Every Friday in Japan, the lawn of the Prime Minister's office fills with hundreds of Japanese citizens to protest the country's ongoing nuclear program despite the meltdown of the Fukushima power plant by Daichi. 170 miles north of Tokyo, the meltdown occurred in 2011 after a back-to-back earthquake and tsunami devastated the plant's cooling capabilities, which then led to the meltdown of one of the reactors. It even forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. (Junko and Mullen Jethro) Although no deaths have yet been attributed to the explosion or subsequent nuclear fallout, the full repercussions of the event have not yet been fully felt. A plan is still being developed to remedy the situation as water contaminated with nuclear substances continues to seep into the Pacific Ocean. The Fukushima disaster is certainly the worst nuclear event since Chernobyl in 1986 and will perhaps become the worst environmental disaster of our lifetime. The study of atoms began with Greek philosophers who invented the concept that matter is composed of invisible atoms. Centuries later, the implications of this theory were explored by many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity. Einstein's counterpart in theoretical physics, Ernest Rutherford, theorized: "If it were possible to control the rate of decay of radioelements at will, an enormous amount of energy could be obtained from a small amount of matter. » (“History of Nuclear Energy”) The next 40 years were spent trying to achieve this, and in 1942, Enrico Fermi and a team of noted physicists created the first sustainable nuclear reaction. Since then, the history of nuclear energy...... middle of paper ......ned Scientists National Headquarters. Internet. December 9, 2013. United States. Department of Energy. Strategy for the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Washington DC: , 2013. Print. “Position Paper: Nuclear Energy and Global Warming”. UCSUSA.org. Union of Concerned Scientists. Internet. December 10, 2013. Erin, Ailworth. "Japan's former leader warns against nuclear power." Boston Globe October 10, 2013, Business. Internet. December 16, 2013. United States. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Backgrounder: Accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Washington DC: USNRC Office of Public Affairs, 2013. Print. United States. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Backgrounder: Accident at Three Mile Island. Washington DC: USNRC Office of Public Affairs, 2013. Print. Lovley, Erika. “Chu is committed to promoting nuclear energy.” Politico JAN 01, 2009, Congress 2010. Internet. December 16. 2013.