Fukushima+articles+(Dan+F)



A YEAR AFTER FUKUSHIMA, CLEAN ENERGY STILL A PROMISE IN JAPAN FUKUSHIMA’S HOT ZONE CLEANUP: A JOURNEY INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY
 * 1) Research institutes- Institute for sustainable Energy Policy – probably available by phone, and on the web
 * 2) Personal interview- Andrew Dewit available by phone and in person
 * 3) Photos- Sam Eaton inside exclusion zone- had to be there in person
 * 4) Government officials- Takahiro Sasa- contacted by phone, on the web, or in person
 * 5) Other news articles- mayors of three major cities laid out plans for phasing out nuclear power.- probably available online or part of news archives.
 * 1) Personal eyewitness account- went into hot zone- had to go in person to get the full story

Short Proposal
 * Title:** Fukushima’s affect on the US
 * Abstract:** The disaster at Fukushima holds a lot of important lessons for humanity’s future. Clearly japan is the area most affected by what has happened, but are there others too? What about the United States? There was some worry that fallout would reach and harm regions of the US despite how far away japan is. This study aims to find out how Fukushima has shaped American views of nuclear power, whether this could be a strong enough issue to enact real lasting change, and what groups have already begun to form and advocate against nuclear power production in the United States. These questions will be answered through a survey that will be linked to various news articles pertaining to nuclear power and Fukushima. It is very probable that so long after the Fukushima disaster groups have had time to fully establish themselves to advocate against nuclear power use in the US. It is important to understand public opinion on this subject because it can positively influence public policy.
 * Overview:** This research seeks to develop knowledge on nuclear power, the effects of hearing of nuclear disasters around the world on US citizens (specifically Fukushima), and how Fukushima could affect public policy. A survey is the best approach because there needs to be an easily accessible anonymous data set that can be used to effectively influence public policy. The study will be carried out by social scientists.
 * Background and significance:** There is a lot of information out there about what happened in Fukushima and what steps are being taken now that the most immediate effects of the disaster have been somewhat contained. Disasters often hold important lessons for other groups of people in similar situations (in this case countries using nuclear power). There is a history of resistance to nuclear power that has lead to the perception that nuclear power may not be the safest way to meet energy requirements that stems from nuclear weapon testing and use.
 * Preparation and work thus far:** There have been plenty of studies on nuclear power in the United States, but it is not entirely clear how lasting and impact Fukushima had on the American people. A lot of people have already moved on to other worries because no immediate harm came to anyone in the U.S.
 * Methodology and Plan of work:** This research will primarily receive its data from a number of news websites. Authors of articles pertaining to Fukushima or nuclear power will be contacted to ask that a link be placed at the end of the article to so that the public can access a survey on the subject. In some cases publishing a link to the survey under the comments section will be sufficient. The survey will ask questions about whether or not Fukushima raised people’s awareness of the issues of nuclear power and whether this awareness has led to any action. Subjects of the survey will remain anonymous.
 * Dissemination:** The results of this survey will be posted in the comments section of the articles given the link and a paper on the survey and the comments of those being surveyed will add to the current body of research on disaster clean up and prevention.