Newspapers are having fun: Nuclear radiation fears sweep the Asia-Pacific region after Japan’s quake and tsunami
Lurid image suggesting nuclear fallout in US
FEARS of a cross-border nuclear disaster swept across the Asia Pacific region yesterday as Japan’s nuclear crisis deepened, with experts and officials trying to calm fraying nerves in countries as far away as The Philippines and Canada.
As winds took the contaminated clouds from the battered Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant out into the Pacific Ocean towards Hawaii and the US west coast, Japan’s nearest Asian neighbours stepped up their monitoring of potential nuclear fallout, reported The Australian.
and politicians are pandering: ‘The Political Fallout from Fukushima Has Already Reached Germany’
Chancellor Merkel reacted quickly to Fukushima by imposing a moratorium on a planned extension of nuclear plant operating lives in Germany. Her critics claim that she is merely trying to prevent a massive defeat in a crunch state election later this month. German commentators agree on one thing: Merkel’s nuclear policy can never be the same again. (Spiegel)
which comes at a price: Germany Cripples Itself With Nuclear Angst
Germans are buying Geiger counters and the government has shut almost half the nuclear plants as a wave of angst has gripped this risk-averse nation in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. The fear is unwarranted and damaging, and Chancellor Angela Merkel is pandering to it to secure her political future. (Spiegel)
‘The World Champion of Hysteria Around Nuclear Power’
The Fukushima disaster is driving European countries to test the safety of their nuclear plants and, in the case of Germany, to shut them down. Are our leaders acting with prudence or are they merely reaching for the panic button? The European press has harsh words for Berlin and for the continent’s seeming nuclear paranoia. (Spiegel)
The High Price of Merkel’s Nuclear About-Face
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to temporarily shut down seven nuclear reactors could cost the industry more than a half-billion euros and result in Germany not meeting its CO2 emission reduction goals. The rest of the world is taking a wait-and-see approach. (Spiegel)
‘Merkel’s Nuclear Realignment Is an Embarrassment’
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hurried shutdown of seven nuclear reactors in Germany came as a surprise. And it has not been well received. German commentators say that the decision has seriously damaged her credibility. (Spiegel)
Even the frequently-excitable WHO is taking it steady, which is good to see: WHO: No significant global spread of Japan radiation
BEIJING | Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:42am EDT
There is no evidence of a significant spread of radiation from Japan’s crippled nuclear plants, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, calling on people to stay calm and not spread rumors. (Reuters)
