This Week’s Update (October 9, 2012)
1) Energy and Environmental Council of Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, determined “Innovative Strategies for Energy and the Environment” on September 18th. It aims for zero-nuclear by 2013s and so on, and decided on long-term energy policy plan. Criticisms are growing for its feasibility and so on.
Nobuo Ikeda, president of Agora Institute contributed Inconsistent “Innovative Energy and Environment Council’. He points out that it has no strategies for zero-nuclear whatsoever, and full of contradictions. And he argues down that its purpose is for populism intended for the election.
Nuclear Regulation Authority started on September 19th. An expert proposes selection of its chairman. We provided English translation..
2) Sawada Tetsuo, PhD, an assistant professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors Energy Engineering, contributed a column “Facile Establishment of Nuclear Regulatory Agency of Japan should Not be Allowed - Expertise Ensures Safety and Trust”.
As you can see from the fact that the Fukushima nuclear accident occurred, nuclear regulatory systems in Japan was not appropriate. Dr. Sawada points out that the “new organization should have strong independence, expertise, and consider objections."
３）We provide English translation of a column by GEPR editorial staffs with experts of electricity, “Considering external cost nuclear power generation is low ― from ‘Extern E’”
Experts of energy in various countries considered external costs of electric power plants. EU (European Union) made an indicator “Extern E” to measure them.
External environmental costs of nuclear power are lower than other plants according to Extern E. Because of Fukushima Nuclear power plants accident, with political decision, nuclear power probably can no longer be used in Japan. We should, however, consider this problem from the view of costs.
