In this Shortcut, we’re talking about nuclear power—which has been back in the news lately, with the Coalition announcing it wants it to be part of Australia’s energy mix. It’s far from a new idea, and while many countries have embraced it to generate their power cleanly and cheaply, Australia is still debating it. So we’ll look at what nuclear power is, how it could work in Australia, and whether it could be a realistic solution for our energy needs.

Squiz recommends:

Reading: This article from The Conversation and the ABC provides some historical context for the Coalition’s nuclear policy and explains why it’s unusual for Dutton.

Listening: The Could Australia Go Nuclear? episode from The Guardian’s Full Story podcast, which gives a good idea of the numbers and the time needed to go nuclear.

Watching: Chernobyl on Binge is a great series from a few years ago that explains how that disaster unfolded. Or, of course, Oppenheimer on Netflix if you haven’t seen it yet.

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