Tag Archives: externalities

How big of a nuclear disaster? Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan have raised new concerns about the risk of another nuclear reactor disaster. Despite reports by the New York Times that “officials said radiation leaks from the plant were receding and that a major meltdown was not imminent,” scientists from organizations such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and Beyond Nuclear are working to access the risk of a major disaster. They have reported “there are indications that there has been some fuel melting, and there are reports that some radioactive cesium has been detected.” Their fact sheet is being updated regularly.” Here is video of the explosion.

The fact sheet also suggested to me, anyway, that officials are struggling not to take action that will permanently disable the reactor, although the Concerned Scientist folks don’t think that is a bad idea at all.  News reports suggest the situation is “spiraling out of control.”

Global Warming and Nuclear Energy

With a high risk of disastrous consequences from the damage done to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, it’s time to focus attention on nuclear energy and the risks associated with nuclear power plants.

As part of our response at EarthSayers.tv we have established a special collection, Global Warming and Nuclear Energy.  We are linking nuclear energy to global warming because nuclear energy proponents offer it as an antidote to global warming and a viable alternative source of energy, a contention not Nuclear Information and Resource Servicesupported by sustainability advocates from both science and economic perspectives.  We will be adding to this collection and encourage you to become better educated on the subjects of global warming and nuclear energy.  You might also want to check out the Nuclear Information and Research Fact Sheet on the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

Typically the scientists and the economists who address the high risks and costs associated with nuclear power are not covered in the mainstream press so in our special collection we will bring to the fore those voices of sustainability advocating solutions to global warming that do not recommend investing in nuclear energy. There are companies who are bringing innovation to the problems associated with existing nuclear energy plants such as cleaning up nuclear waste and we will seek out sustainability leaders addressing these innovations.