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DEBATING MATTERS
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Greenhouse gas
Richter magnitude scale
On 11 March 2011, Japan was hit by a huge earthquake, measured
at 9.0 on the Richter magnitude scale [Ref: USGS]. The earthquake
triggered massive tsunami waves of up to 40.5 metres, one of which
crashed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Japan’s
eastern coast. These devastang waves caused serious damage to the
nuclear plant, including res and explosions in the reactors, sending
panic across the world and reigning an age-old debate about the
relave merits, or otherwise, of nuclear power. In the wake of the
disaster, countries including Germany [Ref: Telegraph] and Italy [Ref:
Wall Street Journal] have announced decisions to disconnue their
nuclear-power programmes. Meanwhile, in the UK, the go-ahead has
been given to start work on pre-construcon of Britain’s rst new
nuclear-power staon for 20 years [Ref: Guardian], leaving Europe
divided over where best to source its energy from [Ref: Guardian]. So,
should the disaster at Fukushima, and others like it over the years,
force us to take a step back and consider whether such a potenally
dangerous energy source is worth the risk for the clean energy it
provides [Ref: BBC News]? Might other sources of energy, such as
renewables or shale gas, be a beer investment long term? Or would
abandoning nuclear at this stage be an over-reacon to what is sll a
relavely minor accident? If we were to abandon nuclear, how would
we meet demand for our ever-increasing energy needs?
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Many have long been concerned about the safety of nuclear
power, and feel that the recent disaster in Japan once again
highlights the dangers associated with this method of producing
energy. As a consequence, there has been a backlash against
nuclear power with many claiming that enough is enough, and
that now is the me to end our relaonship with nuclear power
for good [Ref: New Statesman]. They argue that there are far
less risky ways to produce energy given that we now have an
increasing choice of new renewable energies at our ngerps,
which supporters argue could produce plenful clean and safe
energy if the correct investments were made. Addionally, new
advances in technologies such as shale gas could potenally
produce a new source of abundant energy, so why connue
to pursue nuclear when there are clearly other safer or more
‘progressive’ opons [Ref: spiked]? But others are not convinced
that it is possible to power the country on renewables alone and
that nuclear, together with fossil fuels, has to be a part of the
mix. In response to the calls for an end to nuclear power, some
commentators argue that the reacon to the Fukushima disaster
has been seriously overblown [Ref: New York Times], with cover-
ups rampant, doom-ridden predicons rife and gures distorted
to fuel an-nuclear senments [Ref: The Times]. Comparavely
speaking, nuclear sll remains one of the safest forms of energy,
with Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima the only three
major accidents to have occurred in over 14,500 cumulave
reactor-years of commercial operaon in 32 countries [Ref:
World Nuclear Associaon]. Why abandon nuclear when it
creates abundant, low-carbon energy with minimal risks simply
because of the fear aached to this form of energy?
The reacon to the Fukushima disaster has taken dierent forms
around the world, and indeed highlighted how much the debate
about the use of nuclear energy has changed in recent years.
Where once, it was seen as ‘green’ to be an-nuclear and ‘an-
green’ to be pro-nuclear, the debate about the use of nuclear
energy can no longer simply be along these lines, reecng the
complexity of the need to balance world energy demands with
the search for new forms of energy producon for the future
[Ref: Guardian]. Of parcular surprise to many commentators
was the reacon both of the Japanese government in the
immediate aermath, but also of one of Europe’s biggest
producers of nuclear energy, Germany. Whilst Japan was sll
dealing with the disaster, amid increasing accusaons of safety
cover-ups and incompetence in its aermath, its prime minister
Naoto Kan announced that he wanted to pursue a programme
of phasing out the naon’s nuclear-power staons and ending
reliance on nuclear energy. Given the crisis Japan was dealing
with this is perhaps less surprising than the swi reacon
of the German government, which also announced plans to
phase out the use of nuclear energy, an apparent reversal
of its previously stated posion [Ref: Telegraph]. Apparently
fearful of a public backlash against nuclear energy and the
sense that it’s fundamentally unsafe, both the German and
Japanese governments appeared to lack the will to make the
case for nuclear, and in turn led commentators to suggest both
countries will be le with huge problems in the future regarding
their energy producon and consumpon, and whilst new
technologies are developed an increase in the use of coal-red
power staons would be the only way to meet current, never
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mind future levels, of energy use in those countries.
As the global populaon grows and developing countries
become wealthier, our need for energy is increasing daily. Many
argue that at present the only really viable opon for meeng
this demand is to exploit every energy source available to us,
including nuclear [Ref: Guardian]. They see no reason why we
can’t connue to explore renewable energy whilst at the same
me pursuing nuclear to provide for our current energy needs.
Some go further sll, stang that nuclear power is essenal for
the UK’s future [Ref: Nuclear Industry Associaon] and argue
that renewable energy is expensive, intermient and unreliable
[Ref: Telegraph]. However, some are scepcal as to whether
nuclear power really does create abundant energy, and point to
the fact that the UK currently only relies on nuclear for 20% of
its energy, which could be replaced by renewable technologies
like wind, solar, wave and geothermal power or slightly lower-
carbon fuels like gas. Others feel that supporng nuclear goes
against contemporary environmental concerns, and go as far as
arguing that we should be cung back our energy consumpon
altogether, rather than making compromises about how we
produce it. If the reacon to Fukushima shows that we are sll
fearful of nuclear technology, should we accept public fear or
make the case for nuclear as a relavely safe, abundant and
clean fuel that can meet the worlds needs? Or should we accept
that the risk of a serious nuclear disaster, like Chernobyl or
worse, is too great for us to contemplate as a society?
