OE2 Spring 2013: Lesson 3

4/26/2013

Hi everyone,

We were very busy in today's class with our first round of discussions!

Group Discussions:
You did a good job with your discussions in today's class. Most of used opinion giving expressions and involved all of your group members. Great work!

However, remember these points to improve your discussions next week:

Do not read your summary and/or your oppion. Make sure you practice before class so that you know the information without your notes.
When you give your summary, present it step-by-step. If you rush, your group members won't understand. Use this pattern to give your summary:

Explain 2-3 sentences
pause
check your group's understanding (e.g. Is this clear? / Are there any questions?)
Repeat until you have finished your summary.

Quiz #1:
I returned your quizzes at the end of class. Most of you did really well. For our next quiz, make sure you review expressions for opinion giving and expressions for leading a discussion.

Homework:
1. Discussion preparation (see schedule)
2. Blog posting #3
3. Study for Quiz #2

Enjoy your Golden Week!

We don't have classes on May 2.
Remember to come back to class on May 9.

Blog Question #3:

Agree or disagree with the following statement:

I think the Japanese government should build more nuclear power stations.

Remember to use an agree/disagree expressions and give a reasons and/or example.
Write 8-10 sentences.
Use capitalization, punctuation & spelling correctly.
Submit by Wednesday, May 8 by 6:00pm.

27 Comments

OE2-Yugo

4/27/2013 07:09:26 pm

I think nuclear power station can supply the electricity steady without emitting CO2 from it into the atmosphere, but it has not only good but also bad elements. First, if nuclear power stations are in danger, it is very dangerous because the harmful radioactive substances are spread around the stations due to the large earthquake and tsunami like 3.11. In the case of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the radioactive substances are spread around it and people in the towns around were made to move to safe places. Second, there are not any places to build a nuclear power station because if the government intends to build it somewhere, the residents who lives there objects to it. Third, it is difficult to the spent nuclear fuel. It is different from ordinary waste, so it costs us a lot of time and trouble. For these reasons, I disagree with it.

OE2-Chiaki

4/27/2013 10:16:39 pm

That is not the way I see it.
Some people say that nuclear power costs less than other ones, and is good for environment. But in my opinion, the truth is quite the opposite of that. Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Station exploded because of the Touhoku disaster. Radiation polluted the air and a lot of people had to leave from Fukushima. Bad rumors of vegetables grown in Fukushima also caused farmers pain. So TEPCO has taken away radiation and paid victims compensation.
Because of these reasons, nuclear power plants are so experience and dangerous that the Japanese government shouldn’t build more nuclear power stations.

OE2-Haruka

4/28/2013 01:08:58 am

That is not the way I see it.
I think that instead of using money to build more stations, we should devote it to develop more safely way to generate electricity. It is because nuclear power generation is dangerous for human beings. As we can learn from the radiation crisis of Fukushima nuclear power station, nuclear power station can cause serious damages if something happens to it.
Japan is a country where a lot of earthquakes occurs, and they can happen anytime, anywhere.Since we haven't found the way how to treat radioactive waste safely yet, I think the Japanese government shouldn't make any stations now.
Inhabitants of Fukushima are still suffering from the effects of the crisis. We mustn't forget this and should never make the same mistake again.

OE2-Ryutaro

4/29/2013 11:51:19 am

That is not the way I see it.
I think that we should exploit new way of generating electricity. Nuclear power generation has some weaknesses. First, It discharges radioactive waste which has a great influence on our health. It should be buried in the ground. Second, Nuclear power station has some difficult problems in the safety aspect. The Tohoku Region was hit by a powerful earthquake and the pollution leaked. So, we should rack our brains these problems.

OE2-Yuki

4/29/2013 12:51:28 pm

Yes, nuclear power plants will bring economic wealthiness to our lives, but they also bring us fear and anxiety, too. Since the accident on 3.11, we learned the terror of melt down and sorrow of local residents which what the nuclear power plant brought. We should not repeat the same mistake. In order to have the lives without nuclear plants, we have to change our life styles because we cannot use electricity like we were used to. However, technology of solor energy is developing and we have thermal and hydroelectric power in Japan. With a little effort of power saving, I believe we can live without nuclear plants!

