Biodiverse Podcast - Ep. 4: Atomic episode

"Podcast Biodiverso" is the first podcast show from the naturetech 3Bee, which stands out in the climate podcast scene for its ability to weave irony, levity and information into a unique and accessible format for all. The first season is composed of 6 episodes, available on Spotify and YouTube, and tackles key current issues, such as the climate crisis and biodiversity, in a sparkling and original way. Each episode presents an exclusive perspective on the big questions of sustainability: from climate change to sex, from feelings to the extinction of mosquitoes, and even nuclear energy. Not the usual green podcast, but a tool for spreading, comparing and learning, to tell the story of biodiversity in a new way, also thanks to the contribution of renowned guests.

In the fourth episode of "Podcast Biodiverso", entitled "Atomic episode. Nuclear energy between disasters and solutions", features guest Luca Romano, better known as the Atom Advocate, one of the world's most-watched scientific commentators on the subject of nuclear energy. That of nuclear energy is a very controversial topic, especially in Italy: but what are the reasons? And what are the salient points of the debate? These are just some of the questions that 3Bee answers in the fourth episode of "Podcast Biodiverso", which aims to dispel some false myths about nuclear energy with a scientific approach.

On 26 April of 1986 at 1.23 a.m. a accident unparalleled in the history of nuclear power occurred: at the Vladimir Lenin power plant a safety test of reactor number 4, classified as level 7 on the Ines catastrophe scale, failed due to human error. The accident caused between 200,000 and 350,000 displaced persons, 64 deaths directly related to the accident and thousands of cancer cases in the months and years that followed. We all know this episode as the Chernobyl Disaster, but not everyone knows that the area of the nuclear accident has surprisingly become a reserve of biodiversity. But this is not just about Chernobyl: in the 3Bee podcast episode the Atom Lawyer tells us about other examples of areas around nuclear power plants that have become favourable habitats for different species.

Luca Romano, class of 1988, born and raised in Turin, is a master's degree in physics. In 2015, following the achievement of the Paris Climate Agreement, he became interested in environmental issues and ecological transition. From here, he began a journey that led him, in 2020, to open his own scientific disclosure project on the subject of nuclear energy, which takes the (provocative) name of "the Atom Advocate". Today, he is the most widely followed science populariser in Italy - and the biggest defender of nuclear power in our country - and among the most followed in the world on this topic. In addition, he is the author of the book 'L'avvocato dell'atomo. In defence of nuclear energy'.

When we think of a nuclear power station, two immense grey chimneys immediately come to mind. But have you ever heard of the small SMR reactors? The acronym stands for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors and they are small modular fission reactors, which, despite their modest size, can meet the energy needs of a medium-sized city. The advantage of SMRs lies above all in their size, which allows them to be easily transported and located in different sites, but also in the speed and cheapness of construction, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. SMRs could unlock the classic 'pro- or anti-nuclear' dichotomy, as they remedy some of the shortcomings of classical nuclear power, such as cost and production speed.

The Next episodes of Biodiverse Podcast will be released every three weeks and will cover topics such as mosquito extinction and the link between hunting and biodiversity:
- Hunting for biodiversity - Coming soon
- Biodiversity that stings - Coming soon
"Biodiverse Podcast" explores from a new perspective all those topics that 3Bee offers every day in company training programmes and in school educational plans, in a dynamic and engaging format. It is an invitation to discover, reflect and act, with the aim of creating an ever-widening network of ambassadors of change, aware of the importance of biodiversity for our planet.