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North Korea: international relations on the brink

The situation is ripe for miscalculation. The new South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, whose mother was killed by a North Korean agent, has made it clear she will not roll over like other South Korean leaders. Moreover, there is a new U.S.-South Korean agreement that could result in the United States more forcefully backing the South militarily short of all-out war. Another North Korean attack could result in the U.S. forces joining South Korea in some form of military retaliation.

Either way, we should not think this is a case of parties on the peninsula crying wolf. North Korea has shown time and time again it will strike with violence. It may well be on the verge of doing so again.

HOLMES: Decoding North Korea’s nuclear rhetoric Pyongyang’s saber-rattling often precedes attack By Kim R. Holmes The Washington Times. April 3, 2013 North Koreans are famous for belligerent rhetoric. Most recently, they’ve threatened to turn Seoul into a “sea of fire.” The North’s new leader, Kim Jong-un, comes across as a madman strutting around in a 1950s cartoon. Such flamboyance can tempt people to dismiss the North Koreans as either a joke or too crazy to be taken seriously. This is a mistake. They are not crazy, but wily operators who know how to play brinkmanship to their advantage. Continue reading →

April 4, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | North Korea, politics international | Leave a comment

North Korea has ‘given approval’ for nuclear attack

North Korea declares it has given approval for a nuclear attack on the United States VIDEOSand GRAPHICS

From: News Limited Network http://www.news.com.au/world-news/north-korea-gives-final-approval-for-nuclear-attack-on-united-states/story-fndir2ev-1226612136732
April 04, 2013

North Korean army says it has ‘final approval’ for nuclear attack
United States to move anti-missile system to Guam
Two advanced missile destroyers moved closer to North Korea
NORTH Korea says it has approved a nuclear attack on the United States in its latest threat as US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel warned Pyongyang to back down. Continue reading →

April 4, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | North Korea, weapons and war | Leave a comment

The growth, and strength, of anti nuclear sentiment in Japan

The anti-nuclear movement will provide a challenge to the LDP and business community’s desire to restart Japan’s nuclear sector. The Japanese public expects the new Nuclear Regulation Authority to strictly enforce safety regulations at existing nuclear facilities. Whether anti-nuclear sentiment will maintain its strength at the local and national levels and influence policy makers will strongly shape Japanese nuclear energy policy.

Post-Fukushima Nuclear Politics in Japan, Part 3: Empowered Anti-Nuclear Sentiment http://themonkeycage.org/2013/04/03/post-fukushima-nuclear-politics-in-japan-part-3-empowered-anti-nuclear-sentiment/ by DANIEL ALDRICH on APRIL 3, 2013 (This post is co-authored with James Platte and Jennifer Sklarew. Part 1 of this series is here. Part 2 is here.)

Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, public support for nuclear power in Japan has declined sharply, and anti-nuclear politicians have become empowered in their own parties or formed new, often single-issue parties to leverage popular support. Even the relatively pro-nuclear Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is facing challenges in openly promoting nuclear power. At the same time, the LDP must remain mindful of nuclear facility host communities, which continue to support nuclear power, and of the larger business community and the politically powerful regional utilities, which remain committed to nuclear power for economic reasons. Continue reading →

April 4, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Shellfish species disappears near Fukuhsima nuclear plant

UPI: ‘Shellfish gone near damaged nuke plant’ — Researcher: Likely extinct because of Fukushima nuclear crisis http://enenews.com/upi-shellfish-gone-near-damaged-nuke-plant-japan-researcher-extinction-likely-caused-by-fukushima-nuclear-crisis
April 2nd, 2013
Xinhua, April 1, 2013: Japanese researchers announced recently that a sort of shellfish called Thais clavigera disappeared in a 30-km coastal area near Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. […] Other shellfish species, such as Cellana grata, were found in the alert zone but the amount of them declined, with high dose of radioactive materials inside their bodies, according to the researchers. […] Toshihiro Horiguchi, a researcher from the environmental institute and the head of the team, said that it is a rare occurrence that Thais clavigera entirely disappeared from a 30-km long area, adding the extinct was probably caused by the nuclear crisis. The link between the disappearance and the catastrophic tsunami was excluded as the shell was also found in other areas that affected by the disaster, according to the team. […]

UPI, April 1, 2013: Shellfish gone near damaged nuke plant […] A species of shellfish has disappeared along an 18-mile stretch of coast near Japan’s devastated Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, scientists say. […] Other shellfish species were found in the alert zone but their numbers had declined and high levels of radioactive materials were detected in them, the researchers said. Lead researcher Toshihiro Horiguchi said the disappearance of Thais clavigera was likely a result of radiation from the damaged plant. […]
See also: Study: Significant decrease in abundance of Fukushima birds and butterflies as radiation levels increase -NYT

April 4, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2013 | Leave a comment

