Fukushima: The Aftermath
Article: Hannah Kim, Jaejun Ku
Editor: Hannah Kim
Designer: Sarah Cho
Editor: Hannah Kim
Designer: Sarah Cho
On March 11, 2011, 2:46 P.M, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake shakes the coast of Honshu Island in Northeastern Japan. An hour later, two tsunamis directly hit the nearby Fukushima nuclear reactor, leading to the biggest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl accident of 1986.
In the months following the tragedy, the Japanese government shut down all nuclear reactors in the country. Now, as they realize that nuclear power is essential for their energy supply, fifty nuclear reactors are tentatively scheduled for reopening. In recent times, however, Japan’s nuclear regulation committee has aggressively denied proposals to restart nuclear activities on the mainland, fearing a potential repeat of the infamous Fukushima incident. This has led to problems with energy dependence -- nuclear power generated 30% of Japan’s electricity before this mass nuclear shutdown. In the wake of the Fukushima accident, oil and coal energy consumption rose sharply by approximately 8%, supplanting the once dominant supply of nuclear fuel. Much like Korea, Japan’s geography offers little in terms of natural resources for fossil fuels and ideal weather patterns for renewable energy sources. In fact, Japan imports virtually all of its fossil fuels from other nations. Thus, nuclear energy is really the only “clean” alternative to fossil fuels that Japan can provide. But with the government’s reluctance to progress into a more nuclear-dependent society, Japan has been turning to polluting fossil fuels to meet its high demand of electricity. In the three years following the Fukushima incident, Japan has spent roughly 58% more for fossil fuel imports, becoming the second largest net importer of oil, coal, and natural gas in late 2012. And that brings the country into an inevitable energy dilemma. Japan has two options at this point: either to continue to turn to the Middle East for crude oil imports and risk unsustainability in the long run (84% of Japan’s crude oil and petroleum come from that region) or to restart the majority of its nuclear reactors for a cleaner source of energy (keeping in mind that public support of nuclear power fell by 61% after the Fukushima accident). Korea is going to have to solve a similar problem; oil and coal are currently leading sources of energy consumption in Korea. The dangers of nuclear energy have been tragically demonstrated in Japan- it’s up to Korea to decide their nuclear energy initiatives. |
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Partial Graphics Credits to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7LO8lL4Ai4