Saving the World From Bad Ideas

• Bad Idea #34 “Nuclear? No Thanks!" With Bryony Worthington

  Is nuclear power too slow, too expensive, or too essential to ignore? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas sits down with Baroness Bryony Worthington — crossbench peer, climate policy architect, and co-host of the Cleaning Up podcast — to take on Bad Idea #34: “Nuclear? No Thanks.”🧠 Topics Discussed: ● ⚛️ Why nuclear costs haven’t fallen — and why China may change that ● 🇫🇷 What France got right (and wrong) in its Mesmer-era nuclear buildout ● 🇨🇳 China’s nuclear ecosystem: HTRs, molten salts, SMRs, and industrial policy ● 🧱 Why huge gigawatt-scale reactors fail — and when modularity matters ● 🌡️ Heat: the forgotten one-third of global energy that renewables struggle to replace ● 🇺🇸 The growing bipartisan nuclear consensus in the U.S. ● 🔥 Geothermal, CSP, and advanced drilling as zero-carbon heat sources ● 👾 AI and data centres: the quiet driver of surging electricity demand ● 🧪 Thorium, molten salt reactors, and the cult of “better nuclear” ● ♻️ Nuclear waste, fuel recycling, plutonium, and the politics of the NRC ● 🛡️ Risk, radiophobia, and why safety rules became so irrational ● 🌍 Authoritarianism, industrial strategy, and what China’s system gets right (and wrong)👩‍🏫 Guest Bio: Baroness Bryony Worthington is a crossbench member of the UK House of Lords and one of Britain’s most respected climate policy thinkers. She was a lead author of the UK’s Climate Change Act, co-founded the children’s environmental charity Sandbag, and serves as co-host of the global energy podcast Cleaning Up with Michael Liebreich. Bryony currently leads work on clean industrial transitions, including repowering coal infrastructure with zero-carbon heat from nuclear, geothermal, and advanced solar technologies.📚 Recommended Reading & Resources ● Cleaning Up podcast – https://www.cleaningup.live ● BloombergNEF – https://about.bnef.com ● Kairos Power (advanced reactors) – https://kairospower.com ● Oklo (fast microreactors) – https://www.oklo.com ● TerraPower (Natrium reactor) – https://www.terrapower.com ● High-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTR info) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-temperature_gas-cooled_reactor ● Molten salt reactor background – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten-salt_reactor ● Tsinghua University Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology – https://www.inet.tsinghua.edu.cn/ineten/ ● Repower Initiative – https://www.repower.world/ ● Jamie Beard on geothermal – https://www.texasgeo.org ● IAEA on nuclear fuel recycling – https://www.iaea.org/topics/spent-fuel-management  ● Waste Not (WePlanet nuclear fuel recycling report) – https://www.weplanet.org/reports/waste-not ● China’s solar overcapacity & exports – https://ourworldindata.org/renewable-energy ● Our World in Data: electricity mix – https://ourworldindata.org/electricity-mix 💬 Quote Highlights:“Once you build nuclear, you never regret it — it just quietly produces heat and power for 80 years.” “China has already built almost everything we were going to tell them to try.” “Heat is a third of global energy. Batteries can’t solve that. Nuclear can.” “Radiation is everywhere — from rocks, from the sun, from your partner in bed. We’ve regulated nuclear as if none of this exists.” “I’m not pro-nuclear everywhere. I’m pro-nuclear where it makes the transition faster.” “I’m a pro-humanity environmentalist. Nuclear is part of that story.”🌐 About WePlanet: WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human well-being. Learn more at https://weplanet.org📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: https://weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/weplanetint

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• Bad Idea #33 "Ultra Processed Foods are killing us’" with Sarah Berry

