Nuclear radiation treated lightly in new Japanese schoolbooks
“They highlighted coexistence with radiation. They treated radiation risks lightly.” On the subcontractor, he said, “I don’t think it reasonable for an organization that promotes nuclear power generation to be entrusted with the project. Soul-searching on the nuclear accident is lacking.”
TEPCO boss part of utility group in shady deal on publication of radiation books Mainichi Daily News, 8 Dec 11The education ministry commissioned a group managed by top executives of utility firms to produce supplementary books on radiation for elementary, junior and senior high school students even after the outbreak of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, it has been learned.
The Japan Atomic Energy Relations Organization (JAERO) won a contract from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to produce supplementary books on radiation for school children before the outbreak of the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear complex on March 11. But the ministry did not change its decision to ask JAERO to produce the educational materials even after the nuclear disaster.
Toshio Nishizawa, president of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), and other top executives of utility firms are JAERO’s board members. Critics say the selection of the group as a subcontractor for the contract is not appropriate in light of the situation gripped by the ongoing nuclear crisis in Fukushima……. Continue reading
Bill Gates touting “incredibly safe” nuclear reactor to China
Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs
The word “incredible” has really lost its currency. Derived from Latin – “Credo – I believe”, the real meaning of this adjective is “unable to be believed”. Sadly, everyone now uses “incredible” to mean “very”.
We don’t seem to have a word for “simply not able to be believed”.
However – in the case of Bill Gates’ statement about his gee whiz new nuclear reactors, I think that the word really does revert to its true meaning! Incredibly safe – indeed ! – Christina Macpherson
Bill Gates glowing with optimism about nuclear power for China Seattle Times, by Jon Talton, 7 Dec 11 Here’s the “hmmm” story of the day: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is in China discussing jointly developing with Beijing a “new and safer” nuclear reactor. “All these new designs are going to be incredibly safe,” Gates told the audience in China, according to the Associated Press. “They require no human action to remain safe at all times.” Continue reading
The good ole nuclear industry remains optimistic
Security breaches, radiation leaks, disasters; Nothing worries the nuclear industry, Greenpeace, by Justin McKeating – December 5, 2011 One of the many odd qualities of the nuclear industry is its seemingly boundless optimism: “everything’s going to be just fine, folks.”
Apparently, there’s no need to worry about terrorists attacking nuclear reactors. Which is why Greenpeace campaigners could peacefully walk into three French nuclear power plants – Nogent-sur-Seine, Chinon and Blayais – this morning without being challenged by any
security measures whatsoever should be absolutely no cause for alarm, according to the authorities.
Our team that entered the Nogent-sur-Seine power plant, just 95 kilometres from Paris, were even able to scale the dome of one of the reactors and paint a pretty picture on it.
EDF, the operator of these three plants, happily announced that Greenpeace’s visit to Nogent-sur-Seine “had no impact on the safety of the plant, or the safety of employees at the site.” Of course not: Greenpeace aren’t terrorists.
Would EDF be so positive if terrorists had come calling today? With the nuclear industry able to see the good in everything, we can say: yes, probably. Everything’s going to be
just fine, folks.
Another example of boundless optimism in the nuclear industry is the recent stress tests conducted by European Union countries on their nuclear reactors in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.
Supposedly designed to identify safety concerns at the reactors, most operators felt there was no need to test the vulnerability of reactors to being struck by a large aircraft or to review evacuation plans in the event of an accident. And why would there be? It’s not as if
anybody has ever flown large aircraft into buildings or people have had to be evacuated from a nuclear disaster.
We’re seeing much the same attitude right now with the Fukushima nuclear disaster site in Japan. Continue reading
Nuclear power has always been, and still is, the excuse for nuclear weapons
Nuclear power has always been the nefarious Trojan horse for the weapons industry, and effective publicity campaigns are a hallmark of both industries.The concept of nuclear electricity was conceived in the early 1950s as a way to make the public more comfortable with the U.S. development of nuclear weapons.
“The atomic bomb will be accepted far more readily if at the same time atomic energy is being used for constructive ends,” a consultant to the Defense Department Psychological Strategy Board, Stefan Possony, suggested. The phrase “Atoms for Peace” was popularized by President Dwight Eisenhower in the early 1950s.
