By Geng Xin
The Japanese government began releasing the first batch of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean on August 24, planning to discharge 200-210 tons on the first day according to news from Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Approximately 7,800 cubic meters of nuclear-contaminated water will be released in the 17-day first phase. What Japan is doing is an epic mistake that will bring damages in at least five aspects.
First, it will damage the environment. The nuclear-contaminated water will pose serious threats to the living environment of humanity, including oceans and the soil.
Second, it will damage humanity, particularly people living in Japan's neighboring countries and in countries and regions along the Pacific Ocean. Although countries such as the US connive at Japan's wrongdoing now out of political considerations, what will happen in the future will open everyone's eyes to the severity of the discharge.
Third, it will damage Japan itself. Japan actually stands to bear the brunt of its own wrongdoing this time because it relies on aquatic products for food and raw materials, and everybody has to face the music when its waters are radioactively contaminated, to say nothing about the catastrophic blow to Japan's economic image and political reputation.
Fourth, it will damage future generations. The discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater wreaks havoc both in current times and for generations to come. How to prevent nuclear contamination is a scientific subject not entirely conquered by humanity yet, which is all the more reason why we should act with awe and caution rather than make any rash and reckless move.
Fifth, it will damage the world, or the international environment for peace, development and cooperation. When the March 11 earthquake of 2011 broke out, all countries, especially its neighbors, rushed to help Japan and stood by the Japanese people to fight against the disaster. Today, similar disasters are politicized and manipulated as a form of bloc confrontation, which erodes the international perception of Japan and the credit needed to cooperate with the country. That's the greatest loss for Japan.
It is known to all that Japan is the only country in the world that's ever experienced a nuclear attack. It has also suffered immensely from the massive nuclear leak resulting from the March 11 earthquake of 2011. The Japanese government should have learned a hard lesson from history, reflected on its own behaviors, and been more conscious of nuclear safety with more prudent preventive measures.
Unfortunately, blinded by self-interests and driven by politicization and bloc confrontation, Tokyo has made the outrageously wrong decision of discharging the contaminated water into the ocean in total disregard of its own people, its national image, the grave concerns of its neighbors and the international community, and the natural environment on the earth or its future protection.
Editor's note: Originally published on the Wechat official account of Zhi_news, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
