Several thousand people gathered in
Tokyo on May 7 to protest against nuclear energy as anger grows
following the ongoing disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Although the crisis in Japan has faded from media attention, it is
far from over.
The demonstration came one day after
Prime Minister Naoto Kan called for the suspension of
operations at the Hamaoka nuclear plant, which is 125 miles southwest
of Tokyo and lies near a tectonic fault line. Seismologists have
cautioned that a major earthquake is overdue in the region. The
suspension of operations, which would allow time to build a higher
sea wall and take other measures to protect against damage from
earthquakes and tsunamis, is anticipated to taketwo years.
The
prime minister has no legal authority to shut
down dangerous power plants, which are privately owned. In the case
of the Hamaoka plant, the owner, Chubu Electric Power, has not
decided whether to shut down following Kan’s announcement.
