Weekly Blog 3

 The nuclear disaster in Fukuyama results the eager of getting energy from other resources. Solar power energy is expected to become more popular and provides more electricity. The Sharp Company is designed to put money on solar power stations as it will become larger after the accident. The Sharp Company is working with Italy’s largest power company and trying to build solar power stations in different countries around the world. Its officials said that they believe that renewable energy has a great future and should rise globally especially after the Fukushima accident. However, the high initial cost of solar energy power station will be a problem and the price for solar power is pretty high, which is about 35-39 Japanese yen per kilowatt-hour and is 5 times the price of nuclear power.  There are also other problems such as finding a place to build a solar power station in Japan because it requires large area to build. A good news is that the price of constructing a solar power station is dropping. For example, the solar panels dropped 30 percent of the price this year.

Reference:

AKI SATO STAFF WRITER, Sharp to build solar power stations in Japan

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106240190.html

The disappointments of people in Japan toward Tokyo Electric Power Company are increasing. The company failed to protect the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant and the government is act stupid during and after the accident. There are around 90,000 residents in Fukuyama area have been evacuated due to the power plant. Among them, one third moved out of the Fukuyama prefecture completely. An interview survey questioned 407 residents of the Fukuyama people about the nuclear disaster. 70 percent of the interviewers said that they were opposed the use of nuclear energy while only 26 percent saying that they preferred nuclear energy. Compared to the interview in June, in which 37 percent residents preferred nuclear energy and 42 percent opposed it. However, most of the interviewers said that they will or want to return to the places they live if possible. Among the small percentage of people who do not want to go back, having young children is one of the most significant reasons. People are disappointed with TEPCO and experts because they kept saying that Japan’s nuclear power plant are very safe and there will be no accident ever. They feel betrayed after the nuclear accident. About the future of nuclear technology in Japan, only 30 percent of interviewers said that nuclear power plants should be increased of maintained at current levels. The other people were saying that nuclear power plants should either be decreased or eliminated.  The Japanese central government is also blamed for not doing anything helpful and giving confused evacuation instructions during and after the nuclear disaster. The interviewers said that the instructions they got from government were vague and incomplete or even conflict with itself which was hard to read and understand. As a result, almost 80 percent of interviewers said that the central government was either acting totally inappropriate or partial inappropriate. Another result of the vague instructions was that evacuees have to move between different evacuation centers. Most of them moved to three or more locations.

Reference:

Survey shows disappointment, anger among Fukushima evacuees

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106240204.html