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Unsure about nuclear power? Here’s the ve quesons you must
answer to decide
Damian Carrington Guardian 21 April 2011
Britain’s nuclear condence goes into meltdown
Charles Clover The Sunday Times 20 March 2011
Uncertainty surrounds Japan’s nuclear picture
Richard Black BBC News 12 March 2011
Why the UK must choose renewables over nuclear: an answer to
Monbiot
Jonathon Porri Guardian 26 July 2011
Germany is right to opt out of nuclear
Ulrich Beck Guardian 20 June 2011
Germany can no longer pretend nuclear power is safe
Roland Nelles Guardian 14 March 2011
A few good reasons why we should abandon nuclear energy for
good
Dr. Éric Notebaert David Suzuki Foundaon 24 January 2011
Japan nuclear crisis: Seven reasons why we should abandon
nuclear power
Paul Josephson Chrisan Science Monitor
Geo-engineering, nuclear power and climate change: playing
God is good for the planet
Mark Lynas Telegraph 12 July 2011
Should Europe abandon nuclear energy aer Fukushima?
Péter Zentai BBJ 6 May 2011
Yes, Nukes: The tragedy in Japan shouldn’t cause us to abandon
nuclear power
Bjorn Lomborg Slate 13 April 2011
Those nuclear scaremongers are a toxic lot
David Aaranovitch The Times 31 March 2011
Why Fukushima made me stop worrying and love nuclear power
George Monbiot Guardian 21 March 2011
The Government’s energy policy leaves everyone in the dark
Jeremy Warner Telegraph 6 July 2011
Nuclear vs climate change: the clash of the alarmists
Frank Furedi spiked 2 June 2011
Why must UK have to choose between nuclear and renewable
energy?
George Monbiot Guardian 27 May 2011
Chernobyl 25 years on: learning the lessons of nuclear disaster
Roger Higheld Telegraph 26 April 2011
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Nuclear Power in a post-Fukushima world
The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2011
Nuclear power is in last place in the race against climate change
Jusn McKeang Greenpeace 22 July 2011
Germany’s trouble with abandoning nuclear power
Isabelle de Pommereau Chrisan Science Monitor 15 July 2011
Energy prices: without reform, we’ll all be in the dark
Chris Huhne Telegraph 11 July 2011
Shale gas: a welcome energy shock
Rob Lyons spiked 5 May 2011
Costs of low-carbon generaon technologies
Commiee on Climate Change May 2011
Timeline: Nuclear plant accidents
BBC News 12 April 2011
The dangers of nuclear power in light of Fukushima
Mark Lynas and Chris Goodall Mark Lynas blog 30 March 2011
Nuclear power plant accidents: listed and ranked since 1952
Simon Rogers Guardian 18 March 2011
What we know, and don’t know, about Japan’s reactors
David L Chandler Massachuses Instute of Technology 16
March 2011
Is Nuclear Power Safe?
How it Works 15 March 2011
Japan’s crisis and the an-nuclear backlash
George Eaton New Statesman 15 March 2011
Why greens must learn to love nuclear power
Mark Lynas New Statesman 18 September 2008
Public Risk Percepons, Climate Change and Reframing of UK
Energy Policy
ESRC 2006
Nuclear power - the problems
Greenpeace
Greenpeace Internaonal
No2Nuclear Power
UKERC
World Nuclear Associaon
‘The China Syndrome’ (PG), 1979
‘Into Eternity’ (12), 2010
Find out more about our partnership with the educaon charity
FILMCLUB, how you can bring the power of lms into your school
debates, and this autumn’s recommendaons from the FILMCLUB
team for Debang Maers!
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UK Windpower targets are ‘unfeasible’
Telegraph 13 August 2011
Hinkley C nuclear power staon gets green light for preparatory
work
Guardian 29 July 2011
Japan crisis will not end nuclear age
BBC News 26 July 2011
Brish Government ocials ‘sought to play down Fukushima’,
emails suggest
Telegraph 1 July 2011
Italians Vote to Abandon Nuclear Energy
Wall Street Journal 14 June 2011
Germany to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022
Telegraph 30 May 2011
Germany Nuclear Power Plants To Be Enrely Shut Down By
2022
Hungton Post 30 May 2011
Nuclear power loses its appeal aer Japan crisis
Guardian 29 May 2011
Europe divided over nuclear power aer Fukushima disaster
Guardian 25 May 2011
Japan will not abandon nuclear power despite crisis
Telegraph 8 May 2011
Drumbeat of Nuclear Fallout Fear Doesn’t Resound With Experts
New York Times 2 May 2011
Can Nuclear Power Be Safe?
Wall Street Journal 23 March 2011
Japan: Nuclear panic is ‘over-reacon’ say sciensts
Channel 4 News 17 March 2011
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