Water
samples recently taken just outside of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant in Japan have revealed radiation levels nearly 18 times higher than
previously reported. Back in 2011, a tsunami rocked the plant, killing nearly 19,000
people in the process and causing a triple meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi. That
meltdown forced another 160,000 people to relocate.
Although
operator of the power plant, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), has yet to discover
the cause of radiation spike, they vehemently deny allegations of any “leaks.”
Sick
and tired of hearing about nuclear power plant disasters? We are, too.
This
isn’t exactly the first public humiliation for Tepco, either. Last month, the company had a storage tank –
not too dissimilar from the one in question at Fukushima Daiichi – leak 300
tonnes of radioactive water into the ground.
That contaminated water could be destined for the sea, and if so, Japan
will face a flurry of new ecological travesties. Fishermen to the south haven’t been able to
fish commercially since the plant’s meltdown, while those to the north have
only been cleared to catch whelks and octopus – a mandatory measure which has
all but crippled the country’s fishing industry.
Japan's
nuclear watchdog confirmed it raised the severity level of the Fukushima
Daaichi leak from a 1, or just an "anomaly", to a 3 - a "serious
incident" - on International Atomic Energy’s eight-point radioactive
scale.
The
heightened radiation level is a serious concern to the thousands of Tepco
employees working overtime to contain, process, and store water safely. The
firm’s failure to protect the environment has spread doubts about their ability
to lead the cleanup. Decommissioning the plant would cost the Japanese economy
tens of BILLIONS of dollars over decades if the cleanup is unsuccessful.
In
response to the most recent environmental report, Japan’s Prime Minister,
Shinzo Abe, promises that the government will play a larger role in preventing
water contamination.
"We
cannot fully stop contaminated water leaks right away. That's the reality. The
water is still leaking in to the sea, and we should better assess its
environmental impact,” says Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the country's Nuclear
Regulation Authority.
NRGLab
is sick and tired of stories like this. It’s time to put nuclear energy to rest
– Rest In Peace. It’s time to transition away from the goliath power plants and
towards independent, renewable sources of energy. Because we don’t have to
sacrifice employee safety, national security, or the environment just to
generate a watt of electricity. Not anymore, at least.
With
innovative green technology like the SV-Turbine for the gasification of
biofuels and the SH-Box, a carbon-free, polycrystalline generator, we can
reform the global energy infrastructure, starting from the inside out.
It
all starts with you. Me. Us. It starts with us as a species making a unified
push towards clean energy.
Are
you in favor of a better tomorrow? How about a greener future? Visit nrglab.
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[ Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Fukushima Daiichi, Tokyo Electric Power, Tepco, Shinzo Abe, Nuclear Regulation Authority, SV-Turbine, SV-Turbine nrglab, radiation level Japan, nuclear power Japan, nrglab, Ana shell ]
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