63. Powering A Humane Future with Zion Lights

“I changed my mind because I cared about alleviating energy poverty.” Order now: Energy is Life: Why Environmentalism Went Nuclear, by Zion Lights Amazon Guardian Bookshop Natural History Book Service Zion Lights is an award-winning science communicator and environmental advocate whose work sits at the intersection of energy, climate, and public understanding of science. In this conversation, Zion shares her journey from prominent renewable-only activism to evidence-led support for a broader clean energy mix, and why energy abundance matters for health, dignity, and human progress. Connect with Zion  Website – zionlights.co.uk Newsletter –substack.com/@zionlights1 Topics we cover How Zion’s views shifted after revisiting the evidence on nuclear risk, safety, and climate mitigation  Why “clean energy” beats “renewables-only,” and what grid reality means for net zero pathways  Energy poverty, global fairness, and what reliable power enables for health systems and development SMRs, fusion, and what is realistic now versus what is still “next decade” tech Resources & further reading “Could we even ‘just stop oil’?” – The Holyoake Lecture 2023, with Zion Lights (video) Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2018) Death rates per unit of electricity production – Our World in Data What are the safest and cleanest sources of energy? – Our World in Data Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices