The climate change debate is heating up. Record numbers of people no longer see extreme climate as a distant threat, but as a crisis that is unfolding right now. According to a Yale survey, "the proportion of Americans who are very worried about global warming has more than tripled since its lowest point in 2011."

Despite opposition by activist groups, support for carbon-free nuclear power is growing among climate scientists and environmentalists as they search for ways to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.

In this episode, Richard quizzes co-host Jim Meigs, who argues in the latest edition of City Journal that nuclear is the best source of clean, reliable and safe energy.

We consider concerns about cost, nuclear waste, power plant safety, and look at what really happened after disasters at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima. Jim explains why subsidies for wind and solar have led to the construction of more polluting natural gas plants, instead of no-emission nuclear facilities.

Sources cited include an MIT study, "The Future of Nuclear Power", the research and advocacy group,Environmental Progress, and Jim's "City Journal" article.