C4E Presents
C4E Presents
Podcast Description
Welcome to C4E Presents, a podcast from Stony Brook’s Collaborative for the Earth. From climate attribution to marine plastics, we confront the difficult questions about climate change head-on. Join us for exciting conversations with Stony Brook University’s environmental scholars and researchers to explore these issues together. Hostedby Heather Lynch, director of Stony Brook’s Collaborative for the Earth.
For more information, visit stonybrook.edu/c4e/
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on a range of climate-related topics, including biotechnology in agriculture, ethical decision-making in environmental humanities, the socio-economic implications of oil, and the role of effective communication in climate science. Episode examples include discussions on the Green Revolution in Ghana, the importance of ethics in environmental decisions, and the challenges posed by misinformation.
From Stony Brook University’s Collaborative for the Earth, C4E Presents explores environmental science, climate change, and actionable climate solutions through engaging talks with environmental scholars and scientists. Host Heather Lynch guides listeners through environmental science issues, including marine plastics and climate attribution, to confront today’s toughest climate challenges. Discover expert perspectives and solutions for a healthier planet. Learn more at stonybrook.edu/c4e/
This special episode of Collaborative for the Earth (C4E) examines how U.S. efforts to move away from fossil fuels collide with surging electricity demand from AI and data centers, prompting companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to pursue nuclear power.
Distributed by American Public Media from January through April 2026, C4E presents in its first national radio broadcast the history of nuclear energy in the United States, from Eisenhower’s 1953 “Atoms for Peace” through Three Mile Island, and changing public opinion under the Trump administration. Today, approximately 94 reactors supply just over 18% of U.S. utility-scale electricity. The narrative episode explores the restarting of shuttered plants, the promise and skepticism around small modular reactors, and shifts in energy policy as climate solutions that were discussed during an April 2025 Governor’s Island forum debate, in partnership with The New York Climate Exchange.
Learn more with:
SBU’s Collaborative for the Earth Debuts National Broadcast Special on Nuclear Energy
SBU Hosts 2nd Annual Environmental Forum on Nuclear Energy’s Role in Climate Solutions
Understanding Nuclear Energy with C4E’s ‘Nuclear 101’ Conversation
Skip ahead to the chapter that interests you:
01:25 Three Mile Island Shock
04:05 Nuclear Numbers Shift
05:54 Why This Podcast
07:21 AI Power Hunger
11:13 Restarting Old Reactors
13:47 Debating Nuclear Role
20:47 Safety After Fukushima
25:34 Regulation Lessons Learned
27:01 Nuclear Waste Dilemma
31:31 Do We Need Nuclear
32:50 Long Island Case Study
35:28 Build Times and Costs
37:23 Safety Versus Speed
41:10 Geopolitics and Supply Chains
45:43 Four Paths to Expand
47:43 Small Modular Reactor Hype
51:55 Financing the Nuclear Bet
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You can find all our episodes at www.stonybrook.edu/c4e or wherever you stream audio.
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C4E Presents is a production of Stony Brook’s Collaborative for the Earth.
Special thanks to The New York Climate Exchange and Stony Brook’s Office of the Provost, Office of Marketing and Communications and the MS in Journalism program for their support.
Host: Heather Lynch
Writer: J.D. Allen
Editors: Terry Sheridan, Lori Kie
Producers: Jordan Vallone, Melanie Formosa
Post Production: Denis Murray
Program Manager: Jennifer Gilday
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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