Japan’s nuclear plans in disarray

Reports of radiation leakages at a nuclear power plant after the Niigata earthquake on Monday have raised widespread public alarm and dealt a devastating blow to the Japanese government’s plans to boost the nuclear-power industry, both domestically and abroad.

“The problems now being reported from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant are deeply alarming. They prove that Japan is not prepared for a nuclear-power disaster, especially during an earthquake, and can never be,” said Professor Hiroaki Koide, a

nuclear-safety specialist at Kyoto University.
Lately, Japan has been focusing on expanding its nuclear-power capabilities by pointing out that this carbon-free energy is essential to combat global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal and resulting in greenhouse-gas emissions.

Japan has 55 nuclear power plants that supply 30% of its electricity. The government is planning to begin building another plant this year and is extending support – in the form of technology transfer – to energy-short countries in Asia that are considering or planning nuclear plants.

According to the International Energy Agency based in Paris, the world’s energy needs will rise by 51% by 2030 because of industrialization and population growth, which could lead to an environmental nightmare.

Japan’s latest nuclear-power policy pushes an alternative solution by promising to ensure its safety through technology that includes sound storage methods for highly radioactive nuclear waste.

But activists argue that the Japanese government is being irresponsible by not taking into consideration the dangers posed by this industry as well as the high costs involved.

Asia Times