Kan Thinks We Can Do Without Nuclear Power

PM Kan is one brave guy, who is also not a quitter (like his predecessors) and now he is hinting that a debate is needed on Japan's future energy supply. I couldn't agree more, but of course, I have no idea how Kan and the others in charge will solve the most pressing issue: Japan is only 4% self-sufficient when it comes to electrical power. That is very little.

Relying on ageing nuclear power plants in a country that is prone to have massive earthquakes and tsunamis will not work.

Importing oil? Will not be easy as we are already past peak oil.

Importing uranium? Not a long-term, sustainable solution, anyway, and a very dirty mining practice that most of us know very little about.

Thus, Kan is right, "I came to believe we should aim for a society that does not depend on nuclear power," Kan said in a televised news conference from his official residence. "We can phase out the dependence on nuclear power plants and achieve a society that can work without nuclear power plants."

Asahi: Kan comes out for a society with no nuclear power plants

Referring to the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, the prime minister said, "When I think of the enormous risks of a nuclear accident, I am convinced that (nuclear power) is the technology that cannot be controlled by the conventional idea to ensure safety alone." Kan said that what type of energy source the Japanese public chooses to meet its growing demands for power is a big political question.

Asahi Shimbun has started a series of editorials to discuss how Japan must change course to create a nuclear-free society. Yoshinori Onoki, director of the editorial board, says:

A major shift in Japan's energy policy is necessary to wean our society off nuclear power generation as soon as possible.

Many people believe so, considering there is no end in sight to the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 plant that started in March. A recent Asahi Shimbun survey found 77 percent of respondents in favor of a phased decommissioning of nuclear power plants.

The Fukushima meltdowns have taught us the fearsome power of nuclear energy that cannot be shut down at will. Japan sits on a veritable "nest" of earthquakes, and experts say we have entered a period of increased seismic activity. If there is another nuclear accident, our society may not recover.

That is why we are proposing a "zero nuclear power generation society" as our long-term target. First, we need to set a timeline.

We have so far relied on nuclear energy for nearly 30 percent of our power needs. We cannot slash it to zero right now, as the resultant power shortage will seriously affect our daily lives and economic activities. It is obviously much more realistic to gradually reduce our dependence on nuclear power generation--an approach that should get us faster to the target over the long run.

It is generally understood that the life expectancy of nuclear reactors is 40 years. If we stop building new reactors and scrap existing reactors over the next 40 years, all reactors will be gone by 2050. This would be too far down the road, but we could make it happen sooner with stepped-up efforts to develop and introduce alternative energy sources and save electricity.

The Mainichi Shimbun is also noting that "it is indispensable to promote the [nuclear power-free] policy on the initiative of the prime minister." The question, of course, is how to do it:

The important question is how the government will protect people's safety and livelihoods as well as business. It is certainly an important policy issue that members of the public should decide on. The issue will emerge as a major point of contention in the next general election, and it is the DPJ's responsibility as the governing party to clearly show its basic thinking on the issue.

And here is The Yomiuri Shimbun, that seems to be not warming up to a nuclear-free Japan, continuing its efforts to undermine Mr. Kan's stand rather than come up with any proposals of its own:

I will aim to make the country not dependent on nuclear power," Kan told a press conference held at the Prime Minister's Office. "I will lower the nation's dependence on it in stages and try to achieve a society that can function without nuclear power in the future."

The prime minister's announcement apparently reflects increasing public anxiety about the safety of nuclear power generation in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

"Before the March 11 nuclear crisis, I thought that we should utilize nuclear power plants while securing their safety," Kan said.

However, he has changed his stance after seeing the colossal damage caused by the nuclear crisis.

"I have realized that nuclear accidents cannot be prevented completely with the conventional safety measures we have at present," he added.

His announcement is a complete turnaround of the government's basic energy plan, which focuses on constructing at least 14 new nuclear reactors by 2030 to increase the ratio of nuclear power generation drastically as a percentage of the total electricity supply from the current 26 percent to 53 percent. The government's basic energy plan was formulated in June last year.

But, the prime minister failed to reveal specific practical measures, a detailed schedule or numerical targets to realize his new policy during the press conference.

Kan said dependence on nuclear power could be reduced because enough power can be secured this summer and winter if electricity conservation measures are promoted and surplus electricity by in-house power generation facilities can be utilized. However, he added that this policy change could not be fully realized in his term.