Who Has The Energy?

TCM showed The China Syndrome (1979) last night.  About a potential nuclear power plant disaster, the hosts noted its relevance, and much of Hollywood still agrees.  Michael Douglas, producer and star of the movie, just appeared at a panel on its 40th anniversary "A New Nuclear Arms Race? Hollywood's Role in Building Momentum for a Safer World."

A person on the panel noted, the film "had a lot of criticism from the nuclear power industry.  Then Three Mile Island happened and that alerted Michael to the real danger.  This wasn't just a script element. It was a real danger, and he started feeling of responsibility [sic] to get involved and do something about it."

So Douglas started working for nuclear peace.  But what does this have to do The China Syndrome?  Nuclear power isn't the same as nuclear weapons.  The Soviet Union dissolving may have something to do with lowered fear of nuclear war, but not the closing of nuclear plants.

And that's what The China Syndrome was about.  There was a strong anti-nuclear energy movement that the film supported, one that exists to this day.  Considering nuclear is still the cheapest, safest alternative power available, in an age when climate change is a threat, fighting against such energy was, and is, a disastrous decision.  I don't think that was brought up at the panel.