Abe gov't to review zero-nuclear policy

And so it begins, to translate this means that the nuclear reactors will be restarting as soon as they can get the pesky inspectors out of the way.

This will end in tears again in the future.

TumbleDry : TRUE

Resource-poor Japan, which relied on atomic power for around a third of its electricity has poured billions of dollars into its nuclear fuel recycling program, in which uranium and plutonium are extracted from spent fuel for re-use in nuclear power plants.

Japan has to stop thinking of it self as resource poor, and stop trowing good money after bad.

zichi, The NRA has actually exceeded my expectations so far. When it was first created, I pretty much expected it to be a sham, but they seem to take their mission seriously. I think however that the government has the power to affect the culture surrounding and within the organization for the worse if people are not paying very close attention to what is going on.

This after all is what the nation voted for. The critical weakness of the anti-nuclear parties was that none of them had a convincing post nuclear abandonment B plan in place. End result is that these parties' calls for "zero nuclear" were rather viewed as mere shortsighted maneuvers to secure votes and did not really resonate with the idealistic values shared by many. Shame really.

It's like as if Fukushima never occurred and is quickly forgotten. Meanwhile Chernobyl is about to build its 2nd sarcophagus...

The uninformed / uneducated need to understand that it's IMPOSSIBLE to run Japan without nuclear - and this will be the case for decades. Importing extra shipments of oil, coal & gas is unsustainable and, let's face it, green energy is just totally underpowered and simply not in the picture - at least with the state of current technology.

More work needs to be done to ensure the safety of these plants and more precautions taken to avoid another catastrophe like Fukushima.

Expect the NRA will be disbanded soon, or a new LDP-approved group of nuclear village specialists (aka nuclear power promotors) will take over their role. TEPCO, KEPCO and the other NPP-owning utilities must be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of this, and making arrangements for sufficient 'amakudari' posts for those politicians and bureaucrats who will support them, once their careers are over.

@Sighclops,

The uninformed / uneducated need to understand that it's IMPOSSIBLE to run Japan without nuclear - and this will be the case for decades.

Well the brainwashed need to be deprogrammed so that they can see the truth.

The government will have to pay for the plants to have them dismantled. They are corporate property and not paying for them will bankrupt every utility with a plant. As for what foreign people think, I do not care a bit. Americans do not care what I think, so why should I?

Can't run Japan without nuclear energy? If every building had a few solar panels it would make such a difference. If every building turned off its lights... if there weren't so many lights for "decoration". I know Japan isn't the only place guilty of these wasteful practices. One look at the planet at night shows the electricity consumption hotspots. Green energy is underpowered? Underinvested, more like. Sun and wind are in ample supply. Wishy-washy government policies/secretaries in the pockets of fat cat businesses are what is underpowered.

These idiots the ldp & their cronies need to realize with nuclear power in a small country like Japan we AINT play'in baseball, NO THREE STRIKES, we get ONE & we bloody had/have it!

Japan has a massive chance here to show it can start getting AWAY from nuke power!

I think the oldest MUST start decomissioning, ditto those on dangerous faults, then a few restarted but ONLY with a crystal clear deadline, written in stone!

And alternative energy needs to be pushed, we need to conserve MORE.

We already see it can be done because we are doing it NOW to a pretty large extent!

If Japan ever gets a SECOND STRIKE I truly think the country wont be able to recover, & THAT is why the ldp morons cant just simply re-start the nukes & pretend nothings happened the risks are MUCH CLEARER now & need to be heeded other wise Japan is playing a game of roulette its highly likely to lose!

Is it bad that I can't take what any of them say seriously when they try to make 30 year plans and are in office for 10 months?

So freaking hilarious that they think they have the power to change anything.

Have to agree with zenkan. The first step must be a massive undertaking to reduce power consumption. We have to heat our homes and run our factories of course, but when you look around the amount of wasted energy is shocking. If we can elimate the waste, green energy can supply most of our needs as long as governments are willing to take the necessary steps. Unfortunately, the latter is not likely to happen.

Japan’s new leaders set to work Thursday on dismantling plans to rid the country of nuclear power by 2040, pledging to review a post-Fukushima policy.

Japan Inc. is clearly back in the driver's seat and the good old boys will be deciding what is best for you folks there. Good luck with that.

Rokkasho is likely over an active fault. Nothing like a plutonium extraction facility going all "Daiichi". This obviously impacts Japan. The rest of the world is not amused with the massive pollution in the Pacific or the fallout that wafted over the US and Canada from Fukushima. The US govt has its heads up their backsides about as bad as the LDP do. Both are tone deaf unless you happen to have a billion dollar company and buckets of cash.

It will be interesting to see what stunts the LDP tries over the next year to dismantle the progress made. I hope when Abe visits those living in temporary housing there are some independent media documenting it. I can't even imagine being in that situation other than I doubt I could be civil to the guy wanting to restart reactors after what happened.

Still no word on Thorium reactors in Japan. See my previous post on this.

Also, see my previous posts on what I said the Japanese Yen needed to be at for Japan to start making a come back. The new government is on its way and the Yen is climbing down to the level I said it needed to be at.

Use your sense of logic for today's problems and see that you can't fix today with the future that doesn't exist yet. Wrap your head around that first and see the solution has always been there but ignored. Come on you all can't be that stupid. There is no way for Japan to build its self back up in the next five years without going back to nuclear power with what is deemed safe. 30% of Japan power generation is currently offline. Do you think that all that natural gas, oil and coal is cheap? Do you think that burning all that natural gas, oil and coal to generate power is clean and better than nuclear power? How long and how much money do you think it will take to replace that lost 30% of power? Your best guesses are all going to be fantasies. Dream on!!!

