By 2030, nuclear dependency will still only decrease by 10%

[mostakimvip04]

Since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, which occurred in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, public opinion in Japan has been sharply divided, and it is often said that it has been split between those who are in favor of nuclear power and those who are in favor of nuclear power phase-out. However, is this really the case?

The Fukushima nuclear power plant after the accident. Japan's energy policy is being forced to change. (AP/AFLO = Photo)
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The Fukushima nuclear power plant after the accident. Japan's remove background image energy policy is being forced to change. (AP/AFLO = Photo)
In opinion polls on nuclear power plants since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, the option that has consistently received the least support is "increase production." The next least popular option is "stop immediately." Initially, the most popular option was "maintain the status quo," but over time this has been overtaken by "reduce production."

Many media outlets have lumped together "stop immediately" and "reduce" as "denuclearization," and lumped together "increase" and "maintain the status quo" as "acceptance of nuclear power," reporting that public opinion is divided and that "denuclearization" is gradually gaining the upper hand over "acceptance of nuclear power."

However, actual public opinion lies elsewhere. What is noteworthy here is that the combined total of "maintain the status quo" and "reduce" has almost always exceeded 70%, accounting for an overwhelming majority. There is no significant difference in opinion between those who chose "maintain the status quo" and those who chose "reduce."

Both of these people believe that, "We don't want to use nuclear power if possible because it is dangerous, but considering the cost, supply and demand, and global warming issues, we have to continue using it to a certain extent." This opinion is different from "denuclearization," which means "stopping it immediately," and can be generalized as "denuclearization-free dependence."