scholarly journals Relationships Among Tweets Related to Radiation: Visualization Using Co-Occurring Networks (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Yagahara ◽  
Keiri Hanai ◽  
Shin Hasegawa ◽  
Katsuhiko Ogasawara
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Morphological Analysis ◽  
Radioactive Substance ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Jaccard Coefficient ◽  
Relationship Strength ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship

BACKGROUND After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on March 11, 2011, interest in, and fear of, radiation increased among citizens. When such accidents occur, appropriate risk communication must provided by the government. It is therefore necessary to understand the fears of citizens in the days after such accidents. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify the progression of people’s concerns, specifically fear, from a study of radiation-related tweets in the days after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. METHODS From approximately 1.5 million tweets in Japanese including any of the phrases “radiation” (放射線), “radioactivity” (放射能), and “radioactive substance” (放射性物質) sent March 11-17, 2011, we extracted tweets that expressed fear. We then performed a morphological analysis on the extracted tweets. Citizens’ fears were visualized by creating co-occurrence networks using co-occurrence degrees showing relationship strength. Moreover, we calculated the Jaccard coefficient, which is one of the co-occurrence indices for expressing the strength of the relationship between morphemes when creating networks. RESULTS From the visualization of the co-occurrence networks, we found high citizen interest in “nuclear power plant” on March 11 and 12, “health” on March 12 and 13, “medium” on March 13 and 14, and “economy” on March 15. On March 16 and 17, citizens’ interest changed to “lack of goods in the afflicted area.” In each co-occurrence network, trending topics, citizens’ fears, and opinions to the government were extracted. CONCLUSIONS This study used Twitter to understand changes in the concerns of Japanese citizens during the week after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, with a focus specifically on citizens’ fears. We found that immediately after the accident, the interest in the accident itself was high, and then interest shifted to concerns affecting life, such as health and economy, as the week progressed. Clarifying citizens’ fears and the dissemination of information through mass media and social media can add to improved risk communication in the future.

Risk Communication in the Food Field

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (sp) ◽  
pp. 598-602
Author(s):  
Hideaki Karaki ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Contaminated Food ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
The Government ◽  
The U.S

The first BSE case in Japan was found in 2001. The BSE risk in Japan was small and the measures taken by the government successfully prevented the spread of BSE. However, because consumers did not have accurate information, they did not trust the government and refused to consume beef. Based on the lessons learned, the government enacted the Food Safety Basic Act in 2003, and risk communication in the food field was started. In 2003, the first BSE case was found in the U.S. that were supplying nearly one third of the beef consumed in Japan, and the government banned beef import from the U.S. The BSE risk in the U.S. was also small and it was possible to resume imports of beef after the appropriate measures. Despite the government efforts of risk communication, consumers rejected the resumption of imports. In 2011, food was contaminated with radioactive substances discharged from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Although government eliminated the contaminated food from the market, some consumers rejected all of the agricultural products of the Fukushima region, again a failure of risk communication. Here, the current situation and problems of the risk communication in Japan will be described.

Changes in radiation protection measures after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident: evaluation of meeting minutes of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, Japan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Nirasawa ◽  
M. Tsubokura ◽  
M. Murakami
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Radiation Protection ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Fukushima Accident ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
Emergency Measures

Since the Fukushima accident, there has been an increasing discussion on post-accident radiation protection as well as nuclear regulation and management. This study assessed the general content of discussions during the chronic phases after the accident, and analyzed the changes over the years in discussion on radiation protection measures related to the accident by focusing on the meeting minutes of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, Japan from 2012 to 2018 using the method of text mining. The analysis revealed that while the authority’s main focus was on regulation and management regarding the safety of nuclear power plants, in addition to emergency measures for the future (especially in matters such as evacuation), discussions were also held on radiation protection measures for residents and workers and risk communication in the period following the accident. The authority was observed to have dynamically tackled the issues that were regarded as most urgent after the accident and gradually shifted its focus to mid- to long-term issues. In the aftermath of a nuclear accident, it is important for the authorities responsible for nuclear regulation to deepen their knowledge of social measures such as evacuation, return of residents, and risk communication, and strengthen cooperation with experts from other fields.

scholarly journals The institutional structure for decommissioning Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

2021 ◽  
pp. 014664532110153
Author(s):  
Hajimu Yamana
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Institutional Structure ◽  
Legal Responsibility ◽  
Radiological Protection ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
The Government

