Re:Why Nuclear Must Be Part Of The Energy Solution (2018)
by rob74 on Monday March 01, 2021 @05:36AM
(#26301424)
It might have been the biggest tsunami ever recorded, but it's nothing new that tsunamis do occur in Japan, and still the plant was allowed to be built and operated directly at the seaside at a height of only 10 meters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disa...). And why? Because the nuclear lobby had a lot of influence in Japan.
I'm not sure where you get the 200,000 evacuated people from, but the only mention of 200,000 people being evacuated in the article you are quoting is in fact in the "Nuclear power plants" section...
Let's not forget the sheer magnitude of the earthquake/tsunami: most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan, tsunami waves up to 40.5 meters
This fact sheet [1] from UNSCEAR (united nations agency) shows the impact of the nuclear incident itself:
* Cancer rates to remain stable
* Theoretical increased risk of thyroid cancers among most exposed children
* No impact on birth
* No discernible increase in cancer rates for workers
* Temporary impact on wildlife
It's a short fact sheet so I encourage you to read it completely
In comparison, the tsunami itself [2] killed over 15,000 people and still 200,000+ live away from their home
[1] https://www.unscear.org/docs/publications/2016/factsheet_en_...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_an...