When

Fri, Apr. 08, 2011
12 pm - 2 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago

The Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program and Energy Forum invite you to a luncheon discussion on the nuclear crisis in Japan. On March 11, an earthquake and resulting tsunami devastated the northeast coast of Japan, killing thousands. The earthquake caused cooling systems at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture to fail, triggering fears of a nuclear disaster as area radiation levels rose dramatically. As Japan continues its battle to control radiation leaks, experts are considering how the nuclear crisis will likely impact the health of local residents. The tragedy has also prompted other countries to reassess their nuclear energy programs. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, believes it is "unrealistic to think this accident will not impact decisions by governments" on the use of nuclear power.

The event will feature Rice University physics professor Paul Padley, Ph.D., who will give an overview of the events at the nuclear power plant in the Fukushima Prefecture. Amy Myers Jaffe, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies and director of the Energy Forum at the Baker Institute, will discuss policy implications. Radiation oncologist Dr. James D. Cox, who oversees the new proton treatment center at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, will discuss the health impact of radiation. Erich A. Schneider, Ph.D., an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin who specializes in nuclear engineering, will also participate. A question-and-answer session will follow.

The event will be moderated by Neal Lane, Ph.D., former science adviser to President Clinton and the senior fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute. He is also the Malcolm Gillis University Professor at Rice University and a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

When

Fri, Apr. 08, 2011
12 pm - 2 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago