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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

To Fukushima nuclear power heroes

While most of us  pray and hope for Japan, 180 employees at Fukushima nuclear power are real heroes. They are not just doing their jobs or duties. They are sacrificing their health to save others. Instead of mourning their losses or nursing their own family, they are trying to save others. It is admirable and virtuous. I do not like that many authors keep on stating “Japanese sense of duty”. Of course morality starts as a set of culturally defined goals and supports a social system of regulation.  However, we are talking about emergency and survival. There are not in time for considerations of appearance and convenience. It is that ultimate sense of survival as a group or “human community” that makes us more than social animals. I think that using national or social identity is undermining Japanese’s amazing resilience and strength in this catastrophe.
Thank you to all Fukushima employees!!! For Haiti, I hated that  some writers undermined the strength and dignity of the victims. I do not understand that ego trip. Maybe it is a language thing.  If I could read articles in Japanese it  would alleviate that weird stereotypical analysis. Maybe in time of crisis, ego trip is all we have left to reassure ourselves that we are doing good so far. Maybe we all just scared...

Now, in politico-economic boudoirs, the discussions are on nuclear power safety and readiness to natural hazards. Well, I am an optimistic person but I am allergic to double standards. While everybody pretends to surf the “I am so green trend”, our need to maximize progress is unstoppable!! Let us face it! Therefore, let’s not be optimist hypocrites about nuclear power!!! According to WHO, the average person is exposed to about 3.0 millisieverts (mSv) a year of radiation, from naturally-occurring, medical and other sources. Sadly at the Fukushima Daiichi site has recorded radiation as high as 400 millisieverts an hour -- a level known to be a risk to human health. Data from here.  Of course Japan nuclear catastrophe and the earthquake/tsunami devastation are alarming.

However, take a look on the map below and let us not forget that natural disasters can occur anywhere. Many countries are undergoing safety protocols on their old nuclear power plans while other stopped their  construction.
Hopefully, as a global community, "we" will be wiser by learning from Japan.

Country

In operation

Under construction

Number
Electr. net output
MW
Number
Electr. net output
MW
Argentina
2
935
1
692
Armenia
1
375
-
-
Belgium
7
5,926
-
-
Brazil
2
1,884
1
1,245
Bulgaria
2
1,906
2
1,906
Canada
18
12,569
-
-
China
  • Mainland
  • Taiwan

13
6

10,048
4,980

27
2

27,230
2,600
Czech Republic
6
3,722
-
-
Finland
4
2,716
1
1,600
France
58
63,130
1
1,600
Germany
17
20,490
-
-
Hungary
4
1,889
-
-
India
20
4,391
5
3,564
Iran
-
-
1
915
Japan
54
46,823
2
2,650
Korea, Republic
21
18,665
5
5,560
Mexico
2
1,300
-
-
Netherlands
1
487
-
-
Pakistan
2
425
1
300
Romania
2
1,300
-
-
Russian Federation
32
22,693
11
9,153
Slovakian Republic
4
1,792
2
782
Slovenia
1
666
-
-
South Africa
2
1,800
-
-
Spain
8
7,514
-
-
Sweden
10
9,303
-
-
Switzerland
5
3,238
-
-
Taiwan
6
4,980
2
2,600
Ukraine
15
13,107
2
1,900
United Kingdom
19
10,137
-
-
USA
104
100,747
1
1,165
Total
442
374,958
65
62,862
Nuclear power plants world-wide, in operation and under construction, as of Jan 19, 2011



 Source Here

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