Fallout from Fukushima

A recent PEW Research Centre poll indicates that Japanese opposition to nuclear power is growing dramatically. Just last year, only 44% of the Japanese people polled believe that their country should reduce its reliance on nuclear energy. In 2012, the percentage of people who want reliance on nuclear energy to be reduced has shot up to 70%. The survey also indicates that 80% of Japanese are unhappy with their government's handling of the Fukushima disaster. In response to the Japanese Prime Minisger Noda's announcement today that he was about to re-start two nuclear reactors in Fukui, there were demonstrations in many cities. Even a third of his party's elected representatives cautioned him to go slow. One hopes that opposition to this dead-end technology will grow. Meanwhile in India, contradicting all available evidence and logic, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently declared that there is no alternative to nuclear energy. Until recently, China with its increased energy demand, has not relied too much on nuclear energy. All this is however changing dramatically, with 27 reactors under construction and about 50 more planned. Despite all the absurd hype - "clean energy" - nuclear energy is no alternative at all. However, neoliberal global capitalism in its many forms, including the Chinese variant, thrives on increasing rates of consumption - of energy as well as lifestyles and commodities that rely on ever increasing consumption of energy, structures the various trajectories for for a dead-end future for all of humanity.