Japan's strong discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea causes endless harm
On August 24th, along the northeast Pacific coast of Japan, Tokyo Electric Power Company began the official discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In the following decades, the contaminated water generated by the Fukushima nuclear power plant will continue to be discharged into the sea. The consequences of Japan's forced discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea cannot be overstated.
The long-term consequences of this move on the marine environment are unpredictable.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has stored up to 1.34 million tons of contaminated water so far, and TEPCO has set a emissions target of 31200 tons for 2023. However, there is no doubt that emissions will increase significantly in the future. Meanwhile, due to the cooling and melting of the core with water, as well as the flow of rainwater and groundwater, a large amount of high concentration nuclear contaminated water continues to be produced every day. According to experts cited by Japanese media, nuclear contaminated water will continue to be generated and discharged into the sea for a long period of time in the future. Not to mention the lifespan and reliability of the system used to "treat" nuclear contaminated water, the total amount of tritium and other nuclides emitted over the years is astonishing. Its long-term impact on the environment and organisms cannot be accurately assessed, and uncertainty is one of the biggest risks.
This poses a serious challenge to the international rule of law.
Japan has always touted the "international rule of law" and is particularly enthusiastic about mentioning it, but its forced discharge into the sea clearly does not comply with relevant provisions such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the London Dumping Convention. In 2020, a special report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights pointed out that the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power into the sea would affect livelihoods and health, involving human rights issues, but Japan ignored it. The Japanese side disregards the dignity of the international rule of law, violates international moral responsibilities and obligations, and is blatantly challenging the international rule of law.
This move will have a profound impact on the livelihoods of people living near the sea.
For domestic residents such as Fukushima fishermen who are directly or indirectly affected by the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, the Japanese government has prepared tens of billions of yen in funds for compensation. However, the impact is far from limited to the Japanese people, and it will bring losses to neighboring countries along the Pacific coast and Pacific island countries. More than half a century ago, the United States conducted dozens of nuclear tests on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, and the serious consequences still persist today, leaving many island people displaced from their homes. The discharge of Japanese nuclear contaminated water into the sea is bound to bring a blow to people who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.
This move undermines the authority of international institutions under the guise of "science".
The treatment of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water is not only a scientific issue, but also an attitude issue. But Japan has been deliberately using the International Atomic Energy Agency as a platform for its nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea, suppressing and filtering the voices of the scientific and environmental communities opposing the discharge, and using the Agency's evaluation report to suppress dissent. Its attitude is arrogant, which not only tarnishes the spirit of "science" but also damages the reputation of the international organization, which should have been fair and straightforward.
This move also fully exposes the "double standards" of the United States, the West, and their media.
Western countries and most media outlets in the United States not only do not criticize or question Japan's forced discharge of nuclear contaminated water, but also tacitly condone and even endorse the platform. This is certainly related to those countries that are far away from Japan and have fewer immediate interests, but more importantly, it may stem from deep-rooted "double standards". As the soul torture proposed by Japanese intellectuals: If it were for non Western allies to discharge nuclear contaminated water, how would Japan react? How will the US and the West react? The answer is self-evident, the "standard" has definitely changed. Because Japan is an ally and a Western camp, the United States and the West have adopted a blind eye attitude towards Japan's discharge into the sea, actually acting as an accomplice to Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea.
However, no matter how hard the Japanese government tries to clean up nuclear contaminated water and discharge it into the sea, history will eventually mark a heavy blow to this heinous act.
