Talk about the perfect convergence of storylines; On the one hand, you have a new report from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident independent Study Commission suggesting that the cascade of accidents at Fukushima was largely the product of a culture of lax regulation and conflicts of interest in Japan; and on the other hand, we have the American Nuclear Society awarding honors to its two most faithful accolades and apologists.

The latter demonstrates all too well how an enabling culture also exists in the U.S. compromising regulatory effectiveness and critical thought.

In the past year and five months, U.S. nuclear proponents have been working the ant-farm overtime in order to generate a constant field of spin through which, it is assumed, the American public will fail to recognize the obvious: that Fukushima was an unprecedented environmental disaster that continues to menace Japan and the world; and that, as bad as it was, had prevailing wind conditions been different, it might have been many times worse.

The culture to be rightly indicted in this instance, is not that of Japan but rather the worldwide nuclear culture which binds industry and government regulators in an unwholesome union of purpose to suppress any line of public discussion that does not have the promotion of nuclear energy as its ultimate goal.

In their new video,Fairewinds Associates, would like you to reconsider the argument that Fukushima’s errors were Japan-centrique and have no place in the U.S. conversation about nuclear energy.  Watch:

Nuclear Oversight Lacking Worldwide from Fairewinds Energy Education on Vimeo.

As faithful foot-soldiers for the industry, Meredith Angwyn and Howard Shaffer have been the very models of orchestrated damage control.

That is why Ms. Angwyn and Mr. Shaffer are being honored by the American Nuclear Society, which in its mission statement clearly explains its advocacy role:

Vision: ANS will be the recognized credible advocate for advancing and promoting nuclear science and technology.

That’s oddly in contradiction of the self-view ANS sets forward on page 31 of its own selective report on Fukushima:

ANS is not intended to be-and is not viewed by the media as-a promotional organization seeking to preserve the reputation of its members. ANS is not a trade association or an advocacy group.

In that document, ANS goes on to examine their role in responding to Fukushima, mapping out a strategy for future containment of “risk communication,” including Congressional lobbying and “embedding” of its proponents in newsroom situations.  

They, too, attempt to dismiss the human component of Fukushima’s undoing to Japanese culture.   It’s really quite a read!