NUCLEAR ENERGY
Far too dear and dangerous for the Land of Smiles
It is easy in hindsight to see that the nuclear power plants in the Fukushima Daiichi had deadly flaws: essential electronic control panels in a room underneath the reactor building that flooded when the tsunami hit, and emergency diesel generators to supply electricity for cooling pumps that were unable to function when needed, because they were installed on low ground that also flooded.
Farsighted Austrians: This picture taken March 25, 2011 shows the area just under the reactor’s core, at the Zwentendorf atomic power plant 50km west of Vienna, which was built in 1977 and never went into operation. Austrians voted to ban atomic energy in a November 1978 referendum. The mothballed N-plant is currently attracting a steady stream of visitors.
Forty years ago, authorities had assured people that the plants would be "safe" in all foreseeable circumstances.
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About the author
- Writer: Chris Greacen & Chuenchom Greacen
