Misconceptions

Before the Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency was ineffective and not very independent from the government or actors of the energy industry. These officials were unable to impose the simple improvements that the operator, Tepco, would have needed to avoid the disaster. This situation cannot be extrapolated to other countries that operate nuclear power plants.

Nuclear power is a low-carbon energy. Compared to fossil fuels, nuclear-related CO₂ emissions are very low, similar to renewables like wind and solar.

The reactors at the Onagawa power plant, the closest to the epicenter, did not suffer major damage during the earthquake. Rugged enough to withstand the tsunami, the plant then served as a shelter for local people.

Radioactive releases from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant accident resulted in such low population exposure that 15 years later no casualties have been recorded and no observable increases in cancers or deaths are expected.

WHO has estimated about 8,000 potential deaths due to radiation at Chernobyl. As for Fukushima, UNSCEAR does not expect any detectable increase in cases of cancer or mortality due to radiation exposure given the low doses received.

The health effects associated with exposure to low doses of radioactivity remain controversial. The effects of low doses, if any, are so small that they have not yet been confirmed. By adopting the "linear no-threshold” dose-effects model, radiation protection organizations are making a deliberately conservative choice to protect populations.

The natural disaster of March 11th, 2011 (the Tōhoku earthquake, followed by the tsunami) is directly responsible for nearly 18,500 deaths and disappearances. It also caused about 50 industrial accidents, which also had health and environmental consequences. However, the world has essentially retained only the Fukushima nuclear accident, despite its considerably lower consequences to human health.

Unlike renewables such as solar and wind, nuclear power plants can operate continuously, providing stable and predictable electricity generation. Reactor shutdowns are events that occur several times a year and cause nuclear production to vary, but this is nothing like the intermittence experienced by wind turbines and photovoltaic panels.