Fukushima Nuclear power in Japan - Essay Example

Fukushima Nuclear power in Japan Fukushima nuclear power in Japan startled many people across the world following a tsunami and a Tōhoku earthquake on 11 March 2011 resulting to a series of nuclear disasters that had serious implications to the people and the environment. It is following these natural disasters plus human errors that resulted to the worst nuclear disaster after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster (Straight). After the Fukushima nuclear power led to the loss of many lives, destruction of property plus contamination of the environment with radiation, a solution had to be formulated by the Japan government to curb such a situation once and for all.

The Japan government decided to close all nuclear power plant projects in Japan so as to prevent repetitions like that of Fukushima in future (Straight). Japan managed to get an alternative source of energy to supply the needs of the country through buying of liquefied natural gas from Russia.Following the nuclear disaster, many people working in the reactor plus the surrounding environ got exposed. In addition, the environment around the reactor also got contaminated posing considerable risk.

In regard to human exposure, a number of children living in the environs of Fukushima became recently discovered to be developing abnormal thyroid lumps (Straight). Exposure to radiation posed a risk of development of poor health outcomes in the given population. The government of Japan in trying to come with the solution to that given problem, food stuffs like exported rice from that region got scrutinized for radiation exposure levels so as to limit the spread of radioactive contaminants to other countries (Straight).

Also, faced with the problem of human exposure, the government somehow managed to have evacuation and resettlement plans in action. With the environ around the Fukushima becoming unsafe due to the high radiation levels, the Japan government opted to resettle individuals that lived around the reactor in another place fit for human settlement. In addition, some of the workforce that worked in the Fukushima nuclear reactor, became not allowed to work in other nuclear reactors following having radiation levels higher than required.

Such a means by the government ought to protect humans from overexposure from radiation (Straight).After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the problem of controlling leakage of radiation emanated. Environmental leakage could only be minimized through proper destruction of the nuclear station plus proper disposal of the radioactive substances. The wrecked nuclear station could also be securely contained to limit any leakage (Straight). For instance, a leak proof radioactive disposal unit that is indestructible from earthquakes could be built before wrecking the plant.

To ensure minimal leakage, one would transport the fuel rods, heavy radiating materials, and the inner nuclear reactor units by use of leak proof truckers to underground leak proof containers for proper disposal (Straight). In conclusion, Fukushima nuclear plant has some problems of which solutions can be found. Some of the problems the Fukushima nuclear plant faces include dealing with issues of human exposure, environmental exposure, and continuous leakage of radiation from the destroyed plant.

In relation to the problems, a number of solutions have too been formulated in order to cope with the existing problems faced by Fukushima nuclear plant (Straight). Some of the solutions include closure of all nuclear power stations in Japan, destruction of the power plant plus proper disposal of the nuclear wastes in order to lower radiation levels in the environment, evacuation and resettlement of the people living around the plant, and protecting the nuclear workforce through checking their radiation levels (Straight).

BibliographyStraight., 2011, April 26, Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster: Problems and solutions,Retrieved August 31, 2012, from Youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBVxUd6HdS0