Andy Atkins, executive director of Friends of the Earth, said the road would cause more pollution, damage the environment and do little to boost the economy.

BBC: Tree protester

Beyond low-Earth orbit, astronauts are bombarded with harmful cosmic rays, which can boost the risk of certain diseases such as cancer and neurological damage.

MSN: NASA hopes astronaut trash can be used as radiation shield

Rebuilding is expected to provide a major boost to GDP, though pace the parable of the broken window, the statistics may mask the economic damage.

FORBES: Parsing The Economic Impact Of The Japanese Disaster