Fukushima
An earthquake and tsunami cause a triple meltdown, and nuclear policy shifts worldwide.
- When
- Era
- Contemporary, Holocene
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and 15-metre tsunami in March 2011 disable cooling at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing three meltdowns and hydrogen explosions. The earthquake and tsunami killed around 18,500 people; radiation is directly linked to one death, while the stress of evacuating 150,000 people caused many more. Germany accelerated its nuclear phase-out and Japan idled its reactors, with fossil fuel use rising as a result.