Hear Dr Helen Caldicott, on Japan’s nuclear power restart

Q&A: Dr. Helen Caldicott on Japan’s nuclear power restart, Free Speech Radio News BY PRODUCER · AUGUST 12, 2015 DOWNLOAD AUDIO ………”The majority of Japanese people, 60 or 70 percent, are opposed to the reopening of reactors. There’ve been many, many demonstrations, but I’m afraid money counts over there. And Tepco and Toshiba are really the government, and when they decide it goes ahead. It is also being…it’s also happening because the nuclear industry in America is exerting a huge amount of pressure upon the Japanese industries to open again, for several reasons: a) It will increase the amount of uranium; b) [It will] encourage the nuclear industry in America; and c) Japan is a major producer of parts of nuclear reactors – the reactor vessel, etc. etc. – which they export all over the world, to Turkey and elsewhere. So there’s a huge amount of money involved and they don’t really care, let’s be frank, about people’s health. Although now, about a hundred and…over a hundred and nine children have developed thyroid cancer in the Fukushima prefecture, and the number of incidents in that population is one to two per million.”……

“There were three meltdowns – never before occurred in the history of the nuclear age – major meltdowns. So, I mean, everyone accepts there were three major meltdowns. That’s a fact. That’s a fact. That’s like me trying to substantiate that there’s a nose on your face. Um, it’s a fact, scientific fact. And it’s an absolute catastrophe. They’ll never clean it up. They won’t be able to get to those three melting cores, because if you stand next to them for a couple of minutes you’ll die. And no one’s ever thought about three major meltdowns that were in fact harder…hard to get those cores out. It will be impossible.”

CC: Some people appear to be taking comfort that this is not in fact the crippled Fukushima plant and it is not operated by Tepco. And they also believe that Sendai is not exposed to the same level of risk.

Dr. HC: It matters not who manages nuclear reactors. All meltdowns, and there have been quite a few, have been caused by human fallibility. They built six nuclear reactors just near an earthquake fault, at sea level, and they knew that they were doing that, and in fact the independent commission on Fukushima – set up by the Japanese government – said it was human fallibility and human faults. Sendai will be managed by humans with their fallibilities, number one, and number two, it’s near an active volcano. Japan is a very volcanic, earthquake-ridden area, and to build nuclear reactors on Japan, in the mainland or elsewhere, is pure foolishness.”……..

“Most doctors don’t really understand the medical effects of radiation; you have to study that. I’ve spoken to huge areas, or groups, of concerned parents who know nothing about it and are desperate for the truth, even if it’s bad. I’ve testified before a government commission in the parliament. I’ve spoken to various Japanese politicians, but the truth is, they have no power. It’s [Prime Minister Shinzō] Abe who’s determining the whole thing. And it’s money that’s determining it. And the Japanese government, really they give no heed to people’s suffering. And just to add another addition to this, the doctors have been told not to tell their patients that their symptoms are related to radiation. It’s a horrifying medical situation.”……..http://fsrn.org/2015/08/qa-dr-helen-caldicott-on-japans-nuclear-power-restart/