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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.Japan earthquake casts cloud over push to restart nuclear plants
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Elvis is here
That "cloud" has always and will always be there. Best to adapt and work around the problem
Indeed. Reminded me too. If the tsunami had been devastating, who knows what the toll would be.
Lindsay
Japan had planned to phase out nuclear power after the March 2011 tsunami and Fukushima meltdown, but rising energy prices and repeated power crunches have prompted a shift towards restarting idled capacity and developing next-generation reactors.
This paragraph explains Japan’s stance on nuclear power very clearly. They disregard safety, knowledge and experience and replace it with economics. I suppose a hundred thousand displaced people and a handful of deaths from the previous nuclear disaster is acceptable collateral damage for the greater good of the empire. (roll eyes)
Sanjinosebleed
Ya think??!!
PTownsend
Japan, Inc have not evolved for generations.
Instead of continuing to subsidize major power corporations, most of which have been shown to have next to zero regard for public safety. And keeping the nation dependent on huge centralized power sources, use the public's money to enable individual building owners to make their places more energy efficient.
Also, allow and establish smaller scale, public utility districts, locally owned and managed energy generating organizations as an alternative to gigantic nuke or fossil fuel fired plants owned by corporations from Tokyo.
Long passed time to move away from centralized socialism for the richest who've been protected by their political class, leaving most others at risk and unprotected, while the general population pay the prices for the richest to get richer.
kurisupisu
There’s the possibility of geothermal power generation all over Japan but it might affect the hot spring water so best to have the possibility of radioactive contamination for many thousands of years
Although the Japanese people think that their lives are valued and protected, the insane push to build nuclear reactors shows otherwise.
wallace
It's going to be a knock back for restarting the Niigata plant.
smithinjapan
No doubt they are cursing the earthquake; not for the devastation and deaths, but for the inconvenience to them.
owzer
Start them all up and run them at capacity!
Luis David Yanez
Making a whole article that makes it seem like something happened, when the only thing that happened is that water from a pool spilled outside of its container because of the movement of the earthquake, which is basically nothing, is one of the reasons why people are so scared by this stuff.
The anti-nuclear lobby uses ANY event of anything to make it seem like the nuclear industry is extremely unsafe, when the contrary can be easily proven with facts.
If you care about climate change at all, you cannot be anti-nuclear, specially here in Japan, because nuclear energy has been replaced, and continues to be replaced every day the reactors do not restart, with fossil fuels.
This sentence is just false. There has never been a proper plan to do anything, and everything has stayed in this limbo in which the regulatory board on nuclear safety became extremely strict, making it almost imposible to restart any of the plants, basically just wasting everyone's time and money into the effort to "restart" the plants while not really being able to do it.
nandakandamanda
The article does not cover nearly all the things that went wrong this time at Shika and Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPPs. Water slopping out of spent fuel rod pools is one thing, sure.
kurisupisu
The cost cutting and prolongation of aged plants will lead to another accident.
Of course, there will be more earthquakes in Japan with plants already weakened by age and stress.
The panic that ensues and the lack of proper training leads to decisions not being taken eg the reluctance to cool the Fukushima with seawater even though it was absolutely necessary in the end (only one example)
Other incidents below (link) show the sorry state of affairs
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokaimura_nuclear_accidents
BertieWooster
Why use nuclear power at all, when there are so many sustainable ways to produce power?
Mr Kipling
Had the Fukushima emergency generators not been in a basement we would not be reading this article.
Zaphod
So in other words the plant did just fine. Start them already, especially this one which is one of the most modern designs. The mental gymnastics of the writer to concoct a problem where there is none are amazing.
HopeSpringsEternal
Real problem's the public/taxpayer is 'insuring' these dangerous reactors. Insurance companies won't touch them, that alone should inform all about the real risks.
If you work in the nuclear industry, there's no downside risk, no self-insuring that companies almost always are required to fund in absence of commercial insurance.
Plus, tons of Govt. subsidies and again no chance of bankruptcy. That's a good deal, no wonder they're so determined to restart, these old assets have incredible incremental profit margins vs. capitalizing new assets.
Nuke industry = like kitchen full of unhealthy processed food, most will eat no matter long-term risks and costs.
Hideomi Kuze
This quake destroyed Shika nuclear plants' one of two external power supply systems and voltage converter, oil leaks a lot, radioactive water were overflowed a lot from nuclear fuel storage pool, tsunami damaged seawall.
Besides, Japan's major power corporations including Hokuriku Electric Power or TEPCO always try to announce damage as possible as small.
Moreover, Govt spokesperson only say "no problem", PM left press conference to escape tough question about nuclear plants Thursday.
And, Japan's TV media still silence about nuclear issues.
Last year, Japan's nuclear agency who is already pro-power companies approved to restart this Shika nuclear plants, Japan's economy circle demanded to hurry restart it.
But, what was caused if Shika nuclear plants had been restarted before this earthquake ?
Zaphod
nandakandamanda
What "other things?" Pleases share your knowledge. My impression is that the biased writer would 100% have listed them all, if there were other issues.
HopeSpringsEternal
Ultimate 'Russian Roulette' corruption playing out before our very eyes; energy monopolists control the politicians and Place All Catastrophic Risk on Taxpayers/Society.
Hideomi Kuze
This strong quake's epicenter "Suzu city" had nuclear plants construction plans once.
That plan was vanished by opposition movement and pro-nuclear candidate's fraudulent.
But, if that plan had been realized, Japan could have faced second nuclear disaster.
Japan have innumerable unknown active faults and strong natural disaster repeated, nuclear policy always involve falsehood or deception or understating risk, such country is unsuitable to use nuclear power.
nandakandamanda
Zaphod, I posted them here on JT the other day, and Hideomi Kuze mentions them again above. Plus if you go to the NHK news website, there is a page of videos describing the sea wall damage, the size of the tsunami there, the 23,000 litres of oil that leaked from the transformers, the oil leaking to the sea, and the cuts to the electric supply lines to the spent fuel rods cooling pools.
nandakandamanda
PS All from January 1st.
nandakandamanda
So I made the effort to reply to you, Zaphod.