The Cosmo Oil Refinery erupts in flames in Ichihara

A couple of days ago I asked people wringing their hands over the nuclear reactors in Japan how a 9.0 earthquake and 25 foot tsunami might have affected hydroelectric dams, gas, oil or coal plants, or even solar panels and wind farms, had such existed on the northeast coast of Japan. At least one oil refinery, at Ichiwara, near Toyko, did go up in spectacular flames after the earthquake, but with little international comment.

To repeat, there are no hydro plants near the quake zone in Japan, but there certainly are on the West Coast of the US. Anybody interested?

Some people I talk to actually suppose that a nuclear power plant meltdown could result in an atom bomb explosion. That's wrong, but if anyone on TV has disabused people of such misconceptions I haven't seen it. In other words, emotionalism is not being restrained, but encouraged.

Meanwhile, let's say that like the Germans this week we decide to halt operations of nuclear plants, and to prevent construction of new plants. What exactly do all the strident voices on TV suppose we can do then to reduce the carbon emissions that on other days they are warning about? What happened to their fretful concern about climate change? Is there anybody who supposes we could get along with solar panels and windmills?

It will be ironic if the main result of the nuclear reactor problems following Japan's earthquake and tsunami is removal of the one major energy technology most conservatives and liberals in this country have agreed on.

Photo: AP