don’t just destroy it. In the second, he explains why energy dense fuels have, by their physical nature, fewer environmental impacts. The broad sweep of human development and its impact on the environment seems obvious after you read these articles.