Japan’s Nuclear Shutdown

In 2011, in the wake of the devastating nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi reactor, thousands of Japanese people relocated, the world held its breath, and the Japanese government began to re-evaluate the country’s reliance on nuclear power. On this episode of Sea Change Radio we speak to Kaz Makabe who was out on the streets of Tokyo on the fateful day of March 11th when the Tohoku earthquake struck. The incident inspired Makabe to investigate what makes Japan’s electric grid tick. We discuss his new book, “Buying Time: Environmental Collapse and the Future of Energy,” explore the dismantling of Japan’s nuclear power facilities, and talk about the energy future in the land of the rising sun.

Teaser image via iaea_imagebank/flickr. Creative Commons 2.0.