This is what Noriko Shimizu, member of Friends of the Earth Japan, said in an interview with Real World Radio from Tokyo, while the authorities warned about the radioactive contamination of running water in that city.

Noriko also said that currently 50 nuclear plants account for 30% of Japan’s energy supply and despite this and the nuclear crisis triggered by the earthquake not many people are questioning the Japanese economic model.

Despite this, she stated that the current situation faced by Japan at least highlighted the need to modify development models at world level.
Friends of the Earth International has recently stated that this nuclear crisis in Japan should lead to an urgent rethink of this dangerous technology and current plans to build even more reactors around the world.

Nnimmo Bassey, Chair of the environmentalist federation, said: "Our hearts go out to the people of Japan in the tragic aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. While these are natural disasters, the additional nuclear disaster is human made and clearly shows the urgent need for Japan and other countries to halt plans for new nuclear plants, to decommission existing ones and to invest in safe, renewable energy forms. We cannot sacrifice more lives on the altar of the nuclear power industry lobby."

“While the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami were natural accidents, the nuclear crisis is clearly a human-made disaster”, said Noriko. “We don’t know how long the consequences will last, but we expect them to be devastating for the country in many ways”, she added.

As an example, Noriko talked about the difficulties to find drinking water, vegetables or fresh milk in supermarkets in Tokyo, despite the government pointed out that the potential radiation present in those products would only be harmful for small children.

However, the population has massively gone to supermarkets to buy these products, which raised the question of what will happen to peasants and producers who live near the nuclear power plant of Fukushima: “farmers cannot sell their products anymore,” she said.

In terms of the alternatives promoted by the environmentalist movement against the existing industrial and energy model in Japan, the activist said that this is a huge challenge that will take the center of discussions in the country in the near future.

Noriko also said that the Japanese population has welcomed the expressions of concerns and solidarity by the international community, which will also be affected by the consequences of the nuclear crisis.

There is a campaign by Friends of the Earth Japan to raise funds for the people affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Please, take action here.

Photo: es.sott.net