By Kim Jong-chan
Deputy Managing Editor
A Japanese farmer in his 50s hanged himself in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, in June. He lived alone because his Filipino wife and two children left for the Philippines following the March 11 nuclear disaster in the northeastern Japanese region, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
A neighbor recalled that when they mowed the grass together a couple of days before his death, the farmer said he lost his will to live as his wife and children had left him and that he had no money to buy a plane ticket for the Philippines to reunite with his family. The crisis, ignited by a powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami which damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, caused radiation to leak into his farmland as well as the air and sea. He left behind a suicide note in which he wished for no more nuclear energy.
Since the disaster, the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986, some countries have pledged to gradually go nuclear-free in the long-term. But most of the world is pushing ahead with plans to build more reactors.
Germany and Switzerland promised to abandon nuclear power, though a switch to renewable sources of energy could lead to higher electricity prices. Italy, another advanced country with strict safety rules, scrapped plans to return to atomic energy.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, marking the 66th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing on Aug. 6, re-emphasized the need to create a society that will not rely on nuclear power and turn to other energy sources.
But Japan seems to be cautious about going nuclear-free. Nuclear energy is more cost-effective than any other source of power. Moreover, nuclear energy is considered a clean source of energy to curb pollution and minimize global warming.
Such a hesitant Japanese attitude toward abandoning nuclear power was manifested well in the remarks last month by Tokyo’s outspoken Governor Shintaro Ishihara. Citing a “very low cost,” Ishihara was quoted by the AFP news agency as wondering why Japan can’t do the same thing as France, which currently relies on nuclear power for three-quarters of its electricity. Japan gets 30 percent of its electricity from nuclear energy.
Japanese nationalists like Ishihara are said to believe that Japan should acquire nuclear weapons as a deterrent against North Korea, China and Russia.
In South Korea and neighboring countries, the nuclear renaissance will continue to flourish, regardless of the grave risk of a nuclear accident.
Korea, with 21 reactors and seven more under construction, has made a strong commitment to nuclear power. China has 13 reactors in operation and at least 25 more under construction. Beijing plans to have more than 100 reactors by 2020. Taiwan is building its fourth reactor.
Russia, in addition to 32 reactors, will operate a floating nuclear plant near the Kamchatka Peninsula from 2014, according to Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency. Moscow plans to build seven floating nuclear plants over the next 10 years.
Such a move indicates that they think what happened in Japan five months ago is just a one-off and that it changes nothing.
Near-neighbors need to adopt common safety guidelines as nuclear safety issues extend beyond borders. The joint checklist should address risks from not only natural disasters but also cyber attacks and their effects on operational safety, among others.
The nuclear renaissance fits President Lee Myung-bak’s green growth policy, but cannot ensure the safety of people as wished by the Japanese farmer. It is time for the government to revise its basic energy plan to curb nuclear energy and focus more on clean and renewable energy sources. Reports say Japan plans to install solar panels on the roofs of about 10 million houses in a move toward alternative energy.