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Fukushima “Disaster never seen in human history”

Journal: “Fukushima has an Ongoing Melt-Out” — “Is this not the worst possible outcome?” — “Nuclear fuel mixing with groundwater and leaking into sea” — “Disaster never seen in human history and imagined only in movies” — Tokyo Paper: “A situation in which massive accidents occur daily” http://enenews.com/journal-fukushima-has-an-ongoing-melt-out-is-this-not-the-worst-possible-outcome-nuclear-fuel-mixing-with-groundwater-and-leaking-into-sea-disaster-never-seen-in-human-history April 26, 2014

 
 

text-Fukushima-2014Syndic Literary Journal No. 10, by poet Taki Yuriko and translated by John Saxon, Dec. 2013:

Excerpts from ‘Fukushima has an Ongoing Melt-Out’

On March 11, 2011, Pandora’s Box was opened.
TEPCO reports, “1000 tons of groundwater Flow daily into the reactor structure. Half the contaminated water is Pumped into land tanks, but Half leaks out to sea”
In short, Melted nuclear fuel has accumulated In the reactor bottom – Meltdown.
But now it has breached the reactor bottom, Leaking out of the containment vessel – Melt-through.
Containment vessels have at least two openings, An entrance for ground water and An exit for contaminated water. Nuclear fuel mixing With the ground water and Leaking into the sea – Melt-out!
Is this not The worst possible outcome?
But they deliberately hide the danger, Removing key terms from their reports.
With the kind of disaster Never seen in human history and Imagined only in movies, Why is there no clear admission?
The Japanese government says it can retire these plants within forty years. But only if robots can be developed in ten years To replace the human workers And determine where the problem is Inside the highly radioactive reactor. “Where the problem is?!”
It’s the “hole” through which the Melted nuclear fuel is leaking! Why don’t they SAY THAT?!Tokyo Shinbun editorial (pdf), Aug. 22, 2013: “After the massive accident at Fukushima, we are now in a situation in which massive accidents occur daily.”

Japan Times, Commentary by Prof. Christopher Hobson of Waseda University: Apr. 24, 2014: […] many serious challenges lie ahead. There will be more leaks and problems at the No. 1 plant. There will also have to be the controlled release of contaminated water into the ocean. Public support and understanding will be needed through these difficult processes. For this to happen, Tepco needs to begin to rebuild its credibility with the public […] Tepco’s regaining the trust of Japan’s public is just as difficult a task as resolving the technical challenges in decommissioning the plant. The only way this might happen is […] to be more honest and transparent about the problems in Fukushima.

View the complete poem by Taki Yuriko here

April 26, 2014 Posted by | Fukushima 2014 | 2 Comments

100 Taiwanese academics take to the streets in anti nuclear protest

Academics take to the streets against nuclear generation, Taipei Times, 25 April 14  By Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter About 100 academics yesterday staged a silent march from Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building to Gikong Presbyterian
Lin-Yi-hsiung-TaiwanChurch, where former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Lin Yi-xiong (林義雄) has been on a hunger strike since Tuesday, to urge the government to give up nuclear energy.

 “Nuclear power is the most negative product of capitalism and imperialism, it’s a disaster for the disadvantaged,” said Cheng Fei-wen (鄭斐文), an associate professor of sociology at Tung Hai University. “When nuclear disaster occurs, it is the poor, the aged and children who will suffer the most. Even today, the Tao people on Orchid Island still suffer from nuclear waste storage,” he added.

National Chung Cheng University professor Chen Ruey-lin (陳瑞麟) said Taiwan was located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” where frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

“I don’t think Taiwan is qualified to use nuclear energy,” he added…………

Taiwan Association of University Professors president Lu Chung-chin (呂忠津), who teaches electrical engineering at National Tsing Hua University, said the government should not continue to threaten the public by saying that there may be a power shortage without the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

“It would be better if the government could use this critical time to develop a green energy system for our future,” he said.

