The extent of the damage at Fukushima is still unclear, and nobody knows how much radiation has been released or how more will be. But the ongoing crisis has renewed debate about the safety of nuclear power. There hasn't been a nuclear power plant constructed in the United States since the 1970's, but the Obama Administration has approved federal loan guarantees for two new reactors in Georgia. They are not yet licensed, and the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has raised questions about their safety from aircraft attacks and their vulnerability to earthquakes. Should nuclear energy be expanded to fuel President Obama's "green economy?" Is it still too early to tell?
Japan's Ongoing Disaster and the Future of Nuclear Power
Credits
Guests:
- Robert Alvarez - Institute for Policy Studies
- Eileen Supko - Energy Resources International
- Dan Hirsch - UC Santa Cruz / Committee to Bridge the Gap - @ucsc
- John McGaha - American Nuclear Society
- Ellen Vancko - Union of Concerned Scientists
- Michael A. Levi - Council on Foreign Relations - @levi_m