Stanke spoke at the Nuclear Energy Policy Summit 2023 in New York. Photographer: Lila Barth/Bloomberg , Photographer: Lila Barth/BloombergThere’s a Brazilian model. Miss America. A nonprofit founder who goes by Atomic Eric. And a PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who calls herself Ms. Nuclear Energy and has more than 118,000 TikTok followers. They're all on the same quest: making fission more fun.
Her post refuting the connection struck a nerve with viewers and she’s since uploaded hundreds more. One of her favorites is “Why Nuclear Power is Better Than Your Ex.” Reason No. 1: It’s clean. The post is funny but it also manages to tout some of the technology’s key advantages in just 15 seconds. And it’s one of the best ways to reach her peers in a way they will understand.
“We need to see action start to be taken, and that does start at the top level when it comes to nuclear,” said Stanke, who describes herself as a nuclear nerd on her Instagram page, which has more than 19,000 followers. “More support today means more action tomorrow.” “Activism now is happening on social media,” said Literat. “It’s evolved from holding up banners at protest marches in the 60s.”♬ original sound - ???? ISODOPE
“It's easy to bamboozle people who are too young to have lived through those experiences,” said Kamps. “There is such a thing as healthy fear. Being afraid of nuclear power and radioactivity and nuclear waste is a healthy fear.”