Japan can't afford to be cutting back 30% in production to keep afloat in the world market so if you don't like it you either jump ship and shut the hell up or shut the hell up if you can't come up with real life soulutions and not some tree hugging self wanking porn fantasy to get all warm and fuzzy over.

Green energy aside from hydro-elecrtic dam power will NEVER supply more than 5% of Japan's needs. You are living in lala land if you believe otherwise.

The power companies have already proven they will ignore the findings of the NRA. Also, the NRA has no authority to stop the reactors being restarted. The decision lies with the local governments who are all broke. Everybody knew the LDP would jump in and restart as many reactors as they could and as quickly as they could.

The head of the new Nuclear Regulatory Authority has stated it won't give permission for any reactor restarts until new safety standards are decided by the summer of next year, followed by an inspection of all the nuclear plants to see which ones can meet the new standards.

In theory this is nice, but we are talking LDP here and what they want they will get, particularly with the huge advantage they have in the diet. The NRA will too soon begin taking whatever party line Abe Inc decides it wants to go with.

Personally speaking I will bet that some of the reactors will be online, not all, and the people against nuclear power will suddenly go silent.

finally some common sense, Wind, Geothermal,Solar will never be able power japan totally, unless the public wants to pay triple on there electricity bills Nuclear Power is here to stay, anybody who says otherwise is a dreamer.

Japan needs to invest heavily in Thorium reactors. Then export them for greater profits.

@ Knowbetter could agree with you more, Japan without Nuclear power is a Japan without any industry, no industry = no jobs, no revenue, = a grey bankrupt welfare state.

Yes, common sense finally returns. Let the non-users electric trains and subways stay home; let the non-user of electric heating and gas (it takes power to convert oil to gas) stay home in cold apartments or houses; let the non-users of electric air conditioning stay home and sweat, and if they go to the 20 story department store, walk UP the emergency stair case. The ECONOMY is based on electricity. Be thankful it is not based on expanding freeways and gasoline driven vehicles.

I wonder when the next Fukushima happens if the government will still insist it had no way of knowing, that the incident was unprecedented, and that it could not have been prevented. I then wonder if the people will actually stand up and get rid of said government or just sit back and say "shou ga nai" as usual.

So we see here from all the dreamers that it's easier mark a negative down on logic and what MUST BE DONE than actually put their money where mouth is as I will bet my net worth against everyone of these pansies that thinks Japan could in the next five, no make that ten years, replace all nuclear power stations with non-fossil fuel power generation. First for those that think solar power will help, do you have any idea just how much land you will need to make all that power? What about at night? Do we all have to cut back on lighting and other electrical uses because ALL THOSE SOLAR PANELS ARE DOING NOTHING?!? How about the beauty of all those wind generators and don't forget the noise the make... oh yeah I guess you've never spent a night near one have you? Sure, let's just put them out at sea on a floating platform to get destroyed by a typhoon. Geothermal power is about the only real source but then say goodbye to a lot of prime parkland. Build more dams and flood more valleys and destroy nature. So while you all dream of fuzzy warm fluffy clouds and green fields with colourful flowers that power your AC in the summer and heat your home in the winter and if you live in country side and have an old drafty home and huddle under that kotatsu trying to keep warm, why not push your local government to make Thorium reactors possible. They would solve the problem and be far cheaper to run, use almost no land, be safer and better for the enviroment and you could even sell them to places like Iran and NK with no fear of them making nuclear grade weapons from the waste. Oh and the waste is so tiny that you would keep too many employed doing that either. Just look at all of my other posts IF you give a damn but I know you won't because it's far easier to whine like a little bitch and thumb down something you have no clue about. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!!! YOU WILL LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!!! YOU WILL COMPLAIN AGAIN BECAUSE THAT'S ALL YOU ARE GOOD FOR!!!

I agree that Thorium may be the way forward, but I gave you a minus because your language puts people off.

Google Thorium health effects and u will see that it is the same shit as plutonium in case of thorium reactor accident. You all scientist were hopeless in nuclear disaster, some of you even shit their pants and cry in front of camera. Japan wants to have NPP. They can have it but they will face another nuclear disaster. Cause they have eartquakes and NPPs on active faults.

I'll bet the LDP also reviews Hatoyama's promise to reduce CO2 emissions to 2000 levels by 2025.

Even if reactors are brought back on-line, do not expect electricity prices to come back down even one yen. The additional revenues will be kept for the TEPCO bail out.

sighclopsDec. 28, 2012 - 09:16AM JST

The uninformed / uneducated need to understand that it's IMPOSSIBLE to run Japan without nuclear

When did you go back to a cave while the rest of world is moving forward for alternative energy? Japan is not a resource-poor country. Just look around, there are plenty resources around you.

YuriOtaniDec. 28, 2012 - 09:45AM JST

The government will have to pay for the plants to have them dismantled. They are corporate property and not paying for them will bankrupt every utility with a plant. As for what foreign people think, I do not care a bit. Americans do not care what I think, so why should I?

The government will have to pay for the plants to have them dismantled.

No sweat. Just remove nukes. As far as Americans, we do not want any more radioactive spills into the ocean we share.

jumpultimatestarsDec. 28, 2012 - 10:32AM JST

Is it bad that I can't take what any of them say seriously when they try to make 30 year plans and are in office for 10 months?

So freaking hilarious that they think they have the power to change anything.

Well, well, well, see what's happening. Japanese voters elected pro nuke LDP for change, the change is on the way very quickly.

wtfjapanDec. 28, 2012 - 12:50PM JST

@ Knowbetter could agree with you more, Japan without Nuclear power is a Japan without any industry, no industry = no jobs, no revenue, = a grey bankrupt welfare state.

Before you know it, you will have another major nuke disaste. The safety of all Japanese citizens has to be a priority No.1. Without safety, you go nowhere.