As Japan re-embraces nuclear power, safety warnings persist

“The regulator is the guarantor for the population, not the manufacturers or the utilities, and it is failing,” said Mycle Schneider, an independent analyst and one of the authors of an annual report on the world nuclear industry.

Mycle Schneider, an analyst with no visible qualifications who predicted doom and gloom from Fukushima. Spent Fuel Pool 4 was terribly dangerous, couldn't be handled by TEPCO - Sorted out by TEPCO. Water leaks were awful - Pacific is fine. Need an international body to cool the reactors and fuel pools - Sorted out by TEPCO.

The man is a fool.

+Christopher Glen said, "Correction: "As Japan's government re-embraces nuclear power". The people as usual have had no say whatsoever." (edited for spelling) Correction: Japan's voters will have their say when they go to the voting booths. The point of representative government is to have the representatives stay abreast of government issues and vote amongst themselves what they think is BEST for their constituencies, not just vote for whatever their constituencies WANT at the moment. If they screw up bad enough, the voters can fire them. It's the worst political system ever, except for EVERTHING ELSE that's ever been tried.

The trouble with the usual criticism of the "dangers" of nuclear power plants, is that the public exposure to actual toxins for the same amount of power is always larger for any reliable alternative. Wind power and solar power need gas turbine backup that even running on idle, emits more poison in the form of nitrogen oxides, than nuclear does. The acid gas emissions, not counting the carbon dioxide, from the substitute power caused by the loss of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, by now can be seen by the air quality deterioration as worse than the hypothetical damage from the remaining radioactivity.

Nuclear power produces zero carbon. Environmental groups should be clamoring to get those reactors back on line.

The alternative is coal and gas. On these, especially gas, the Japanese government makes money.

This comment thread appears to be full of recipients of Japanese government money who understand that this money is partly fossil fuel money, and who want it to continue, but don't want to just say so. Rather, they must pretend that government is not opposed to nuclear energy in Japan, the people are not in favour, and they, the government money-takers, are bravely biting the hand that feeds. Actually, licking.

The alternative is oil? Guess where that will come from.

Japan is NOT re-embracing nuclear power. The citizens continue to be AGAINST it. and when Abe is re-elected does that mean the popular vote is against Nuclear power also!?

Japan is NOT re-embracing nuclear power. The citizens continue to be AGAINST it.

Whenever I read articles about Japan's desire to continue using nuclear power it reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons when Bart kept pushing the electric buzzer.

This would be the public who democratically elected the LDP? Who very clearly stated in their election manifesto that they would be turning the reactors on.

The public had a very clear opportunity and they chose to elect them.

It's bizarre to claim they are being held hostage when they elected them.

"Re-embrace"? Sorry, but the powers that be and their vested interests have never let go. The public continues to be held hostage.

The LDP Oyagis will simply not learn until there is another accident. And even then it's hard to tell. It's all so very sad and unnecessary

Is it a coincidence that Japan "re-embraces nuclear power" just when the weather turns warm? Nuclear power is the wave of the future. Japan needs to protect the reactors by providing a remote power supply in case there is another tsunami. Besides, people need the trains in order to go to the protest marches!

"A NRA spokesman said it had not issued instructions to Tokyo Electric or released a media statement because no law was broken."

Pretty much sums up Japan Inc's attitude. And you can be sure that they will make sure that there is no law to break.

Would somebody tell these clowns to switch to a fuel that is safer to use in this earthquake and tsunami prone country in the ring of fire? If the morons would just upgrade to thorium reactors, safety would just about take care of itself.

As Japan re-embraces nuclear power, safety warnings persist

Correction: "As Japan's government reimbraces nuclear power". The people as usual have had no say whatsoever.