Fukushima Meltdown Hastens Decline of Nuclear Power

For the first time in over 40 years, Japan has not a single nuclear power plant generating electricity. The March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown shattered public confidence in atomic energy. And the disaster's legacy has spread far beyond Japan. Some European countries have decided to phase out their nuclear programs entirely. With the world's fleet of reactors aging, and with new plants suffering construction delays and cost increases, it is possible that world nuclear electricity generation has peaked and begun a long-term decline