Christian Parenti: Fukushima in America?

Christian Parenti: Fukushima in America?

Christian Parenti: Fukushima in America?

America’s nuclear power plants are poorly managed and regulated, and it’s time they were taken out of commission.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

Japan’s nuclear crisis has now reached a critical stage, as radiation from the melting cores of the Fukushima plant is hindering the containment efforts of workers and engineers. Could a disaster of the same magnitude occur in the US? According to The Nation’s Christian Parenti, the nuclear power plants here in America are poorly managed and regulated.

Joining The Ed Show on MSNBC, Parenti explained that there are currently 104 nuclear plants up for re-licensing in the US, most of which are around 40 years old. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is not only looking to extend their use beyond their designed lifetimes, but many have been given “power upgrades,” allowing them to run at 120 percent of their designed and intended capacity. Particularly vulnerable to Japan-level crises are US plants built along the San Andreas and associated fault lines, which are still active. It’s time all of them were taken out of commission.

—Sara Jerving

Can we count on you?

In the coming election, the fate of our democracy and fundamental civil rights are on the ballot. The conservative architects of Project 2025 are scheming to institutionalize Donald Trump’s authoritarian vision across all levels of government if he should win.

We’ve already seen events that fill us with both dread and cautious optimism—throughout it all, The Nation has been a bulwark against misinformation and an advocate for bold, principled perspectives. Our dedicated writers have sat down with Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders for interviews, unpacked the shallow right-wing populist appeals of J.D. Vance, and debated the pathway for a Democratic victory in November.

Stories like these and the one you just read are vital at this critical juncture in our country’s history. Now more than ever, we need clear-eyed and deeply reported independent journalism to make sense of the headlines and sort fact from fiction. Donate today and join our 160-year legacy of speaking truth to power and uplifting the voices of grassroots advocates.

Throughout 2024 and what is likely the defining election of our lifetimes, we need your support to continue publishing the insightful journalism you rely on.

Thank you,
The Editors of The Nation

Ad Policy
x