Back from a hiatus

...With some announcements!

I’m back

I’ve been a little AWOL. Sorry about that.

If you’ve ever spent years writing a book, you’ll understand what happened. Writing a book isn’t just writing. It’s also researching, rewriting, second-guessing, editing, fact-checking, and then doing it all over again. Especially with a topic like nuclear energy, because you have to be extremely careful not to make even the smallest mistake, as your opponents will never let you forget it if you do. And by the time you’re finished, the last thing you want to do is more writing.

Then came the book tour.

Over the past few months I’ve been travelling around the UK talking about Energy is Life: Why Environmentalism Went Nuclear, busting some of the more persistent myths about nuclear energy, and discussing one of the issues I care about most: energy poverty. I’ve been on the radio, TV, and amazing podcasts like Michael Shermer’s Skeptic. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but it hasn’t left much time for writing.

Meanwhile, my online audience has grown to more than half a million followers, which is exciting, but answering questions, making videos, and keeping on top of comments is also pretty full on.

I received YouTube’s Silver Creator Award after passing 100,000 subscribers. I was invited to give evidence as an expert witness to the UK Parliament’s Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee on the future of nuclear energy. And I hosted the UK Energy Innovation Expo as part of East Midlands Tech Week.

So, I took a break from posting here. But the good news is that the itch to write has returned, and I’m working on something very interesting which I plan to post soon.

And there’s a lot more to come.

• This Thursday I’ll be giving a lecture online titled Half-Life of a Myth: Nuclear Narratives in the Information Age for Skeptics in the Pub.

• In September I’ll be hosting a discussion at the British Science Festival about the remarkable inventor, physicist, and mathematician Hertha Ayrton.

• In October I’ll be speaking at Back Nuclear Energy in Parliament.

• In November, I’ll have the privilege of speaking about nuclear energy at the Oxford Union, which I’m honoured to have been invited to do.

I’ll also be making an appearance on the the fantastic Reason podcast, so keep an eye out for that.

Despite the travel, the events, and the increasingly busy social media schedule, I want this newsletter to become a regular home again. Not just for updates, but for longer-form ideas that don’t fit into short video content.

Thanks for sticking around while life got hectic.

More soon.

Zion

Accolades for Energy is Life: Why Environmentalism Went Nuclear:

“It takes a lot of courage to change your mind on a controversial issue. Zion Lights does a great job of explaining why the facts of life are nuclear.” – Matt Ridley, author of How Innovation Works

“The entire history of civilization can be reduced to two words: energy capture―in the teeth of entropy, humans need energy to survive and flourish. Zion Lights’ Energy is Life is the definitive case for why environmentalism must go nuclear. The fate of humanity depends on it, and this is the book that outlines how we can get there.” – Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of The Moral Arc, Conspiracy, and Truth

Read Michael Shellenberger’s full review in Public News.

Order your copy of Energy is Life here.