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 bulletWhat it really costs to build a reactor (spoiler: a lot)The massive difference between what’s possible in theory and what actually works in realityWhy New Zealand should probably never go nuclear (hello, earthquakes)How much land and water different energy sources really useAnd the biggest roadblock to progress: not physics, not finances… but peopleWe 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.Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

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