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IAEA chief: Interest in nuclear power up despite Fukushima

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Mr Amano is correct my interest in nuclear matters certainly rose after Fukushima. Before the event I never checked my food as to origin nor worried about place of manufacture but now I do. As to where I will visit in Japan is also a personal concern. Countries can do without nuclear power, yet still be economically vibrant as Germany has shown. All these politicians and nuclear advocates don't live next to nuclear stations nor are they situated in major cities-I wonder why not?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

“After the Fukushima Daichi accident, some believed that is the end of nuclear power. It was not the case,”

Because apparently, humans aren't happy until they extinct themselves.

“Nuclear power plants or use of nuclear power is increasing significantly,”

Hopefully this was said with an inflection that indicated that this was a bad thing and not a good thing.

“Nuclear power plants or use of nuclear power is increasing significantly,” he said.

He said. Without giving any examples or real data. He just.....said it.

“After Fukushima, lots of improvements have been made,” he said.

uh-uh...WHERE? in Japan? developing countries? Why is Mr. Amano allergic to giving us data?

“If nuclear materials fall into the hands of terrorists, that can be used for dirty bombs,” he said. “If it happens in a big city, that can cause a panic.”

Really? If a dirty bomb goes off in a big city, that can cause a panic? Huh....Thought everyone tends to remain calm when a bomb explodes. This guy is learning me reaaaalll good today!

“Terrorists always target the weakest link, so we need to be well prepared for that to address nuclear security,” he said.

Terrorists need only to succeed once and it is game over for potentially hundreds of years if targeting a nuclear plant. Here is my idea how to be "well prepared" to address nuclear security...... STOP MAKING TAGRETS!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The best way to address the weak link in the chain is the remove the weak link. Replace nuclear power with renewables as quickly as possible. No one can make a dirty bomb out of a solar panel or a wind turbine.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Nuclear power is in many ways just like a lot of things; its going to take time to make it better. And we have! Thorium is much safer. The real problem is that Japan insists on using MOX, I assume because converting and safety would cost money and hurt profits. We often see signs declaring that safety is number one in Japan, but we all know it isn't always true.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Would this be the same Germany that imports energy from nuclear rich France and the same Germany that has increased its CO2 emissions since it turned off its nuclear plants.

How many coal fired power stations do you find next to large cities?

I understand Beijing is lovely at this time of year...

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Coal too dirty Nuclear too dangerous Oil too polluting Renewable energy too expensive and unpractical for 24 /7 So how now. Population is booming and so does pollution. Shall we explore planets and mine for energy sources or making colony.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They still have not separated safety cables from operational cables at many of the nuclear power plants, in direct contravention of the NRA guidelines on 'Safety' at NPPs.

Even more worrying, the NRA relied on the NPP owners and operators to assess and inspect the plants; the NRA inspectors did not even turn up to inspect them. Just like it was pre 3/11.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No, it's the Germany that is one of the world leaders in solar and wind power. Latest figures suggest 79% of power generation is harvested from renewable power there. Even a cursory search on Wikipedia shows Germany doesn't need to rely on coal nor nuclear!

It's boring when some posters here repeat the same script ad naseum without first checking out the facts......very boring.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It's boring when some posters here repeat the same script ad naseum without first checking out the facts......

Very true it seems that Germany's CO2 emissions have fallen for the first time in three years. But this has been largely due to the mild winter in Germany of 2014/15. Emissions from black coal were down 8.9% but the much worse brown coal saw only 2.2% drop in emissions. Renewables accounted for 27.8 percent of power consumption in 2014, up from 6.2 percent in 2000.

Germany's CO2 emissions aren't falling anywhere near as fast as the UKs though... a country that sill heavily relies on nuclear as part of it's energy portfolio. And a country that doesn't need to buy nuclear energy from elsewhere when it's not sunny enough. Or windy enough.

There's an entire world of information out there. But hey, why not just have a cursory search of wikipedia to get all of your facts.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I was responding to kurisupisu's bizarre claim that Germany produced 79% of its power by renewables (would love to know where that came from) and highlighting that a pro nuclear country was reducing emissions faster than Germany.

But anyway...yes japan has earthquakes and their current energy policy is substantially poorer for switching the nuclear reactors off.

I checked Wikipedia on Germanys energy policy... it stated that it was outdated but as I said I would love to see where germa my is.managing to generate 79% of its energy from renewables.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

kurisupisu:

" No, it's the Germany that is one of the world leaders in solar and wind power. "

Err... you mean the Germany that recently had to cut down on its solar power subsidies because they simply became too expensive to maintain? And the same Germay that has signed contracts to buy nuclear generated power from France and Poland because Angela Merkels "Energiewende" is turning out to be a disaster just like her "refugee" policy?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

You guys need to look a little harder, you do know how to use the net?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

demand for relatively clean energy amid concerns about climate change.

Relatively clean. Riiiiiiiiight.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes... I know how to use the net which is why

I know that the Wikipedia page on Germany energy hasnt been updated since October 2013 I know that in 2014 Germany had 27.8% of its energy from renewables. That it was the first time in 3 years that emissions had fallen but this can be attributed to the mild winter. And germanys emissions do not stack up well against the rest of the world.

What I havent found is anything to suggest that 79% of Germanys energy comes from.renewables and that Germany doesn't need to rely on coal or nuclear. The only thing remotely close to what you are suggesting is for one solitary day in July when it was sunny enough and windy enough. And if you are suggesting that is sufficient to suggest that they no longer need to rely on fossil fuels well... to put it simply let me know when you are in charge of a countries energy policy and I'll start selling candles there...will makeep a fortune

But hey...I may be wrong... my ability to use the net maybe lacking so where is your evidence? Ah yeah...there is none.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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