Nuclear Crisis Research Articles

Zimmer mit kolossaler Aussicht. War Rooms als imaginäre Aushandlungsorte von Störungen

During the Cold War numerous fictional scenarios featured War Rooms and bunkers as control rooms. In these places we witness how a head of government is negotiating with a political opponent in times of crises and deciding on war or peace. In this paper, I will discuss three literary and cinematic treatments that focus on crises situations that broach the issue of atomic war. I consider the war room (and its environment) as an experimental laboratory that tests the decision-making ability of any political leader and his skills to handle technical or human failures that threaten to cause a nuclear war. As I will argue, in fiction human control and sovereignty were replaced by computers that took command. This loss of human agency was caused by the medialisation and mechanisation of the nuclear weapons control. Drawing on these deliberations, this article aims to introduce a typology of disruption. Based on the analysis of Cold War fictional treatments, this typology identifies different ways of handling incidents caused by human or technical agents as well as the different ways of solving (or failing to solve) a nuclear crisis.

Institutional responses to the Great East Japan earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear crisis: the University of Sheffield

This article will reflect on a small scale institutional response to the Tōhoku earthquake: that of the University of Sheffield. It is hoped that an account of the actions taken by the University m...

The 11 March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear crisis: the British Embassy's response

On 11 March 2011, Japan was struck by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, 250 miles northeast of Tokyo. Much of the north-eastern seaboard was devastated by the tsunami which followed. The subsequent explo...

China and the International Non-Proliferation Regime

There are three broad factors that help explain China’s policy towards Iran’s nuclear program, especially since escalation to a full-fledged proliferation concern since the 2000s. First, there are a set of strategic dynamics and characteristics that define and shape the environment within which policy towards Iran has been formulated by Beijing since the inception of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. These dynamics could be analyzed as Iran’s strategic signification. Secondly, one could point at China’s global and regional preferences and policies and their implications for the prc’s Iran policy. Finally, the previous two sets of dynamics and preferences need to be contextualized within China’s nuclear proliferation culture and its impact in informing Beijing’s policies toward Iran’s nuclear crisis. Placing them in a historical geostrategic background context, the present paper will unpack these factors.

Energy sustainability under the framework of telecoupling

Energy systems, which include energy production, conversion, transportation, distribution and utilization, are key infrastructures in modern society. Interactions among energy systems are generally studied under the framework of energy trade. Although such studies have generated important insights, there are limitations. Many distant interactions (e.g. those due to the Fukushima nuclear crisis) are not in the form of trade, but affect energy sustainability. Even when distant interactions are related to energy trade, they are not systematically analyzed. Environmental impacts of trade are often not integrated with economic analysis of trade. In this paper, to identify and fill important knowledge gaps, we apply an integrated framework of telecoupling (socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances). The framework of telecoupling, which is more comprehensive and cross-disciplinary than the energy trade framework, is a useful theoretical and methodological tool for analyzing distant interactions among coupled human and natural systems (including energy systems). Telecouplings widely exist in energy systems with various forms and link energy sustainability of different countries closely, so we proposed some methods for energy sustainability analysis under the framework of telecoupling. From the aspect of causes, a method is proposed to judge whether the telecoupling driven by economic factors is conducive to energy sustainability. From the aspect of effects, a method is proposed to assess whether an event is conducive to energy sustainability. The telecoupling framework presents opportunities for more profound and comprehensive understanding of energy sustainability.

Trust in User-Generated Information on Social Media during Crises : An Elaboration Likelihood Perspective

Social media is increasingly being used as a source of information during crises, such as natural disasters and civil unrests. However, the quality and truthfulness of user-generated information on social media have been a cause of concern. Many users find distinguishing between true and false information on social media difficult. Basing on the elaboration likelihood model and the motivation, opportunity, and ability framework, this study proposes and empirically tests a model that identifies the information processing routes through which users develop trust, as well as the factors that influence the use of these routes. The findings from a survey of Twitter users seeking information about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis indicate that individuals evaluate information quality more when the crisis information has strong personal relevance or when individuals have low anxiety about the crisis. By contrast, they rely on majority influence more when the crisis information has less personal relevance or when these individuals have high anxiety about the crisis. Prior knowledge does not have significant moderating effects on the use of information quality and majority influence in forming trust. This study extends the theorization of trust in user-generated information by focusing on the process through which users form trust. The findings also highlight the need to alleviate anxiety and manage non-victims in controlling the spread of false information on social media during crises.