The group marched in silence to the church after tying yellow ribbons with the slogan: “Stop the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant; return the power to the people” on police barricades that barred them from getting close to the Presidential Office Building…….http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/04/26/2003588934

April 26, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, Taiwan | Leave a comment

Japan’s Nuclear Decommissioning Institute calls for international help with Fukushima reactors

Fukushima-containment-vesseJapan seeking international assistance with Fukushima Daiichi fuel removal http://enformable.com/2014/04/japan-seeking-international-assistance-fukushima-daiichi-fuel-removal/ On Friday, officials from the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning (IRID) in Japan attending a seminar asked for input from engineers in Japan and across the world on removing melted nuclear fuel from the crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Tokyo Electric plans to fill the containment vessels with water in order to shield the workers from the high levels of radiation they would be exposed to while retrieving the damaged fuel.  The roadmap for decommissioning developed by the utility estimates fuel removal activities could begin by 2020, or later.

At the seminar, IRID officials announced to any engineers interested in giving their input that the plan to fill the containment vessels may not be feasible, as not all leaks may be located or plugged prior to fuel removal.

The announcement infers that the containment vessels may be more damaged than initially estimated by Tokyo Electric.  Even if the containment vessels were able of holding the water there are also questions as to whether they would be structurally sound enough to hold the additional weight of the water required for shielding.

Engineers are invited to submit their input on technology that can identify and remove fuel debris in a highly radioactive atmosphere while protecting workers without the aid of shielding by water.  The Japanese government will begin accepting proposals in June.

April 26, 2014 Posted by | Fukushima 2014 | 3 Comments

Abolish nuclear weapons – say Buddhist, Christian and Muslim leaders

Religion-&-nuke-SmUS Faith Groups Unite to Call for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Stressing Devastating Humanitarian Impact, Religion News Service April 25, 2014 Buddhist, Christian and Muslim Communities at US Institute of Peace in Advance of UN Non-Proliferation Conference

WASHINGTON DC: On April 24, 2014, Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International (SGI) sponsored “Making a Difference – Faith Communities and the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons,” a one-day interfaith symposium held at the US Institute of Peace in Washington DC.

Over 100 participants from diverse faiths including Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions came together with peace activists and experts to identify common concerns and refresh their determination to rid the world of these inhuman weapons.

At the symposium, representatives of 11 different faith groups adopted a joint statement pledging increased activism by religious communities toward nuclear weapons abolition. This statement will be presented to the chair of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York from April 28 to May 9.

The statement reads, “The continued existence of nuclear weapons forces humankind to live in the shadow of apocalyptic destruction…. The moral insights of our traditions teach us that this threat is unacceptable and must be eliminated.” See http://www.sgi.org/assets/pdf/Joint-Faith-Statement-Antinukes.pdf………

Cosponsors of the event included Abolition 2000, American Values Network, Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Arms Control Association (ACA), Global Zero, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Pax Christi International, Pax Christi-USA and Women’s Action for New Direction (WAND).

Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a grassroots Buddhist association with 12 million members around the world. Its activities to promote peace, culture and education are part of the longstanding tradition of Buddhist humanism. SGI-USA has 120,000 members throughout the U.S.A.

Contact

William Aiken
waiken@sgi-usa.org
301-346-0167

April 26, 2014 Posted by | Religion and ethics, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

NASA just doesn’t get it – that ionising radiation is a killer

text ionisingCosmic ray radiation could prevent humans from travelling to Mars, Herald Sun,  STAFF WRITERS NEWS.COM.AU APRIL 25, 2014

A NEW report has exposed one of the big problems confronting our ambition to send humans to Mars – galactic cosmic ray radiation.

Cosmic rays consist of high energy particles. When humans leave the earth’s atmosphere, these rays can kill cells and even cause cancer. They’re also extremely difficult to shield against, Wired reports.

The new study, published in the scientific journal PLOS One, says astronauts could receive doses of cosmic ray radiation exceeding their lifetime limit after just 18 months (for women) or two years (for men) on the International Space Station.

“The type of tumours that cosmic ray ions make are more aggressive than what we get from other radiation,” says radiation expert Francis Cucinotta, who wrote the report.

That conclusion obviously has wider repercussions for extended space travel. If we’re going to send anyone to Mars, we’d better be able to protect them against the effects of this radiation. Cucinotta estimates that, as technology currently stands, an astronaut’s lifespan would be shortened by 15-24 years by a trip to the red planet.