  🔍 Episode Summary:Is the food industry slowly killing us? Is processing of food the problem? Do we really need personalized nutrition? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas sits down with Professor Sarah Berry — nutritional scientist and Chief Scientist at ZOE — to take on Bad Idea #33: “Ultra Processed Foods are killing us”From the gut microbiome to micronutrients, ultra-processed foods, polyphenols, insulin resistance, fats, carbs, and the myth of the “perfect diet,” Sarah explains why individuals respond so differently to the same foods — and why population-level dietary guidelines often fail to deliver.They dig into the largest personalised nutrition study in the world, break down the science behind metabolic health, explore why the food environment keeps pushing us toward unhealthy choices, and examine how AI, big data, and microbiome analysis could revolutionise how we think about food.🧠 Topics Discussed: ● 🧬 Why one-size-fits-all nutrition fails ● 🍽️ What personalised nutrition actually means (and doesn’t mean) ● 🧪 The PREDICT studies — the world’s largest personalised nutrition programme ● 🦠 Gut microbiome diversity: why it matters ● 🔬 Ultra-processed food: what the science really shows ● 🧁 Why sugar behaves differently in different bodies ● 🧂 Salt, fats, omega-3s, fibre, polyphenols — a practical breakdown ● 🧠 Why “calories in, calories out” isn’t enough ● 🏥 Why metabolic health is declining (and what to do about it) ● 🧘 How sleep, stress, and exercise influence food responses ● 🤖 How AI and microbiome data could shape the future of nutrition👩‍🏫 Guest Bio: Professor Sarah Berry is a nutritional scientist at King’s College London and the Chief Scientist at ZOE, where she leads research on personalised nutrition, metabolic health, and the gut microbiome. She is one of the lead scientists behind the PREDICT studies — the world’s largest programme looking at individual responses to food — and has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. Sarah is a leading communicator on evidence-based nutrition and co-hosts the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast.📚 Recommended Reading & Resources ● ZOE personalised nutrition programme – https://joinzoe.com ● PREDICT 1 study – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0934-0 ● Professor Sarah Berry (King’s College London profile) – https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/sarah-berry ● ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast – https://zoe.com/learn/podcast ● Tim Spector’s work on the microbiome – https://www.tim-spector.co.uk ● Ultra-processed foods overview (WHO) – https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2025/06/19/who-ultra-processed-food-guidance/ ● Our World in Data: Diet & Obesity – https://ourworldindata.org/diet-compositions ● Meta-analysis on glycaemic variability & health – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31220802 ● The Nurses Health Study – https://nurseshealthstudy.org/ ● Gut microbiome science summary (Microbiome Journal) – https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com💬 Quote Highlights:“There is no perfect diet — there is only the best diet for you.” — Sarah Berry “Two people eating the same muffin can have completely opposite metabolic responses.” — Sarah Berry “We’ve been telling people what to eat for decades. It hasn’t worked. We need a new approach.” — Sarah Berry “Ultra-processed doesn’t always mean unhealthy — but most of what’s on shelves today definitely is.” — Sarah Berry “We cannot separate nutrition from sleep, stress, and movement. They’re part of the same system.” — Sarah Berry🌐 About WePlanet: WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human well-being. Learn more at https://www.weplanet.org📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: https://weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/weplanetint

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• Bad Idea #32 "We don’t need nuclear" with Julia Pyke

