Footprints in the Cesium Ash: Accountability in the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
Document Type
Panel Presentation
Start Date
22-4-2021 2:00 PM
Keywords
Disaster, Japan, Nuclear
Biography
Fiona Sherman is a Japanese major in the Department of Modern Languages. She has studied abroad in Japan for two years.
Major
Japanese
Advisor for this project
Zelibeth Rivas
Abstract
In this paper, I dissect the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, which occurred as a result of the 3/11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. While many individuals believe this nuclear disaster was merely an unfortunate side-effect of a devastating double natural disaster, there are many key factors that contributed to the severity of the meltdown. In addition to technical flaws, there were also issues with communication and a distinct lack of protocols. Due to this mismanagement, Japanese citizens in the Tōhoku region have suffered greatly in the time following this disaster. There have been no significant improvements to reduce the impending threat of a future nuclear crisis, and no parties have taken accountability for their negligence. I argue that the Fukushima disaster was grossly mismanaged and that nuclear energy can never be a truly safe, predictable energy source.
Footprints in the Cesium Ash: Accountability in the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
In this paper, I dissect the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, which occurred as a result of the 3/11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. While many individuals believe this nuclear disaster was merely an unfortunate side-effect of a devastating double natural disaster, there are many key factors that contributed to the severity of the meltdown. In addition to technical flaws, there were also issues with communication and a distinct lack of protocols. Due to this mismanagement, Japanese citizens in the Tōhoku region have suffered greatly in the time following this disaster. There have been no significant improvements to reduce the impending threat of a future nuclear crisis, and no parties have taken accountability for their negligence. I argue that the Fukushima disaster was grossly mismanaged and that nuclear energy can never be a truly safe, predictable energy source.
