Japan « nuclear-news

Human rights in Fukushima’s ongoing radiation crisis

Watch: Immediate attention from medical experts is needed for people in contaminated areas — Fukushima is ongoing crisis (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/watch-immediate-attention-medical-experts-needed-people-contaminated-areas-fukushima-ongoing-crisis-video
November 27th, 2012
Title: How to protect the right to health and life of citizens from radiological contamination? – Ms. Mari INOUE, Esq., Human Rights Now New York
Source: ERF2012
Date: Nov 25, 2012
Ms. Mari INOUE, Esq., Human Rights Now New York: Recommendation by [the United Nation’s investigator] Mr. Grover will not be published until next summer. So it’s a long process and both of those processes are legally non-binding.

So how are we going to protect the rights of people, especially the right to health and life of people in contaminated area, because they need immediate assistance. They need immediate attention from medical communities and civil societies, because what’s going on in Fukushima is ongoing crisis.

November 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011, Fukushima continuing | Leave a comment

Powerful nuclear interests likely to prevail in Japanese elections

An LDP win would also signal successful lobbying by Japan’s “nuclear village”, a web of vested interests including utilities, bureaucrats and lawmakers that remains powerful despite the world’s worst radiation crisis in a quarter century.

Pro-nuclear party could win power in Japan TVNZ November 27, 2012, Japanese voters look likely to hand victory to a party that favours nuclear power in the first election since the March 2011 Fukushima radiation disaster.

But even if the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wins the December 16 election, it will not reflect any groundswell of popular support for nuclear power.

Instead, it would underline a lack of credible anti-nuclear political standard-bearers in Japan and the ability of the LDP to focus the debate on security matters and the stalled economy. Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Political turmoil in Japan as election date approaches

Asahi’s public opinion survey of major domestic economic issues showed that 50 percent of interviewees oppose the utilization of nuclear power, which has been a hot-button issue since the nuclear meltdowns

Japanese voters frustrated over political turmoil 2012-11-27 ByZHANG YUNBI (China Daily) Japanese dismay at domestic political turmoil and gloomy economic prospects were two of the top issues in the country’s latest public opinion polls, which outline the landscape leading up to Japan’s election next month.

Experts said the winner of the election will face key economic issues including tax hike bills and a ban on nuclear power. Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Nuclear free goal brings Japan’s small political parties together

Small parties join push for nuclear-free society The Yomiuri Shimbun, 27 Nov 12 Ichiro Ozawa’s People’s Life First party and a party jointly led by former farm minister Masahiko Yamada and Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura have begun coordinating views to create a new party aimed at uniting smaller political forces advocating a nuclear-free society.

They want the new party to include Kuniko Tanioka, a House of Councillors member and coleader of Midori no Kaze, who supports the zero nuclear option.

The parties also have floated the idea of having Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada, who has taken a cautious stance on restarting nuclear reactors, become leader of the new party, which according to Kawamura and other officials could be named “Nippon Mirai no To” (Japan Future Party).

Kada is expected to make her position clear on Tuesday….. http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T121126004153.htm

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Nuclear money makes nuclear addicts of Japan’s towns

Another example of a local community dependent on money related to nuclear facilities is in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, formerly a poverty-stricken village where most of its 11,000 residents relied on agriculture and fisheries for their livelihood. The village is now called one of Japan’s wealthiest municipalities.

If the government’s plan to phase out nuclear power in Japan is to be implemented, the whole concept of a nuclear fuel cycle in this country would collapse, which in turn would deal a serious blow to Rokkasho’s fiscal foundation.

the system in which money flows from the nuclear community into host municipalities remains intact, and unless
the link is cut off, those municipalities will continue to rely on the nuclear industry.

Municipal nuclear addiction, Japan Times, 26 Nov 12 Municipalities hosting nuclear power plants throughout Japan have received large amounts of central government subsidies, donations from utilities and lucrative business contracts Now, 1½ years after the Fukushima nuclear disaste rs, those municipalities realize how much their finances depend on the nuclear power-induced money.

