The Fukashima Daiichi nuclear nuclear disaster occurred following the Tohoku earthquake and Tsunami on Marc 11th 2011.

The earthquake disrupted nuclear reactors and caused them to shut themselves off. Normally, there is a complex cooling system that keeps the reactors from overheating and releasing radioactive materials. Tragically, the tsunami that followed the earthquake flooded the generators that powered the cooling system. By the time the Japanese government was taking steps to prevent meltdown and material release, it was too late.

The amount of material released and damage caused by the meltdown earned it only the 2nd category 7 nuclear incident classification in the history of the INES, or International Nuclear Event Scale. Along with the worst meltdown in history, the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 (Ukraine)

This tragedy calls into question the viability of current nuclear storage and emergency procedures. Since nuclear energy seems to be an indispensable source, it is without question that it will continue to be used into the future, accidents or not.

Since nuclear energy will not be abandoned, safer ways of containing nuclear material are imperative. Scientists will continue to experiment with nuclear energy, and nuclear fusion, as the nature of nuclear fusion offers the promise of an incredible means of energy production, with limited expenditure.

Only two years removed from the disaster, the Japanese Nuclear lobby is “bouncing back” and considering re-starting offline reactors. This political push for the continuation of nuclear energy in Japan was met with enormous protesting.
Disasters like the Fukashima Daiichi meltdown change the nature of the conversation about nuclear energy, and complicate efforts to better understand it. At the same time, the risks of nuclear technology can’t be ignored, along with the protest of Japanese citizens. I predict Nuclear energy will continue to become more of a social issue, and I hope the dialogues about the improvement and safegaurding of nuclear energy (against environmental or public harm) will continue alongside dialogues about nuclear fusion and the promise of harnessing such incredible energy.

refs: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/07/us-japan-nuclear-discontent-idUSBRE92619S20130307
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima-Accident-2011/