Masako Mori, the LDP's candidate for Fukushima, campaigning for the July 21 upper house election, even though her stance is in conflict with the national energy policy of the LDP.
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quote of the day
I'll do my best to achieve the goal of decommissioning all nuclear reactors in the prefecture.
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Mister X
As much as I hate to take LDP's stance on anything, for the moment nuclear energy is the only viable choice considering the current level of energy consumption of Japan and by extension the world.
We must strive to make nuclear energy as safe as possible so that catastrophies like Fukushima and Chernobyl can be avoided in the future.
When green energy produces enough to sustain our needs it stands to reason we can phase out nuclear energy but unfortunately we are not there yet.
Rena Matsui
Great idea Mr. Mori. I'm sure we can find all our energy needs thru national prayer or perhaps cozying up to Iran.
Mister X
That's true but therefore we must invest in further research to make it safer.
To provide for our current level of energy consumption no there is not.
For the alternatives to supply us with enough energy we have to drastically lower our energy consumption and although that sounds good in theory it will be very hard to sell to the industrail branch and the general public.
Mister X
I don't want nuclear energy to reach tot level but the reality is that Japan now in addition to nuclear energy needs to rely on natural gas (33%) coal (8%) and oil (8%) for its energy supply and you can't tell me those energy sources and their extracting process are better for the environment and they are far less efficient.
If am am not mistaken the Japanese government are now aiming for a 20% nuclear energy output by 2030 in alignment with the Paris climate treaty.
If that 20% can be provided by green energy that would be fantastic but for the moment that's not he case so let's think about making nuclear energy safer.
Mister X
So you would rather have that 20% of energy output to be delivered by natural gas, coal and oil ?
And like I told you people sure as hell are not going to consume 20% less energy in the future demand will only increase.
By the way even with all the suspended reactors nuclear energy today still makes up for 2% of Japan's total energy output and while that may not seem like a lot it might cause serious problems if you would take that out of the equation.
I don't see why, my points are valid.
Mister X
Let's hope very soon this will be a reality but that's not the case today.
I don't want to contest your figures but what I gathered is there are still 42 operable reactors in Japan today, even if you take Fukushima Daichi out of the equation they will still produce more than 15% seeing as prior to the disaster they were over 30%.
Yearly multiple planes fall out of the sky however it still remains the safest form of transportation and nuclear energy is still clean and cheap compared to many other energy sources.
By the way although I vastly prefer green energy (solar, wind,water,...) in favor of nuclear energy even that is still not 100% green because the manufacturing and demanufacturing process of the infrastructure needed to generate the power is anything but green.
That is most certainly a problem but new Thorium-based nuclear power plants might get rid of that problem.
It is even less than that, about 2% today, but like I said if you take it out of the equation it might cause serious problems.
Mister X
No I don't, why do you ask ?
Like I said I am am not going to contest your numbers, I had gathered different information but what you are saying sounds credible so I have no reason to doubt you.
That is wat the Japanese government is saying so I assume they can reach that level.
Luddite
And how exactly will Japan produce electricity without nuclear power? Importing more coal? I can't see how that is a better option. If and when Japan has better option for energy, then of course stop using nuclear power, but this is a long way off.
A couple of days without lights, telly and air conditioning would make Ms Mori and others change their minds, not to mention the much bigger bills.
Mister X
Then why is the Japanese government saying that their goal is to provide 20% of the energy output by means of nuclear power in 2030 ?
I mean sure they could be lying through their teeth but that would make absolutely zero sense.
Yes some are closed but still plenty of the suspended reactors can be reactivated if necessary and some are slowly being restarted as we speak.
How do you know they won't build new Thorium-based nuclear power plants which produce zero waste in the future ?
Yes there is the reality that due to the loss of temporarily output of nuclear energy this needed to be replaced by extracting natural gas, coal and oil.
That's not the reality that I want to be calling the shots.
Mister X
I understand where you are coming from and I do feel for all the people like yourself who had to experience that horrible ordeal.
I was not there at that time but I do have family and friends in Japan who luckily were not in the affected area and I know for sure some of them are completely against using nuclear energy ever again.
And like I said I really wished nuclear energy would become a thing of the past and someday it will but I do think for the moment we should still at least partially rely on it.