Regarding the Dec. 22 article "Abe hints at scrapping reactor ban": In the United States, such a statement would lead to the conclusion that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is paid by the nuclear industry.
Japan is free to destroy itself but not the entire world. The incident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant is the worst nuclear disaster yet and has released radioactive material into the world's atmosphere and waters. To talk now of building more nuclear plants is like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand.
According to nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen, Japan has 0.5 percent of the world's land area while experiencing 10 percent of the earthquakes. It has been widely reported that the tsunami caused the meltdowns, but it is likely the meltdown would have occurred anyway as a result of a damaged cooling system
The bottom line is that the actions of Japan affect the entire planet; therefore, it is not a matter just for Abe to decide.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.