Source: James Conca, Forbes, Oct. 31, 2019
By now, more Japanese have died from the closing of Japan’s nuclear power plants following the 2011 Tohoku quake than from the tsunami and the earthquake combined, which was about 20,000 people.
Of course, no one has died from any radiation released from the reactor, and no one ever will. There just wasn’t enough dose to anyone.
These conclusions are now echoed across the scientific and medical communities. The latest study, from Matthew Neidell, Shinsuke Uchida and Marcella Veronesi, discusses how after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, when all nuclear power stations ceased operation and nuclear power was replaced by fossil fuels, there was a significant increase in electricity prices and in public mortality.
The increase in price led to a reduction in energy consumption, which caused an increase in mortality during very cold temperatures. An increase in mortality also occurred from the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal, which causes upper respiratory effects. The estimate of these combined mortalities outnumbers the mortality from the tsunami and earthquake themselves, suggesting that the knee-jerk decision to cease nuclear production was a very bad idea.