OE2-Natsumi

4/30/2013 01:51:31 am

That's not the way I see it, I think we don't need more nuclear power stations.
I know there are few natural resources in Japan. Japan depends on foreign countries for oil, coal and natural gas. In addition, Japan is a small island country, so we can't build more dams.
On the other hand, I know risks of a nuclear power. We should remember Chernobyl' accident and the Fukushima nuclear power plants accident.
Nuclear power is important for Japanese society, but I think we can change our life-style by a little effort. If we change the way of using electricity, we don't need to use nuclear power stations.

OE2-Honami

4/30/2013 12:51:03 pm

I still remember the tragedy that occurred in the nuclear power station in Fukushima. I think in order not to repeat the things that, I should not build a nuclear power station any more.
Indeed, we have relied on nuclear power generation, most of the power generation. However, we know the danger of nuclear power. Therefore, we can and should focus on power generation another way. For example, hydropower, thermal power, and the like wind power.
Moreover, radioactive waste can seriously affect the plants and animals. We might destroy the nature.
For those reasons, I think the Japanese government shouldn't build more nuclear power stations.

4/30/2013 01:04:52 pm

Sorry for my mistake. This posting is correct.

That's not the way I see it. I still remember the tragedy that occurred in the nuclear power station in Fukushima. I think in order not to repeat the things that, I should not build a nuclear power station any more.
Indeed, we have relied on nuclear power generation, most of the power generation. However, we know the danger of nuclear power. Therefore, we can and should focus on power generation another way. For example, hydropower, thermal power, and the like wind power.
Moreover, radioactive waste can seriously affect the plants and animals. We might destroy the nature.
For those reasons, I think the Japanese government shouldn't build more nuclear power stations.

OE2-Ayako

4/30/2013 01:30:48 pm

That is not the way I see it.
I don’t think the Japanese government should build more nuclear power station, because I found that nuclear power was very dangerous for our human beings, other living things, and the environment, when 3.11, the very big earthquake in Japan, occurred. Nuclear power in Fukushima made Japanese people afraid, and people all over the world have a sense of crisis. So some people changed the idea to rely on the scientific technology.
Indeed, I can’t agree with the idea of building more nuclear power. But I don’t agree with getting rid of the all of it. In my opinion, I think we can’t live without the scientific technology. We use much electricity and get used to the convenient living. So, if we abolished the nuclear power, we wouldn’t be able to get enough electricity.

OE2-Yuuki

5/2/2013 04:44:00 pm

It is true that we depend on electricity that nuclear power stations supply, but I think we shouldn't rely on them.We experienced the tragic 3.11 earthquake and nuclear accident. I found that nuclear power stations make us expose to denger while they make our lives very useful. When an accident occur, they must be delt with safely. Unless the safety of our lives is saved, we shouldn't depend on them. Furthermore, If we build them now, we leave thier dealings to future generations. There is a doubt whether we can fulfill our responsibilies for building them. That is why I think government shouldn't build more nuclear power stations.

OE2-Kanami

5/2/2013 09:44:14 pm

That's not the way I see it.
I think that it is too dangerous and costs the money too much so that Japan builds more nuclear power stations. Some people said that nuclear power stations were economical, environment-friendly and safe. However, after 3.11 it was proved that the thought was not right. Moreover, Japan is country which is hit by many earthquakes. I hope that the accident like 3.11 will never happen to everyone.
Therefore I disagree with opinion that the Japanese government should build more nuclear power stations. We should reflect on something which takes the place of nuclear power stations.

