"Japan Split on Hope for Vast Radiation Cleanup"

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/world/asia/japans-huge-nuclear-cleanup-makes-returning-home-a-goal.html?_r=1&hp


     According to the article, written by Martin Fackler, the town of Futaba, Japan is completely deserted.  The traditional wooden homes that remain have "begun to sag and collapse since they were abandoned in March by residents fleeing the nuclear plant on the edge of town that began spiraling toward disaster".  The villagers that left Futaba are among 90,000 people that evacuated the 12 mile area around the Fukushima Daiichi plant, along with another Northwestern area, that were contaminated due to scattered radioactive cesium and iodine from the plant.  As of right now the Japanese are working on cleaning up the area, hoping that those who once lived there can move back.  Despite this, there is much debate as to whether or not the area should be repopulated.  Unlike the Chernobyl accident which the Soviet Union faced, the japanese must clean up the contaminated area because their country is more densely populated and needs the land.  The article itself is very depressing because so many families were forced to leave their homes.  The article also spoke of some residents who had lived in Futaba or other surrounding areas for many generations.  It must have been very difficult for them to leave.
     The author of the article appealed to the emotions of the reading, causing them to feel very bad for those that were effected by such a disaster.  Also, when reading the article, i looked for signs of bias as to whether the author supported repopulation or not.  Apparently, he did a good job in displaying both sides of the debate as I could not find which side he supported more since there were no hints or suggestions as to his opinion.