Paper
James M. Acton, Ankit Panda
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Nuclear Disaster: Could It Happen Here... Again?
Although the nuclear reactor crisis in Japan will likely launch a debate about safety, there are stark differences between Japan and the United States in the environmental scenarios that must be considered when designing U.S. nuclear reactors.
Published on Mar 13, 2011
Source: CNBC
In an interview with CNBC, James Acton explored the implications of Japan’s nuclear crisis on resurgent interest in nuclear energy in the United States. Acton explained that Japan’s Fukushima reactors were not designed to withstand an earthquake and a tsunami of the magnitude that struck the island on March 11. While this crisis will re-kindle a debate on nuclear safety in the United States and prompt a reassessment of earthquake preparedness, Acton stressed that any method used to generate electricity has associated risks. A crisis like the one facing the Japanese boiling water reactor in Fukushima underscores the need for the nuclear industry to be forthright about the challenges it faces in ensuring reactor safety. Acton concluded, however, that it is important to remember that reactors have advanced considerably in the last three decades and modern reactors have safety systems designed to avoid crises like the one presently unfolding in Japan.
About the Author
James M. Acton
Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program
Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American Power
- The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the PastCommentary
James M. Acton
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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Despite the agreement’s uncertainty, it’s still a significant development in regional and nuclear policy.
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The nuclear weapons threshold is increasingly important for proliferation strategy and policy. Policymakers should better understand the implications of the threshold phenomenon in the current international security environment and plausible strategies to deal with the growing challenge that it presents.
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- Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American PowerPaper
It seems likely that, no matter what, the power of the U.S. nuclear arsenal will face erosion, not least in the credibility of its commitments to defend allies and the political durability of those alliances.
James M. Acton, Ankit Panda
- President Lee Jae Myung: A Year in PowerCommentary
President Lee marked his first year in office after one of the most tumultuous periods in South Korean politics. Though Lee has enjoyed a high approval rating, a large majority in the National Assembly, and foreign policy victories, Lee and his party’s political fortunes depend on generating economic growth, learning the right lessons from the recent local elections, and managing contentious factional strife within his political base.
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- The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the PastCommentary
By burying disagreements in imprecision, the new deal risks same fate as its predecessors.
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