Set against a backdrop of the recent disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, "Hiroshima to Fukushima" examines the issue of radiation safety. The author provides important and accurate scientific information about the radioactive substances arising from nuclear power plants and weapons, including the effects of this radiation on living organisms. Currently, humankind is at a crossroads and must decide whether to phase out or increase its reliance on nuclear power as weapons and an energy source. Although a few countries, mostly European, have vowed to abolish nuclear power as an energy source, many other countries are about to increase their nuclear power programs. This book is written from a Japanese perspective and thus provides an alternative to views of Western writers. The author includes rigorous scientific analyses, however maintains a broad scope which allows the book to be accessible to decision-makers and non-specialists.

Autorentext

Eiichiro Ochiai was born in Tokyo and earned his PhD from the University of Tokyo. He has taught and carried out research in chemistry at universities in Japan, Canada, the USA and Sweden. At the time his area of research, bioinorganic chemistry, was a new field and he has published several books on the subject including Bioinorganic Chemistry, an Introduction (Allyn and Bacon, 1977), Bioinorganic Chemistry, a Survey (Elsevier, 2008). His other books include a general chemistry book: Chemicals for Life and Living (Springer, 2011), and Life and Metals (in Japanese, Kenkyu-sha, 1991), Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power Plants (in Japanese, Rokusai-sha, 2012).

Inhalt
Part I The Scientific Bases of Nuclear World, Radiation and Chemical World.- The Nuclear World and Nuclear Power.- Radiation.- The Chemical World.- Part II The Military Uses of Nuclear Power.- The Development of the Atomic Bomb.- Dropping of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki The Devastation.- Depleted Uranium Bombs.- Part III The Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Power.- Development of Nuclear Power Reactors.- Examples of Major Failures at Nuclear Power Plants.- Part IV The Scientific Basis of Interaction of Radiation with the Chemical World.- General Consideration of Interactions of Radiation with the Chemical World.- Chemical and Biological Interactions of Chemical Compounds.- What Happens if a Chemical Compound is Radioactive?.- (High-energy) Radiation is Incompatible With Life.- Part V Health Effects of Radiation Revealed So Far.- Data From Hiroshima and Nagasaki.- Data From Chernobyl.- Data From Fukushima.- Part VI The Future of Human Use of Energy.- Non-Nuclear and Renewable Energy Sources and Uses.