“They’re like drug addicts cut off from supplies,” said a member of the assembly of Niigata Prefecture, which hosts Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast. All the reactors at the plant remain shut down after its No. 5 and 6 reactors went offline earlier this year……

Host prefectures and municipalities receive central government grants based on laws designed to promote development of power generation facilities. …. Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Japan’s inadequate response to its Fukushima radiation victims

U.N. envoy: Japan should do more for nuclear victims, Asahi Shimbun November 27, 2012 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A United Nations rights investigator said Nov. 26 that Japan hasn’tdone enough to protect the health of residents and workers affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Anand Grover, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to health, said the government has adopted overly optimistic views of radiation risks and has conducted only limited health checks after the partial meltdowns at several reactors at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant caused by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Several investigations, including one conducted by a parliament-appointed panel, have criticized the government for alleged cover-ups and delays in disclosing key radiation information, causing evacuees to be unnecessarily exposed to radiation. That has also
caused deep-rooted public distrust of the government and nuclear industry. Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, Japan | Leave a comment

Slow increase of radiation in Fukushima No 1 reactor’s water intake

[Radiation leakage to the sea] Radiation level at water intake of
reactor1~4 is slowly increasinghttp://fukushima-diary.com/2012/11/radiation-leakage-to-the-sea-radiation-level-at-water-intake-of-reactor14-is-slowly-increasing/ by Mochizuki on November 26th, 2012 ·

According to Tepco’s report of “Radioactivity Density of the Seawaterat the South of Unit 1-4 Water Intake of Fukushima Daiichi NPS (Bq/L)” published on 11/26/2012, the radiation level at the water intake is slowly increasing since the first week of this October.

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Understandably, Japan doesn’t like India’s Nuclear Liability Law

Japan also sought some clarifications about India’s nuclear liability law that prevents suppliers from making themselves immune to compensation claims in the event of an accident.

PM revives nuclear energy talks with Japan By Sachin Parashar, TNN | Nov 26, 2012 NEW DELHI: PM Manmohan Singh sought to revive with Japan negotiations for peaceful use of nuclear energy, which has remained stalled since the Fukushima nuclear accident in March, 2011, in a meeting with his counterpart Yoshihiko Noda in Phnom Penh last week.

Sources said Singh expressed hope before Noda that Japan would soon share its nuclear technology and expertise with India. Continue reading →

November 26, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, Japan, politics international | Leave a comment

World Health Organisation grudgingly admits that radiation raises cancer risk in children

WHO forecasts no significant increase in cancer patients in Fukushima, Asahi Shimbun, By YURI OIWA, 25 Nov 12 “……..for children, who are deemed more susceptible to radiation exposure than adults, the increases varied sharply depending on the location.

The incidence rate for 1-year-old girls in Namie for developing thyroid cancer by the age of 16 grew 9.1 times from 0.004 percent before the accident to 0.037 percent, according to the WHO report. That means 3.7 1-year-old girls out of 10,000 living in the town will
develop thyroid cancer, compared with 0.4 girls before the accident.

For 1-year-old boys in Namie, the likelihood of developing leukemia was predicted to go up 1.8 times from 0.03 percent before the accident.

The thyroid cancer rate for 1-year-olds in Iitate, another town near the stricken nuclear plant, grew 5.9 times, while the rate in the prefectural capital of Fukushima increased 3.7 times.

The risks posed to fetuses were considered the same as those for 1-year-olds.

The report also said the chances of young people exposed to low-level radiation developing benign tumors or cysts will likely rise, and it urged continued monitoring of their health even though the tumors and cysts are unlikely to become cancerous…..
Some health experts hailed the WHO report for spelling out the health risks in numbers.

Residents in Fukushima Prefecture became skeptical of the repeated reassurances by the central government and the Fukushima prefectural government that their health would probably not be affected if their radiation exposure was 100 millisieverts or less.

November 26, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, Japan | Leave a comment

Exploiting Japan’s university students as Fukushima cleanup workers

[Exploiting the youth] Fukushima university to give students credit
for decontamination work http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/11/exploiting-the-youth-fukushima-university-to-give-students-credit-for-decontamination-work/ by Mochizuki November 24th, 2012

On 11/19/2012, Fukushima Diary wrote, “It’s likely that they make it a credit necessary to graduate from schools to go to Fukushima (plant).” in the column [Japan may seek solution of Fukushima in drifting to the right]. Fukushima university is going to do exactly what was written in the column.

Fukushima university is going to give students credit for decontamination work, which is supposed to be volunteer. 45 hours of decontamination is one credit, 90 hours of decontamination is two credits.

