日本福島核電站因地震和海嘯發生爆炸，增加了核輻射物質泄露的危險。受此警示，歐盟一些國家宣布暫停新建核設施項目。歐盟還將于15日在布魯塞爾召開核能安全緊急會議，以日本福島核電站爆炸事故為教訓，重新審查歐盟各國的核能安全標準以及執行情況，重點是檢查各國核電站應對地震的預案，以確保各國核電站的安全。

奧地利政府呼吁歐盟，要像在債務危機中對銀行進行壓力測試那樣，對歐盟國家的所有核電站進行壓力測試，檢查反應堆冷卻系統及反應堆容器的抗震能力是否達標。一向支持核能開發的德國總理默克爾表示，德國不準備新建核電站，對是否延長德國核電站的壽命，將推遲3個月再做決定。

不過，也有專家和官員表示，雖然各國的核設施發展會因為日本核事故影響而減慢，但鑒于各國不斷增長的能源需求，核能發展不可能就此停止。

The second hydrogen explosion in three days rocked Japan's stricken nuclear plant.

Switzerland freezes plans to build new nuclear plants, Germany raises questions about its nuclear future, and opposition to atomic reactor construction mounts from Turkey to South Africa.

Will explosions and other worries at a tsunami-stricken Japanese nuclear plant halt what has come to be known as the nuclear renaissance?

Fears about nuclear safety that took a generation to overcome after the accidents at Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island are resurfacing around the globe. They are casting new doubt on a controversial energy source that has seen resurgence in recent years, amid worries over volatile oil prices and global warming.

"Europe has to wake up from its Sleeping Beauty slumber" about nuclear safety, Austria's Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich told reporters in Brussels. He suggested an EU-wide stress test for nuclear plants, much like European banks have been tested for their ability to cope with financial shocks.

Yet some experts and officials say those fears are overblown, given the exceptional nature of Japan's earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The Japanese blasts may slow the push for more nuclear plants, but appear unlikely to stop it, given the world's fast-growing energy needs.

The governments of Russia, China and Poland said they are sticking to plans to build more reactors. Even earthquake-prone Chile says it won't discard a nuclear option. Spain warned against hasty decisions.

Japan's nuclear plant explosions come as the U.S. government looks to expand its nuclear energy industry by offering companies tens of billions in financial backing. Administration officials said the U.S. would seek lessons from the Japanese crisis but said the events in Japan would not diminish the United States commitment to nuclear power.

"It remains a part of the president's overall energy plan," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "When we talk about reaching a clean energy standard, it is a vital part of that."

In Atlanta, the CEO of Southern Co. said Monday he does not expect Japan's problems to delay construction of two more nuclear reactors in Georgia, at the first nuclear plant in the United States to break ground in a generation.

Elsewhere, governments began questioning their vision of a nuclear-energized future amid rising threats of a meltdown at one Japanese reactor.

Switzerland ordered a freeze on new plants or replacements "until safety standards have been carefully reviewed and if necessary adapted," Energy Minister Doris Leuthard said. The decision put on hold the construction of nuclear power stations at three sites approved by Swiss regulatory authorities.

In Germany, the government said it is suspending for three months a decision to extend the life of its nuclear power plants. That also means that two older nuclear power plants will be taken off the grid shortly — at least for now — pending a full safety investigation, Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters.

The European Union called a meeting Tuesday of nuclear safety authorities to assess Europe's preparedness in case of a nuclear emergency.

Individual EU members including Britain, Bulgaria and Finland also urged a nuclear safety review.

Meanwhile, opposition voices rose up in Turkey and Sweden to renounce or scale back governments' nuclear expansion plans. And anti-nuclear groups staged rallies around France, the world's most nuclear-dependent country, as the government sought to reassure the public that the risks remain minimal.

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(Agencies)

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）