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Former Japanese PM Naoto Kan speaks out about Fukushima nuclear disaster

Former Japanese PM Naoto Kan: ‘Fukushima radically changed my perspective’, DW 26 Feb 15 How has the Fukushima disaster changed Japan? Former PM Naoto Kan talks to DW about the influence of the nuclear industry lobby while criticizing the current government for its push to restart the idled nuclear reactors……

In an exclusive DW interview, Naoto Kan talks about his views on government plans to restart nuclear reactors, what Japan can learn from Germany’s nuclear phase-out, and why Japan has no choice but to invest in alternative sources of energy………

“I am against restarting Japan’s nuclear reactors. On the one hand, the exact causes of the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima and its far-reaching implications have not been well understood. On the other hand, the resumption of nuclear energy increases the danger of another accident in the country.

At present, no nuclear energy is being produced in Japan, but we are still generating enough power to meet our needs. Although we are currently relying on oil and natural gas for electricity generation, a shift to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind could happen in the long run.

The number of commercial energy producers who want to generate alternative energy has risen enormously, since I brought forward a law on renewable energy and ensured fixed feed-in-tariffs in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. I am therefore convinced that in ten years, Japan can produce as much electricity with renewable sources as it had generated with nuclear power plants prior to the Fukushima incident…….

the [nuclear] industry has not been willing to give up its existing privileges and profit margins. It therefore tries to influence politicians and the media by organizing campaigns in favor of nuclear energy……..

Claims by the nuclear power lobbyists that atomic energy is cheaper than oil or natural gas are simply false. This has already been acknowledged by many experts. As soon as you take into account potential compensation claims and the costs of permanently disposing of the nuclear waste, you will find that it is more expensive than oil or natural gas………

Former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is currently a member of Japan’s House of Representatives for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

The interview was conducted by Gabriel Domínguez.   http://www.dw.de/former-japanese-pm-naoto-kan-fukushima-radically-changed-my-perspective/a-18275921

February 27, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general