Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
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Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
1–10 of 63 posts
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#2For all the scorn that creationists (justifiably) receive, scientific ignorance in the form of nuclear scaremongering has done and is doing far more damage.
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#3From a distance this seems like a horrible decision. Nuclear power is one of the areas that Japan leads the world, both in expertise and operation. It runs 50 plants, third to only the US and France. It is amazing that as a society they would abandon this advantage.
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#4For all the scorn that creationists (justifiably) receive, scientific ignorance in the form of nuclear scaremongering has done and is doing far more damage.
Is it really scaremongering? Fukushima was a close call.
Considering the population density and the inherent risks (quakes) in Japan, I would say it's a wise decision. Who wants a population living under fear?
Fission is a good source of energy, but nuclear plants are obviously less reliable than expected. That will be a thrust to research better alternatives, including better nuclear plant designs, why not?
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#5For all the scorn that creationists (justifiably) receive, scientific ignorance in the form of nuclear scaremongering has done and is doing far more damage.
Is it really scaremongering? Fukushima was a close call. Considering the population density and the inherent risks (quakes) in Japan, I would say it's a wise decision. Who wants a population living under fear? Fission is a good source of energy, but nuclear plants are obviously less reliable than expected. That will be a thrust to research better alternatives, including better nuclear plant designs, why not?
Fukushima was a freak event in an old power station with inadequate sea defences. Simply building another 2m on top of the wall would have been enough until the station lost its licence due to age.
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#6From a distance this seems like a horrible decision. Nuclear power is one of the areas that Japan leads the world, both in expertise and operation. It runs 50 plants, third to only the US and France. It is amazing that as a society they would abandon this advantage.
As someone close to me working with foreign countries and the Japanese nuclear energy industry said:
"Which country is willing to buy the products of our industry if we are not willing to buy them for ourselves?"
There are already a bunch of countries way ahead of Japan on renewable energy. But Japan is suffering from severe populism over the last years, nowadays it appears that taking responsibility for governing the country has become to equivalent resigning when the going gets tough. So, I don't think it is likely that they will stay the course and talk about safe and modern nuclear power.
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it really scaremongering? Fukushima was a close call. Considering the population density and the inherent risks (quakes) in Japan, I would say it's a wise decision. Who wants a population living under fear? Fission is a good source of energy, but nuclear plants are obviously less reliable than expected. That will be a thrust to research better alternatives, including better nuclear plant designs, why not?
Fukushima was a freak event in an old power station with inadequate sea defences. Simply building another 2m on top of the wall would have been enough until the station lost its licence due to age.
Exactly.
Had it been a gas plant or whatever, it wouldn't have mattered. But it was a nuclear plant, and in a nuclear plant any improbable event like that is a major f* up. That's the core issue.
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#8From a distance this seems like a horrible decision. Nuclear power is one of the areas that Japan leads the world, both in expertise and operation. It runs 50 plants, third to only the US and France. It is amazing that as a society they would abandon this advantage.
I'm no nuclear expert, but from what I gather very few people consider TEPCO or the Japanese regulators to have shown a high level of expertise in handling the Fukushima situation. Some of it was definitely bad luck, but most reports I see have pretty harsh criticism of regulators neglect of the situation prior to the event and TEPCO's handling of the situation after the event.
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#9Here's where I'm at now on nuclear power, as someone who has lived in Tokyo for the last 7 1/2 years:
'Nuclear scaremongers' are right, that is to say they have a point, but for the wrong reasons. They are wrong that nuclear power is inherently dangerous, or that it's bad for the environment when compared e.g. coal, or basically whatever other anti-scientific bullshit they care to trot out to support their anti-nuclear stance. The science is clear - if you are an environmentalist you should fervently support nuclear power generation because it stands head and shoulders above everything else in terms of safety and environmental friendliness...
... when operated responsibly.
Therein lies the problem. After what's come out over the past couple years about the shit that has gone on at Tepco and the regulatory authorities, it is hard not to take the view that most of these assholes in executive positions should be put in prison. Hell, if Japan is so dedicated to the death penalty, some of them make prime candidates for it. That they could show such casual disregard not just for the safety of the towns near their facilities, but really their entire nation and even region, is profoundly shocking to the point that it starts to make you question your fundamental assumptions of human nature. Fundamental assumptions such as "human beings are generally not, as a rule, criminally incompetent psychopaths".
I'm sure most of the anti-nuclear crowd in Japan truly believes the bunk science that supports their stance. Others might be more cynical. At the governmental level, however, I think (and hope) something a bit more introspective is going on. Namely, that they have come to the realization that they can not be trusted to effectively regulate the nuclear power industry. Not when the consequences of failure are what they are.
Re: Japan Commits to Eliminating Nuclear Power
#10For all the scorn that creationists (justifiably) receive, scientific ignorance in the form of nuclear scaremongering has done and is doing far more damage.
Is it really scaremongering? Fukushima was a close call. Considering the population density and the inherent risks (quakes) in Japan, I would say it's a wise decision. Who wants a population living under fear? Fission is a good source of energy, but nuclear plants are obviously less reliable than expected. That will be a thrust to research better alternatives, including better nuclear plant designs, why not?
It's not that the plants are less reliable. The technology is great. It's the humans that aren't reliable.