November 26, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | civil liberties, Fukushima 2012, Japan | Leave a comment

Fukushima had 3 nuclear meltdowns

Michio Kaku: 3 meltdowns in Fukushima, but uranium actually totally liquified… 1st time in history — “Reactor actually melted totally” (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/michio-kaku-3-meltdowns-fukushima-uranium-actually-totally-liquified-1st-time-history-reactor-actually-melted-totally-video November 22nd, 2012

Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, November 20, 2012: Previously Kaku has stated that one Fukushima reactor had “liquified Professor Michio Kaku, City College of New York:
We had three simultaneous core meltdowns in Fukushima, but the uranium actually liquified — liquified — we’ve never seen a totally liquified core before.

First time in history.

But the Fukushima reactor actually melted totally.

Michio Kaku: American theoretical physicist, the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics in the City College of New York of City University of New York, a co-founder of string field theory […] Kaku graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1968 and was first in his physics class. He attended the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley and received a Ph.D. in 1972.
Listen to the broadcast here

November 25, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Japan’s solar feed in tariff boosting renewable energy

The Land of the Rising Sun Goes Solar http://financialconservation.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-land-of-rising-sun-goes-solar.html#ixzz2D4daQDH6 Business Insider, Michael E. Douroux, Financial Conservation | Nov. 22, 2012 “According to a new report from the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association, domestic shipments of solar cells and modules have risen by 80% in the July-September quarter of this year.

This is on the heels of the Japanese government enacting an ambitious solar energy incentive initiative, a feed-in tariff (known as net energy metering in California) that aims to help support the adoption of solar energy throughout the country.

The feed-in tariff was introduced in the wake of the Fukushima disaster of 2011, when a powerful earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear crisis in Northern Japan. After the disaster, the government made moves to abandon nuclear power. While moving away from nuclear energy has proven to be a slow and laborious process, the country has been keen to aggressively replace nuclear with other forms of alternative energy that are considered safer. Solar energy has, thus
far, become one of the country’s most favored forms of alternative energy for this purpose.”

November 23, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, renewable | 3 Comments

Highest ever radiation in wild boar in Iwaki, japan

33,000 Bq/Kg from wild boar in Iwaki city, “The highest measurement ever” http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/11/33000-bqkg-from-wild-boar-in-iwaki-city-the-highest-measurement-ever/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FukushimaDiary+%28Fukushima+Diary%29
by Mochizuki November 21st, 2012 · On 11/20/2012, Fukushima prefecture announced they measured 33,000 Bq/kg of cesium from wild boar in Iwaki city. It was the highest
measurement ever.

Prefectural government commented they are not sure about the reason.

They measured higher than 100 Bq/Kg from 5 among 16 samples, which were wild boar (Sus scrofa), spot‐billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha), mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and Japanese deer (Cervus nippon).

November 23, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Role of Fukushima insects in spreading radiation?

Are radioactive insects spreading Fukushima contamination from lake bottoms across the land? Scientist: They grow underwater then fly out & die everywhere http://enenews.com/are-radioactive-insects-spreading-cesium-from-lake-bottoms-out-across-the-land-scientist-they-grow-underwater-then-fly-out-and-die-everywhere
November 21st, 2012
Title: Fukushima Update: Radioactive Fish, Conflicts of Interest, and Filtered Vents
Source: ScienceBlogs (A National Geographic partner)
Author: Greg Laden
Date: Nov. 21, 2012
Highly Radioactive Fish Have Been Found…
I have a hypothesis that explains many of these observations. Fish like trout, salmon, and char eat, among other things, insects on the surface, gorging on hatches. A hatch is a large number of insects flying around and spending time over water, or often, just falling into the water, after emerging from a body of water where they spent an aquatic phase. I’ve written before about the role that insects such as dragonflies and lake flies serve the role of moving nutrients from their “final” resting place at the bottom of ponds and lakes, out across the landscape. These animals start off as an egg, and then turn into their adult form underwater, accumulating nutrients …. and cesium? …. as they grow. Then they fly out of the water and die everywhere. Or, are eaten by selected species of fish. From clay-rich lake bottom, where radioactive cesium can accumulate in sufficient density to disqualify bottom feeders from human consumption, to the mouths of trout, salmon and char. I don’t know if the Japanese researchers are thinking about it this way, but I hope it is given some thought.

1 This Month

Read the Public Inquiry Report, the Commissioners’ report, Surrendering Australia: The AUKUS Deception is available to download for free at aukuspublicinquiry.com. Or just watch the replay of the National Press Club Luncheon.