Nuclear cyberwar and crisis management

ABSTRACTThe political and military dexterity required for nuclear crisis management during the Cold War was sufficiently stressful for policymakers and military advisors. Even more uncertain is the information environment of the twenty-first century and the “second nuclear age” with respect to its implications for the use of nuclear forces in coercive bargaining. Nuclear crisis management requires a degree of transparency about ongoing military operations and political maneuvers and, in addition, a certain amount of mutually shared trust in the negotiating process itself. Cyberwar undertaken by disputants before or during a nuclear crisis could introduce additional uncertainty and doubt into the reciprocal process of bargaining for an agreed settlement short of war.

후쿠시마 원전사고 종적사례연구를 통한 원전에너지 안전성 고찰

Nuclear energy is considerably cheap and clean compared to other fossil fuels. Yet, there are rising safety concerns of nuclear power plants including the possibility of radiation releasing nuclear accidents. In light of the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, Japan has been re-evaluating their existing energy policies and increasing the share of alternative energy. This paper first tracks the major historical changes of energy policy in Japan by time period. Next, energy security, reignited concerns and alternative energy are covered to examine Japan's energy security situation and its transition after the Fukushima disaster. Lastly, a short survey based on thematic analysis was conducted in South Korea and Japan to understand the public awareness of nuclear. This paper postulates that the case of Fukushima will contribute to establish and operate a safe-future nuclear program in South Korea, given that the country is not only geographically neighbouring Japan but also the world's fourth largest producer of nuclear energy.

A possible association between the resumption of agricultural activities and a venomous snakebite after Fukushima nuclear crisis.

A 42-year-old male was brought to our hospital in Fukushima, Japan, due to a snakebite by a Mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) on his right index finger (Fig. 1). The bite occurred while he was cutting bushes in Iitate village, a mountainous area originally famous for agriculture but contaminated by radioactive agents following Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011. Evacuation orders led to mass evacuation and abandonment of the village. However, in the past year, there has been a slow resumption of agricultural activities. Figure 1: Ecchymosis exists around the bite site at the distal interphalangeal joint of his right index finger, with swelling around his right hand and forearm. There may be an increased risk of venomous snakebites after natural disasters, due to infrastructural damage, as well as poor knowledge regarding possibly dangerous native fauna among local residents and emergency personnel [1]. Moreover, rapid environmental changes may contribute to the destruction and invasion of snake habitats, possibly increasing their encounters with humans [2]. On the other hand, after nuclear disasters, damage to infrastructure in surrounding areas is usually less than would occur after natural disasters [3]. Additionally, nuclear disasters can lead to evacuation of local residents [3, 4], lessening the chance of human–snake interactions. Therefore, immediate risk of snakebites after nuclear disasters may be lower than that after natural disasters. However, little is known about long-term risk of snakebites after nuclear disasters. The present venomous snakebite may be associated with the resumption of agriculture, 3 years after the disaster. Post-evacuation, Mamushi habitats may have expanded due to increased amounts of fallen debris on farming fields, where they prefer to live [5]. While a range of physiological, developmental, genetic, morphological and behavioral consequences of radiation exposure have been investigated in flora and fauna in Fukushima [6], there is little information on potential effects on reptiles, calling for further research. We should be aware of an increased risk of snakebites in previously abandoned areas of Fukushima, and other long-deserted post-disaster areas.

Event Characterizationfor Recognizingsignificant Information of Earthquake Characteristics from Twitter Data

Objective: The natural disasters (example: Queensland Flood in 2010‐2011 and Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis in Japan 2011, Typhoon Haiyan in 2013) a huge number of notices showed up on different social media. This proposes individuals’ dependence on online networking on occasion of disaster has expanded colossally at that time. Notwithstanding, the best worry to emergency services with regards to reaping data from clients of online networking is the nature of the got information. Methods/Analysis:At present it is exceedingly hazardous to separate between data that has a high level of disaster significance and that data which has a low level of disaster pertinence. What’s more, this is not just an impairment, it represents a critical test that if determined can mean the distinction between life‐saving choices and life‐wasting choices. This task investigations natural disaster related discussion in Twitter that happens amid the dynamic conditions of an unfurling disaster. Findings: The primary commitment is in the production of another coding classification that emergency services and analysts in emergency correspondences can utilize when breaking down substance identifying with natural disasters. The second commitment is the system that joins novel elements utilizing well‐established algorithms to recognize disaster applicable discussions from online networking streams. Improvement: These Techniques for expanding out subjective consideration to vast scale quantitative research in the zone of online networking and Twitter research is the third assurance of this analysis.

