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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Japan's Ongoing Disaster and the Future of Nuclear Power

    The extent of the damage at Fukushima is still unclear, and nobody knows how much radiation has been released or how more will be. But the ongoing crisis has renewed debate about the safety of nuclear power.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    The extent of the damage at Fukushima is still unclear, and nobody knows how much radiation has been released or how more will be. But the ongoing crisis has renewed debate about the safety of nuclear power. There hasn't been a nuclear power plant constructed in the United States since the 1970's, but the Obama Administration has approved federal loan guarantees for two new reactors in Georgia. They are not yet licensed, and the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has raised questions about their safety from aircraft attacks and their vulnerability to earthquakes. Should nuclear energy be expanded to fuel President Obama's "green economy?" Is it still too early to tell?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Japan Struggles to Avert Disaster
    1. 0:00The Scene in Sendai
    2. 7:40Japan's Ongoing Disaster and the Future of Nuclear PowerYou’re reading this
    3. 43:12General Petraeus Testifies on Afghanistan
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      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

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      Katie Cooper

      Producer, 'One year Later'

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

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      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

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      Robert Alvarez

      Institute for Policy Studies

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      Eileen Supko

      Energy Resources International

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      Dan Hirsch

      UC Santa Cruz / Committee to Bridge the Gap

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    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Japan Struggles to Avert Disaster
    1. 0:00The Scene in Sendai
    2. 7:40Japan's Ongoing Disaster and the Future of Nuclear PowerYou’re reading this
    3. 43:12General Petraeus Testifies on Afghanistan
    Back to To the Point