Japan - March 2011

March 11, 2011, a massive 8.0/9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Northeastern part of the country.  It triggered a huge tsunami that washes away homes, buildings and thousands of people are still missing.  Just when people are still searching and mourning for missing loved ones, the nuclear power plants starts melting down, explosions and white smokes coming from the nuclear plants.

My mom's youngest sister lives in Japan and we have lots of Japanese friends here. Fortunately, they don't live in the areas where the earthquake and tsunami hit. My mom's family still haven't communicated with our aunt. Now we are facing another possible disaster in Japan if the radiation leaks will not be contained soon and continue to raise radiation levels.

In the U.S., Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California is built less than a mile from an offshore fault line.  Am sure they have very intelligent reasons for doing that at the time.  But nature is very unpredictable and anything can happen anytime.  Is the U.S. ready for situations like this or will the president be too busy picking out sports teams and doing publicities to think about these things.   Here is an article from Huffington Post. 

Here is what WIKI have to say about Nuclear Power.  It includes the history, its uses, description, life cycle and controversies about its safety and waste products.

Nuclear Power produces electricity without causing pollutions compared to fossil fuel energy.  According to WIKI,  France has the cleanest air in the industrialized countries because of nuclear energy.  But the debate lies in the wastes.  There are currently 439 locations in 31 countries around the world where nuclear waste is continuing to accumulate.  As of 2007, the United States alone had accumulated more than 50,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear reactors.  After 10,000 years of radioactive decay, according to United States Environmental Protection Agency standards, the spent nuclear fuel will no longer pose a threat to public health and safety.

No countries have built it yet but there are talks of storing radiation wastes underground.  How long will it be before we all are sitting on top of radiation waste storage facilities.  I hope more research will be going to solar and wind power for energy instead.  Just my little opinion on this crisis.