Fukushima Crisis: Can Japan be at the forefront of an authentic paradigm shift?

Fukushima Crisis: Can Japan be at the forefront of an authentic paradigm shift?

from Web Edition | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Mycle Schneider

The catastrophe now referenced by a single word -- Fukushima -- is not merely a major natural disaster. The events of 3/11 sent shockwaves through the nuclear industry and governments around the world and constitute the end of a certain economic development model and the industrial risk calculation that underlies it. Giant, centralized electricity production sites that rain kilowatt-hours onto consumers who are constantly increasing their consumption -- while accepting risk that can potentially harm millions -- are now outdated.