Podcast: We Need Democratization, Not of Nuclear Energy Debate but Energy Debate in General. In Conversation with Professor M. V. Ramana

In this conversation for CEU Democracy Institute’s journal Review of Democracy with our Global Forum editor Anubha Anushree, M. V. Ramana delves into one of the most pressing issues of our time: the climate crisis. In response to this crisis, various solutions have been proposed, with nuclear energy emerging as one of the most prominent. After more than a decade of caution following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, a global consensus has gradually formed around nuclear power as a viable and efficient solution to meet energy demands. Advocates argue that nuclear energy can not only complement fossil fuels but also fulfil the growing energy needs of the world.

However, these arguments often prioritize the energy requirements of developed countries, overlooking the high costs, significant risks, and the lengthy timeline needed to build the necessary infrastructure for nuclear energy optimization. Moreover, the current push for nuclear energy sidesteps democratic considerations, with decisions skewed by a technocratic and bureaucratic approach to energy regulation.

Professor M. V. Ramana critically examines the often-misleading optimism surrounding nuclear energy and highlights how this industry’s resurgence signals a return to a techno-bureaucratic model of governance.

M. V. Ramana is Professor and Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA), University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He is also Graduate Program Director of the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) program.

Ramana is the author of Nuclear is not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change and  The Power of Promise: Examining Nuclear Energy in India. He has also published widely in academic journals and popular media.

He is a member of many groups engaged in analysis of topics involving nuclear energy and weapons, including the International Nuclear Risk Assessment Group, the International Panel on Fissile Materials, and the team that produces the annual World Nuclear Industry Status Report. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Leo Szilard Award from the American Physical Society.

The conversation was conducted by Anubha Anushree. Alina Young edited the recording.