ヨーロッパに住んでいると中々聞けない今の日本の現状について書きたいと思い、英語の長文になってしまいました。
少しずつ海外のメディアでも日本で行われている脱原発運動について報道されるようになりました。
諦めず、一緒にがんばりましょう^^
A brief update on the current situation in Japan.
The 3.11 triple catastrophe has truly been a wake up call for the Japanese people.Japan is one of the best prepared countries in the world when it comes to earthquakes. Not only did advanced technology limit the damages caused by the quake on 3.11, the mental preparation and the deep-rooted respect for the nature has been a strength in the extremely fast process of recovery after the catastrophe. As a part of the Japanese culture people accept the balance in life, and the joy and fear that come along with mother nature. Life goes on, for the human beings, as long as we take care of the nature.
In contrast to this traditional philosophy, Japanese politicians, bureaucrats, and the mass media continue to base their decisions on own interests. Japan has 54 nuclear reactors along its coasts. The Fukushima power plant is still not under control and the country is constantly hit by earthquakes. The nuclear waste problem is not being solved, and the government has restarted the reactors at Oi power plant and wants to build more nuclear power plants. Although, the private sector has presented solutions that increase efficiency in energy use and supply, the government insists that the country cannot continue without the nuclear energy supply.
It is true that Japan will suffer an economical recession from a shortage in power supply. However, what is the point of maintaining an economical standard if the air, water, soil, and all living creatures are polluted? Or if you have to live in fear for an earthquake to trigger one of the 54 ticking bombs? This rather simple question has no simple answer because of conflicting interests. This affects, not only Japan, but the rest of the world. We know that we will be able to find solutions to the economical loss that a shift in energy supply will cause, but the costs of not choosing the right path will be of an unknown scale.
It might sound very naive, but until the Fukushima catastrophe on 3.11. most Japanese people, including myself, were not informed nor interested in the nuclear power plants situation, but were manipulated to believe that it was safe and clean.
A huge feeling of regret for not taking action until it was too late, and a strong will to take responsibility is slowly growing amongst the Japanese. Political interests and greed has left Japan with unnecessary many nuclear reactors and nuclear waste that will destroy the natural life cycle, natural resources and future life. It is a scary thought and a reality that affects us all...
Every Friday, people protest in front of the prime minister Noda's house, which the government and media have done much to ignore. Last Friday 100.000 people gathered in front of the prime minister's house, where Prime minister Noda commented that he could hear the "loud sound" from the demonstration. The fact that Japanese politicians only hear "sound" when they listen to the "voices" of their own people, explains the lack of political responsibility and seriousness towards the future of Japan.
I believe that there are many ways to contribute to create new solutions, discourses, and political initiatives that will lead to a better energy use and energy supply in the future. It gives me hope to see and listen to the thousands of people who stand up to create a focus on this problem and believe that this situation is a chance to change.
I ♡ Japan
I hope you ♡ Japan too, Mr. Noda.
