Interview: Examining the Missteps In Japan’s Unfolding Nuclear Woes

Michael W. Golay, professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has watched with concern as the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant has steadily worsened. While acknowledging the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the plant were extremely rare, Golay says he was surprised the operators had not taken some basic steps — most notably elevating backup power generators well above sea level — that could have averted this slow-moving disaster. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Golay, an authority on nuclear power safety and innovation, said it’s still too early to tell just how bad the situation may get at the Fukushima complex, though he remained hopeful the worst can be averted. And he believes nuclear power will continue to play an important role in the low-carbon energy mix of the future. “I think we’ll do what common sense dictates,” he said, “which is that you take a pause, you examine what you’ve learned, and probably some changes in practice will emerge… My view is that nuclear power is here to stay.”

Read the interview