Super-Contrarian: Fukushima is a Triumph for Nuclear Industry

This will likely be the most contrarian thing you’ve read about the Japanese disaster all day – that this episode actually represents a major win for the modern nuclear industry.

From Lewis Page writing at The Register:

Japan’s nuclear powerplants have performed magnificently in the face of a disaster hugely greater than they were designed to withstand, remaining entirely safe throughout and sustaining only minor damage. The unfolding Fukushima story has enormously strengthened the case for advanced nations – including Japan – to build more nuclear powerplants, in the knowledge that no imaginable disaster can result in serious problems.

Let’s recap on what’s happened so far. The earthquake which hit on Friday was terrifically powerful, shaking the entire planet on its axis and jolting the whole of Japan several feet sideways. At 8.9 on the Richter scale, it was some five times stronger than the older Fukushima plants had been designed to cope with.

I doubt the future protesters of every single nuke project in the free world will agree, but there is some smart stuff in here.

Source:

Fukushima is a Triumph for Nuke Power: Build More Reactors Now! (The Register)

Hat tip Peter