Japanese still support nuclear power
AdvertisementJust a quick update tonight, a pointer to a post by ampontan regarding a couple of surveys recently conducted into nuclear power. The first survey from the Yomiuri Shimbun on April 4th was conducted between the 1st and 3rd of April 2011, and found that 46% supported continuing with the current level of nuclear power generation, 29% were for reducing, and 12% for the complete elimination of nuclear power. The other 13% were not described. The second survey from JNN for the TBS television station was released on the same day, and found the highest percentage (the exact figures were not available) thought that current nuclear power be maintained but safety procedures strengthened, and about 15% supported each of “stopping all generation for now while reviewing the situation” and “phasing out and using other means of power generation”.
I suspect the numbers in favour of nuclear power will rise this summer as the Tokyo area, which normally has 24 or so reactors available to supply the grid (with usually three or four in maintenance at any one time) will be down to just two, according to news I saw this morning, despite the summer months being peak demand to supply air conditioning.
I personally think that nuclear generation, especially in Japan, is an unavoidable evil. I’ve recently become less in favour of wind as an economic alternative, but tidal/wave and geothermal should be looked at more seriously in Japan. And of course the current Internet darling of thorium is another promising target of research and development funding.
For your reference, here is a Japanese government survey from December 2009 into nuclear power.
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Wait until summer, aka electric air conditioner season, comes around. People will be wanting their gigawatts back then for sure.
I haven’t seen an air conditioner that can run on solar power at scale yet.
Actually, my wife emailed me yesterday to say that Panasonic and Toshiba (?) have just announced a home battery storage that will run your (an?) aircon for a good few hours – who knows the recharging time, etc, however!
But yes, the impending summer shortages are not being discussed – even with the 25% or more cut in power consumption thanks to drastic savings from people like JR, Kanto managed to escape the power cuts, but I cannot imagine riding the summer trains with the aircon off.
BTW, the TV discussion I saw on this topic was on a Kansai breakfast news show – is this topic getting much airing in Tokyo?
Local micro-generation based on renewable sources (wind, solar etc.) will get a boost from new storage technologies that are under development. It won’t happen soon enough to help Tokyo residents this summer, but it’s coming soon:
http://www.physorg.com/news155569564.html
Our solar unit can power our airconditioner during the day, no problem. It’s not even that big, just a 3.71 Kyocera Samurai.
We live near a windfarm and I’m not impressed. They are loud- really loud. And the ground animals have gone. There used to be monkeys all over the mountain and they’ve disappeared. Not to mention what they do to animals that fly.
I think Geothermal is where it’s at.
As far as the Yomiuri survey, I just commented at the ampontan blog about this. I think his interpretation is off, and thus yours. Of course, I readily admit it could be me who is off, but here is the original question:
現在、日本の電力の３割近くは原子力発電によるものです。今後、国内の原子力発電所をどうすべきだと思いますか。次に読みあげる４つの中から、１つだけ選んで
下さい。
答 1.増やすべきだ 10
2.現状を維持すべきだ 46
3.減らすべきだ 29
4.すべてなくすべきだ 12
5.その他 1
6.答えない 3
Here’s the link:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/feature/fe6100/koumoku/20110404.htm
My translation:
Japan receives 30% of its power from nuclear generation. From now on, as far as nuclear power plants what do you think should be done.
1. [They] should be increased. 10%
2. The current status quo should be maintained. 46%
3. [They] should be decreased. 29%
4. It’s not a matter of should or should not. 12%
5. Other 1%
6. No answer 3%
As I understand it Japan’s current policy calls for expansion of nuclear power plants, that is building new plants.
The survey not only suggests people don’t want to continue to build just enough reactors to maintain the status quo, but 75% don’t want *new* reactors built.
You say, “The second survey from JNN for the TBS television station was released on the same day, and found the highest percentage (the exact figures were not available) thought that current nuclear power be maintained but safety procedures strengthened …”
Again the same ambiguity. To *only* maintain only the existing reactors is ultimately to decrease Japan’s reliance on nuclear power. That would seem to be where popular opinion is right now. However, policy makers favor expanding nuclear energy generation via the building of new plants, do they not?
You said: “I personally think that nuclear generation, especially in Japan, is an unavoidable evil.”
Note that nuclear energy has not proven itself cost effective. Alternatives are still cheaper. If nuclear energy were left to its own devices, it would not be ready for prime time yet, as it would be too costly and not safe enough. Insurance would be too costly. The expectation has always been it will become safer and cheaper.
If Japan did not have nuclear power (via government intervention), energy costs would rise dramatically. But then research in to alternative forms of energy would become *relatively* much cheaper. So basically, the government is inhibiting research and investment into forms of alternative energy and directing it’s flow all towards nuclear energy. Why?
Well, a good paper on this that really shouldn’t be missed is here:
http://www.japanfocus.org/-Gavan-McCormack/2602