Nuclear Barbarians

A podcast about nuclear, energy, and possibility.

About the show

Emmet Penney talks to experts, workers, journalists, and scholars from all over the world about nuclear energy, energy issues, culture, and society. Subscribe to the substack to get the newsletter and the podcast sent directly to your inbox: https://nuclearbarians.substack.com/

Episodes

  • Episode 40: Come On! Feel the Illinoize!

    March 20th, 2023  |  1 hr 14 mins

    Alan Medsker, the one man nuclear revolution in Illinois, joined me to talk about convincing politicians in the Prairie state to protects its nuclear plants and repeal its moratorium.

  • Episode 39: Feedstockland ft. Darius Mortazavi

    March 12th, 2023  |  39 mins 28 secs

    Darius Mortazavi of the new chemical engineering Substack, Feedstockland, joined me to talk about the industrial chemical processes, the newsletter game, industry comms, energy realities, and more!

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    Episode 38: Wind and Other Woes ft. Doomberg

    March 1st, 2023  |  47 mins 57 secs

    Doomberg, one of the best and most popular Substackers in the world, joined me to talk about the problems besetting the so-called energy transition, political decadence, and our quantum-pilled energy future.

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    Episode 37: Who Lost GE? ft. William Cohan

    February 21st, 2023  |  53 mins 23 secs

    Author and journalist William D. Cohan joined me to talk about his new book on the rise and fall of General Electric—Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon.

  • Episode 36: There's Climate Science and Then There's "Climate Science"

    February 13th, 2023  |  46 mins 20 secs
    climate change, climate crisis, climate science, ipcc, philosophy, politics, science

    The climate scientist Roger Pielke Jr. joined me to talk about the origins of the 1.5c warming goals, its strange origins, and the troubled relationship between science, expertise, and politics.

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    Episode 35: T&D for Dummies ft. Bryce Johanneck

    February 7th, 2023  |  42 mins 33 secs

    Former electric lineman and all around transmission and distribution expert Bryce Johanneck joined me to talk about some grid fundamentals that everyone, including me, overlooks.

    Subscribe to my energy newsletter: gridbrief.com/subscribe

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    Episode 34: How to Fight ESG ft. Julius Krein

    January 31st, 2023  |  41 mins 30 secs
    climate, energy, energy security, environment, environmentalism, esg, finance, fossil fuels, nuclear, oil and gas, renewables

    Julius Krein, the editor of American Affairs, sat down to talk with me about the origins of ESG and how to fight it.

  • Episode 33: Why Save Pickering Is Popping Off ft. Dr. Chris Keefer

    November 5th, 2022  |  47 mins 23 secs

    Dr. Chris Keefer swung by to talk about all his big moves in Canada and why the Save Pickering campaign is popping off.

  • Episode 32: Nuclear Austria ft. Dominic Wipplinger

    October 6th, 2022  |  35 mins 38 secs

    Austrian nuclear advocate Dominic Wipplinger joined me to talk about how nuclear support has changed, and what got him interested in nuclear. And he gives me an education in Austrian nuclear history. I learned a lot and I hope you do too!

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    Episode 31: Synthetic Fuels Rundown Pt. II ft. Noah Rettberg

    September 23rd, 2022  |  47 mins 51 secs

    Noah Rettberg joins me again to talk about synth fuels. This time we go deep into hydrogen production. I love having Noah on as I always learn a ton.

  • Episode 30: Fishin' for Nukes ft. Fission Phil

    September 6th, 2022  |  52 mins 5 secs

    Phil Ord, who's been advocating for nuclear for way longer than I have, joined me to talk about how he became a "nukebro." We also talk about climate change, renewable propaganda, and how the nuclear movement has grown since Phil got into it.

    Note: we recorded this a week before Diablo Canyon was saved.

  • Episode 29: Synthetic Fuels Rundown Pt. I ft. Noah Rettberg

    July 1st, 2022  |  38 mins 7 secs

    Noah Rettberg joined me to talk about synthetic fuels. I learned a ton--and there's so much more to learn we're going to do a follow up!

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    Episode 28: Door-to-Door Nukepilling ft. Amelia Tiemann

    June 16th, 2022  |  32 mins 49 secs

    Nuclear advocate, UC Davis grad student, environmentalist, and barbell squatter Amelia Tiemann joined me to talk about convincing people of nuclear, the Beautiful Nuclear Report, and more!

    Check her out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TiemannAmelia

    Subscribe to Grid Brief: gridbrief.com/subscribe

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    Episode 27: Why *Won't* Australia Build Nuclear? ft. James Fleay

    May 19th, 2022  |  38 mins 47 secs

    My friend James Fleay, founder of Down Under Nuclear Energy (DUNE), joined me to talk about what's stopping Australia from building nuclear. We talk about the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, electricity spot market, economic complexity, human capital, Australian economic history, and more!

  • Episode 26: Fire2Fission pt. II ft. Mark Hinaman

    May 12th, 2022  |  44 mins 58 secs

    Mark Hinaman joined me again to talk about his vision for the Fire2Fission fund, nuclear regulation, the value of human capital, what the fossil fuel and nuclear industries can do better, and more!

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    Episode 25: A CANDU Attitude

    April 28th, 2022  |  29 mins 44 secs

    Dr. Chris Keefer, the host of the Decouple podcast, stopped by to update me on the incredible progress being made in Canada for nuclear energy.