Naoto Kan says Fukushima crisis has convinced him to aim for a society not dependent on nuclear power
By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
The unpopular leader denied he was considering calling a snap election over energy policy and sidestepped a question on when he would keep a promise to step down, saying he wanted to do his best to work on nuclear policy and rebuild the country from the devastating 11 March earthquake and tsunami that triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.
“Given the enormity of the risks associated with nuclear power generation, I have realised nuclear technology is not something that can be managed by conventional safety measures alone,” Kan told a news conference.
“I believe”, he said, “we should aim for a society that is not dependent on nuclear power generation."
Though he did say that it was premature to set a time frame for achieving that goal.
Kan also said Japan would be able to avoid summer and winter power shortages because of energy conservation efforts and companies' in-house power supplies, despite the large number of reactors now off-line for inspections or other work.
The unpopular Prime Minister has become increasingly sensitive to growing public concern about nuclear power, but whether he oversees an overhaul of energy policy is in doubt since he has promised to resign, although he has not said when.
Nuclear energy accounted for about 30% of Japan's power supply before the 11 March disasters crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima plant 240km (150 miles) north of the capital and that ratio slipped to 18% in June.
Although he is being referred to again and again as an unpopular Prime Minister, which he, n o doubt, is, he seems to be one of the few leaders in the developed world who has understood the dangers of nuclear power and the fact that we cannot afford the stuff.
I am old enough to remember – I was a child back then – when in Britain the claim as to nuclear power was made that it would produce energy too cheap to meter and that is also the very reason that in the 1960s homes, whether houses or flats, were built all electric and were then, later, refitted with gas heating, and gas for cooking, as electric turned out to be too expensive.
The “too cheap to meter” never materialized. In fact nuclear power is the most expensive form of energy in Britain today. Still the government is going to be building (or more precise “bringing on stream”) some eight new atomic power plants with all the risks and problems associated with them.
The British government seem to be very firmly, regardless of which party, in the pockets of the nuclear power industry. Time the people reacted and told the powers-that-be where to get off.
© 2011
