Nissan Re-Opens Plants, Battles Radiation Fear
On Monday, Nissan plans to reopen six factories in Japan. They will make badly needed replacement parts for the domestic market and parts needed for its overseas plants, The Nikkei [sub] says. On Thursday this week, Nissan will start assembling vehicles at five of the six factories from Thursday using the parts procured by then.
Nissan’s problem plant is an engine plant in Iwaki city in Fukushima, close to the crippled nuclear power plant. Nissan is “trying to restore operations” there. The plant makes V6 engines. Bringing it on-line could take longer.
In the U.S., Nissan battles another enemy: Fear.
In the U.S., the urban myth is making the rounds that cars exported from Japan could somehow be radioactively contaminated. Nissan assured the public that it “will continue to implement all appropriate measures to reassure the public that all products from our company remain within globally accepted safety standards and until we are confident that any risk of contamination is completely removed.”
“Yet for some Americans, no risk is better than even the slightest perfection of risk — and that could dissuade some from buying an imported Japanese car for fear that it is somehow radioactive,” says USA Today.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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I think part of the problem is the news media uses "radiation" both for radioactive material that persists and ionizing radiation which does not. Exposing food to a burst of ionizing radiation to kill microorganisms makes it more safe. Exposing food to trace amounts of radioactive material makes it less safe. However, no sane person marketing a product in the US would let the word "radiation" get associated with their irradiated to kill pathogens food product. Can't imagine the scale of the death and destruction Japan is dealing with. Hope we can all relearn the lesson of the probability of multiple "independent" failures. The common thread of The Titanic, the recent financial meltdown, and the Fukushima nuclear power plant is risk was underestimated by believing that failures wouldn't cascade. A little ironic that Nissan's GTR Godzilla production is disrupted by natural disaster and radiation fears. Godzilla lyrics seem to fit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcZGRCU8s3g&feature=related
i'm really wondering how powerful lobbyists really are. how much of the truth are we actually receiving? why was the death of 4 people in a lexus 350 quickly silenced? why did toyota advertisements on their sales get more aggressive? it's a shame all nissan luxury cars are produced in japan. i'm sorry if i come off as ignorant, but i do fear being exposed to radiation from my potential G37. could you guys shed some light on why it is safe? a scientific explanation (sources optional) will be much appreciated.