UPDATE: Japan Considers Zero-Nuclear Energy Policy

[bananas]

Source: Dow Jones Newswires

The Japanese government is likely to decide to eliminate all nuclear power over the next two decades in a new long-term energy plan--a decision that comes amid strong public opposition to atomic energy and ahead of national elections expected in the next few months.

Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident in March 2011, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda set up a council to recommend a long-term energy strategy based around three scenarios: phasing out nuclear power completely by 2030, reducing dependence to 15%, or keeping it at current levels of around 20%- 25%. All the scenarios aim to increase the use of renewable energy to at least 20% from the current 10%.

The government is expected to announce a final decision in September.

While it had been widely expected to choose the middle option, government officials said Tuesday that the council is now most likely to select the zero- nuclear option.

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Read more: http://tinyurl.com/9m6hbhn

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Note: I had to use a URL shortener, the original link isn't pasting properly.

The article is also at the Wall Street Journal but behind a paywall: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443855804577603051383403854.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Lets hope the public memory is longer than the politicians' in 20 years.

That should be around the time they figure out how to cover Fukishima.

[RC]

2. The WSJ link works fine.

[SoapBox]

3. Uhhhhh....DUH!

Ya think?

[Zoeisright]

4. Good for them. Let's hope they follow through on it.

No nukes.

[RobertEarl]

5. The Japanese people have been heard

Recent street demonstrations consisting of close to 100,000 Japanese protesting nuclear power were simply amazing in a country that is used to being told what the future holds by its government.

The government is responding to its people.

I wish the US government was as responsive as the Japanese.

[AsahinaKimi]

6. iiyo!! (good!)

Kore wa yoi nyusu desu. (This is good news.) Yoku Dekimashita! (well done!)

[Blanks]

7. Did you know that these plants were designed and built by GE?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/asia/16contain.html

Oddly that doesn't seem to be common knowledge. I hadn't heard it before anyway.

[Hydra]

8. I have two words:

ABOUT TIME.

I hope they actually do this- it's time to leave all of the dirty energy(and profits from such) in the dustbin of history.

[David__77]

9. The Japanese may go that route, but I hope the US doesn't.

The US needs more, not less nuclear power. Nuclear plants should be owner and operated by the federal government, under strict safety protocols. But nuclear power is absolutely critical for long-term economic growth.

[PavePusher]

10. Note that no-one has offered to turn off all their electrical lights and appliances....

and go back to oil lamps, candles and wood-burning stoves.

They never do.

(For the record, I grew up with wood heat and cookstove and, frequently, no electricity or hot water. I'm not volunteering to go back to that.)

[David__77]

11. I'm all for efficiency.

I know there are many cost effective energy efficiency measures, and I firmly believe the state should subsidize these as a public good. But the fact is that, over the long run, energy intensiveness is a measure of economic development and human progress. I'm old fashioned with these Enlightenment views, but I firmly believe them to be true.