Christmas in D.C. & Women Essential to Nuclear Energy

Here's the latest dispatch.

Dec 06, 2024

Good evening,

I hope you had a marvelous Thanksgiving surrounded by family and loved ones!

For you newbies out there, welcome to Outsider on the Inside. I hope this dispatch from in and around the nation’s capital on underreported topics finds you well.

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Quick Thoughts

Support and follow the work of IWF’s Center for Energy and Conservation today if you haven’t already.

Good news: Season 2 of Yellowstone prequel, 1923, will premiere on Paramount+ on February 23, 2025.

Never seen an outburst like this before a Congressional committee before.

This week marked 30 years since the ill-fated Budapest Memorandum was signed—dooming Ukraine to be bullied by Russia today.

Here are the best European markets in the U.S.—including Washington, D.C.

Today, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act passed the House of Representatives by a wide 327 to 62 margin. Now it moves onto the Senate.

After a decade, Lithuania took ownership of the LNG carrier Independence.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for next week’s dispatch on Friday!

Women Are the Key to Catalyzing Nuclear

When people think about the incoming Trump-Vance administration’s plans to unleash domestic energy production, they likely start with oil and gas drilling, and policies governing fracking and clean coal. Yet nuclear energy has a critical role to play in expanding our domestic energy resources, while also protecting the environment. We shouldn’t let antiquated misperceptions about nuclear production stand in the way.

Support for nuclear energy is at an all-time high in the United States—with 56% of Americans supporting it. Yet this support is lopsided with 70% of men having a favorable opinion of nuclear energy compared to just 44% of women. Women are likely skeptical of nuclear energy due to memories of Soviet-era nuclear mishaps and the notorious Three Mile Island incident, as well as modern fearmongering from the media and radical environmentalists. But nuclear energy has come a long way since then and is now among the most promising technologies in terms of efficacy, safety, and environmental impact.

The incoming Trump administration can appeal to women’s eco sensibilities by highlighting facts about nuclear power as a reliable and environmentally friendly option. Women care deeply about clean air and water conditions, and want natural resources to be stewarded responsibly.

Nuclear energy is the most efficient power source available today. 94 nuclear reactors already supply 18.6% of current U.S. electricity generation. Nuclear, like natural gas, will be essential to meet rising global electricity demand. Unlike intermittent energy sources, like wind and solar, nuclear operates nearly 24/7. It produces near zero emissions while boasting a small environmental footprint compared to utility-scale solar and wind facilities, requiring just a mere square mile of land to accommodate a 1,000 megawatt (MW) power station operating 93% of the year. By contrast, solar and wind function at a fraction of the capacity that nuclear does and require 75 and 360 times more land, respectively, to generate the equivalent amount of electricity. In other words, nuclear power is more dependable, more efficient, requires far less land, and releases negligible carbons—far outpacing renewables on all these measures.

Scenes From the Week: Christmas in DC

ICYMI

Articles/commentary/media appearances from the past week.

MEDIA MENTIONS

ARTICLES/BLOGS

IWF: ‘Landman’ TV Series Humanizes Oil and Gas Industry
IWF: Two Truths And A Lie: Nuclear Energy
IWF/RealClear Energy: How the Trump Administration Can Make Nuclear Energy Popular With Women