The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan raised new concerns about the risk of another nuclear reactor disaster. The explosion of the FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT gives our citizens cause to re-examine the risk assumed by the public. At this writing, the full extent of the damage to the plant, the community, and the environment is unknown - it will take years.
At the same time concerns over the high risks associated with extracting natural gas and as noted in a Financial Times article is "energy that comes from the same place as our drinking water. Extracting it had better be safe. The political fault lines over hydraulic fracturing (hence the term fracking) have been easy to predict for anyone paying attention to the controversies over climate change and genetically modified organisms. France’s national assembly voted to ban fracking while in the US its been full steam ahead in 32 states. These are high risk alternative energy sources.
Curated by mokiethecat
From Atomic Bombings to Fukushima, Japan Still Pursues a Nuclear Future |
Amy Goodman on Democracy Now reports from Tokyo (1/15/14) on Fukushima and Japan's nuclear future. Japan is getting ready to mark the third anniversary of one of the world's worst atomic disasters. It was March 11, 2011, when a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that struck Japan's northeast coast. The twin disasters triggered a meltdown at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Amy speaks with David McNeill, a longtime foreign correspondent based in Japan who writes for the Independent of London, the Chronicle of Higher Education and other publications. McNeill is co-author of the book, "Strong in the Rain: Surviving Japan's Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster." Click on image to buy from Amazon or visit your local bookstore. Thank you. EarthSayer David McNeill |