Ten years just after Fukushima, Japan remembers 'man-made' nuclear disaster
09 March, 2021
When a huge earthquake and tsunami struck Japan along Mar 11, 2011, devastating towns and triggering nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima, a stunned world watched the chaotic struggle to support the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
An onslaught of waves sparked by the 9.0-magnitude quake crashed in to the northeastern coast, killing practically 20,000 persons and crippling the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. A lot more than 160,000 people fled as radiation spewed into the air.
At the time, some - including Prime Minister Naoto Kan - feared Tokyo would have to be evacuated, or worse.
"Fukushima is stamped for the rest of the history of nuclear strength," said Kiyoshi Kurokawa, brain of a study that concluded the disaster was "profoundly man-made".
The government has spent about US$300 billion (32.1 trillion yen) to rebuild the tsunami-devastated Tohoku region, but areas around the Fukushima plant remain off-limits, worries about radiation amounts linger and many who left have settled elsewhere. Decommissioning of the crippled plant will need decades and vast amounts of dollars.
Japan is again debating the function of nuclear power in its energy mix seeing as the resource-poor nation aims to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050 to combat global warming. But an NHK general public TV survey showed 85 per cent of the general public worries about nuclear accidents.
Energy policy was left found in limbo after Shinzo Abe led his pro-nuclear energy Liberal Democratic Get together (LDP) back again to power the year after the disaster, ousting the novice Democratic Party of Japan, whose image was tainted by its handling of Fukushima.
"They type of left issues adrift," explained Tobias Harris, senior vice president at consultancy Teneo and author of a book about Abe.
"RESULT OF COLLUSION"
Kurokawa's commission, appointed by parliament, concluded in 2012 that the Fukushima automobile accident was "the consequence of collusion between the government, regulators and Tokyo ENERGY" and too little governance.
Abe resigned this past year, citing poor health, and his successor, Yoshihide Suga, has announced an objective of net carbon neutrality by 2050.
Proponents say nuclear vitality is essential to decarbonization. Critics say cost, safety and the challenge of storing nuclear waste are all reasons to avoid it.
"Those talking about atomic power are persons found in the 'nuclear village', who want to protect their vested passions," former Prime Minister Kan told a news conference the other day.
The mass demonstrations against nuclear power seen in the wake of 3/11 have faded, but distrust lingers.
A good February Asahi newspaper study discovered that nationwide, 53 per cent are against restarting reactors, weighed against 32 % in favour. In Fukushima, only 16 % backed bringing restarting units.
"A decade have passed plus some people have forgotten. The zeal is fully gone," said Yu Uchiyama, a University of Tokyo political technology professor. "Restarts aren't happening, so persons think if they only wait, nuclear ability will disappear."
NUCLEAR FUTURE BLEAK?
Only nine of Japan's 33 remaining commercial reactors have been accepted for restarts in post-Fukushima safety standards and simply four are operating, weighed against 54 prior to the disaster.
Nuclear power supplied only 6 % of Japan's energy needs in the first 50 % of 2020 weighed against 23.1 % for renewable options - far behind Germany's 46.3 % - and practically 70 per cent for fossil fuels.
Extending the lifespan of Japan's 33 existing industrial reactors to 60 years, there would be simply 18 in 2050 and none by 2069, stated Takeo Kikkawa, a great adviser to the federal government on energy insurance policy. Newer organization lobbies are pushing for renewable energy.
"Japan is a resource-poor country thus we should not really casually abandon the nuclear option," Kikkawa told a press briefing. "But in reality, the future of nuclear electricity is bleak."
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