Effects of the Hazardous Nuclear Power Plant Disaster in Tohoku, Japan

Effects of the Hazardous Nuclear Power Plant Disaster in Tohoku, Japan
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Effects of the Hazardous Nuclear Power Plant Disaster in Tohoku, Japan
Abstract
The Fukushima disaster went down in history as one of the most horrific events in the world. The memories of the disaster are still fresh in the minds of the Japanese people. Japan was dealt a huge blow, and the impacts of the disaster continue to impact life in the country. This research paper analyzes these impacts to not only human life but also marine life. Also, it considers the impact the disaster had on Japan’s nuclear power production. After the disaster, Japan was forced to adopt certain changes to its nuclear power production, and these changes are assessed. Also, the paper analyzes the measures the country adopted after the disaster. These were crucial towards ensuring the country never succumbs to a disaster of such magnitude again. There is also an analysis of how these measures would have worked to either prevent or mitigate the effects of the Fukushima disaster back in 2011.
Introduction
In 2011, Japan had one of the most forgetful years in the country’s recent memory. A magnitude nine (9) earthquake shook the country on March 11, and the damage caused has served as a global lesson worldwide. The earthquake was devastating. The damage caused was unfathomable, but it was not the earthquake or the tsunami it caused that aroused interest from around the world. After the earthquake, the tsunami that ensued led to one of the most devastating nuclear meltdowns in the history of the world. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is said to have happened after the failure of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant’s cooling system. As a result of the high temperatures, the three cores melted, and the result was high radioactive release. The effects of the release was a corruption of the surrounding environment, which became uninhabitable with immediate effect. The government declared an evacuation radius of 232 square miles, and all efforts were directed towards saving people from the radioactive release. As of today, Japan is yet to recover from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster fully, and it appears that it will take time before the country completely puts the events of March 2011 to rest. Provided herein are an elucidation and analysis of the impact the disaster had on human and sea life, an assessment of the damage to nearby residents and disaster response workers, and an assessment of how the disaster changed nuclear power production in Japan. Further, the paper will address measures adopted by the Japanese government to prevent future accidents, evaluate the effectiveness of the measures, assess how these measures would have faired at Fukushima, and offer a review of the Fukushima power plant situation in today’s world.
Impact of the Fukushima Disaster on Human and Sea Life
After the occurrence of a disaster the magnitude of Fukushima, it is only right that the world derives lessons from it and moves to prevent further and future damage. Rightfully so, the world has taken a few lessons from the Fukushima disaster. Bauer et al. (2019) write that the disaster at Fukushima has become a basis for formulating risk mitigation strategies for nuclear power plants. Having seen the devastating effects of the disaster, the world has been thrown into the frenzy of looking for alternatives for nuclear power while also looking for ways to reduce the impact of natural disasters on nuclear power plants. Before delving deeper into strategies and alternatives, it is crucial to first consider the effects of the disaster.
After the earthquake and tsunami, Japan reported that the death toll from the twin disasters stood at more than 23,000 people (Samet and Chanson, 2015). However, as of the publishing of their research paper, Samet and Chanson (2015) indicate that there were no deaths that were associated with exposure to radiation from the disaster. But, in September of 2018, Japan announced the first death that is radiation-linked (Meixler, 2018). However, it should be noted that death is not the only impact that the disaster has or had on human life. As indicated in the image below, there are many potential consequences or effects of nuclear disasters. After the disaster, Japan experienced quite a number, if not all, of the effects highlighted in the image below. For example, the evacuees had to leave their homes and start a life elsewhere. The psychosocial stress that came as a result of being evacuated could so easily be ignored because there are no physical signs of damage or impact. Even though radiation exposure was limited, the effects of the stressors were quite high. It was estimated by the World Nuclear Association (2016) that stressors as a result of the evacuations accounted for 1916 deaths from not only Fukushima but also Iwate and Miyagi. Aside from the above, there is also the risk of radiation exposure that greatly impacted lives in Fukushima and surrounding areas. Samet and Chanson (2015) note that even though “much of the radiation moved over the ocean,” some of it did spread in mainland Japan. Apparently, emissions were reported to have reached Tokyo as well, even though these were not at the levels reported in Fukushima. It is not known how many people were exposed to radiation emission. However, the fear and anxiety over the same are unimaginable. Aside from being evicted or evacuated from their home, a majority of the evacuees were already sentenced to shortened lives. To live with such a fact hovering over one’s head is indeed traumatizing.
Aside from human life, the Fukushima disaster greatly impacted sea life. As already indicated, a significant portion of radiation emission spread to the sea. Kumamoto et al. (2019) conducted a study to determine the effects of radioactive emission on marine life. After the disaster, the researchers discovered low levels of radiocesium in seawater. Further evidence reported by Samet and Chanson (2015) has revealed that fish from the Fukushima area were reported to contain some cesium levels. The researchers continue to indicate that some fish were found to contain levels that were higher than is deemed acceptable by the Japanese government. The implications of the above are that the people could still be affected by radioactive material in foodstuff. With radiation, chances are high the animals around the Fukushima area and a big part of the Pacific Ocean will continue to be dangerous for consumption. Currents will continue to sweep water across the continents, and the contamination will spread further and further. Albeit reported as being low, the damage to sea life should be expected to rise with time.
Impact of Fukushima Disaster on Japan’s Nuclear Power Production
The effects of the Fukushima disaster impacted not only nuclear power production in Japan but also in other parts of the world. Joskow and Parsons (2012) write that after Fukushima, the whole world was involved in procedures to help reduce the impact of any unforeseen circumstances. The two researchers indicate in a majority of developed nations, and measures were geared towards extending the life of existing reactors as well as modest levels of increased nuclear power production. However, in Japan, the government decided to halt nuclear power production. In Fukushima, for example, investment in renewable energy grew, and the region set a precedent for the consideration of transitioning to less risky forms of energy. However, Rooney (2019) reports that Japan is currently trying to go back to nuclear power production. For close to a decade, the country has struggled to power one of the world’s top ten economies. Even though investment in renewable increased, the country is yet to match its consumption capacities. Even though it is making a comeback, the country is likely to spend more on cautionary procedures and measures to avoid another Fukushima. Since the region is prone to earthquakes, the country is likely to spend more to e...