Charged Conversations - Atoms for Peace? The Science and Geopolitics of Civilian Nuclear Power: Or Not (Iran)

Civilian nuclear reactors use just 3–5% enriched uranium—so why is Iran enriching to 60%? The larger question is why would anyone continue to say it’s not clear Iran is enriching to make Bombs?

Talking Points· Subject of our latest podcast.·

Natural Uranium 0.7% U-235·

Nuclear fission basics and reactor design.

Civilian Use 3-5%· Up to 20-25% for research reactors. > 20% is HEU· •

Iran's 60% enrichment and proximity to weapons-grade uranium.· •

Role of UN IAEA and global nonproliferation treaties (Joke).

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Charged Conversations, where we discuss the latest on
energy and energy related topics. I'm your host, Brigham account.
On this episode, we're talking about how atomic energy power,
civilian nuclear reactors, the global history of nuclear power, and
why Iran's decision to enrich uranium to sixty percent is
raising alarm bells far beyond the scientific community. Let's break

(00:29):
down the science, the history, and the politics so you'll
walk away with a deeper understanding on why the numbers
matter and why peaceful nuclear power and weapons grade enrichment
are two very different things. How nuclear power works. At
the core of civilian nuclear power is a process called
nuclear fission. That's when the nucleus of a uranium atom,

(00:50):
specifically uranium two thirty five, is split into two smaller nuclei,
releasing a tremendous amount of heat energy in the process.
This heat is used to turn water into steam, which
then spins a turbine to generate electricity. It's a process
that's not too different from using coal or natural gas

(01:10):
in power plants, except instead of burning fuel, we're splitting atoms. Naturally,
uranium contains mostly uranium two thirty eight, which is less
than one percent being uranium two thirty five. That's not
enough to sustain a chain reaction, so uranium has to
be enriched to increase the concentration of U two thirty five.

(01:30):
Here's an important part. Civilian reactors use low enriched uranium,
what we call l EU, with about three to five
percent U two thirty five. That small percent of three
to five percent is sufficient for energy production and safe
from a non proliferation perspective. Let's talk a little bit
about the brief history of civilian nuclear power. In nineteen

(01:53):
fifty three, President Dwight David Eisenhower address United Nations with
his famous Atoms for Peace speech, laying the foundation for
peaceful nuclear energy. The idea was to prevent the spread
of nuclear weapons while allowing for the development of civil
nuclear technology. During the nineteen sixties and seventies, countries like
the US, France, Japan, and the Soviet Union rapidly expanded

(02:17):
nuclear power capacity. It was seen as a modern, clean
alternative to coal. However, optimism waned due to a series
of accidents and rising public concerns. Let's examine briefly three
major incidents three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima. Three Mile
Island in Pennsylvania was the most serious accident in the

(02:38):
US commercial nuclear power plant history. In nineteen seventy nine,
a partial meltdown occurred due to mechanical failure and human error.
No depths occurred, and the radiation exposure to the public
was minimal. However, it caused widespread fear and halted new
reactor construction in the United States for decades. In nineteen

(02:58):
eighty six, Chernobyl, then part of the Soviet Union today Ukraine,
was vastly more severe. A flawed reactor design and poorly
trained personnel led to a catastrophic explosion in fire, releasing
large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. Dozens died
in the immediate aftermath, and thousands more have suffered long

(03:19):
term health effect. It remains the single worst nuclear accident
in history. Fast forward to twenty eleven, where the Fukushima
Dachi reactor in Japan suffered a significant accident caused by
a massive tsunami following a nine point zero earthquake on

(03:39):
the Richter scale. The plant lost power, which disabled its
cooling systems, resulting in core meltdowns in three reactors. While
fatalities were limited radioactive releases and long term evacuations have
made it a major cautionary tale replacing nuclear power on
the shoreline. These accidents revealed weaknesses and older reactor designs

