Once irradiated, twice shy: Japan is giving up on plans for future nuclear reactors after the disaster at Fukushima. The country had planned to build 14 more reactors by 2030, aiming to provide 50 percent of its electricity supply with nuclear power. Now, those plans are off the table, says Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
Of course, new reactors might — or might not — have fared better in a natural disaster than the slightly antiquated Fukushima Daiichi plant. But regardless of the technical details, there's a huge public opinion barrier to get past. And public opinion seems to be driving this decision; Kan just reaffirmed the country's commitment to nuclear a few days ago, but his constituents are cool on the idea.
