Podcaster
Episoden
18.08.2025
1 Stunde 21 Minuten
This week, we talk about Russian nuclear exports. Michael Seely,
host of AtomicBlender, joins me to discuss the rise of Rosatom:
Russia’s nuclear energy behemoth that now builds nearly half of
the world’s new reactors. We trace its formation after the Soviet
collapse, its grip on the nuclear fuel market, and its unmatched
“turnkey” model for newcomer nations. Rosatom’s nuclear exports
are more than just a commercial endeavour—they can reshape global
influence for decades.
Michael's videos on Canada, Russia, and Ukraine.
Mehr
12.08.2025
54 Minuten
This week, we travel to the edge of the map with
Aleksandr Surtcev, an engineer who has crewed
Russian nuclear icebreakers along the Northern Sea Route. We
explore how Russia’s Arctic fleet keeps this strategic corridor
open, why floating nuclear plants are powering remote communities
and mines, and what life looks like in a place where polar bears
trail ships for fish and resupply markets pop up on the ice.
Beneath the stories lies a deeper discussion of geopolitics,
engineering, and the hard logistics of operating in one of the
most unforgiving regions on Earth.
Mehr
28.07.2025
1 Stunde 16 Minuten
This week, Mark Nelson joins us to deliver his second annual
“State of the Atom” address. The nuclear power landscape has
transformed in the last two years. Russia continues its nuclear
export dominance while the West at last awakens from its stupor,
driven by an unexpected force: artificial intelligence's
insatiable appetite for baseload power. From Amazon's
billion-dollar Susquehanna deal to Three Mile Island's
resurrection, Big Tech is discovering what nuclear advocates have
long known: that when you need reliable electricity around the
clock, few other generation sources compare. Nelson maps the new
nuclear battlefield where Chinese reactors scale up to 1,700
megawatts, European phase-outs crumble, and Western teams
scramble to assemble the talent and capital needed to compete.
Read more on Substack.
Mehr
08.07.2025
1 Stunde 11 Minuten
This week, we talk solar power—a long overdue topic on Decouple.
In the past, guests have often been critical of the value of
renewables on grids without extensive storage, and of the quality
of jobs that politicians often claim when justifying renewables
programs. Today, however, we drop preconceptions and get to the
nuts and bolts. My guest is Seaver Wang, director of the Climate
and Energy Research Program at The Breakthrough Institute.
Despite is imperfections, the solar power has a remarkable story,
from its technological origins, to its dramatic cost reductions
in the last decade, to the sheer scale of new capacity being
added in places like China. We cover these topics and more in
this episode: the Solar Masterclass.
Watch now on YouTube.
We talk about
Historical roots and evolution of solar technology
Impact of the German Energiewende and feed-in tariffs
China's rise to dominance in solar manufacturing
Energy-intensive production processes of polysilicon
Controversy over Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang
Solar’s lifecycle emissions and environmental impacts
Dramatic cost reductions and economies of scale
Limitations and misconceptions in distributed solar
Future integration with battery storage
Role of geopolitical and ethical issues in solar supply
chains
Mehr
02.07.2025
1 Stunde 40 Minuten
We have an unusual episode today. One, because of its length (1
hour 40 minutes), and two, because I’m the guest. Joined by Aidan
Morrison as acting host, I talk about a topic of intense interest
to me: the Darlington SMR project in Ontario,
Canada. I’ve been critical of this SMR project, which
recently received its final investment decision, by calling for a
pivot to CANDU reactors at the site.
I use this episode to break down all my reasons for being
critical, and to concede ground to this bold SMR project where
earned. This is not the first place I’ve shared my reasoning
(media interview here, LinkedIn post there), but it is the most
in-depth.
If you have time to listen to the full thing, I promise you will
leave quite knowledgeable about the ambitious and capable Ontario
nuclear sector, which I’ve studied and engaged with for years.
Prompting this episode was the OPG’s final investment decision on
the SMR and the revelation of its eye-watering cost estimates. I
break down the $4.5 billion price tag for the first unit, the
expected learning that will take place, and share why this
represents not just a technical and economic challenge, but a
strategic mistake that could undermine Canada’s competitive
advantage in nuclear power. From the massive excavation
challenges of burying a reactor ten stories underground to the
national security risks of abandoning proven CANDU technology for
American designs, I hope to share some of the hard truths behind
the SMR hype.
Read extended shownotes on Substack.
Watch now on
YouTube.
Mehr
Über diesen Podcast
There are technologies that decouple human well-being from its
ecological impacts. There are politics that enable these
technologies. Join me as I interview world experts to uncover hope
in this time of planetary crisis.
Kommentare (0)