Japan panel: Fukushima nuclear disaster 'man-made' The crisis at
the Fukushima nuclear plant was "a profoundly man-made
disaster", a Japanese parliamentary panel has said in a report.
The disaster "could and should have been foreseen and prevented"
and its effects "mitigated by a more effective human response",
it said. The report catalogued serious deficiencies in both the
government and plant operator Tepco's response. It also blamed
cultural conventions and a reluctance to question authority.
While the report is highly critical of all the key parties, it
digs even deeper. The panel called the disaster "Made in Japan",
because the mindset that allowed the accident to happen can be
found across the country. It flagged up the bureaucracy's role
in both promoting and regulating the nuclear industry, and also
cultural factors such as a traditional reluctance to question
authority. The report was expected to use strong language, but
not many thought it would be this harsh. The panel also found
that there was a p