Ten years after the March 2011 meltdowns and explosions at Fukushima’s Daiichi nuclear power plant, only one third of the 160,000 who fled their homes in Japan’s eastern province have returned. Yet proponents of nuclear power argue that the world’s most severe nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 – which has paralysed debate on Japan’s energy future – does not seem to have directly caused any deaths. Not counting the loss of 24 of Japan’s reactors permanently closed, upgrades to the 33 remaining reactors, and the costs to replace the electricity lost. Polling for broadcaster NHK found only 3 per cent of the public wants to use more nuclear power. The Japanese government’s 2018 energy policy foresees continued reliance on nuclear plant reopenings and still leaves fossil fuels contributing 56 per cent of total power by 2030.

Source: The Irish Times March 11, 2021 19:00 UTC