NASA does take steps to ensure its astronauts don’t vastly increase their chances of dying from cancer. Once an astronaut has spent too much time accumulating radiation in space, they’re grounded, Wired reports……..http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/science/cosmic-ray-radiation-could-prevent-humans-from-travelling-to-mars/story-fnjwlbuf-1226895669558

NASA Chief: Mars Mission Necessary For Human Survival Http://Www.Abc22now.Com/Shared/News/Top-Stories/Stories/Wkef_vid_19784.Shtml

WASHINGTON — NASA chief Charles Bolden outlined after a recent summit the space agency’s plan for a manned mission to Mars by 2030, Yahoo News reported.Bolden called the mission “necessary if the human race is to survive.”

Ultimately, Bolden said, the human race will need to become colonists.

“If this species is to survive indefinitely we need to become a multiplanet species,” Yahoo quotes Bolden as saying. “We need to go to Mars, and Mars is a stepping stone to other solar systems.”

Bolden said a journey to Mars should be possible by the 2030s, with modest increases to NASA’s budget.

April 26, 2014 Posted by | radiation, USA | Leave a comment

George Monbiot- the nuclear lobby’s poster boy

Monbiot,-George-puppetArrest Monbiot website launched on the eve of Chernobyl’s 28th anniversary  By mariannewildart on April 25, 2014

A website has been set up on the eve of the 28th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. http://wildar4.wix.com/arrest-monbiot

The website calls for the Arrest of the Guardian newspaper’s columnist and  “leading environmentalist”  George Monbiot.

Monbiot has been a key player in persuading government ministers, many environmentalists and those who have been groomed to trust his judgement, that new nuclear is to be  embraced and “loved” as a solution to climate change.   Far from being a “solution” nuclear contributes to climate change with thermal heating of the oceans, profligate use of fossil fuel and fresh water – and diversion of resources from renewables.  Even if it were a “solution” it would be the final solution making large tracts of land uninhabitable, farmland unusable, the bounty of the sea uneatable,  and the air  unbreathable………….

The aim of this website is to encourage repeated attempts to arrest George Monbiot:

April 26, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Canadian Council calling for transparency on plans for nuclear power

scrutiny-on-costsPickering council calls for more transparency on nuclear plans Politicians ask for release of all reports, annual public meetings DurhamRegion.com By  Jillian Follert PICKERING — Pickering politicians want more transparency around plans to operate the local nuclear facility beyond its design life.    

On April 22, Pickering council unanimously passed a motion from Councillor Jennifer O’Connell that calls on Ontario Power flag-canadaGeneration to release all studies and documents that support the case for extending operations, as well as hold annual public meetings to report on the safety of the facility and answer questions from the public.

Coun. O’Connell compared the nuclear plant to city bridges, which require increased scrutiny as they age.

“They’re designed for a lifespan for a very specific reason, they can’t last forever,” she said.

OPG wants to operate the Pickering nuclear plant until 2020, which is beyond its design life of 210,000 hours.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will be holding a hearing on the request May 7 in Ottawa.    http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/4485458-pickering-council-calls-for-more-transparency-on-nuclear-plans/

April 26, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Renewable energy financing deal for home-owners

piggy-ban-renewablesGoogle, SunPower announce joint renewable energy financing deal Renewable Energy Focus 24 April 2014  Pair teams up to finance $250 million in residential solar lease projects

According to the agreement, Google will commit up to $100 million, with SunPower committing approximately $150 million. Thousands of homeowners are expected to finance solar power systems through SunPower solar leases as a result of this program, joining approximately 20,000 Americans already leasing from SunPower……

…..This agreement represents Google’s 16th renewable energy investment and its third residential rooftop solar investment. Overall, Google has invested more than $1 billion in renewable energy projects on three continents and across a range of technologies. Together, these projects can generate more than 2GW — enough electricity each year to power approximately 500,000 U.S. homes. http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/38121/google-sunpower-announce-joint-renewable-energy-financing-deal/

April 26, 2014 Posted by | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

Scotland shows the way to community cash from renewable energy

text-community-energyflag-ScotlandScotland helps communities earn cash from onshore wind turbines by ClickGreen staff. Published Fri 25 Apr 2014 Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has announced a fresh set of principles designed to maximise community benefit from onshore renewable energy developments.

