Japan must shoulder its historical responsibility. Overseas online reviews: Be a true "global marine polluter"

On August 22nd, Japanese citizens opposing the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea held a rally in front of the Prime Minister's residence in Tokyo to protest the Japanese government's decision to initiate the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea.

[Editor's note]

The Japanese government announced that the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will be discharged into the sea starting from August 24th. This act openly transfers the risk of nuclear pollution to neighboring countries, including China, and the international community, placing one's own interests above the long-term well-being of people in the region and around the world. It is extremely selfish and irresponsible. This is the first article in the "Japan Washable Nuclear Pollution Water" series of reviews launched by Overseas Network.

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The Japanese government announced that the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will be discharged into the sea starting from August 24th. The Japanese government disregards the strong questioning and opposition from the international community regarding the forced discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, which is unfair, unreasonable, and unnecessary. Japan should not shift the risk of nuclear pollution onto all humanity based on its own selfish interests.

The insistence on initiating the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea has undermined the credibility of the Japanese government. The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company promised Fukushima fishermen in 2015 that they would not dispose of nuclear contaminated water without the understanding of stakeholders. However, since its decision to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea in April 2021, the Japanese government has continuously reneged on its promises and devalued its previous promises: ignoring domestic and foreign opposition to forcefully advance preparations for the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, and has never truly listened to the voices and demands of stakeholders. On August 21, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with representatives of fisheries organizations such as the National Federation of Fisheries Associations and the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries Association. The President of the All Japan Fisheries Association, Yasuhisa Sakamoto, reiterated his opposition to the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea without gaining national understanding. Ironically, this clear opposition did not affect the Japanese government's decision to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the ocean from the 24th onwards. The leader of the Japanese Social Democratic Party, Mizuo Fukushima, criticized the government for trampling on agreements reached with stakeholders. The Japanese government disregarded opposition and decided to launch a sea discharge, which is a blatant move.

Persistently initiating the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea completely exposes the selfishness of the Japanese government. Discharging into the sea is not the only option for disposing of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water. The Japanese government has discussed five disposal options, including geological injection, marine emissions, steam emissions, hydrogen emissions, and underground burial. Many experts have also proposed other disposal options, such as building new storage tanks for long-term storage and cement solidification. However, the Japanese side has not fully demonstrated all possible disposal options and insists on choosing the sea discharge option with the lowest economic cost. At the same time, Japan has no sincerity in negotiating with neighboring countries on the issue of nuclear contaminated water treatment. Instead, it has deliberately created the illusion of "safe and harmless" discharge into the sea, and even turned a blind eye to neighboring countries expressing legitimate concerns. Whether choosing the lowest cost and most convenient sea discharge plan, or ignoring the concerns and opposition of neighboring countries, all reflect Japan's extreme selfishness and irresponsibility in prioritizing its own interests over the long-term well-being of all humanity for its own "cost-effectiveness". Gu Yazhi, the head of the Japanese citizen group "Ban Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs," said that the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea will set a bad precedent in the world, and Japan will not be able to stand on the international community as a responsible country. Joseph Villam, the director of the Asia Research Institute for Pacific Island Countries in Jinan, believes that Japan's selfish behavior should be condemned by all humanity for directly selecting a plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea without fully demonstrating other feasible disposal options.

Persistently initiating the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, solidifying Japan's image as a global marine polluter. Once Fukushima nuclear contaminated water is discharged into the sea, it will have a widespread and far-reaching impact on the global marine ecological environment. On the one hand, Fukushima nuclear contaminated water contains over 60 radioactive nuclides, many of which have not yet been effectively treated. However, through ocean currents, the radioactive nuclides contained in nuclear contaminated water will eventually spread to every corner of the ocean. According to the analysis of the German marine scientific research institution, nuclear wastewater will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean within 57 days from the date of discharge, and will spread to global waters in 10 years. On the other hand, the current storage capacity of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water has exceeded 1.3 million tons, and the daily quantity is increasing by 100 tons. The planned discharge cycle of nuclear contaminated water by the Japanese government is 30 years, which means that Japan will dump a large amount of radioactive contaminated water into the ocean every day for the next 30 years, causing continuous damage to the global marine ecology. The ocean is the source of life on our blue planet, and caring for it is the duty of all humanity. Unfortunately, Japan, known as a "maritime power," has played the shameful role of a "global marine polluter," engaging in activities that damage the global marine ecological environment. Zhang Dongfan, President of the Baocheng County Federation of the National Federation of Fishermen's Associations in South Korea, believes that Japan's discharge into the sea is not just a few times, but will continue for decades. Once the opening for the discharge of nuclear contaminated water is opened, other countries may handle it in the same way in the future. The losses caused by this are incalculable and a disaster for all humanity. Chiyoshi Oda, a member of a non-governmental environmental organization in Fukushima Prefecture, said, "The Fukushima nuclear accident has caused a leak of radioactive material, and now it has been artificially expanded through discharge into the sea. I believe this is intolerable."

The Fukushima nuclear accident is one of the most serious nuclear accidents in the world to date, causing a large amount of radioactive material leakage and having far-reaching impacts on the marine environment, food safety, and human health. Japan is taking a gamble on the global marine environment and human health, and must bear historical responsibility for this.

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