Skip to main content
Back to Show
Earth Focus

Fukushima: Can it Happen in the U.S.?

The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in 2011 was not an isolated accident affecting only the 470,000 Japanese who were evacuated after the reactor meltdown and widespread release of radiation. Dr. Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists and co-author of the book "Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster," says that efforts to reduce risks related to nuclear power generation are falling short and inadequate safety standards at 23 similar plants in the U.S. make a Fukushima-like disaster possible. He looks at which U.S. nuclear power plants are most vulnerable.

Watch more "Earth Focus" videos about nuclear energy issues.

Support Provided By
Season
A woman cleans her pen at a sea cucumber reserve in Madagascar. | Nicky Milne/Thomson Reuters Foundation
25:44
Communities and innovators all over the world are creating new sustainable food sources that are resilient to climate change and growing populations.
Canal along agricultural field near Los Baños, California. | Carla Pineda
25:44
Anticipating future water needs, two regions on opposite sides of the world turn to technology for answers.
Aerial image of urban density in Freetown, Sierra Leone. | Nicky Milne/Thomson Reuters Foundation
25:26
Two cities, San Francisco and Freetown, brace for climate change using vastly different methodologies.
The border gate on the Tijuana, Mexico side of Friendship Park. | KCET
25:58
Droughts and floods are driving many people away from their rural, farming communities into big cities.
Aerial image of island off Louisiana coast. | Nicky Milne/Thomson Reuters Foundation
25:30
Forecasts are dire for Louisiana to experience the second-highest sea level rise in the world. How is the region adapting?
blue planet coral seas.jpg
26:40
“Vanishing Coral” presents the personal story of scientists and naturalists who are working with local communities to protect coral reefs that are being destroyed by warming seas, pollution, and destructive fishing practices.
Oil and Gas Well
33:46
"Earth Focus" looks at three countries on the new fracking frontline: South Africa, Poland, and the UK.
Active loading indicator