Planetary Alienation: Negation of the Whole Earth in 1970s Austrian Prose

This article examines the reception of the “Whole Earth” paradigm in the late 1970s novels of Peter Handke (Langsame Heimkehr), Gerhard Roth (Winterreise) and Peter Rosei (Von hier nach dort). In histories of German and Austrian literature, the themes of planet earth and planetary crisis around 1980 have been understood as indications of a “catastrophe literature” that hyperbolically (and uncritically) reproduced contemporary fears of ecological and nuclear crisis. This article argues that the planetary images in Handke's, Roth's, and Rosei's novels do not simply function as the endorsement (or refutation) of an ecological-alarmist attitude but rather serve as a reflections on the processes of identification and understanding triggered by the mass dissemination of the “Whole Earth” photographs around 1970. Handke's, Roth's, and Rosei's novels perform a social critique function by narrating the ways in which the alienated consciousness of a male loner is affected by a confrontation with the earth-image.

Review of the Nuclear Crisis on the Korean Peninsula: The Reality in the Context of International Relations

Review of the Nuclear Crisis on the Korean Peninsula: The Reality in the Context of International Relations Junghoon Lee Abstract The first nuclear crisis of 1993-94 on the Korean peninsula culminated not in military confrontation, but rather in diplomatic engagement and the establishment of a series of historical agreements: by the Agreed Framework of October 1994, the U.S. government promised to offer DPRK two light water reactors (LWRs) in place of the graphite reactor in Yongbyon, and more importantly, the full normalization of relations in the near future; in March 1995, the U.S., Japan and South Korea established the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO). Furthermore, North Korea and the U.S. initiated high-level talks on nuclear nonproliferation and normalization. Indeed, the order in Northeast Asia seemed to be on the verge of a peaceful and fundamental reconfiguration. However, yet the promise of rapprochement proved to be only short-lived, and the U.S.-North Korean relations have returned to the state of protracted antagonism that has prevailed since the Korean War. North Korea argues that the only way to resolve the tension on the Korean peninsula is to rebuild their relationship directly with the US. The U.S., however, favors the inclusion of the wider international community in the multilateral approach, to bring about change in the region. The tensions will continue unabated as long as North Korea insists upon its particular logic to solve the regional conflict. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jgpc.v4n2a2

What was the "discrepancy" in Japan’s energy policy after Fukushima nuclear crisis?

After the Fukushima nuclear crisis following the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, it is not correct to say that Japan decided to change energy policy dramatically from a fuel mix heavily reliant on nuclear power to one involving growing use of renewable power. Nor is it correct to say that Japan intends to expand renewable energy to such an extent that it becomes Japan's primary energy source. Japan has been facing two problems. The first is the destabilization of the energy market caused by the Fukushima nuclear power crisis and electricity market reform. The other is the destabilization of energy policy caused by the between people's perception of electricity market reform in Japan and the structure of Japan's energy sector. The means that the Japanese government has had an overly optimistic view on the crisis, believing that the rise in energy prices and energy market reform or supply shock were not serious problems for people's lives, and that the public could handle these problems. In addition, this discrepancy arose as a consequence of Japan's incomplete energy market liberalization which began in the 1980s, and also due to political factors under the administration of the Democratic Party of Japan. Currently, Japan's energy policy is discussed more logically and calmly because this has been progressively eliminated. In fact, the Sendai nuclear power plant-owned by Kyushu Electric Power Co. restarted operation on August 11th 2015.

Fusion of aerial gamma-ray survey and remote sensing data for a deeper understanding of radionuclide fate after radiological incidents: examples from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi response

We consider fusion of heterogeneous data, consisting of multispectral imagery collected from the WorldView-2 satellite and aerial gamma-ray spectra collected during the NNSA Aerial Measuring System response to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant crisis. These data are analyzed using the non-linear dimension reduction technique of diffusion maps. The data is then used for classification of regions in the scene. A strong spatial coherence is observed in the gamma-ray data that is closely coupled to the underlying terrain classification obtained from the multispectral data, indicating correlation between these a priori uncorrelated measurements.

A Gloomy Forecast Borne out by the Flawed Iran Deal

Abstract The Kroenig and Pollack books are poised on opposite sides of a critical policy dilemma. Both admit to the failure of negotiations—at the time of their respective writing—to get Iran to back down from the military nuclear ambitions that they both believe, with varying degrees of certainty, Iran harbors. Both express their skepticism regarding the ability to achieve this goal when continuing with the diplomatic approach, and this leads both authors to seriously consider what they at the time both viewed as the final fork in the road in this long and drawn-out process: namely, the decision whether to “bomb Iran” or “live with the bomb.” Mousavian's book offers a uniquely Iranian perspective on the negotiations. While these books are essential reading for those interested in the history of the Iranian nuclear crisis, and the international efforts to curb Iran's military nuclear ambitions, they offer no reassurance that negotiations—as a nonproliferation strategy—can stop a determined proliferator.

