Thousands March As Japan Shuts Off Nuclear Power (stupidity alert)

AP ^ | Mon, 05/07/2012 - 9:32am | Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer

[robowombat]

TOKYO (AP) — Thousands of Japanese marched to celebrate the switching off of the last of their nation's 50nuclear reactors Saturday, waving banners shaped as giant fish that have become a potent anti-nuclear symbol.

Japan was without electricity from nuclear power for the first time in four decades when the reactor at Tomarinuclear plant on the northern island of Hokkaido went offline for mandatory routine maintenance.

After last year's March 11 quake and tsunami set off meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, no reactor halted for checkups has been restarted amid public worries about the safety of nuclear technology.

"Today is a historic day," Masashi Ishikawa shouted to a crowd gathered at a Tokyo park, some holding traditional "koinobori" carp-shaped banners for Children's Day that have become a symbol of the anti-nuclear movement.

"There are so many nuclear plants, but not a single one will be up and running today, and that's because of our efforts," Ishikawa said.

The activists said it is fitting that the day Japan stopped nuclear power coincides with Children's Day because of their concerns about protecting children from radiation, which Fukushima Dai-ichi is still spewing into the air and water.

[robowombat]

ostrich aware nominees

[yobid]

China Power Companies Celebrate For New Customer Acquisition

[sten]

and how much of their energy was produced by those nuclear plants?

do they have any plans to cover the shortfall??

[LeonardFMason]

No Nuclear Power. War on fossil fuels.

Remember the Flinstones? Yaba Daba Doo! Pedal power cars with holes in the floor board coming soon!

[Sequoyah101]

May they reap ALL the manifold rewards of this stupidity which they so RICHLY DESERVE.

[alpo]

Comming soon to an island nation near you!!! :

A Cold Day In Hell

[soycd]

This may be a naive question, but where is Japan generating the electricity to compensate for the missing nuke plants?
Did the plants have an alternative steam generator that runs on some fuel other than fission products?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Nukes in Japan supply 30-35 percent of the nation’s requirements.
Their backup is imported coal and some residual oil.

[alpo]

Coming

[Navy Patriot]

What few people know is that the construction of Japanese nuclear facilities was done to a lesser standard than recommended by the US design engineers.

The Japanese government elected to use designs that were less resistant to earthquake damage than proposed by the United States.

It cannot be proved, but there is substantial engineering opinion, that the stronger US design would have prevented radiation from being released into the environment.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Yea, darkness! Yea, cold! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

[forgotten man]

I saw the Japanese anti nuke protestors on TV. One of them had a sign written in Enlish that read “No nukes. Only unevolved apes want nukes.” That is what the Japanese think of non Japanese people. All of us unevolved apes look alike to them.

[robowombat]

An excellent point. What is your take on this bit of imbecility; corner cutting? cupidity? Not Invented Here Syndrome? Nipponese Arrogance? Not armoring nuclear plants for tsunamis built along the Sanriku Coast famed in Japanese history for big earth quakes and big tsunami’s is just breathtaking corporate arrogance and sheer stupidity.

[TangoLimaSierra]

Also, candle makers and dung-for-fuel mongers are pleased.

[EEGator]

...with huge round eyes.

[Navy Patriot]

What is your take on this bit of imbecility; corner cutting? cupidity? Not Invented Here Syndrome? Nipponese Arrogance?

My opinion is a little bit of all of those reasons added together. They probably thought they could get away without a disaster.

After WWII there was a prejudice against nuke anything in Japan, the Commies often made use of it politically.

Whenever my submarine (Catfish SS-339) made any Japanese port, we had to be aware of anti nuke demonstrations even though Catfish was not nuclear.

[junta]

As a shareholder in a large coal company I thank them.

[GonzoGOP]

China Power Companies Celebrate For New Customer Acquisition

China nothing, aren't we the ones who just had the giant natural gas strikes? The US has more coal than any other country. If they want to go non nukes it is there business. And we can make selling them coal and gas our business. Having a positive balance of exports would be nice for a change.
Unfortunately we would need to get rid of Obama first. Obama's EPA would never let us drill for the gas or mine the coal.

[11th Commandment]

To answer your question I do not think Japan has thought that far along. My boss was in Tokyo for a Board Meeting and buildings are on rolling brown-outs were they turn-off the air conditioner. Very unpleasant when you are being grilled by board members in a suit and tie.

Japan is going to have to cut its domestic output and ship off production to China. This will continue its economic slump for several more years.

I remember Rush commented many years ago that how to beat Japan was to export liberalism to them (this was in reaction to news articles about stupid liberal policies Japan was adapting). Well he was right....

If now, we could only get the China communist to institute liberalism, cuz right now the best capitalist are the commies.

[Repeat Offender]

Only unevolved apes want nukes.” That is what the Japanese think of non Japanese people. All of us unevolved apes look alike to them.

Well of course they wouldn't want nukes......look at what was left after the last two we gave them.

I guess in their minds it's live in the dark or glow in the dark.