nuclear-news

If efficient, capable Japan can’t manage nuclear power, no-one else can, either

 I think most of us respect the efficiency and capabilities of the Japanese people. Coming out of WWII, they became a major power again very rapidly. And simply put, they cannot handle nuclear power. This calls into question whether anyone else can either.

Glowing Green with Outrage By Adam Smith OpEdNews Op Eds 8/27/2013  “For 50 years, nuclear power stations have produced three products which only a lunatic could want: bomb-explosive plutonium, lethal radioactive waste and electricity so dear it has to be heavily subsidized. They leave to future generations the task, and most of the cost, of making safe sites that have been polluted half-way to eternity.”

-James Buchan

I suspect I might take some flak for this one but I support the above quote. Now don’t get me wrong. I like electricity. I like that this computer I’m typing on is not simply an inert piece of plastic and metals and whatever else makes up a computer. I like that my lights work and that my stove turns on and my fridge keeps the food from spoiling. I realize that there will necessarily be consequences and side-effects and pollution created in the pursuit of these conveniences. We gotta make power somehow and most people will agree with that sentiment.

But I’m still gonna say that we need to shut down these nuclear plants. And it’s not because of the radioactive waste they produce as part of normal operations. It’s not because their fuel can be made into bombs by crazy people. And it’s not even because they are pretty inefficient and generally require government-provided subsidies and insurance. It’s for another reason. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ll mention that I’m from Manitoba, Canada, and we have hydroelectric dams producing more nature-friendly (relative term) power than we know what to do with. This puts me in an armchair-warrior position since closing the nuclear plants isn’t going to cost me a thing.

But I’m afraid I must insist they be phased out as rapidly as possible for the simple reason that they can go haywire and cause an unstoppable chain-reaction that could potentially make our planet uninhabitable in a way no other type of power plant can. Since the Japanese Fukushima explosion of 2011, some major countries seem to agree. Germany is determined to decommission all of their plants, France has begun attempting to reduce dependence on them, and Switzerland has cancelled plans for new ones and will not replace old ones once their lifespan is up. Despite Japan having few other options for power besides expensive, imported fossil fuel, their country’s tectonic troubles and their personal relation to the Fukushima disaster have them planning to phase out all nuclear plants in 30 years at most…….

as Fukushima has proven, sometimes things can go wrong even without humans being responsible. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami smashed the Fukushima Daiichi power plant resulting in the second ever event to deserve a 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Although news coverage was intense at first, it waned pretty quickly as no huge die-off occurred due to the released radiation. It seemed that by deliberately disobeying ordersfrom corporate headquarters to stop pumping seawater into the damaged reactor, the plant’s supervisor Masao Yoshido allowed humanity to avoid another Chernobyl. Yoshido died of cancer this July and it’s safe to say we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Even ignoring studies showing increased radiation-linked cancer rates in Japan as well as in the US, I think it is safe to say we have been led to believe we had dodged this particular bullet.

…… I think most of us respect the efficiency and capabilities of the Japanese people. Coming out of WWII, they became a major power again very rapidly. And simply put, they cannot handle nuclear power. This calls into question whether anyone else can either. The Japanese may be more prone to troubles due to their country’s tendency to quake but nuclear plants anywhere can be damaged by other means such as floods, solar flairs, and terrorist attacks. Heck, even a rogue meteor could happen. And unlike other power plants, if things go really bad, people all over the world will pay the price for as long as radioactive elements take to break down. Uranium-235 has a half-life of 700 million years.

I don’t think that’s a price we should be considering paying. http://www.opednews.com/articles/Glowing-Green-with-Outrage-by-Adam-Smith-Cancer_Energy_Energy_Energy-130827-96.html

AS

August 28, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general