Nuclear Now

A bit American centric, but otherwise extraordinary. Is obviously biased, but hopefully so and the bias is well justified.

I run a company that focuses on energy storage technologies and have been looking at grid storage systems and applications... Following this, we will abandon that and focus on mobile energy applications where batteries, supercapacitors etc are really important and the best type of solution to address the challenges.

Have to admit that I watched this on a plane, turned me into a blubbering mess. Bravo Oliver, I'm a big fan, but this is your most impactful work to date.

Strongly recommend to anyone, very easy to watch, understand and follow the arguments.

I have always been curious about why we don't build more nuclear reactors. One of my main concerns has been the issue of nuclear waste and the limited lifespan of these reactors. However, after watching this insightful documentary, narrated by Oliver Stone, I have come to appreciate the potential benefits of expanding nuclear power. Stone's argument that increasing the number of nuclear reactors can effectively address global warming seems to hold merit. This documentary delves into many aspects beyond what I have mentioned here, making it a truly engaging watch. I highly recommend it to open-minded individuals who are willing to approach the subject without injecting politics into the discussion. True to Oliver Stone's reputation, the film's quality is unquestionable. What I particularly enjoyed was how the documentary acknowledges the possibility of viewer bias, stemming from Hollywood's portrayal of events, and guides us through facts. While I eagerly await the emergence of the next breakthrough in power technology, the urgency of the issue at hand necessitates that we base our decisions on information rather than misguided beliefs. It is crucial that we proceed with a well-informed approach to address the challenges of our energy needs.

Keep in mind that this documentary is fully founded and promoted by a company specialized in the construction of nuclear reactors (Newcleo). The primary focus of this recently (2021) created organization is to advocate for the construction of new nuclear reactors and to influence energy policies across Europe, such as in Italy, where nuclear energy is presently prohibited.

Newcleo, in the next 7-8 years, plans to develop two reactors in France and the United Kingdom, with a non-nuclear prototype in the study phase in Italy. Additionally, they intend to establish a nuclear fuel factory producing mixed plutonium-uranium oxides (MOX). The concept for the MOX facility emerged after the conflict in Ukraine, driven by the demand for radioactive fuel independent of uranium sourced from Russia, one of the world's major producers. The company will require capital in the range of 3-4 billion euros to accomplish these endeavors. For these reasons, probably, they have produced a documentary to support their cause, shift public opinion on the subject and seek funding.

Throughout the entire duration of the documentary, not a single mention is made of any drawbacks associated with nuclear energy. Is nuclear energy so flawless that it possesses no disadvantages? Not quite. For instance, uranium mining causes lung cancer in large numbers of miners because uranium mines contain natural radon gas, some of whose decay products are carcinogenic. Clean, renewable energy does not have this risk because (a) it does not require the continuous mining of any material, only one-time mining to produce the energy generators; and (b) the mining does not carry the same lung cancer risk that uranium mining does. Additionally, uranium, the fuel for nuclear reactors, is energy-intensive to mine, and deposits discovered in the future are likely to be harder to access. As a result, much of the net energy created would be offset by the energy input required to build and decommission plants and to mine and process uranium ore. Then there's the significant issue of nuclear waste, which is only superficially addressed. New storage systems are being designed, but a completely safe and efficient 100% solution has not been found yet.

I am not against nuclear energy, but I would like to hear a more impartial and objective perspective on the topic, or at least hear the opposing viewpoint before drawing my conclusions.

We are taken on a tour of fissions past, when all we ever knew was just a blast, of how a power could just smash, turning the world into cheap trash, while extra fingers, toes and eyes could be amassed; we all know the world is ending due to fossils, we didn't pay too much regard to the apostles, who couldn't break oil cartels, who lied, misled about their wells, with an event of extinction, that is colossal; so what to do, and in essence, who to believe, as we know that everyone will cheat, deceive, it looks like nukes are the escape, to stop environmental rape, until the atoms find a way to make escape!

You know, the problem is, you don't really know, and this is more than likely sponsored by groups with an interest, so keep an open mind, and investigate for yourself.

Stone starts off the movie by showing how the world was seemingly united on the dream of using nuclear energy for good back in the 50's & 60's but them big oil & coal used their influence to steer public opinion away. Hmmm, they do that? Is that possibly why, despite knowing how bad fossil fuels are, we're still addicted to the stuff 100 yrs later? Maybe I, too, was duped by their anti-nuke propaganda - but there are some flaws in Stone's sunny brush-overs ... all 3 major nuclear accident events are all just written off as problems caused by "poor design". Does he not think that the oil & coal industries, along w/ grimy corps like known polluters GE & short-cut takers like Halliburton aren't going to have their paws in the overhaul of our country's energy source? Or that we won't be buying fake steel and defective parts from China? And that 1 nuclear.accident, albeit extremely rare, has the potential to exterminate/radiate all life forms within hundreds of miles - Sweden detected high levels of radiation 2 days after Chernobyl, and they're over 600 miles away. But we do need to move away from oil & coal once and for all, and this new technology of recycling/re-using the nuclear waste would solve a half century-old dilemma if it were true. I say let's power back up all the existing decommissioned plants here in the U. S. until solar & wind is finally ready to take over ...