CNAS Policy Briefs: Disaster in Japan and Its Consequences

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.