(04:01):
and the importance of redundant safety systems. Fast forward to today,
where today's reactors are far safer than their predecessors Generation three.
In Generation three plus reactors incorporate passive safety features, redundant
cooling systems, and stronger containment structures under even under extreme conditions,

(04:21):
these plants are designed to shut down safely. Emerging Gen
four designs promise even greater improvement in safety, fuel efficiency,
and waste reduction. It's important to note that the reactors
that were subject to these accidents were designed in the
nineteen sixties and seventies. Fast forward also to not only

(04:43):
beyond the generation for full scale reactors, but small modular
reactors known as SMRs, represent a significant shift in nuclear power.
These are factory built, transportable units designed for flexibility and safety.
Their passive safety systems reduce the knee need for complex
active control, and their small size allows them to serve

(05:04):
rule or industrial areas. Plus, they can be paired together
and can be flexible in the amount of power when
and where needed. Microreactors or even a smaller class are
being developed for deployment in remote regions or military installations.
These advanced designs could make nuclear energy more accessible, resilient,

(05:25):
and scalable. This brings us to why iran sixty percent
enrichment is a red flag. As discussed, most civilian reactors
only require a three to five percent amount of enriched uranium.
Anything above twenty percent of U two thirty five is
classified as highly enriched uranium. Even experimental research reactors for

(05:47):
specific experiments and studies in the US and other countries
do not reach beyond twenty five percent. Iran's enrichment currently
stands at sixty percent, and it's vastly beyond any civil
million need. The lead from sixty to ninety percent, which
constitutes weapons grade uranium, is technically simple and can be
accomplished quickly using existing centrifuge cascades. Those are the devices

(06:13):
used to enrich fuel. Iron stockpile of over four hundred
kilograms of sixty percent material raises significant concerns that weapons
grade uranium could be produced in a matter of days.
There is no civilian reactor on the face of this
Earth that requires enriched uranium to that level, which is
why these actions are seen as a step toward weaponization,

(06:37):
despite Iran's claims a peaceful intent. The cornerstone of the
international nuclear governance is the Non Proliferation Treaty signed in
nineteen sixty eight. Under this treaty, countries are agreed not
to pursue nuclear weapons and in return can access civilian
nuclear technology under IAEA oversight. The International Atomic make Energy

(07:00):
Association known as IAEA conducts inspections, monitors enrichment levels, and
tracks nuclear materials to ensure compliance. While Iran has been
a signatory, its current enrichment activities and reduced transparency violate
the spirit, if not the actual letter, of the NPT.
Previous agreements, such as the twenty fifteen Joint Comprehensive Plan

(07:25):
of Action known in DC as the jcpoa impost strict
enrichment caps and verification, but that framework has sensor eroded.
Many experts believe that Iran's delays are simply to buy
more time as they continue to increase the number of
centrifused machines and continue to create more nuclear material far

(07:49):
beyond anything necessary for civilian usage. Nuclear power is in
itself not dangerous. It's a technology that, when managed responsibly,
can deliver an abundant, low carbon energy. The science of
the atomic energy is solid, and modern designs make nuclear
power safer than ever. But when enrichment levels exceed what's

(08:10):
necessary for civilian use, alarm bells ring iran sixty percent
enrichment is a geopolitical signal, not a technical requirement. It
poses a significant and severe proliferation risk that undermines trust
in the global non proliferation regime. Supporting responsible nuclear development

(08:30):
is something that we should all agree on while maintaining
vigilant against actions that could destabilize international security. This isn't
just about energy, It's about diplomacy enforcement in maintaining a
rules based order in a high stakes field. You've been
listening to Charged Conversations at Joe Strucker Production, Feel free

(08:51):
to drop us a line at Charged Conversations at bamacoun
dot com. If you like what you've been listening to,
please hit the subscribe button. I'm your host, Brigham mccount,
and I'll see you next time for another episode of
Charged Conversations. Take care, m