The Real Fallout: How Nuclear Energy Got Its Bad Reputation

Part 2 of the Nuclear Mini-Series

This is part two of my mini-series on nuclear power and whether it could be the clean energy solution we’ve all been waiting for.

As I said before (and it bears repeating): fossil fuels kill about 8 million people every single year — more than the populations of Aotearoa and most of the Pacific Islands combined.

Despite that, nuclear power remains the energy source we fear the most. But should we?

In the last episode, we explored the science of nuclear — what it is, how it works, and why it’s not nearly as scary as it sounds. In this episode, we dive into its history — a sometimes horrifying, sometimes absurd, and often misunderstood timeline that shaped our collective anxiety around nuclear energy.

In this episode, I cover:

• The early discoveries of nuclear materials and radiation
• How public fear around nuclear energy really began
• The rise of nuclear bombs and the race for atomic power
• What actually happens inside a nuclear reactor (in plain English)
• The major nuclear disasters that shaped global perception
• What went wrong at Three Mile Island
• What made Chernobyl so catastrophic
• Why Fukushima shook public confidence in nuclear safety

Key quotes:

“Nuclear energy got its hideous reputation before it had even powered a single light bulb.”

“Creepy green glows and mutant fish? That’s science fiction, not reality.”

“Public anxiety about nuclear energy didn’t actually start with power stations.”

Books & Resources Mentioned:

Here are the books and materials I mentioned for anyone who wants to explore:

• The Radium Girls by Kate MooreA gripping and enraging true story of the young women who painted glow-in-the-dark watch faces with radioactive paint — and paid the ultimate price.
• The Woman Who Knew Too Much by Gayle GreeneA biography of Dr. Alice Stewart, who studied radiation risks and stood up to the nuclear establishment. (Recommended for broader radiation safety context).
• Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters by Serhii PlokhyCovers Six major nuclear incidents — including Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island — with historical and political analysis.

If you want to go down the rabbit hole, I also recommend googling:

• “Radithor” (yes, that glowing bottled water was real)
• “Clarence Dally and Thomas Edison” (the first radiation death in the U.S).

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