Learning lessons from a nuclear disaster

One year on from the meltdown in Japan, Edward Hadas explores the pros and cons of nuclear power

THE first anniversary of Japan’s nuclear disaster is a good time to take stock. Opponents and proponents of nuclear power are doing so, and have come to the same conclusion: “We were right all along.”

The meltdown at the Fukushima power plant is certainly grist for the mill of the anti-nuclear crowd. It forced the evacuation of 300,000 people and will cost as much as €200bn to clean up, according to the Japan Centre for Economic Research.