Advocating for renewables doesn't have to mean being anti-nuclear

Source: Christopher Gully | · LINKEDIN · | September 12, 2023

A few weeks ago, Policy Options published "Focus on renewables, not nuclear, to fuel Canada’s electric needs". This is yet another in a long line of articles from anti-nuclear activists dressed up as friendly renewables advocates.

It's telling that the story was tagged with "environment" rather than "energy" or "renewables" because mainstream discussion of environmentalism still assumes that renewable energy is the best and only option for a low-carbon future. This is a vast oversimplification that does far more harm than good.

I am an environmentalist. I have worked closely with and have great respect for a huge number of people in the environmental movement. But we must stop exclusively conflating environmentalism and renewable advocacy.

It's an unfortunate tendency, because it creates divisions where there should be alliances, and forces well-meaning environmentalists to spread opinion and misinformation (whether deliberately or just through force of habit).