These principles will help the Scottish Government deliver the 500 megawatts of community and locally owned renewables target by 2020.

The finalised Good Practice Principles for Community Benefit from Onshore Renewable Developments have now been published, following a period of consultation.
The key principle is the promotion of a national community benefits package rate equivalent to at least £5,000 per Megawatt per year, index linked to inflation for the operational lifetime of the development. So for example, a 20 Megawatt windfarm of eight turbines will generate at least £100,000 a year for the local community.

Another key component of the guidance encourages renewable energy developers to submit information on potential community benefits as early in the development process as possible. This is considered a vital step in allowing time for the community to consider properly and to develop ideas for implementation of the community benefit package.

In addition, as part of the principles Mr Ewing has announced that Government will work in partnership with Scottish Renewables to set up a short-term industry working group to develop guidance to encourage community investment in commercial renewables schemes. This is with a view to maximising the opportunity for communities to invest directly in local commercial schemes. To date communities involved in benefit schemes have reaped over £5.6 million for local projects and developments…….http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/national-news/124523-scotland-helps-communities-cash-in-with-onshore-wind-turbines.html

April 26, 2014 Posted by | decentralised, UK | Leave a comment

Koch brothers wage war on solar energy

Koch-brothersKoch Brothers And ALEC Expand Fight On Clean Energy Users CLIMATE PROGRESS, BY ARI PHILLIPS APRIL 25, 2014  THE RIGHT-WING AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL (ALEC), AN INFLUENTIAL LOBBYING GROUP COMPOSED OF REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS AND BIG BUSINESSES, IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE- AND LOCAL-LEVEL CLEAN ENERGY DISPUTES THAT ARE CURRENTLY EVOLVING ALMOST AS QUICKLY AS THE SOLAR AND WIND TECHNOLOGIES THEMSELVES. ALEC, KNOWN FOR ADVANCING CORPORATE INTERESTS, IS ALIGNED WITH THE KOCH BROTHERS IN THE CURRENT HEATED EXCHANGE — HOW TO MAKE DISTRIBUTED SOLAR POWER LOOK BAD.

Solar power is growing rapidly across the U.S., with capacity up an astounding418 percent in the last four years alone. This has given rise to two primary policy-level debates: how much renewable power utilities are required to use, known as Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), and figuring out the logistics of net metering, which guarantees homeowners or businesses with solar panels on their roofs the right to sell any excess electricity back into the power grid.

The Los Angeles times has recently been reporting out a story about how the Koch brothers are trying to roll back these solar initiatives across the country:

“The Koch brothers, anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and some of the nation’s largest power companies have backed efforts in recent months to roll back state policies that favor green energy. The conservative luminaries have pushed campaigns in Kansas, North Carolina and Arizona, with the battle rapidly spreading to other states.”

ALEC, which has referred to homeowners with their own solar panels as “freeriders on the system,” is deeply involved in both combating renewable energy mandates and modeling legislation that targets net metering…………

While ALEC might be doing the dirty work on clean energy, the fossil fuel industry is the one calling the shots, and filling the coffers. This is what makes it so cynical for ALEC to claim to be defending the free market while at the same time trying to punish solar users who have found a way to economically generate clean energy and provide some of it back to the market…..http://tinyurl.com/p868jlb

April 26, 2014 Posted by | ENERGY, politics, USA | Leave a comment

Corruption in Lavalin – company that promotes Small Modular Nuclear Reactors & Thorium

corruptionflag-canadaBurnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan compares BC to living in a banana Republi  chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OWoWOS69Zs “…..Mayor Derek Corrigan spoke passionately about the corrupt business practices of SNC Lavalin, the heavy handedness of the Federal government and the sorry state of communities rights vs multinational corporations……

comment by Bobbie Bees
Never forget that SNC-Lavlin was implicated in the attempt to help Moammar Gadhafi’s adult children flee Libya during the American invasion. This was done to help them avoid prosecution for the crimes they committed against the Libyans.

comment by   cheena1ca

 Yep, banana republic is right!  and SNC Lavalin should have all their work suspended right now!!

April 26, 2014 Posted by | Canada, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment