After reading Shinji Fukukawa's June 17 article, "Triple disaster proves need for an industrial revolution," I feel compelled to comment. There is no such thing as "safe" nuclear generation of power. Starting and containing nuclear fission reactions with concentrated fissile material is inherently dangerous. Despite risk mitigation efforts, it will always be a high-risk exercise because of the poisoning that occurs when a reactor vessel is breached.
And this is just the lesser of the two core problems with "clean, green" nuclear energy: Once an accident breaches containment, there is simply no remedy, ever.
The more serious problem is the long-term storage and disposal of nuclear waste, an effort that requires guarantees lasting hundreds of thousands of years.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. has been no different from any other utility using nuclear fuel. The company stores it on site in storage pools because it has no idea what else to do with the stuff.
My heartfelt advice to the good citizens of Japan is to get rid of this most deadly and toxic of industries as soon as practicable, and as a matter of urgency. Don't be fooled by the silver-tongued lies of industry spokespeople and their political backers; they are merchants of death. I wish the people of Japan every success in dealing with the nuclear poisoning they now have to endure.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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