After Fukushima: Enough Is Enough, NYT, By HELEN CALDICOTT, 2 Dec 11“…….After the [Fukushima] accident, lobbying groups touted improved safety at nuclear installations globally. In Japan, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. — which operates the Fukushima Daiichi reactors — and the government have sought to control the reporting of negative stories via telecom companies and Internet service providers.
In Britain, The Guardian reported that days after the tsunami, companies with interests in nuclear power — Areva, EDF Energy and Westinghouse — worked with the government to downplay the accident, fearing setbacks on plans for new nuclear power plants. Continue reading
American public misunderstands scientific agreement on climate change
“It is no accident that so many Americans misunderstand the widespread scientific agreement about human-caused climate change. A well-financed disinformation campaign deliberately created a myth about there being lack of agreement. The climate science community should take all reasonable measures to put this myth to rest.”
Support for Climate Policy Linked to People’s Perceptions About Scientific Agreement Regarding Global Warming, ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2011) — People who believe there is a lot of disagreement among scientists about global warming tend to be less certain that global warming is happening and less supportive of climate policy, researchers at George Mason, San Diego State, and Yale Universities report in a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Continue reading
Corruption in media coverage of Fukushima radiation dangers
The corrupt reporting of Fukushima radiation risks Independent Australia 14 Nov 11 Nuclear authorities and the mainstream media have been actively minimising and trivialising the grave radiation dangers of the Fukushima disaster, says John LaForge.
The ongoing radiation catastrophe stemming from three out-of-control nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan, has taken a back seat to far graver news events of late — Michael Jackson’s doctor, fund-raising by presidential hopefuls and fluctuations in the stockmarket.
Meanwhile, reporting about the ongoing disaster relentlessly repeats the minimization and trivialization of radiation risk that began March 11, Continue reading
Citizens Forum in Japan challenges nuclear “experts”
there was widespread criticism after the Fukushima conference — which was organized by Shunichi Yamashita, the vice president of Fukushima Medical University and a “radiological health safety risk management advisor” for Fukushima prefectural government — that its participants assumed from the outset that radioactive contamination from the plant’s wrecked nuclear reactors is minimal.
Citizens’ forum queries nuclear ‘experts’, Japan Times, By TOMOKO OTAKE, 23 Oct 11 To whom does scientific debate belong? That was a central question raised by many of the 200-plus people who attended a citizens’ forum in Tokyo on Oct. 12, as they criticized the ways in which the Japanese government and radiation specialists working for it are assessing and monitoring the health effects of the ongoing nuclear disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Continue reading
“Independent” nuclear expert Meserve paid by nuclear industry
Frequent Media Nuclear Expert On Payroll Of Multiple Nuclear Power Companies , Simply Info, September 16th, 2011 This article came out through US news services yesterday frequently quoting a nuclear expert who is claiming newer commercial nuclear power plants are safer or superior to plants like Fukushima. Richard Meserve, the expert in the article claims because Fukushima was built in the 1970′s and that newer plant designs would be much safer.
The bulk of the US power plants were built in the 60′s and 70′s just like Fukushima. The word for word line about newer plants being safer is a standard line from the commercial nuclear power industry. The article cites’s Meserve’s credentials as being a former NRC head and as a consultant to the IAEA. After some research it is clear that this doesn’t even scratch the surface of Meserve’s real allegiances or who who signs his substantial paychecks. Continue reading
Japan’s Nuclear Agency manipulated public opinion forums
Japan Panel Says Nuclear Agency Manipulated Forums, WSJ, By MITSURU OBE, 30Sept 11 TOKYO—An independent panel advising Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry confirmed Friday that the ministry’s nuclear watchdog was involved in attempts by utilities to manipulate public opinion in favor of nuclear power, a conclusion likely to reinforce public mistrust in the nuclear industry and to raise further hurdles for the restart of idled reactors. Continue reading UK: public consultation on nuclear policy a farce
Labour’s love-in with the nuclear industry still blossoming Its support remains steadfast but not without a few indiscreet words slipping out at Labour conference on subsidies and public consultations Guardian UK Damian Carrington, 29 Sept 11
Labour’s love-in with the nuclear industry continued at a fringe event at the party conference in Liverpool, though not without some indiscreet words slipping out. Continue reading
Deceptive advertising from Entergy, about Indian Point nuclear power plant
Entergy forgot to mention that Indian Point has radioactive air and water emissions and leaks….
residents of three counties adjacent to Indian Point have thyroid cancer rates among the highest in the United States.
