A Book Review of “Genpatsu no uso” (Nuclear Power Lies) by Hideaki Koide

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The Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant disaster was a series of equipmentfailures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials, following the 9.0 magnitudeearthquake and the 15m tsunami on March 11, 2011. Experts consider it to be the largestnuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster. Measurements taken by the Japanese EducationMinistry in the area of 30-50 km from the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant showedradioactive cesium levels high enough to cause concern. However, Japanese offi cials initiallyassessed the accident as level 4 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, despite the viewsof other international agencies that it should be higher. The level was successively raised to5 and eventually to 7, the maximum scale value. The Japanese government and the TokyoElectric Power Company have been criticized for poor communication with the public andmanipulation of information.Shinsho “Genpatsu no uso” (Nuclear Power Lies) by Hideaki Koide, was publishedon June 1, right after the accident. Although an assistant professor at the Kyoto UniversityResearch Reactor Institute, Koide has called for the abolition of nuclear power plants for 40years since becoming aware of the risks after majoring in nuclear engineering in 1968. Thisbook offers accurate information on the risks of nuclear power plants, radioactive contamination,the harmful effects to human health, nuclear power dependence in Japanese society, andthe government policy that promotes nuclear power generation. It shows us the proper wayto deal with the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant disaster.The most interesting thing is that while agreeing with the necessity for alternativeforms of energy, Koide believes that above all else we should be reconsidering our lifestyle,which has become so dependent on the extravagant use of energy.