Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Japan's Catch-22


Japan is in a double-bind. If it re-starts a reactor, it faces more nuclear peril because reactors may have sustained undetected damage in last year's quakes or they may be damaged by new quakes given the high seismic activity in Japan currently.

However, the country needs energy to fuel its industry and employ its people. Importing energy is costly and will further hurt the country's economy.

This terrible catch-22 occurs when a nation fails to fully address the risks and externalities of its power infrastructures.

Eventually, inevitably those risks and externalities are disclosed, as they have been in Japan.

[The US is still in denial]

Hopefully Japan will/can extricate itself from this situation by rapidly developing alternative energy infrastructures. 


Hosono meets Fukui governor to discuss restarting Oi reactors. Politics Jun. 05, 2012. Japan Today http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/hosono-meets-fukui-governor-to-discuss-restarting-oi-reactors

[Excerpt] "Nuclear disaster minister Goshi Hosono met with Fukui Gov Issei Nishikawa on Monday to seek support for the central government’s provisional decision to restart two reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant.

Hosono explained to Nishikawa that the government will strengthen oversight of safety measures by experts from the nuclear safety commission and that experts from Fukui will also be invited to monitor the plant’s operations, Fuji TV reported.

Nishikawa told a news conference after the meeting that he was still unconvinced.

...Opponents of restarting the reactors have come under intense pressure from the central government and business groups, citing expected power shortages in July, August and September....


Nearly one-third of DPJ lawmakers urge Noda to be cautious about nuclear restarts Japan Today http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/nearly-one-third-of-dpj-lawmakers-urge-noda-to-be-cautious-about-nuclear-restarts 

[Excerpt] Nearly a third of Japan’s ruling party lawmakers are petitioning Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to be cautious about restarting nuclear reactors given safety concerns after last year’s earthquake and tsunami, an organizer said on Tuesday.

Noda, keen to restart two reactors in Fukui Prefecture by early July before electricity demand peaks this summer, could decide as early as this week to reconnect them to the grid - despite the risk of a backlash that would weaken his already sagging voter ratings...


ENENEWS HEADLINE: Tepco says ‘no comment’ when asked if they believe nuclear plants are safe (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/tepco-comment-when-asked-believe-nuclear-plants-safe-video

Enenews source: Fukushima Fallout
101 East, Al Jazeera English
09 Mar 2012
Upload Date: Jun 2, 2012

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