Youth and the Nuclear Renaissance: Exploring Generational Shift on Nuclear Risk

The current resurgence of interest in nuclear energy, justified by energy security concerns and geopolitical pressures, is often referred to as the 'nuclear renaissance'. This label epitomises a reframing of nuclear discourse in both civilian and military domains aimed at rendering this technology acceptable within a transformed global context. Within this debate, there is growing consensus among experts and political actors that younger generations exhibit more favourable attitudes toward nuclear energy, partly reflecting an erosion of the post-Cold War nuclear taboo. However, recent surveys reveal complex and geographically differentiated patterns. Yet pro-nuclear movements are emerging among youth activists alongside traditional anti-nuclear environmentalism, challenging established green politics and suggesting a fundamental reconfiguration of the relationship between environmentalism and nuclear technology. Based on focus groups among university students, this paper explores perspectives and narratives of nuclear risk in the context of climate change and international conflicts. Preliminary findings suggest an emerging tendency among participants to frame nuclear energy primarily through its climate mitigation potential. Other dimensions of nuclear risk, including radioactive waste management, catastrophic accidents and military proliferation, appear less salient in their narratives. These findings may indicate a generational shift in the understanding and evaluation of risk reshaped by an emergent atomic imaginary characterized by an illusory separation between civilian and military applications and the progressive depoliticization of nuclear issues. The study contributes to debates on youth, generations, and risks by examining the nuclear as an extreme case of socio-technical reconfiguration, offering insights into how young people navigate uncertainty and technological futures.