¶ … Japan abolishes current nuclear plant Fukushima Crisis. What effects immediately long-term Japan world a case stop operation of nuclear power plants.
As a brief description, Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power plant was an operating energy facility in Japan particularly in the Fukushima prefecture or province. The plant was established in 1971, which occupied a total of 3.5-kilometer site that makes it as one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world by land area. This nuclear power plant was very useful in the Japanese energy regulation system because it has an economical generation costs that is more reliable than using hydroelectric power sources from dams and streams. It is operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company that is the largest operating agency around Japan as claimed by Arnold (2010).
On March 11, 2011, a powerful earthquake hit the northeastern portion of Japan with an epicenter just off the coast of Fukushima prefecture with a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale that is one of the strongest earthquakes in the world's history. The Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered major damage due to the effects of tremors that crippled the structure accompanied by the banging of tsunami waves, which totally destroyed the power plant. Cousins (2011) mentioned that the reactors of the power plant's cooling systems created radiation leaks that are very dangerous to all living beings such as humans, animals, and plants because radiation contains potential dangerous chemicals that will negatively impact the health conditions such as harboring diseases. The fury of the Mother Nature that includes the 9.0 earthquake that triggered a tsunami was to be blamed as the cause of the nuclear disaster.
Part II: Discussion and Analysis of the Subject Matter
A. Effects - It has been learned from the earthquake strategy that Nuclear power plants has a potential adverse effects because on the use of radiation cooling systems that are fragile, which could easily damaged and cause leaks to contaminate the environment. Mirsky (2011) explained that this part of the study will determine the effects brought by the aftermath of the earthquake associated with a tsunami that washed away the nuclear plant facility in Japan. It created long-term catastrophe that rattled political system of Japan by challenging the ministers of national disaster council that resulted into conflicts and disputes by blaming each other's responsibilities due to negligence. Some ministers that are cabinet members of the Japanese government have resigned due to the political conflict from the aftermath of the disaster and thought that it's best to elect new officials to tackle environmental issues.
As an economic effect, more than an estimated amount of three million U.S. dollars worth of damage due to the cost of destruction brought about by the twin disasters. Several buildings have been totally and partially damaged because of intensive amount of catastrophe brought by the earthquake. Simon (2011) indicated that hundreds of thousands of people became homeless for which each destroyed homes costs up to a hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars in damage that have been lost. Business establishment have been destroyed due to the twin disasters that washed away buildings and crippled all kinds of structures. People became jobless because the company's facilities were being swept away and have been destroyed by the earthquake, which is a painstaking crisis for the Japanese people.
Basing from the sociological impact, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake is a traumatic experience for the Japanese people because on the degree of damage that's have caused to their community in a large scale. In this manner, people suffered significant psychological and psychiatric medical conditions such as severe anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia because most of the affected communities lose their loved ones that includes siblings, parents, partners, and friends. Some Japanese people committed suicide because of the trauma that they have been experiencing such as being the lone survivor in their families and relatives, which they hanged, shot, or hurt themselves until they have perished. In addition, the presence of nuclear power meltdown created fear especially for the people living within Fukushima prefecture due to the radiation leaks.
The effects in the environment are heavily affected because the strength of the earthquake have shaken and shut down the nuclear plant facility associated with the direct trauma that has been caused by the raging wave. This resulted into leakage of liquid radiation that has mixed with the waterways of the Fukushima prefecture because the radiation mixed with the sea coasts as well as in streams affecting marine life....
The blast that caused by the quake and tsunami transformed the liquid radiation to become as an airborne radiation that can travel several miles causing health problems with the people living within the 30-kilometer perimeter. All kinds of crops, poultry, and seawater commodities and supplies became contaminated with radiation that are not safe to eat or even to be in contact with because the radiation can stick into the skin and can cause significant health hazards.
B. Pros -- As a pros in these case, it has been agreed that the abolishment on the operation of Fukushima nuclear power plant is the right thing to do to stop the facility to continue its environmental hazards to the Japanese people. Abolishment is a measure to stop the threat that is lurking behind the nuclear facility that continues to harm all kinds of biological life forms because this will benefit the society for implementing hazard free environment. Aside from the Fukushima nuclear facility, there were also other nuclear power plants around Japan have been ordered to limit or to stop their operation to prevent reoccurrence of the same environmental hazards that have been produced by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Gilbert (2011) stressed that Japanese government is now shifting to develop other alternative renewable energy resources such as the use of solar energy and wind energy because it is far safer than operating a nuclear facility that is very risky to the society and to the environment. Furthermore, abolishing Fukushima facility is a lesson that signify as a role model for other countries around the world that there are better alternative energy resources that can be utilized that has lesser threats against human and to the environment.
C. Cons- As an opposition with the abolishment, the Fukushima nuclear power plant is important to the Japanese energy regulatory and resources because it functions as a generator for the Japanese electricity to power all kinds of facilities that are currently operating within Japanese land. Nuclear power plant is the cheapest energy renewable resource because it does not require high amount of costs while absorbing energy from the water system. Fraser (2009) stated that alternative energy renewable resources are very expensive as compared with nuclear power plants because it requires expensive raw materials that are essential for building up a complete set of product. Even if the Fukushima nuclear facility has been damaged, it can still be operational after few years because of the government's efforts to disinfect and restructure the whole facility into a new operating power plant. There will be millions of dollars worth of damage due to the cost of wastage when nuclear facilities will be abolished because of its cheap costs that benefits the Japanese economy to allocate budget spending costs. Furthermore, all remaining nuclear power plants around Japan will be also put into waste and will lose significant amount of dollars that impacts the Japanese electricity system as indicated by Taylor (2009).
Part III: Implication and Recommendation to the Study
It has been learned from this study that the degree of damage is significant when the Fukushima nuclear power plant breaks down because it affected people's lives politically, economically, socially, and environmentally. There are other renewable resources that can still be utilized such as hydro electrical power facilities, solar panels, wind panels, and light bulbs that can be used aside from relying solely from nuclear facilities according to Gilbert (2011). Even if it cost significant amount of capital expenditures, alternative renewable energy resources is way better than nuclear facilities because on the extent of risks that are contained with each alternative renewable resources that are lesser and more safe than the nuclear power facilities. The incident happened in Fukushima prefecture is a clear indication that there is a potential risk that can be impacted by nuclear facilities because of radiation risks that affects individual's health condition such as developing disease symptoms.
As a recommendation for this study, the government should always monitor the extent of risks that can still be produced by the damaged nuclear facility because of other environmental risks such as re emergence of earthquakes and tsunamis in the area. The threat of tropical cyclones is another threat because Japan is located on a typhoon prone area that is why disaster management council should evacuate people living near nuclear facilities to prevent similar incident in the Fukushima prefecture. Countries around the world should recognize the Japanese government's effort for abolishing nuclear facilities such as in the Fukushima nuclear power plant because on the impact that it…
