We are on the cusp of a nuclear renaissance.
Keir Starmer wants the United Kingdom to build more nuclear power plants. And not before time.
‘This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades,’ Starmer said last month. ‘We’ve been let down and left behind.’ His solution: to slash red tape and fast-track Small Modular Reactors.
The Prime Minister is right to go all in on nuclear energy. It is safe, clean and will unleash economic growth.
But do not pop the champagne just yet. If the Government is serious about nuclear energy, it must also win the public argument. That means debunking long-held myths.
For instance, according to polling by Radiant Energy Group, 80% of British people are either ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ about nuclear waste management. In fact, nuclear waste is one of the most common arguments against building new reactors.
Take the Sizewell C project in Suffolk. It could deliver electricity to 6 million homes for decades. It could cut Britain’s carbon emissions. And it could create well-paid jobs in the region.
Yet opposition remains fierce. The Stop Sizewell C group, for example, opposes the project over fears that nuclear waste will pollute the coastline. The reality is far different. Nuclear waste is not the glowing green sludge from ‘The Simpsons’; it is mostly spent fuel, which is solid, contained and safely stored. There is no risk of contamination.
The British nuclear industry is held to strict safety regulations – and it meets them. As the Government puts it, ‘the annual radiation dose to an adult living beside a new nuclear plant is much less than taking one trans-Atlantic flight or eating 100g of Brazil nuts – neither of which have heavy radiation.’
If nuclear power were as dangerous as some claim, France – where 70% of electricity comes from nuclear – would be a post-apocalyptic wasteland by now, rather than a country famous for wine, cheese and indignant waiters.
Yet concerns about nuclear energy persists, especially among women. According to Radiant, there is a 38% gap between male and female support for nuclear, with men generally in favour and women more sceptical.
So, what is the Government doing to make nuclear popular across British society? It will take more than a few slick videos of Ed Miliband, decked out in his orange hi-vis, to shift public opinion.
Instead, the Government should mount a media campaign to convince the British public that nuclear is not just safe, but also crucial to combating climate change and securing economic prosperity.
This campaign needs to be like the one for the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. Big, flashy, everywhere. It should enlist trusted voices – scientists, celebrities, influencers, industry leaders – to make nuclear power mainstream.
We know that it’s possible. Isabelle Boemeke, a Brazilian model and pro-nuclear influencer, has taken to TikTok to educate young audiences. Her snappy videos make the case for nuclear power better than any politician has – or could.
The Government should tap into the same playbook, using fresh voices to rebrand nuclear for a new generation. If it could get Anthony Joshua and Arsenal Football Club to back the vaccine campaign, it can find big names to do the same for nuclear.
The vaccine campaign was one of the most successful government communications efforts in history. Having witnessed firsthand how Nadhim Zahawi’s work shifted public attitudes at scale, it’s clear that the Government must draw inspiration from past victories.
A relentless public information campaign worked for the vaccines. It worked for smoking. It worked for seatbelts. Nuclear power should be next.
Read ‘Harnessing the Power of the Atom’ here.
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