Film Review: Another View of Energy Future in ‘Pandora’s Promise’

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CHICAGO – Who are we to believe any more? On one side is a corporate information media, desperately trying to sell soap in between their boardroom agendas. On the other, is the massive and barely sourced repository called the internet. Between those two is the documentary “Pandora’s Promise.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Distributed by CNN FIlms (yes, that CNN), the film is a pro-nuclear energy screed, an opposing view that pretty much goes against years of “No Nukes” protests, meltdowns like Three Mile Island and Homer Simpson. It does its job in an entertaining way, trotting out the notable experts and counterpointing the naysayers. It is rather suspicious that the “Danger” sign is automatically put up every time nuclear energy is discussed, and the film does rationally provide a reasonable opposing argument, BUT, going back to the corporate information media, who are we suppose to believe?

The provocative title “Pandora’s Promise” refers to what was left in that box of mythology, which was hope. So the premise is the hope of nuclear energy – cleaner, more renewable and able to function in remote areas – will provide vital electrical power. This is the next challenge of the developing world, delivering the civilizing effects of electrical power to parts of the world that don’t have it, while keeping up with the energy consumption of mass populations.

Serving up a parade of mostly environmental experts and nuclear scientists, the documentary provides the advantages of a nuclear power future, and proves the safety of the science very effectively. The electric grid is collapsing from the strain of a necessity for more power, plus with wind and solar energy still creating a huge manufacturing footprint, perhaps everything nuclear is the energy solution again.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Pandora’s Promise”

Three Mile Island in ‘Pandora’s Promise’ Photo credit: CNN Films

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Pandora’s Promise”