Nuclear Power is Never the Answer - with Heidi Hutner

Firing up old nuclear plants and putting public health at risk to satisfy the demands of AI is, well, insane.

This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about the State of California suing Exxon for lying about plastic recycling, and how food contact materials contain thousands of toxic chemicals. Then Dr. Heidi Hutner talks about her film “Radioactive: the Women of Three Mile Island” and the recent news that Bill Gates has worked out a deal to re-start the shuttered nuclear facility to provide energy for Microsoft’s AI platforms. 

Green Street - Heid Hutner podcast

0:00

Links from the Interview:

• Microsoft makes a deal to re-open Three Mile Island nuclear power plant:https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/20/constellation-nuclear-plant-deal-microsoft-00180218 • Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island: https://radioactivethefilm.com/

• More about Heidi: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/english/people/hutner.php#Biography

Links from the News:

• State of California Sues Exxon for Lying about Plastic Recycling: https://www.propublica.org/article/exxonmobil-plastics-recycling-pyrolysis-lawsuit-california#

• Chemicals in Food Contact Materials: https://www.ehn.org/food-packaging-chemicals-2669244486.html

No Miracles Required - with Mark Jacobson

We can solve our energy problems and stop using fossil fuel with the technology we already have.

This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about how microplastics impact your kidneys and how much energy and water is being used by AI. Then renewable energy expert Dr. Mark Jacobson talks about how we can solve our global energy problems and stop burning fossil fuels by simply using the technology we already have.

Green Street - Mark Jacobson podcast

0:00

Links from the show

Mark's web page at Stanford: https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/

Link to the book: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/no-miracles-needed/8D183E65462B8DC43397C19D7B6518E3

Links from the news

Op-Ed about microplastics and kidneys: https://www.ehn.org/microplastics-kidneys-2668323519.html

How much energy and water are used by AI? https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/18/energy-ai-use-electricity-water-data-centers/

Standing Up to the Natural Gas Industry - with Dr. Sandra Steingraber

Award-winning author and biologist Dr. Sandra Steingraber talks about our dependence on fossil fuels and the path forward.

This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about micro- and nanoplastic particles and what we can do to reduce them. Then biologist, author and cancer survivor Dr. Sandra Steingraber talks about her efforts to stop the expansion of natural gas infrastructure and the tactics the industry is using to silence any opposition.

Green Street - Sandra Steingraber

0:00

Links from the interview:

• Health risks of gas stoves:https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-health-risks-of-gas-stoves-explained/

• Health impacts from compressor stations:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10616731/

• Heated public meeting concerning the Iroquois Pipeline:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/news/article/iroquois-pipeline-athens-19457818.php&ved=2ahUKEwj7ge-Gk-aHAxVZEFkFHdYyCjUQFnoECBsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3rrSQoZESxAZ6kVoypZT7v

Links from the news:

• Microplastics and IBD:https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/inflammatory-bowel-disease/can-microplastics-cause-inflammatory-bowel-disease

• Solar and wind energy to see large growth:https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61242#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20new,286%20billion%20kWh%20in%202025.