  Is a world powered by clean energy possible without nuclear power? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas sits down with Julia Pyke, Managing Director of Sizewell C, to challenge Bad Idea #32: “We don’t need nuclear.”From financing and grid stability to biodiversity and public opinion, Julia explains why nuclear is essential to reaching net zero — and why the UK’s new fleet of reactors could reduce consumer bills, not raise them. They discuss the economics of megaprojects, how to avoid first-of-a-kind overruns, the role of heat in decarbonisation, small modular reactors, and how the Sizewell C project is reshaping both the local community and the nuclear industry itself.Whether you’re a nuclear skeptic or advocate, this episode offers a rare, detailed look inside one of Europe’s biggest clean-energy projects.🧠 Topics Discussed: ● ⚛️ Bad Idea #32: “We don’t need nuclear” ● 🏗️ Why Hinkley Point C cost overruns won’t repeat at Sizewell C ● 🔧 “7,000 design changes” — and why copying Hinkley avoids them ● ⚡ How nuclear cuts system-wide grid costs ● 💸 The Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model explained simply● 🏭 Why the UK needs firm, low-carbon power alongside renewables ● 🇨🇳 China’s nuclear programme and the myth of “negative learning” ● 🌳 How Sizewell C aims to be nature positive ● 🐦 Engagement with RSPB, Wildlife Trusts & Natural England ● 👩‍🔧 Women in nuclear — and transforming the industry’s diversity ● 🏗️ Local jobs, apprenticeships, and long-term economic benefits ● ♨️ Using nuclear heat for direct air capture and industry ● 🌬️ Is SMR hype overshadowing big reactors? ● 🎶 The Sizewell Choir: wellbeing, culture, and community👩‍🏫 Guest Bio: Julia Pyke is the Managing Director of Sizewell C, the UK’s next large-scale nuclear power station. A former lawyer who helped finance Hinkley Point C, she now leads one of Europe’s biggest clean-energy projects. Julia specialises in nuclear financing, infrastructure delivery, and public communication.📚 Recommended Reading & Resources: ● Electricity Distribution Networks study: government responsehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-distribution-networks-study-government-response  ● Aurora Energy Research (national system modelling) https://auroraer.com ● UK Government: Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model explainerhttps://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g ● Hinkley Point C project overview https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/hinkley-point-c ● Rolls-Royce SMR Programme https://www.rolls-royce-smr.com/ ● Natural England – Tony Juniper https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/about-natural-england/ ● Suffolk Wildlife Trust https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ ● RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) https://www.rspb.org.uk/ 💬 Quote Highlights:“The thing that stops nuclear being built isn’t engineering — it’s financing.” — Julia Pyke “Counterintuitive as it seems, building Sizewell C reduces consumer bills.” “If we could drop Sizewell C into place without construction impacts, there’d be almost no opposition.” “Nuclear isn’t in conflict with renewables. It makes them cheaper.” “If nuclear had been built out as planned in the 1980s, we wouldn’t have global warming.” “We need nuclear that looks like the society it serves — not just white men.” “Big infrastructure can be nature positive.”🌐 About WePlanet: WePlanet is a global science and citizen movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature and human flourishing. Learn more: https://weplanet.org📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: https://weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/weplanetint

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• Bad Idea #31 "Climate crisis? It’s China that’s the problem!" with Lauri Myllyvirta

  Is China secretly saving the world from climate catastrophe? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas is joined by Lauri Myllyvirta, Lead Analyst and Co-Founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), to examine Bad Idea #31: “Climate crisis? It’s China that’s the problem!”As one of the world’s most trusted analysts on China’s energy system, Lauri explains why this narrative is outdated — and how China’s clean-energy boom has become the most important climate story on the planet.They dig into China’s extraordinary expansion of solar, wind, batteries, EVs and long-distance transmission lines; the politics behind continued coal-plant construction; the country’s dramatic air-pollution turnaround; and the global consequences if China’s emissions really have peaked.🧠 Topics Discussed: ● 🔥 The “bad idea”: China will always burn more coal ● 📉 Why China’s CO₂ emissions have been stable or declining for 18 months ● ☀️ The solar boom: 100 solar panels installed per second ● ⚡ China’s new clean electricity each year = powering the UK twice ● 🏭 Why coal plants are still being built — and why many may sit idle ● 🪫 Battery deployment hitting 100 GW, transforming grid flexibility ● 🚗 EVs: 50% of new car sales and eating into China’s oil demand ● 🛻 The rise of electric heavy trucks and buses ● 🌬️ Wind, solar and nuclear in China’s power mix ● 🌁 China’s dramatic air-quality turnaround — and the global warming side-effects ● 🌎 Why China’s decarbonisation is now shaping global energy trends ● 🐉 Geopolitics: US decline, China’s clean-tech dominance ● 📊 Data transparency in China and how Lauri tracks the numbers ● 🔋 Solar + batteries as the cheapest power in world history👨‍🏫 Guest Bio:Lauri Myllyvirta is the Lead Analyst and Co-Founder of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). A globally respected expert on China’s energy system, he publishes widely in international media and frequently contributes analysis to Carbon Brief. Lauri previously worked with Greenpeace and has over a decade of experience tracking air-pollution, fossil-fuel and clean-energy trends across Asia. More about Lauri’s work: ● CREA – https://energyandcleanair.org/ ● Lauri on Carbon Brief – https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-co2-emissions-have-now-been-flat-or-falling-for-18-months/ 📚 Recommended Reading & Resources: ● CREA – China emissions & energy analysis – https://energyandcleanair.org/ ● Lauri’s latest China emissions report – https://www.energyconnects.com/news/renewables/2025/november/china-s-september-emissions-drop-keeps-annual-decline-in-play/ ● Carbon Brief: China energy & climate coverage – https://www.carbonbrief.org/category/china/ ● Bloomberg: China’s clean-energy boom – https://www.bloomberg.com/green ● IEA World Energy Outlook – https://www.iea.org/weo ● China solar deployment data (NEA) – http://www.nea.gov.cn/ ● China EV market overview (CPCA) – https://www.cpcaauto.com/ 💬 Quote Highlights:“China’s clean-energy boom is the biggest climate story in the world right now.” — Lauri Myllyvirta “Solar additions this year alone can power the entire UK — twice.” “Electric cars in China are already cutting into oil demand.” “China has the ability to peak emissions now — the question is political, not technical.” “Air pollution improved faster in China than anyone predicted — and it shows what fast action looks like.” “China didn’t just decarbonise itself — it made clean energy cheap for the whole world.”🌐 About WePlanet: WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at https://weplanet.org📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: https://weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/weplanetint 

