Mohsen Tizhoosh
These days, the largest body of water, the Pacific Ocean namely, is contaminated with the radioactive radiation from the Japan’s Fukushima. Radioactive is a label associated with horror and fear for most people. After Chernobyl incident, it was forgotten for almost 25 years, and is now resurrected by the Japan’s unprecedented earthquake
The world paid attention to the Fukushima’s power plant after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, an attention that still exhibits fear and anxiety. One month after the devastating tsunami, the nuclear disaster enters into a new phase and adds to global concerns for preventing a massive catastrophe
From day one, the world public was anxious that a large amount of radioactive material enters into the Pacific Ocean, a concern that proves to be justified when the contaminated waters of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi made their ways into the ocean. Many sources report contamination levels in excess of hundreds times of the permissible levels. The Tokyo Electric, responsible for operating the power plant, has redirected the contaminated waters into the ocean and its only assertion regarding the public concerns is that “the ocean is really big!” This company, using such naive declarations, intends to dump more than 12 thousands contaminated waters from the ruins and turbines of the power plants into the Pacific Ocean
The inattention of the Japanese government to the effects of the radioactivity can lead to hazardous consequences. The environmental effects of such carelessness can impose long-lasting genetic and economical damages on both near and far regions. Entering radioactivity into the ocean can increase its temperature causing negative effects on marine life. This happens in spite of the long-standing warnings by environmentalists regarding release of radioactive waste and its return to earth via atmospheric precipitations and in defiance of all anti-nuclear demonstrations asking to halt such activities on a global level. The concern of environmentalists is a result of such calamities like atomic bombardments in Japan and the Chernobyl catastrophe in Russia
The nuclear power plants are supposed to satisfy our increasing needs of energy. Employing this spectacular source of energy has always had opponents and advocates whereas it has also enjoyed the attention of the politicians. Although, one might add, that there are also countries that refuse to build nuclear power plants, due to their unpredictable challenges, and have rather followed the rules of nature. In Scandinavian countries, for instance, energy supply has been made possible using water energy, making nuclear energy utterly superfluous
The Fukushima incident displays all environmental concerns expressed over many years. The natural cycle of many ecosystems has been interrupted and the health of many Japanese is in danger. This is certainly a catastrophe that will enter into new phases in coming years, a catastrophe that has destroyed stable eco-systems causing thousands of people to leave their homes. This is certainly a part of those 200 millions eco-refugees that experts are anticipating by 2050
Some say that the peaceful usage of nuclear energy does not threat the planet. The unforeseen incidents such as the Japanese tsunami deride this statement and seriously question the usability of this dangerous source of energy. Today when the horrible radioactive shadow is casting over hundreds of kilometers of our oceans, we have to come to our senses. We humans love our plant. We may have a decade or so to bring about a fundamental change in our way of living
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