Will the nuclear power plant explosion in Japan affect the United States?

Over the last ten years there have been many debates about the sources of energy the United States should use in the future, and the “nuclear option” has grown to be a popular choice among many. Democrats generally dislike overreliance on coal and oil because of the greenhouse gas effects and other environmental concerns. Republicans disfavor alternative energies like wind and solar because of the costs to consumers.

However, both sides seemed to agree that nuclear power was a sensible option worth pursuing. In the 2008 election both John McCain and Barack Obama advocated for more nuclear plants. McCain went as far as to set a goal of 45 new nuclear plants by 2030.

At times both of them seemed to be in a contest to see who could be more pro-nuclear. However, the widespread support for nuclear power may change because of recent events in Japan. The earthquake in Japan caused a loss of power for five nuclear plants in the country.

At this point the plants should have been able to rely on backup power sources provided by diesel generators. However, the subsequent tsunami knocked out the generators leaving the plants with no source of power. Without power the plants could not circulate coolant in the nuclear reactors, which currently threatens to cause a nuclear meltdown.

Some radiation has already been released into the environment. Under the worst-case scenario the world could see another Three Mile Island incident or even something on the scale of Cheynobyl. What is stunning about these developments is that Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries when it comes to nuclear power.

The United States has offered expertise and supplies to Japan, but those invitations have been rejected because Japan has the very best technology and their own set of experts. Chernobyl was largely blamed on incompetence and safety design flaws. The reactors in Japan are supposed to be state-of-the art and operator error cannot be blamed for the current crisis.

Nuclear power has become a popular option in America because the public has been told that another Chernobyl is simply not possible. The experts have told the public that newer reactors are practically fail-safe, and that backup systems would prevent another meltdown. However, the events in Japan seem to suggest that some contingencies simply cannot be accounted for.

The human mind is ultimately limited in anticipating the “worst-case scenario.” These failures could be excused if we were talking about a coal plant or even a refinery where an explosion simply kills hundreds and causes millions in property damage. Failures at nuclear plants can kill millions, and cause hundreds of billions in property damage.

The nuclear crisis in Japan may remind the American public of these potentially disastrous scenarios, and cause the Congress and President to think twice before wholeheartedly pursuing more nuclear power plants in the future. The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl disasters stopped what was previously a nuclear energy boom around the world. The events in Japan may have the same effect.