Events This Week in Raleigh NC about Fukushima Daiichi Impacts

Here are some more things going on around the NC State campus on the nuclear events in Japan. Both of them do note that visitors/guests are welcome, so feel free to share with anyone interested. Nuclear Engineering departments all over the nation have already put on a large number of events, but it continues to be a hot topic as we now transition into the real discussion about national and worldwide impacts of the event.

There is an event on NC State Centennial campus Tuesday (the 26th), discussion at 6pm, talk at 6:30pm, hosted by the IEEE Eastern North Carolina Section. (online RSVP form)

Japan Nuclear Incident - A Perspective
J Michael Doster, PhD
Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering

The Japanese earthquake and subsequent tragic nuclear disaster came as a shock to us all. J Michael Doster PhD, Professor of Nuclear Engineering at NCSU, will offer a perspective on the Japanese Nuclear Incident and the societal impact of such events.

The NC State Nuclear Engineering department seminar is on Thursday (the 28th) in Room 1202 Burlington Engineering Labs, discussion at 3:45 and talk at 4pm and addresses what appears to be a wide range of issues.

What will be the Legacy of Fukushima? Implications for Nuclear Energy in Japan, the US, and Globally
William Kinsella, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Communication

Seven weeks after an earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear crisis in Japan, the long-term implications for global nuclear energy programs remain unclear. With a 90-day safety review underway, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is continuing its approval processes for new reactor licenses and license extensions. Germany has returned to the nuclear phase-out plan it had recently moved away from. Emerging nuclear nations such as China and India maintain ambitious visions for expanding their reactor fleets, but face a range of uncertainties. Meanwhile, global and national concerns regarding energy costs and energy security continue to grow. This presentation addresses questions of nuclear safety, regulation, cost, financing, insurance, public opinion, national policy, and global interconnectedness in this turbulent context.

Of course, these are not the only local people active related to the events in Japan. I was surprised to find that a photographer from the local newspaper, the News and Observer, had traveled to Japan after the earthquake and is having a showing this weekend.