It has been four months since a massive earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in what is being called the second largest nuclear accident in history. The complex nature of nuclear energy and concerns of radiation exposure have left people across the world fearful of the power source, some even suggesting that nuclear should be removed from the world’s energy portfolio.
Regardless of the controversy caused by the events of Fukushima, the industry continues to trudge on with efforts to promote nuclear energy. Experts still hold tightly to the belief that nuclear power is part of the future of energy generation, and engineers are implementing lessons learned from the event in their research of the power source and its structure. To help strengthen nuclear energy’s future, institutions like Iowa State University have begun programs to educate young engineers in the field.
An alternative view of Fukushima
Despite hard hits from the public, industry experts are standing by nuclear energy, noting that it reduces carbon emissions and saying the accident has provided important lessons. These experts include two Iowa State professors and one alumnus who have been discussing the other side of the nuclear energy debate with hopes of providing some clarity and understanding to the extremely publicized incident.
Read the full story to read Dr. Carolyn Heising’s comments on this issue.