Tainter said he is among those who have not given up on nuclear power. "We pretty much dropped nuclear as a serious option after the Three Mile Island incident, and I believe that was a mistake."

Nuclear power is relatively clean, and while it carries a burden of security concerns, he believes they can be addressed.

DiCaprio's film also interviewed him on the subject of people's awareness of the environmental issues that the world faces, he said. "And awareness is the first step to resolving our problems."

He flew to Hollywood for his interviews, which were made about two years ago, and he had a chance to meet DiCaprio. "I admire him for his commitment to this issue and for associating his name with this film. I only had brief opportunities to talk with him.

"I found him an open and likable fellow, and very, very concerned about environmental issues. I enjoyed meeting him."

"The 11th Hour" may make it possible that our civilization won't go the way of ancient Babylon.

"It depends on how many people see it," Tainter said. "I thought the producers of the film did a really excellent job."

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com