Nuclear Now(2023)

Storyline

• As fossil fuels cook the planet, the world is finally forced to confront a massive disinformation campaign about humanity’s cleanest, safest, and fastest energy source – nuclear energy. Beneath our feet, Uranium atoms in the Earth's crust hold incredibly concentrated energy. Science unlocked this energy in the mid-20th century, first for bombs and then to power submarines, and the United States led the effort to generate electricity from this new source. Yet in the mid-20th century as societies began the transition to nuclear power and away from fossil fuels, a long-term PR campaign to scare the public began, funded in part by coal and oil interests. This campaign would sow fear about harmless low-level radiation and create confusion between nuclear weapons and nuclear power. With unprecedented access to the nuclear industry in France, Russia, and the United States, director Oliver Stone explores the possibility for the global community to overcome the challenges of climate change and energy poverty to reach a brighter future through the power of nuclear energy. The movie, narrated by Oliver Stone, promotes nuclear power as a safe and viable solution to combat climate change by replacing fossil fuels. Stone predicts a significant increase in global electricity demand in the next three decades and suggests mass-producing nuclear power plants to meet this growing need for low-carbon energy. He argues that recycling, electric cars, and eco-friendly products are merely superficial attempts by the middle class to feel good, and that they won't make a substantial impact on the climate. The script writers also accuse the anti-nuclear movement of associating nuclear power with nuclear weapons, thus instilling a deep-seated fear of this energy source. Additionally, they imply that the oil and gas industry has been funding campaigns against nuclear power. — Frank Liesenborgs