OE2-Mio

5/3/2013 10:08:37 pm

That's not the way I see it. Nuclear power stations supply a lot of energy and many people depends on them, but I think that it's dangerous to build more nuclear power stations in Japan. I remenber the tragedy of the nuclear power station in Fukushima and I can't forget it. Earthquakes often happens in Japan. After an earthquake happens, a tsunami sometimes break out. Japan is the island coutry, so nuclear power stations in our country can be broken not only by an earthquake but also by a tsunami. There are also a lot of nuclear power stations in Japan. It cannot be denied that they may be broken by an earthquake and a tsunami. Therefore, I don't think that the Japanese government shold build more nuclear power stations.

kodai-OE2

5/3/2013 11:23:12 pm

　That's not the way I see it.　　In 2011, the accident of nuclear power plant happened in Japan. It was destroyed and emitted the toxic material. It is radiation. Because of it, people who lived in the area near the plant leave their home. Still now, the people haven't got home. Radiation is very poisonous. Even if the plant can make a lot of electricity, the compensation is too crucial when the accident happens. In the worst case, Japan can become the place- human can't live in. Considering of it, the government doesn't try to build the nuclear power plant any more.

OE2-Kodai

5/3/2013 11:24:56 pm

OE2-Tomoyo

5/4/2013 12:01:34 am

That’s not the way I see it. I think we should avoid using nuclear power stations as possible we can. Certainly, they can provide us a lot of electricity in spite of little enriched-uranium fuel. But we encountered a series of accidents at the Fukushima nuclear power station and realized how dreadful they were. They can do us untold damage even if the accident happens only once. And the damage can last through many generations. Also, measures to dispose of radioactive wastes haven’t been established yet. Therefore, I think that the Japanese government shouldn’t build nuclear power stations any more unless we find good reason to believe that nuclear power stations are safe. We have to develop safe and environmentally friendly technology which can replace nuclear power as soon as possible.

5/4/2013 02:37:50 am

I'm sorry. The previous posting I sent has mistakes. This is the correct one.

That’s not the way I see it. I think we should avoid using nuclear power stations as possible we can. We encountered a series of accidents at the Fukushima nuclear power station and realized how dreadful they were. Certainly, they can provide us with a lot of electricity in spite of little enriched-uranium fuel. But they can do us untold damage even if an accident happens only once. And the damage can last for decades. Also, measures to dispose of radioactive wastes haven’t been established yet. Therefore, I think that the Japanese government shouldn’t build nuclear power stations any more. If we continue using them, we have to find good reason to believe that nuclear power stations are safe. Anyway, we have to develop safe and environmentally friendly technology which can replace nuclear power as soon as possible.

OE2-Saki

5/5/2013 09:39:43 pm

That is not the way I see it. I think that we should adopt other way to generate electricity. We have some earthquakes frequently in Japan. It must be very dangerous to have nuclear power stations near our home. There are a lot of generation systems of electricity expect for that of nuclear. Those systems are being developed so much these days. If we use those systems, it would be better for the environment or our health. Anyway, we should consider not only about ourselves but also about the younger generation.

Nodoka

5/7/2013 01:17:56 am

That's not the way I think. I think the Japanese government shouldn't build more nuclear power stations. I think there are some advantages of having those. However, I think the disadvantages are bigger than the advantages that we would get.
I heard that the government still hasn't decided what to do with the radiation leak from 3.11 earthquake. Some area in Fukushima prefecture is sill called off limit because it is dangeroous. We are busy with the problems that we have right now. I think the government shouldn't build the things that might cause the same problem again.

OE2-Miyuki

5/7/2013 01:19:23 am

I don’t agree with the idea. There are still many people who are willing to build more nuclear power stations, because it’s easy, cheap, and can produce as much energy as we need In 2011 March 11, a huge earthquake happened and the nuclear power station in Fukushima got serious damage. Many people living around the nps area were forced to leave their hometown, some were never to come back. Lots of workers came to Fukushima are having hard time to fix the problems which are still unsolved. Productive and reasonable, these are the points of making nps, but is that really worth being deprived of our precious hometown? No, I don’t think so. We need to learn from our past mistakes. Now it’s the time for change, build up a new system or make an effort to use more eco-friendly system to generate energy.