AUDIO Groundwater flows from Fukushima reactors to the ocean

Tecpo shows groundwater flowing from Fukushima reactors into ocean April 2nd, 2013 http://enenews.com/tecpo-shows-groundwater-flowing-from-fukushima-reactors-into-ocean-photo
Title: Progress Status of the Groundwater Bypass Construction
Source: Tokyo Electric Power Company
Date: March 27, 2013
[…] Gradual Reduction of Groundwater

The groundwater level will be gradually reduced with the groundwater bypass put in operation. Careful water level control will be implemented to prevent the accumulated water in the buildings from leaking to the outside while monitoring the groundwater level reduction and its water quality. The sub-drains installed around the buildings will be fully utilized for the monitoring. An observation hole will be newly installed between the Reactor Building and the pump well. […]
See also: Graphic shows ‘direct discharge’ going from Fukushima Daiichi reactors into Pacific — Underground flow of contaminated water also indicated (VIDEO)

April 4, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2013, oceans | Leave a comment

Tohoku Electric Power Company scraps plan for new nuclear power plant

TOKYO, Japan, March 28, 2013 (ENS) – The Japanese utility that supplies electricity to seven prefectures on Japan’s main island of Honshu today officially withdrew its plan to build a new nuclear power plant near the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Tohoku Electric Power Company said Thursday that it will cancel the construction of the Namie-Odaka plant in view of strong local opposition.

April 3, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Japan | Leave a comment

Physicians counter the lies of World Health Organisation, on Fukushima radiation

Even though the global media is controlled by just a handful of mega-corporations (4; 5), some people (perhaps too few of them) – to their credit – do not instantly accept the WHO’s findings and are now becoming more vocal in their demands for accurate information.

In contrast to WHO disinformation and what may only be described as pro-nuclear propaganda, a report from the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) has analyzed some of the available data from Japan and found “[t]he initial health consequences of the nuclear catastrophe are now, two years after the incident, scientifically verifiable” (9).

WHO Lies Refuted: Physicians’ Group
Predicts 100,000+ Fukushima
Cancer Incidences/Deaths
rense.com By Richard Wilcox, PhD
3-14-13 “All governments lie, but disaster lies in wait for countries whose officials smoke the same hashish they give out.” – I. F. Stone

In this new age of instant information, navigating the pitfalls of overload (too much); uncertainty (lack of); misinformation (poor quality); disinformation (intentional distortion, lies); is key in determining the scope of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and assessing immediate and long-term impacts on the international and Japanese public health. Fortunately we have one of the first attempts from researchers to set the record straight and calculate the death toll from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The report comes from the courageous men and women of International Physicians for Preventing Nuclear War (IPPNW) who expose the Big Lie being perpetrated by the World Health Organization (WHO) that few ill health effects will occur.

Consider that it is standard operating procedure for governments and industry to obfuscate, cover-up and lie about a nuclear disaster as soon as it occurs. The chaos that unfolds during a nuclear disaster such as Fukushima is used in a carefully orchestrated Big Lie process whereby damage control and perception management allow the perpetrators of the Big Crime – Tokyo Electric Power Company, the Japanese government and the international nuclear apologists and nuclear industry – to eventually get off scot free (1).

Even though the Japanese government was fully aware that three reactors had melted down and another one severely damaged, and that people should have been evacuated in a much more bold and expedient manner, the phrase that will live in infamy, “there is no immediate danger,” was repeated during the worst days of the nuclear crisis by the government. …. Continue reading →

March 30, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2013, secrets,lies and civil liberties | 4 Comments

Mass rally in North Korea against USA

N Korea stages mass rally, vows to hit US http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-29/n-korea-stages-mass-rally2c-vows-to-hit-us/4601790 includes videos Tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers and civilians have held a huge rally and march in Pyongyang, as the hermit nation ratchets up talk of striking the United States.

The rally on Friday in the capital’s giant Kim Il-Sung square was attended by soldiers, veterans, workers and students, all wearing military uniforms.

The North’s young leader, Kim Jong-Un, was not present.

State television said the rally took place to support a decision issued by the Korean People’s Army (KPA) supreme command on Tuesday – and ratified by Kim Jong-Un on Friday – to order missile units to prepare to strike the US mainland and military bases.

The North has no proven ability to strike the US mainland, but Kim Jong-Un has vowed to “settle accounts” after nuclear-capable US stealth B-2 bombers flew over South Korea for a drill on Thursday.

In the event of any “reckless” US provocation, North Korean forces should “mercilessly strike the US mainland … military bases in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea”, Kim Jong-Un was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Continue reading →

March 30, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | North Korea, politics international | 2 Comments

Birthpangs of a new capitalist industry – China’s solar technology

What’s going on with Chinese solar? The Conversation, John Mathews, 27 March 2013 ”….. The birth pangs of a capitalist industry What we’re seeing is the birth pangs of a new, capitalist industry. We should be rejoicing that some companies are going bankrupt – it shows that the industry really is competitive, and not subject to arbitrary state control.

There have been comparable episodes at the birth of every major industry. Detroit boasted hundreds of auto companies in the 1910s and 1920s before bankruptcies and consolidation led to the creation of the Big Three – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. Likewise in electronics and computers. Now it is the turn of solar photovoltaics.

