Review: 'The New Fire'

To be kind, most documentaries that focus on an environmentally-conscious topic tend to preachy and/or dull. Lots of doom and gloom, with a healthy mix of finger-pointing at all the people and institutions that are responsible for our societal slide towards the abyss. But very seldom have I left on this films and felt that I've learned something new. Or more importantly, felt that there was some cause for hope. Some chance that we might have some workable options for lowering our overall carbon footprint and moving towards a more environmentally kind future.

A rare exception to that documentary genre is David Schumacher's "The New Fire," which focuses on the possibilities of nuclear fission. The film readily acknowledges that for most Americans, their knowledge of nuclear energy is primarily composed of news reports about Chernobyl and that wildly dangerous nuclear plant that is at the heart of "The Simpsons." But the film does a nice job of quickly laying out the case for nuclear power and provides a quick illustration of how the various designs for different reactors work.

But the core of the film is the real-life story of how some small, innovative companies are attempting to convince the United States to increase its use of nuclear power. There are interviews with nuclear physicists and climate scientists, many of whom agree that the only viable way to achieve a carbon-neutral energy infrastructure throughout the world is by increasing the use of nuclear power.

"The New Fire" also introduces a group of millennial-run energy startups like Oklo, Transatomic Power and TerraPower - all of whom are working to launch new projects. But they face a lot of formidable hurdles. Funding is one issue. It's a capital-intensive idea and while a successful launch could be a financial windfall for investors, it's a risky gamble for anyone. Any potential new plant also faces a number of regulatory and public relations challenges. At best, nuclear fission is misunderstood by Americans and the current laws governing the industry were written when old-style water-cooled nuclear plants were considered state-of-the-art technology. A number of things will have to change before these plants can come online.

But the film also discusses the many upsides to nuclear power. There is a growing global market for it since even the most robust wind and solar energy projects aren't enough to completely power our modern world. And with a global market for nuclear energy expanding rapidly, being at the forefront of the industry makes financial sense for America.

I can't guarantee that you'll agree with everything in "The New Fire." But I am sure you'll walk away from it with some new facts to consider. And when you get right down to it, that's the best case outcome for any documentary tackling a serious and complex subject.

"The New Fire" is available October 18, 2018 on iTunes, Amazon & Google Play.