OE2-Ayame

5/7/2013 08:18:23 am

That’s not the way I see it, I think the Japanese government shouldn’t build more nuclear power stations.
There is no guarantee that nuclear power stations are perfectly safe. It’s safety viewed as a problem when a radioactive substance had leaked out from Fukushima I Nuclear Plant. If such accident happens again, this planet will be dangerous place to live. Nuclear power stations which government built to make our life more comfortable can endanger our lives. And also, that there is no disposal technique of spent nuclear fuel is a reason why I disagree to the opinion. It’s too late to think about disposal technique of spent nuclear fuel, after it accumulated.
For these reasons, I think the Japanese government shouldn’t build more nuclear power stations.

OE2-Yuta

5/7/2013 01:28:36 pm

That is not the way I see it.
For sure, nuclear power generation is convenient because they are tender for environment and they can generate electlicity efficiently. However, as you know, it is very dangerous. If something happens to a nuclear power station, radioactive things will spread around it and habitants will have to leave threre like Fukushima. Japanese government need not increase such danger. What is more, there is no way to take down a nuclear power station safely. Even if the government can make more nuclear power stations, he cannot decrease the number of them which became needless or useless.
Instead of making them, the government should spend money to develop other better way to generate electlicity. Therefore, I think that Japanese government shouldn't make more nuclear power stations.

OE2-Mamina

5/7/2013 02:16:13 pm

That is not the way I see it. I think that we should avoid using nuclear power stations to generate electricity, because it is very dangerous. When the big earthquake happened in 2011, the radiation was released from nuclear power stations in Fukushima. Exessive radiation is harmful to our body. So, many people must have taken refuge in far place. However, workers have been exposed to high levels of radiation. As I have said, radiation had adverse effect. Therefore, I don`t think the Japanese goverment should build more nuclear power stations.

OE2-Akari

5/7/2013 02:29:51 pm

I disagree with this opinion.It is true that nuclear power generation serve 40% of all electricity that are consumed in Japan so it is important for Japanese economy.But there are risk that threat our lives.Quiet a few earthquake generate every year in Japan so this nation is not suitable for nuclear power generation.And there is also problem about final disposal sites.We have to bury the nuclear waste but Japan is small country and there are few prefectures that receive it.We should develop new power generation system to reduce those danger.I think the Japanese government should not build more nuclear power stations from the above reasons.

OE-2 Andrew

5/7/2013 06:34:08 pm

I totally agree about that. Nuclear power can make a lot of electricity with such little material. I know nuclear power plants are dangerous when accidents happen like in Fukushima but how will you create energy without nuclear power? You only have to build safe power plants and there aren't much oil left and you can't produce much electricity with hydraulic power. Nuclear power is an efficient way to make energy.

OE2-Anjyu

5/7/2013 07:44:09 pm

That's not the way I see it. I don't forget the trouble of Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japan has many earthquake, so we can't protect all disaster. If the same thing happen again, we can't live in Japan. The government should protect existing power plant. Then they should stop them by degrees. We don't pursue convenient, but live a long time. Nuclear power plant is the way of death.

oe2-ken

5/7/2013 11:41:40 pm

i disagree with the idea that we should build more nuclear power plant.especially one reason i claim is that nuclear power plant is dangerous.it is sure that building nuclear power plantis easy way to get more power we spend for high consumption society we live,but it,s also dangerous.for instance,i suppose you remember 3.11accident.this3.11accidenis said that this is the second worst nuclear accident in the world.even though it has been past abou two years since such the tragedy thing happened,cantaminated wateris flowing out of power plant.it is harmful to environment,people.thus i disagree with the idea that we should build more nuclear powerplant.

OE2-Yurina

5/7/2013 11:54:30 pm

I disagree with the idea that the Japanese government should not build more nuclear power stations. When earthquake in Tohoku occurred, the danger of radioactivity became known to all people in the world. I can't agree the government building such a station. It might cause severe problems again. In stead of building a nuclear power station, they can build wind turbines or hydraulic turbines. These are much more safer and I think are easier to get agreements from citizens.

OE2 Spring 2013: Lesson 3

Leave a Reply.

Categories