A Nuclear Nightmare: Why Japan Should Serve As A Lesson That Nuclear Power Is Not Viable

We continue to pray and hope for the best as the people of Japan cope with the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, and a nuclear crisis spawned by these two related events. The nightmare scenario unfolding in Japan should serve as a reminder to the world that until the safety of such plants can be fully guaranteed that they are a danger. Here in the Pacific Northwest, for example, we can fully expect to see an earthquake in the range of the one felt last week in Japan. Plenty of other areas of the world with nuclear reactors are also at risk of large scale seismic events. It is short-sighted and dangerous to propose (as many Republicans and Democrats have) that we increase our reliance on nuclear power. This should be a wake-up call that radical new thinking is needed to develop energy policies that are environmentally responsible.