Journey to the Safest Place on Earth

Over the last 60 years, more than 350,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste has been amassed the world over. This material must be deposited for thousands of years in a safe place, i.e. one that will not harm humans or the environment. However, such a repository has yet to be created and the production of nuclear waste continues unabated. Swiss-based nuclear physicist and internation ally renowned repository specialist Charles McCombie and some of his most important allies provide director Edgar Hagen with insight into their persistent struggle to find the safest place on earth in order to resolve this grave dilemma.

On this quest, the film travels the world, encountering a diverse range of people and places – including a heavily populated area in Switzerland, a nomadic family in the Chinese Gobi Desert, a sacred mountain in an Indian reserve contaminated by nuclear waste and demonstrators in Gorleben's forest in Germany. The film witnesses the secret arrival of a nuclear waste cargo ship in Japan and observes volunteer communities in the UK at a meeting on nuclear waste disposal. In all of these places, reason, democracy and scientific integrity are put to the test by practical constraints, strategies and fears. The film pinpoints a number of appealing options: a mayor in New Mexico is prepared to store the most dangerous substance on earth in his community for large sums of money. Scientists investigate a vast, flat area in the Western Australian outback that could potentially be used as a repository for high-level nuclear waste from across the globe. Edgar Hagen's film raises a huge range of questions about how we are dealing with the situation today and our responsibility to future generations. If there is no other choice, is it possible to force through such a project against the wishes of local residents and, if so, is this a wise solution? (official distributor synopsis)