Indian Point Nuclear power Plant raises concerns, Times Union.com, Tom Ellis, September 27, 2011 A full-page ad in the Aug. 18 Times Union touted the benefits of Indian Point, a 49-year-old, three-unit nuclear power station where two 1970s-vintage reactors still operate. The plant is 25 miles north of the Bronx and 35 miles from midtown Manhattan. The ad was paid for by Entergy, owner of Indian Point. Continue reading
According to France an explosion in its nuclear re-processing plant was not a nuclear accident!
The IAEA does not appear particularly inclined to bow to French demands to classify Monday’s fatal blast as a non-nuclear industrial accident.
France in damage-limitation mode,THE HINDU, PARIS, September 13, 2011 VAIJU NARAVANE France went into damage-limitation mode following a blast at a nuclear re-processing plant on Monday which killed one person and injured four….
France is one of the world’s leading exporters of nuclear technology and authorities were quick to minimise the seriousness of the explosion. Industry Minister Eric Besson speaking to journalists described the event as “an industrial accident and not a nuclear incident”. Continue reading
Nuclear industry’s poor understanding of public opinion
People do not like this [nuclear] industry, not because they misunderstand it but because they understand it perfectly well. That is going to be very difficult to fix with little video clips on websites and new fact sheets….
… the magnitude of the disconnect, the dissonance, that exists in the minds of the strongest advocates of the [nuclear] industry. All they need to do is somehow just fix up the image of the industry and everything is going to be fine. I think we will be hearing a lot more of that on the part of the nuclear industry and its supporters in government.
Adjournment speech – Fukushima 6 months on – Australia’s Nuclear Free Alliance Spokesperson Scott Ludlam 14th September 2011 ”……..It will be very interesting to see how the democratic aspirations of the people of Japan now play out in the light of the permanent radioactive nightmare that has been unleashed in the Tohoku region of Japan.
If we take a very quick trip around the world, a Washington Post/ABC poll in April 2011 found that 64 per cent of Americans oppose the construction of new reactors, so there are no surprises why the industry is at an absolute standstill there. Support for nuclear power was similar or much lower in countries as varied as Chile at 12 per cent, Thailand at 16½ per cent, Australia at 34 per cent, and the United Kingdom at 35 per cent support.
That, I think, is a problem that has dogged the nuclear industry right from the beginning Continue reading
“Industrial accident” is the new wobbly word for “nuclear accident”
In a frantic attempt to decontaminate its reputation, EdF announced the explosion was ‘an industrial accident, not a nuclear accident’Does EdF, like us, think ‘nuclear’ is a dirty word? Edf’s distinction that doesn’t make sense when you consider the explosion occurred at a furnace used to burn low-level nuclear waste in a facility that also processes high-level nuclear waste. Could it be that EdF worries more about its reputation than the people it employs?
Explosion at Marcoule: nuclear industry spin hits overdrive, Greenpeace, by Justin McKeating – September 14, 2011 The first and most important thing to remember about Monday’s explosion at the Marcoule nuclear facility in southern France is that one man was tragically killed and four others were injured. Our condolences and thoughts are with their family and friends.
With this mind, the haste with which the French nuclear companies EdF and AREVA rushed out their spin in the first hours after the accident appears all the more unseemly. Continue reading
Bribery, propaganda, anything goes for Virginia Uranium
Virginia legislators criticized for all-expense paid trip to Saskatchewan uranium mine Yahoo News, By Andy Radia | Canada Politics , 13 Sept 11 Some Virginians are upset by a forthcoming ‘excursion’ by state politicians to a Saskatchewan mine, an outing paid for by a company that wants state legislators to lift a 30-year moratorium on uranium mining.
The company, Virginia Uranium, has a claim to what is thought to be the largest deposit of uranium in the U.S. — estimated to consist of about 119 million pounds — worth as much as $10 billion……
In the early 1980s, however, the state of Virginia halted uranium mining due to potential radiological risks – the moratorium still stands today….
But some eyebrows were raised in Virgina by people who question the appropriateness of a private company footing the bill for the legislators’ travel. Some are even suggesting the lawmakers are being“bought off.”
Since 2007, when Virginia Uranium was incorporated, the company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying the General Assembly. It donated $91,650 to candidates in Virginia since 2008 and retained four of Richmond’s most influential lobbying firms, as well as a top public relations firm….http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/virginia-legislators-criticized-expense-paid-trip-saskatchewan-uranium-162535662.html
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