This paper does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. This article describes the institutional structure established for decommissioning Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. To deal with the aftermath of the unprecedented nuclear accident in Fukushima, several responsible institutions such as Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) have worked together at the initiative of the Government of Japan. In this structure, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) implements the decommissioning due to its legal responsibility, while the essential direction and milestones are set by the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters of the Government of Japan. Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation, a government-affiliated organisation, oversees and facilitates the decommissioning by TEPCO, and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority regulates safety from an independent standpoint. The main basic elements essential for the success of this long-term project have been developed, such as the technical strategy, financial system, and organisational capability. Decommissioning is making progress.

scholarly journals Surveys of Food Intake Just after the Nuclear Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachiko HIRAKAWA ◽  
Nobuaki YOSHIZAWA ◽  
Kana MURAKAMI ◽  
Mari TAKIZAWA ◽  
Masaki KAWAI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Nuclear Power Station ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

scholarly journals Tweeting disaster: an analysis of online discourse about nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (05) ◽  
pp. A02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Li ◽  
Heather Akin ◽  
Leona Yi-Fan Su ◽  
Dominique Brossard ◽  
Michael Xenos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
Information Tools ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

Of all the online information tools that the public relies on to collect information and share opinions about scientific and environmental issues, Twitter presents a unique venue to assess the spontaneous and genuine opinions of networked publics, including those about a focusing event like the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Using computational linguistic algorithms, this study analyzes a census of English-language tweets about nuclear power before, during, and after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Results show that although discourse about the event may have faded rapidly from the news cycle on traditional media, it evoked concerns about reactor safety and the environmental implications of nuclear power, particularly among users in U.S. states that are geographically closer to the accident site. Also, while the sentiment of the tweets was primarily pessimistic about nuclear power weeks after the accident, overall sentiment became increasingly neutral and uncertain over time. This study reveals there is a group of concerned citizens and stakeholders who are using online tools like Twitter to communicate about global and local environmental and health risks related to nuclear power. The implications for risk communication and public engagement strategies are discussed.

Emergency response to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants using mobile rescue robots

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiji Nagatani ◽  
Seiga Kiribayashi ◽  
Yoshito Okada ◽  
Kazuki Otake ◽  
Kazuya Yoshida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
Rescue Robots

Risk Communication in the Field of Radiation

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (sp) ◽  
pp. 608-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reiko Kanda ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Radiation Effects ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Radiation Risk ◽  
Low Dose Radiation ◽  
Communication Problems ◽  
Crisis Care ◽  
The Government ◽  
Dose Radiation

The handling of the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant (FNPP) operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company further underscores the importance of clear risk communication. The quality of risk communication during this crisis and in its aftermath was evaluated, however, as unsatisfactory by the government, the massmedia, and experts to date. Risk communication problems are divided into those derived from risk and those derived from communication. A lack of skill in communicating the risks involved was major point raised concerning the present situation, but we also face difficulty in informing the general public of radiation risks due to insufficient communication about these risks, a lack of education about radiation before the accident, the uncertainty of risks assessed as due to low-dose radiation, and confusion regarding knowledge about radiation effects and policy for protecting ourselves from radiation. These problems are specific to radiation and cannot be solved by communication skills alone. In this paper, I summarize concepts of radiation protection, low-dose radiation risk assessment, and the Japanese population’s recognition of radiation related to actual and potential risk communication problems about radiation. I will also briefly examine the actual problems of crisis, care, and consensus communication in response to the FNPP accident. These are categorized as either radiation-specific or general problems to discuss the elements needed to solve risk communication problems problems.

Nuclear power debate and public opinion in Belarus: From Chernobyl to Ostrovets

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliaksandr Novikau
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Positive View ◽  
The City

The Belarusian government’s decision of the last decade to build a nuclear power plant near the city of Ostrovets, in northern Belarus, has proven to be controversial, resulting in a great deal of debate about nuclear energy in the country. The debate was inevitably shaped by the traumatic event that affected Belarus – the Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986. The Belarusian authorities have consistently promoted a positive view of nuclear energy to the population in order to overcome the so-called ‘Chernobyl syndrome’ and deliberately shaped nuclear risk communication. As a result, the issue of trust remains crucial in all nuclear debates in Belarus.

scholarly journals Validation of Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant during its Accident

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Shigenao Maruyama
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Nuclear Accidents ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) that occurred on March 11, 2011. The earthquake and tsunami caused significant loss of lives and widespread disaster in Japan. Several reports have been published on the nuclear accident; however, the original data released at the beginning of the accident were written in Japanese, and some of these documents are no longer accessible. Some of the scenarios pertaining to the accident have become standardized theories, and these scenarios may be passed down to future generations with different descriptions, which may not fully describe the actual occurrences. To prevent future nuclear accidents, the accident at Fukushima Daiichi must be properly understood and analyzed.

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