Fukushima Earthquake Effect

Decent Essays
A catastrophic natural disaster occurred on 11th March 2011 in Japan. In the region of Fukushima, there was a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami. The natural disasters devastated the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (150 miles northeast away from Tokyo, the capital of Japan), as well as its essential cooling system, causing successive explosions and meltdowns. It was the most serious nuclear incident in 25 years after the Chernobyl Incident. At the end of 2011, the government has expelled more than 80,000 dwellers for safety reason and cleanup, with no anticipation to return their homes in Fukushima (Demetriou). Klein is right about that, “…in the age of fossil fuels, we can render the earth less alive by far more stealthy means: by

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Chernobyl disaster (1986) was probably the worst possible accident in a nuclear power plant. It was the biggest catastrophe ever happened since the beginning of operating nuclear power stations. It started by a total meltdown of the reactor core. The explosion and the consequent reactor fire, burning for 10 days, resulted in a vast emission of radioactive material, early deaths of 31 persons and adverse consequences for the public and the environment [198]. This Chernobyl disaster provided many invaluable lessons.…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Because fossil fuels provide billions of dollars to the industry in the United States and Canada, they are still pushing the use of fossil fuels instead of more renewable and environmentally-friendly sources of energy (such as solar or hydroelectric). This use of fossil fuels majorly impacts the air and atmosphere due to the carbon dioxide that is released whenever it is used. Engler refers to a book, “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” by Elizabeth Kolbert, which he then analyzes and adds his own points to. One point that he adds is about the threats that the surging growth of carbon dioxide can have on our air, atmosphere, oceans, and even Earth’s biodiversity. The rising acidity in the oceans show that the excess of carbon dioxide is starting to affect our Earth.…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    On March 11, 2011 at 2:46 pm, an Earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 struck causing tremendous damage to the northern section of Japan. This earthquake that happened in the ocean triggered a series of giant tsunami waves to also strike the northern section. Japan's northern coast lays on the Pacific Ocean, which is greatly known for its tsunamis and its earthquakes. The plant at Fukushima first opened in 1971 and consists of six separate boiling water reactors. It was one of the fifteen largest nuclear power plants in the world and was the only plant at the time to be designed and constructed by General Electric.…

    • 1307 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Tepco Research Paper

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages

    First, before the plant even experienced the natural disaster, Tepco trained their workers sloppily. Many criticize Tepco’s poor protective measures. Similarly, upon plant failure, Tepco hired unskilled clean-up labor, and did so through subcontractors, leaving people at a significantly higher risk of radiation harm. A government examination of the facility’s safety practice showed Tepco significantly underreporting radiation exposure to a third of the company’s workers. The company’s lack of transparency puts them in poor favor of the government and the…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi NPP disaster was primarily caused by initiation of tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake which resulted in the failure of flood defence structure (sea wall), leading to the shutdown of the NPP. As a result of this catastrophic incident, focus has shifted to reanalyze potential flooding and seismic effects using state-of-the-art knowledge of these extreme events. This study presents a methodology for developing combined fragility surfaces of flood defence structures for earthquake and flooding hazards. As a case study, the dynamic analysis is carried out on a 2D non-linear elastic plain strain finite element model of Pine Flat Dam considering both the fluid-structure (FSI) and soil-structure (SSI) interactions…

    • 137 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this questionnaire from National Geographic, Patrick Kiger describes the catastrophe in Japan involving nuclear energy and waste affecting the Pacific Ocean. The article provides practically any question that might arise from the epic news and detailed, truthful explanations to accompany the frequently asked questions. It also includes external links to more information about specific details intertwined with the ordeal in Fukushima such as articles from their own website or others from organizations involved with the nuclear crisis. From this article, I concluded that nuclear energy…

