Japan’s partial meltdown and destruction of three or more nuclear reactors at the Fukushima I Power Plant may finally force the world to rethink it’s energy policies. Japan’s future relating to these destroyed nuclear plants looks grim, with a great possibility of that at least some nuclear plant operators will die, and other residents around the plant will die slow and horrific deaths from cancer. Crops will be contaminated and animals will get sick and die. Nuclear radiation is nasty stuff.

Much of Japan’s recent history is surrounded by tragic consequences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, that not only killed thousands upon their initial explosion, but killed thousands more in the following years as the doses of radiation stimulated cancers and caused miscarriages. While the dropping of the atomic bomb and the lives it took is a distance memory, and evil potentially just as great if not greater has been unleashed over Japan. There ought to be a realization that the nuclear age must end.

The Japanese are certain to search for new energy sources to replace these existing nuclear plants. While Japanese are ready adopters of high technology, they are certainly are now aware of dangers of nuclear power and are going to want to shy away from it. Being an island nation, and being so aware of the dangers of climate change, they probably are not going to welcome in a large coal or natural gas plant that produces large carbon emissions to replace the now destroyed and forever unusable nuclear plants. Likewise, Japan has to import almost all of it’s fossil energy, so becoming more dependent on fossil fuels is a recipe for economic stagnation.

What can Japan do to replace these destroyed power plants? It’s not clear, although the unconventional alternatives to new fossil and nuclear generation seem likely. Japan can go on a massive campaign to reduce electricity consumption and build out renewables. They can build a smarter grid, where appliances reduce their electrical load automatically to ensure a need for less surplus capacity. They can make massive investments in renewable energies like off-shore wind and wave turbines. They can require buildings to have solar cells. They can make saving electricity a national priority.

Japan may have the chance to build the energy infrastructure only dreamed and theorized by Climate Activists in other countries. Yet, if Japan can do it, other countries will not be far behind in copying their successes. Whatever Japan does to rebuild will be an indication for energy industry of the future.