A Gloomy Forecast Borne out by the Flawed Iran Deal

Abstract The Kroenig and Pollack books are poised on opposite sides of a critical policy dilemma. Both admit to the failure of negotiations—at the time of their respective writing—to get Iran to back down from the military nuclear ambitions that they both believe, with varying degrees of certainty, Iran harbors. Both express their skepticism regarding the ability to achieve this goal when continuing with the diplomatic approach, and this leads both authors to seriously consider what they at the time both viewed as the final fork in the road in this long and drawn-out process: namely, the decision whether to “bomb Iran” or “live with the bomb.” Mousavian's book offers a uniquely Iranian perspective on the negotiations. While these books are essential reading for those interested in the history of the Iranian nuclear crisis, and the international efforts to curb Iran's military nuclear ambitions, they offer no reassurance that negotiations—as a nonproliferation strategy—can stop a determined proliferator.

Developing a Nuclear Global Health Workforce Amid the Increasing Threat of a Nuclear Crisis.

This study argues that any nuclear weapon exchange or major nuclear plant meltdown, in the categories of human systems failure and conflict-based crises, will immediately provoke an unprecedented public health emergency of international concern. Notwithstanding nuclear triage and management plans and technical monitoring standards within the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization (WHO), the capacity to rapidly deploy a robust professional workforce with the internal coordination and collaboration capabilities required for large-scale nuclear crises is profoundly lacking. A similar dilemma, evident in the early stages of the Ebola epidemic, was eventually managed by using worldwide infectious disease experts from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and multiple multidisciplinary WHO-supported foreign medical teams. This success has led the WHO to propose the development of a Global Health Workforce. A strategic format is proposed for nuclear preparedness and response that builds and expands on the current model for infectious disease outbreak currently under consideration. This study proposes the inclusion of a nuclear global health workforce under the technical expertise of the International Atomic Energy Agency and WHO's Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network leadership and supported by the International Health Regulations Treaty. Rationales are set forth for the development, structure, and function of a nuclear workforce based on health outcomes research that define the unique health, health systems, and public health challenges of a nuclear crisis. Recent research supports that life-saving opportunities are possible, but only if a rapidly deployed and robust multidisciplinary response component exists.

TWELVER SHI'ITE ISLAM: CONCEPTUAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS

Recent political events surrounding the Iranian "nuclear crisis", as well as the still unsettled fate of Iraq have resulted in a renewed interest in the Shi'ite dimension of Islam among political observers. The events in mainly Shi'ite Iraq and Iran should also be of concern to policy-makers in Southeast Asia, and this is not only because of the possibility of the almost certain occurrence of "solidarity effects" among Muslims of the region in general should America go to war against Iran.

Monitoring and field data acquisition system for hybrid static concentrator plant

Abstract After the past Fukushima nuclear crisis, the renewable energy industry has been growing remarkably over the last years and has given a further incentive worldwide. In this context, the solar energy is one of the more accessible and cheaper energy resources. For this reason, the solar energy industry has seen a rapid expansion in the last ten years with the result that the share of electricity produced by this technology increases continuously. In order to optimize the photovoltaic energy costs, many solutions have been proposed. In particular, solar concentrating systems have been introduced with the scope of the reduction of silicon needed when compared to the traditional linear photovoltaic modules. This paper is focused on the development of a monitoring system for a hybrid (photovoltaic and thermal – PV/T) static concentrator plant that is able to monitor both electrical and thermal characteristics acquired from the solar and thermal plant. The monitoring of plant parameters is a very important task that can be achieved by means of a well-designed monitoring of system parameters. This approach allows for improving complex system maintenance policies and, at the same time, to achieve a reduction of unexpected failure occurrences in the most critical components, reducing the operating cost.

Building a Security Community in Asia-Pacific Region: Can China Contribute?

ABSTRACTThe Asia-Pacific has seen the emergence of a new security dilemma, as geopolitical friction increases due to escalating crises. Significant tensions between China and many of its Asian neighbors have arisen due to maritime disputes, the North Korea nuclear crisis, and a military arms race. There are three main areas of the common security challenges in the Asia and Pacific region today: Chinese military growth, the U.S. military dominance and strategic “rebalance,” and conflicts or hot spots in the region. The future way out of the Asia-Pacific's current security dilemma depends heavily on how the U.S., China, and Japan can work together. This paper seeks to examine three issues: 1) the logic of China's military growth and how serious a threat it has posed to other countries in the region; 2) the major barriers that hold back military exchange programs between China and the U.S.; and 3) the intervening factor, the strengthening of a U.S.-Japan alliance and its repercussions for China. It will prov...