Pandora’s Promise, directed by Robert Stone, is a 2013 documentary film about the nuclear controversy. Its core point is that nuclear power, which is also faced by environmentalist historical resistance, is a fairly stable and renewable source of electricity that can effectively offset the alarming issue of anthropogenic global warming. The film investigates how and why all of those who once lead the fight against it is now enthusiastically supporting the most awaited and divisive scientific innovation of the human race. Operating as memory, intellectual reflection, and social discovery, PANDORA ‘S Promise seeks to stimulate a critical and practical discussion about what is arguably the most crucial issue of our time: how can we continue to sustain modern civilization without destroying it?
The film focuses on a new breed of scientists and environmental activists who once had been ardent enemies of nuclear power but now think that there is no better option. Greens are all opposed to fossil fuels, but the new generation argues that pinning our hopes solely on wind and solar simply raises our reliance on these destructive sources of electricity. Everybody likes the notion that we should only add more powerful light bulbs and survive off windmills and solar panels but that’s a scary dream that leaves us blind to the hard choices we face. Indeed, the film alleges that the fossil fuel industry likes solar and wind because it recognizes that they never pose a real threat to oil and coal hegemony. In brief, if we think about climate change, we will abandon the idea that the sun and wind will fix our needs.
I found it difficult to watch this film because, like most of us, I find something intuitively disturbing about nuclear technology. Michael Shellenberger, one of the leading greens for nuclear power, confirmed to me that as of now, no major U.S. environmental group officially supports nuclear power. But what is the role of science if not with actual data to satisfy our biggest fears? Tomatoes were once believed to be toxic, and once doctors felt it was unethical to cure disease by breaking the human body open. Our craving for nuclear power has gone too far.
