Let us just think for a second on other alternatives to nuclear power. Ones that aren't as destructive or dangerous, and are entirely viable. Well... umm... what possible alternatives? How about solar? Wind? Tidal? Hydro? to name a few... all of these are not only much safer for humans in short term health effects, but also entirely renewable, and every country has access to sun, and most access to wind. These are where the bright future lies. Not with nations that invest in nuclear power.

Actually japan have almost all of those renewable energy source; hydro, wind, solar, n of corse nuke. Everyone is talking down on their 'mess' as if those who talk have any better countermeasures like the Japs had at their plants. They so happen had the worse luck possible with double KO by mother nature

i can tell there are no scientists in this group of posts... first, green energy is unreliable, having an hour of black out randomly once every day or so may sound like not a big deal at home. but like 90% of power is used by industry and etc. the reason why they are not reliable is fairly complex, even places where they make too much power from solar have not shut down conventional power plants due this reason. Nuclear reactors must be cooled, the easiest way to do it is ocean cooling. the USA and everyone else in the world also does this, common knowledge. Nuclear power is actually less harmful than using coal and oil, and with use and refinement may evolve to nuclear power from non-radioactive materials such as hydrogen, this could mean unlimited free power due to the huge amounts of hydrogen in the universe, including Earth. Nuclear power is the right track, even if it is currently unrefined. Think of all the people dying due to the USA's greed for oil? more than the earthquake.

We all talk of fail safe... what of the billions of gallons of radioactive water still being released into our oceans??? We must be mad to consider building more of them. One day inevitably some pandemic or other is going to strike us down and but a few will survive.... these power stations will be highly unsafe and unstable soon after zero hour and all life will become extinct for our greed..... As others have said solar, wind, hydro, wave power are free and safe let's explore that for a minute. Instead of line corporate pockets and puppet governments dividend greedy voters

Modern nuclear plants have a dead-man switch that disables and protects the nuclear cores. The effect of losing power in Fukishima was a design flaw. It does not, however, speak ill of any other nuclear power station. Granted, if other nuclear power stations have a similar lack of a fail-safe when power is suddenly disrupted, the residents of everyone near-by, including foreign countries near-by, should have some authority to have it changed.

Putting the genetrators in the bacement was a human decision completly within their control (the place sits on the ocean fer goodness sake) Lets not give the designers inspectors and officals a pass on this one okay

It's rather absurd to say that 'things beyond anyone's control happened'. They were abjectly stupid and cheap, chose a poor location, and failed to put in even a complete set of logical protections. What happened there was ABSOLUTELY, completely within their control, and very much their responsibility.

Finally, someone with something intelligent to say about this. As I am reading the comments, I thought I wouldn't find one. These images are extremely thought provoking, and stirred a lot of emotion in me. Living in the U.S., where we have many nuclear power plants, I have mixed emotions about the subject. I live not very far from 3 Mile Island...where there was nealy a disaster almost 4 decades ago. They do make our lives better in many ways, but risk of the effects of a meltdown to humans, animals, and the planet.....well, the idea of risk is something I struggle with. And I am not alone

I kinda don't think anyone will have to worry about their electric bills if they're dead!

let's drop the electrical bills and keep the nuclear plant scores under the living room carpet! it's CLEAN!

Wind is a dirty technology. Solar will be good until we have mined all of the metals and other component minerals out of the earth. We do need to DO otherwise, but do not present overpopulating humanity as eligible for any panacea. It's not out there. We must do for the sake of the earth and everything else. But get educated on the dirty costs of all energies! We humans are surely pestilential.