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• Bad Idea #30 "It can’t happen here" with Susan Stokes

  Could democracy really die in America? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas speaks with Susan Stokes, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, to challenge Bad Idea #30: “It can’t happen here.”Drawing on her acclaimed book The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies, Stokes reveals the playbook that elected leaders use to quietly erode democracy from within — the same tactics that have turned Hungary, Turkey, and Venezuela into hybrid autocracies. She and Mark discuss the United States’ alarming slide under Trump’s second term, the global rise of “backsliders,” and why inequality may be the hidden fuel of modern authoritarianism.This conversation exposes the real risks facing democratic societies — and what can still be done to save them.🧠 Topics Discussed: ● ⚖️ The Bad Idea: “It can’t happen here” — and why it already is ● 🧱 The authoritarian playbook: courts, press, civil society, universities, and elections ● 🌀 “Firehose authoritarianism” — how chaos itself becomes a political tool ● 📉 Project 2025 and the new blueprint for executive overreach ● 🧮 How Bright Line Watch measures democratic decline ● 💰 The root cause: why inequality erodes democratic resilience ● 🌍 Why backsliding happens in both rich and poor countries ● 🧠 Right-wing ethno-nationalism vs. left populism — different faces, same logic ● 🎓 Why the educated elite have lost touch with working-class voters ● 🗳️ What Sweden and Brazil can teach us about democratic survival ● 🔮 Can the U.S. still hold a free election — or is this democracy’s last chapter?👩‍🏫 Guest Bio: Susan Stokes is the Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where she directs the Chicago Center on Democracy. Her work focuses on democratic accountability, political participation, and comparative politics.She is the author of The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies (Princeton University Press, 2024), which explains how elected leaders across the world — from the U.S. to Hungary to India — erode democracy from within. Stokes also co-founded Bright Line Watch, a project monitoring the health of American democracy through expert and public surveys.📚 Recommended Reading & Resources: ● The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies – Susan C. Stokes ● Bright Line Watch – Ongoing surveys tracking the state of U.S. democracy ● Chicago Center on Democracy – University of Chicago research initiative ● The Precipice – Toby Ord ● Freedom House: Nations in Transit – Annual global democracy report ● V-Dem Institute – Democracy indices and data ● Project 2025 – The conservative blueprint shaping U.S. governance💬 Quote Highlights:“We live in a country where the government acts like an autocracy — and the people still act like it’s a democracy.” — Susan Stokes “Autocracy doesn’t arrive with a coup. It arrives through the ballot box.” “Income inequality is democracy’s most powerful poison.” “The courts, the press, the universities — they’re always the first targets.” “Democracy dies not with a bang, but with a thousand executive orders.” “If you invest in reducing inequality, you’re investing in democratic survival.”🌐 About WePlanet: WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at https://weplanet.org📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: https://weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/weplanetint

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