Fukushima nuclear accident → Bloomberg Government, Special Area of Conservation, Alphonse de Lamartine

• Start
  Fukushima nuclear accidentOn 11 March 2011, a major nuclear accident started at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The direct cause was the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in electrical grid failure and damaged nearly all of the power plant's backup energy sources. The subsequent inability to sufficiently cool reactors after shutdown compromised containment and resulted in the release of radioactive contaminants into the surrounding environment. It is regarded by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation as the worst nuclear incident since the Chernobyl disaster. According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, "no adverse health effects among Fukushima residents have been documented that are directly attributable to radiation exposure from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident". Insurance compensation was paid for one death from lung cancer, but this does not prove a causal relationship between radiation and the cancer. Six other people have been reported as having developed cancer or leukemia. Two workers were hospitalized because of radiation burns, and several other people sustained physical injuries as a consequence of the accident. Large‑scale screening programs, including thyroid examinations for children and ongoing epidemiological surveys, have reported elevated detection rates of certain conditions; however, experts attribute much of this increase to enhanced medical surveillance rather than radiation exposure itself. Following the accident, at least 164,000 residents of the surrounding area were permanently or temporarily displaced. The displacements resulted in at least 51 deaths as well as stress and fear of radiological hazards. The evacuation was accused of causing more harm than it prevented. Ten years later over 41,000 people from Fukushima were still living as evacuees. Investigations faulted lapses in safety and oversight, namely failures in risk assessment and evacuation planning. Controversy surrounds the disposal of treated wastewater once used to cool the reactor, resulting in numerous protests in neighboring countries. The expense of cleaning up the radioactive contamination and compensation for the victims of the Fukushima nuclear accident was estimated by Japan's trade ministry in November 2016 to be 20 trillion yen.
• Target
  Bloomberg GovernmentBloomberg Government is a division of Bloomberg Industry Group that provides data-driven decision tools, news, and analytics in a digital workspace for professionals who influence government action.
• Target
  Special Area of ConservationA Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora. They are to protect the 220 habitats and approximately 1,000 species listed in annex I and II of the directive which are considered to be of European interest following criteria given in the directive. They must be chosen from the Sites of Community Importance by the member states and designated SAC by an act assuring the conservation measures of the natural habitat. SACs complement Special Protection Areas and together form a network of protected sites across the European Union called Natura 2000. This, in turn, is part of the Emerald network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) under the Berne Convention.
• Target
  Alphonse de LamartineAlphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was a French author, poet, and statesman. Initially a moderate royalist, he became one of the leading critics of the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe, aligning more with the Republican Left and Social Catholicism. Lamartine was a leading figure in the 1848 French Revolution and was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic along with the preservation of the tricolor as the flag of France. During the revolutionary year of 1848 he served as Foreign Minister and frequently worked to ease tensions between the government and the working class. He was a candidate in the 1848 French presidential election but lost to Louis Napoleon Bonaparte. After the election, he retired from political life.

Want to try it first? Play the challenge, then come back. Open a route below to see it.