China has created an astonishingly successful solar photovoltaic industry, far beyond the imaginings of commentators even ten years ago. A decision was taken at the highest levels that China needed to promote renewable energy industries to complement and offset its rapid escalation of coal-burning and fossil fuel driven industrialisation. Continue reading →

March 30, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, renewable | Leave a comment

Tokyo has the storage capacity for a solar powered city

A Solar Powered Tokyo? http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3661 28 March 13 Much of Tokyo’s power needs once supplied by nuclear power could be met by rooftop solar along with energy storage systems already in place.

Nuclear is still a dirty word to many in Japan following the Fukushima crisis, a disaster that will continue to negatively affect a large area for many years to come.

While solar power offers an attractive alternative; the issue remains of continual supply – particularly at night and during heavily overcast days.

A recent study examining the potential for rooftop photovoltaics in Tokyo to replace nuclear capacity reveals some of the answer is already in place – pumped hydroelectric storage. Continue reading →

March 29, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | energy storage, Japan | Leave a comment

US nuclear-capable B-2 bombers in exercises with South Korea

US nuclear-capable bombers complete training mission in South Korea The Guardian, 28 March 2013 US military announces B-2 stealth bomber drills amid threats of nuclear strikes from North Korea The US has taken the unprecedented step of publicly announcing that two of its nuclear-capable B-2 bombers have taken part in military exercises with South Korea, dropping dummy munitions on an island range, in what is taken to be a show of force following weeks of North Korean hostility.

The announcement on Thursday is likely to further enrage Pyongyang, which has already issued a flood of ominous statements to highlight its displeasure at the exercises and at UN sanctions over its nuclear test last month. Continue reading →

March 29, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Korea, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority suspect earthquake cause of Fukushima disaster

Japan: A New Nuclear Inquiry
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/world/asia/japan-a-new-nuclear-inquiry.html?_r=0By
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS March 27, 2013 Japanese government regulators
said Wednesday that for the first time they will conduct their own
investigation into the country’s nuclear crisis to address unanswered
questions. The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami cut power and
destroyed vital cooling systems at the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant,
causing meltdowns at three of its reactors. Experts still suspect that
the quake, not the tsunami, may have set off the meltdowns.

The
Nuclear Regulation Authority said this issue, which could affect
antiquake measures at nuclear plants nationwide, would be part of its
investigation. The authority said the inquiry would also look into
other issues, including how much and from where radiation leaked at
the plant.

March 29, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2013 | Leave a comment

Influence of USA on Taiwan govt’s nuclear power policy

NSC denies US role in nuclear energy policy, Taipei Times By Mo Yan-chih 27 Mar 13

The National Security Council (NSC) yesterday denied that it had discussed the recent dispute over the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮) with the US, saying that nuclear power issues would not affect US-Taiwan relations.

“The government never discussed nuclear power plant issues with the US and did not receive any response from the US on the matter,” it said in a press release.

Amid mounting opposition to the power plant’s completion, the Chinese-language China Times yesterday said that while Taiwan imports most of its uranium from Australia, the uranium is sent to the US to be refined into fuel for the generation of nuclear power. The Taiwanese government pays billions to the US government every year for uranium refinement and for consultations about the power plant.

Citing anonymous sources from the council, the report said that the fuel refinement business with the US plays a role in the Taiwanese government’s nuclear power policy, such as its insistence on only gradually reducing the use of nuclear energy, or aversion to abruptly suspending construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, because a policy change could jeopardize bilateral relations…….http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2013/03/28/2003558195

March 29, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Taiwan | Leave a comment

Increased radiation released as Fukushima cooling systems lost power

Fukushima Spews More Radiation … Due to Tepco’s Carelessness Zero Hedge by George Washington on 03/21/2013 Power was lost to the cooling systems to virtually all of the spent fuel pools at Fukushima for more than a day.

Some of these fuel pools have lost containment, and are arguably the top short-term threat to humanity … and America’s national security.

The loss of cooling increased the radiation output from the pools. And the loss of power was due to carelessness by the operator of the Fukushima reactors. As nuclear expert Arnie Gundersen notes:

Is TEPCO doing an adequate job of keeping the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power site safe?

We don’t think so. Continue reading →

March 22, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2013 | Leave a comment

Taiwan’s Economics Committee votes to suspend nuclear plant construction

Motions passed to cease nuclear plant construction Taipei Times, By Helen Ku, Shih Hsiu-chuan and Chris Wang / Staff reporters 21 March 13, Motions demanding that state-owned Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台灣電力公司) suspend construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮) and rejecting the company’s budget proposal for the year were passed yesterday by the legislature’s Economics Committee.

The motions, initiated by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, shot down Taipower’s plan to spend NT$11.7 billion (US$392.99 million) on the plant this year, including NT$10.7 billion of construction work that has already been outsourced. Continue reading →

March 22, 2013 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, Taiwan | Leave a comment

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