Center for a New American Security

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Washington, D.C., March 18, 2011 — As Japan and the world rush to address the immediate challenges created by last week’s earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis, it is important to recognize that the short-term decisions made in the wake of this tragedy will have long-term consequences for Japan and the world. Two new Center for a New American Security (CNAS) policy briefs analyze these consequences and offer a constructive path forward.

In Disaster in Japan: Nuclear Energy, the Economy and the U.S.-Japan Alliance, CNAS experts provide their perspectives on three critical areas: America's vital alliance with Japan, the world’s energy future and the Japanese economy.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance. Daniel Kliman suggests there may be a transformation of Japan’s domestic politics, a possible reorientation of Japan’s defense policy including changing attitudes toward the American military presence and new pressures on Japanese defense expenditures. 
The World's Energy Future. Christine Parthemore writes, "as Japan’s nuclear energy future is altered, the world’s nuclear energy future will shift as well.” She analyzes whether the crisis will induce a retreat from nuclear energy, if development of next-generation nuclear reactors will accelerate and whether global confidence in Japanese nuclear technology will falter.
The Japanese Economy and Ripple Effects. David Asher and Patrick Cronin write, "The severity of the nuclear meltdown is crucial and may determine whether Japan eventually bounces back to its original economic trajectory or plunges into another deep recession." 

Download Disaster in Japan: Nuclear Energy, the Economy and the U.S.-Japan Alliance here.

A second policy brief, Extreme Crises: Reassessing U.S. Preparedness for the Next Catastrophe, calls for a reassessment of U.S. civilian and military crisis response capabilities. Patrick Cronin and Brian Burton opine that "U.S. policymakers have not sufficiently considered the impact of limited finances and stretched military capabilities on crisis response in a systematic way, or planned for crises that strike in such quick succession." As a result, "the United States needs to reassess its real readiness to cope with multiple crises."

Download Extreme Crises: Reassessing U.S. Preparedness for the Next Catastrophe here.

With the Fukushima nuclear plant still leaking radioactive material and hundreds of thousands homeless, cold and hungry, this crisis is still ongoing. Donations to aid Japan can be made to: The American Red Cross, Mercy Corps and The Nippon Foundation/Canpan Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.