    • 467 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami with waves peaking at 17 meters hit Japan on March 11, 2011. Three of the reactors at Fukushima overheated because the cooling systems failed after a tsunami flooded the power station and disabled the reactor cooling system which causing core meltdowns and make reactors impossible to restart . This was compounded by hydrogen gas explosions and released large amounts of radioactive material into the air, and the releases continue to this day. The accident also released tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. Fukushima accident triggered a 30-km evacuation zone surrounding the plant and can only be entered under government supervision.…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    According to the information above, the reaction of the Soviet government was the worst. It is totally unacceptable to hide the information that might harm not only people in the Soviet Union, but also in some parts of Europe. The action were taken late enough to people to get damaged. Lots of people gained lots of disease connected with radiation, but government could prevent this if they reacted faster and the workers could determine the problem straight after the accident happened. Governments’ reactions both to the Fukushima and Three Mile Island accidents were both fast enough and there were no victims and no deaths.…

    • 238 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Apart from that, this research highlight the consequences radioactive substance leak to the extent of how it triggered mass panic across different strata of the communities. The attention of this essay will then shift to the attitudes and actions demonstrated by the Japanese’s government, the public, the media, as well as the survivors. Specifically, the measures carried out by the authorities and the locals in overcoming the tragedy and accepting the losses, observed through the lenses of the domestic and international audiences; as well as public doubts of the people directed to the government and the company, TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company). For the government’s and TEPCO’s control over Fukushima’s nuclear leaks and due to the absence of conclusion in relation to human health from the prolonged exposure to low-level radiation (Sugimoto, 2012; Shigemura,…

    • 1310 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Author Sandra Steingraber argues that the fossil fuels humans are so dependent upon are harming the Earth, the animals on Earth, and the people on Earth. “Follow the first branch and you find droughts, floods, acidifying oceans, dissolving coral reefs, and faltering plankton. Follow the second branch and you find pesticides in children’s urine, lungs stunted by air pollutants, abbreviated pregnancies, altered hormone levels, and lower scores on cognitive tests.” (745) “Indeed, according to the most recent assessment, one in every four mammal species is now threatened with extinction.” (746)…

    • 2039 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Nuclear Energy Controversy

    • 1506 Words
    • 6 Pages

    History and Controversy of Nuclear Power The creation of nuclear energy has changed the world but, it has affected someone people a little bit closer. Lindsey Schiller, a registered nurse, and her husband and two children have been living next to a nuclear power plant almost a decade now. Currently neighboring the Limerick Generating Station nuclear energy facility in Pottstown, Schiller jokingly states “We kid around when we get really big flowers ...…

    • 1506 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Anthropocene

    • 1986 Words
    • 8 Pages

    This is a consequence of mass extinctions of plants and animals, alteration of the atmosphere and polluted oceans, which are all directly correlated to human evolution [Smithsonian, 2013]. Nowadays, oil fuels human development, its used to power and make almost everything, including, cars, aeroplanes, power plants, medicine, toothpaste, plastic and cosmetics. In the US alone they consume on average of about 19.4 million barrels per day, or 3.7 billion liters, which fills 1481 Olympic sized swimming pools. [U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2015]. However, the benefits of fossil fuels don’t reciprocate to the cons.…

    • 1986 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Since natural disasters are causing a tremendous amount of economic damages and fatalities these days, prediction of the time at which natural disasters will occur and preparation for such events has become extremely important. Natural disasters have influenced about 217 million people every year since 1990. (Brett, 2013) These natural disasters not only harm people but also damage the earth ecologically. For example, According to the world nuclear organization, there was a 9.0 scale earthquake in Fukushima, Japan that caused huge tsunami that struck Fukushima nuclear power plants.…

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 was one of the worst nuclear accidents in history. Many of the harmful effects can still be seen today, almost 30 years after the incident. The main cause of the accident was a flaw in the reactor 's design, which resulted in an explosion releasing large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. You may think that with an increase in safety measures and more careful attention to building and design that we can avoid further tragedies, but unfortunately not all disaster is caused by human neglect. The major tsunami that took place in Japan in 2011 led to equipment failures and in turn caused three meltdowns at the Fukushima Power Plant, resulting in the release of radioactive material.…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    NUCLEAR The application of nuclear is one of the most important invitations in modern. It is real the product of human development. But important inventions always have advantages and disadvantages. Even though nuclear weapons and nuclear energy have been changed our life a lot and made a deep influence.…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays