RE: the nascent stage of a nuclear renaissanceThe recent acquisition of the Ben Lomond Uranium/Molybdenum deposit in Australia gives MPM access to the booming uranium business.
If the world oil supply fails to keep up with demand in the not-too-distant future, then consumption of oil must diminish per force and the world will be left wanting for other energy sources to pick up the slack. Although hydrogen, wind, and solar energy hold some promise, their ability to replace conventional energy is still very much in doubt. Only uranium and coal have a history of being reasonably cheap and abundant fuels. Furthermore, coal and nuclear plants are reliable (as baseload power must be) and can be implemented on a large scale - two important features that alternative energy technologies have yet to demonstrate.
Nuclear energy, on the other hand, is very clean, releasing little other than steam.
The world will embrace uranium and coal until viable alternatives come to the forefront - alternatives that by all appearances are still decades away from fruition.