I think likening Mako to nuclear energy is particularly interesting since the core of Earth is molten magma heated by radioactive metals like uranium. If that core were to stop, we'd lose our magnetic poles. We'd lose atmosphere. We'd be bombarded by cosmic rays and die. We'd turn into Mars - a planet with no magnetic core

Yeah nuclear energy is pretty powerful stuff! If only we had ways to neutralize radioactive fallout like in Ghost in the Shell...