As debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster washes ashore in Pacific Northwest, and the Japanese investigation continues to try to uncover among other things, the reasons for delays in notification of the failed nuclear plant’s neighboring residents. The investigation committee’s report is due out sometime this month (June).
All of Japan’s nuclear power plants are now shut down temporarily (as of May 6), pending a full safety review. Asked about the importance of this moment, the head of Greenpeace Japan commented on the risk and the path ahead:
“There is an increased chance of earthquakes in Japan, so that has a significant risk to the Japanese people and the Japanese economy. The only way forward is to rapidly shift the energy source from nuclear to other sources of energy.”said Greenpeace Japan’s Junichi Shimizu.
In our latest Greenpeace Radio segment, Jim Riccio, discusses U.S. nuclear industry foot dragging after Fukushima, as reported well on by Tom Zeller on Huffington Post. The industry wants to protect their investment by venting the waste containment structures on General Electric plants like the Fukushima design, but they continue to put public and workers at risk by not requiring simple radiation filters.
Meanwhile the NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) launched a new greenwashing advertising blitz online and in major papers like the Washington Post, declaring nuclear energy is reliable, clean air alternative.
The people of Japan beg to differ. Japanese opposition to nuclear power continues to grow new surveys show. Or maybe that’s why the ad blitz, they know the public opinion tide is turning in the U.S. as well.
