Say No to Nuclear Power
I believe 
the time has come to make this message 
loud and clear. 
The question now should not be 
whether or not nuclear energy 
is cheap 
or clean, 
but rather how we can survive in a nuclear-free
world. 
Japan witnessed the horrors of nuclear devastation in
Hiroshima 
and Nagasaki. 
Then there was the radiation meltdown in
Chernobyl and now in Fukushima. 
How many more of these disasters 
must we withstand 
before we say
enough is enough.
Isn't the answer blowing in the wind?
At a time like this, it is easy to make excuses 
and point fingers at others, 
but let us place blame where it belongs
 --- on us. 
People in Japan, 
especially those in big cities, 
live in great comfort and convenience. 
We have a transportation system 
that the world envies. 
There are supermarkets which are brightly lit and
air-conditioned throughout the year. 
We take it for granted that there
are convenience stores at practically 
every other corner of any street. 
We complain 
when we fail to find a vending machine next to our
apartment. 
However, 
what we have forgotten
is that all
these luxuries come at a price. 
Each comfort we ask is an excuse 
for government and industry authorities 
to convince us that 
nuclear power is necessary for Japan.
I am not saying that we should go back to the Stone age 
and live like cavemen 
in order to conserve energy. 
Last winter when I visited 
my country Nepal, 
there was electricity 
for only ten hours each day. 
Of course, life was harder there, 
but it wasn't impossible. 
Not having power was inconvenient, 
but I don't think it was miserable. 
Do you think 
people in third-world countries 
are worse off than those of us in Japan? 
I don't think so. 
At least a mother there doesn't have to
worry about whether the milk that
her child is drinking is radiation-free. 
At least the kids running in a playground 
aren't bothered about whether the soil under their feet 
is harmful to their health. 
Now that's what I think is real comfort. 
What we can learn
from a country like Nepal, 
or any other third-world country, 
is how to live within one's means.
The disaster in Fukushima 
is one of largest tragedies in Japan, 
which I wish had never happened. 
However,
every cloud has a silver lining. 
If there is one positive message 
from this calamity, 
it might well be: --- 
``physical comfort and convenience are not the only things 
that matter in our lives''. 
As a young person, 
I believe that now is the time for
us to change our perception and priorities in life. 
Let us make sure
that we provide our basic needs in a nuclear-free world. 
If not us, then who? 
If not now, then when? 
