Nuclear Power plants are double-edged swords; both efficiently beneficial but potentially volatile and dangerous. In March of 2011, The Fukushima-I nuclear power plant in Japan experienced a disaster due to an earthquake's subsequent tsunami. The damage caused by the tsunami resulted in severely damaged equipment within the Fukushima plant. The broken equipment caused a loss of coolants and produced a nuclear meltdown that released huge amount of radioactive material. The disaster is the the largest in calibre since the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine. Many casualties resulted in from the earthquake and tsunami, however, experts agree that an radiation-exposure deaths in the future will only be limited to workers within the plant.
Japan's government is still currently dealing with the aftermath of the meltdown - dealing with contaminated water and ensuring appropriate actions are taken in case of a similar event in the future. There remains much speculation that the disaster could have been avoided had officials reacted more quickly and without miscommunication (if water coolants had been injected at a reasonable time - the meltdown probably would not have occurred).
In a post-Fukushima Japan, there is significant focus on increasing clean energy endeavors. The leading investment firm Goldman-Sachs has even promised an investment of nearly $500 million to assist in solar, wind and biomass-related efforts. However, Japan still asserts that nuclear power is still a necessary source of energy for the country and are committed to opening new plants once proper safety guidelines are followed.
Of interesting note is the fact that Japan is the only country to have been attacked with nuclear weapons, so understandably the issue of nuclear-related politics is a hot topic issue for its citizens. Government officials should maintain the current interests in renewable energy sources so future disasters such as Fukushima-Daiichi don't occur again.
I think that is an interesting fact that "Japan is the only country to have been attacked with nuclear weapons, so understandably the issue of nuclear-related politics is a hot topic issue for its citizens". I personally did not make that connection while researching this topic and it is something that should be considered.
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