Changes in world energy policy after the nuclear accident in Japan
The recent historic earthquake and tsunami in Japan has caused enormous damage to the people of the land of the rising sun. In addition to human and material damage, the earthquake and tsunami also caused a very serious radiation leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. This incident has led to major changes in energy policy not only in Japan but also in many countries around the world.
The recent historic earthquake and tsunami in Japan has caused enormous damage to the people of the land of the rising sun. In addition to human and material damage, the earthquake and tsunami also caused a very serious radiation leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. This incident has led to major changes in energy policy not only in Japan but also in many countries around the world.
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Following Germany is France, Europe's largest nuclear power, where local governments have voted to shut down older-style nuclear plants.
Following that, Italy has removed the law allowing the reuse of nuclear energy issued since 2008. Notably, Japan, the "epicenter" of this nuclear crisis, has had to cancel plans to build new plants.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan stressed the government's plan to revise nuclear energy policy and focus more on renewable energy.
However, despite this fact, many countries around the world are still promoting the construction of new nuclear reactors because nuclear energy is a viable option for many countries at the present time when oil prices are high and there is a lack of effective alternative energy.
China and India are the two countries that are most strongly supporting this type of energy. Currently, China has 13 reactors in operation, 17 under construction and 50 more planned. India has 20 reactors in operation, 5 under construction and 18 planned. But the country most dependent on nuclear energy in Asia is South Korea.
While nuclear reactors in Japan account for only 29% of electricity supply, nuclear reactors in South Korea account for 35% of electricity supply. In addition, South Korea is also planning to build about 7 more nuclear power plants to put into operation along with the 21 plants currently.
The number of nuclear plants in South Korea will continue to increase between now and 2030. In return, the South Korean government is further strengthening safety measures, especially at older reactors.
It is clear that despite widespread concerns about nuclear safety, many countries continue to pursue nuclear energy policies to cope with current energy shortages.
In fact, if nuclear plants were to be shut down, it would immediately increase dependence on fossil fuels and consequently increase greenhouse gas emissions that are harmful to the environment.
For both economic development and environmental protection reasons, many countries still support nuclear power plants while committing to tightening safety regulations in plant operations.
Faced with this situation, experts have predicted that in the coming time there will be a series of unilateral actions from the European Union (EU) or maybe the EU will agree with major powers such as Russia and Japan through conventions on environmental issues, climate change or even extend the Kyoto Protocol...
While waiting for each country's final decision on whether to stop or continue developing nuclear energy, countries will certainly focus on renewable energy sources, of which wind power and solar power are the most notable energy sources./.
According to VNA