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.Reassurances about Fukushima are as misleading as scare stories

news-nukeFukushima Meltdowns: A Global Conspiracy of Denial By William Boardman Global Research, Reader Supported News January 05, 2014 “……..Reassurances about Fukushima are as misleading as scare stories  The reassuring aspects of the condition of Unit #3 ­– radioactive releases are not new, they’re less intense than they once were, the nuclear waste is cooling ­– while true enough, provide only a false sense of comfort. Also true: radiation is released almost continuously, the releases are uncontrolled, no one seems to be measuring the releases, no one seems to be tracking the releases, no one is assessing accumulation of the releases. And while it’s true that the waste is cooling and decaying, it’s also true that a loss of coolant could lead to another uncontrolled chain reaction. (“Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 is not going to explode,” says Gunderson in a headline, but he can’t know that with certainty.)

For the near future, what all that means, in effect, is that the world has to accept chronic radiation releases from Fukushima as the price for avoiding another catastrophic release. And even then, it’s not a sure thing.

But there’s another aspect of Fukushima Unit #3 that’s even less reassuring. Unit #3 is the one Fukushima reactor that was running on Mixed oxide fuel, or MOX fuel, in its fuel rods. MOX fueltypically uses Plutonium mixed with one or more forms of Uranium. Using Plutonium in fuel rods adds to their toxicity in the event of a meltdown. In part because Plutonium-239 has a half-life of 240,000 years and can be used to make nuclear weapons of “dirty bombs,” its use in commercial reactors remains both limited and controversial. Because it contains Plutonium, MOX fuel is more toxic than other nuclear fuel and will burn at lower temperatures. As Natural Resources News reported in 2011:

 “The mixed oxide fuel rods used in the compromised number three reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi complex contain enough plutonium to threaten public health with the possibility of inhalation of airborne plutonium particles…. Plutonium is at its most dangerous when it is inhaled and gets into the lungs. The effect on the human body is to vastly increase the chance of developing fatal cancers.”

Reportedly, TEPCO plans don’t call for the removal of the MOX fuel in Unit #3 for another decade or more. Fuel removal from Units #1, #2, and #3 is complicated by lethal radiation levels at all three reactors, as well as TEPCO’s inability so far to locate the three melted cores with any precision.

There is ample reason to hope that Fukushima, despite the complex of uncontrollable and deteriorating factors, will not get worse, because even the Japanese don’t want that. But there is little reason to expect anything but  worsening conditions, slowly or suddenly, for years and years to come. And there is even less reason to expect anyone in authority anywhere to be more than minimally and belatedly truthful about an industry they continue to protect, no matter how many people it damages or kills.

The perfect paradigm of that ruthlessly cynical nuclear mentality is the current Japanese practice of recruiting homeless people to work at Fukushima in high level radiation areas where someone with something to lose might not be willing to go for minimum wage. http://www.globalresearch.ca/fukushima-meltdowns-a-global-conspiracy-of-denial/5363827

January 7, 2014 Posted by | general | 2 Comments

United Arab Emirates offers renewable energy jobs

Green-collar UAE jobs for those seeking a career in renewable energy, Emirates  Demand for clean energy and environmentally responsible manufacturing has given rise to many job opportunities By Shuchita Kapur Sunday, January 05, 2014 It’s not a new career option in the job market but many professionals are now thinking about green-collar jobs rather than the normal and boring mundane white-collar jobs we are so familiar with.

These green-collar jobs are already a growing part of the global economy and have found their place in the UAE as well. As demand has risen for clean energy and environmentally responsible manufacturing, many job opportunities have opened up here in the country for such professionals and green-collar workers, who are producing everything from wind turbines to electric cars to organic clothing and food.

Keeping in mind the growing market of renewable energy, the UAE will be offering job opportunities to candidates this month. Masdar Institute and Reed Exhibitions will co-host a career event for aspiring professionals in this category.

This Green Career Fair will be held during the 7th World Future Energy Summit from January 20-22, 2014, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the organisers say this will be a valuable opportunity for recruiters to highlight job opportunities and provide career guidance in the advanced energy and sustainability industry…….

And who all can expect to land jobs in the sector? The organisers believe that investments in renewable energy is one of the key potential catalysts for job growth in the sector. There is an expected growth in demand for architects, engineers, urban planners and environmental experts specialised in building sustainable cities and communities, smart power grids, wind farms, solar power plants, hydroelectric  plants, and energy efficient transportation systems, as governments adopt sustainability in their economic development plans.

In addition, a series of supporting and indirect jobs will be created as a result of localised technology in the region like manufacturing, construction, and operation and maintenance. http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/green-collar-uae-jobs-for-those-seeking-a-career-in-renewable-energy-2014-01-05-1.533531

January 7, 2014 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Over 110,000 containers of nuclear waste dumped in ocean by USA

Where’s All the Nuclear Waste We Dumped in the Ocean? WALL STREET JOURNAL RAISES QUESTIONS DECADES LATER By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff  Jan 5, 2014 – The US dumped vast quantities of nuclear material off its coasts between 1946 and 1970—more than 110,000 containers, says one official count. Today, the whereabouts of many of those 55-gallon drums and other containers is a big question mark, the Wall Street Journalreports. “Many were not dropped on target,” according to a 2010 federal report. Their location is just one of several major questions raised by the Journal. It’s also unclear, for instance, how many dump sites there were: Government reports have given numbers ranging from 29 to 60. Then there’s the question of how much radioactivity persists, since some isotopes can stay radioactive for thousands of years……http://www.newser.com/story/180117/wheres-all-the-nuclear-waste-we-dumped-in-the-ocean.html

January 7, 2014 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Manmohan Singh’s nuclear deal with USA was his worst accomplishment

Nuclear deal lowest point in Manmohan Singh’s tenure: Arun Jaitley Zee News by   Monday, January 06, 2014 New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party, singed by Manmohan Singh’s remarks against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday took the Prime Minister on saying the nuclear deal with the US was actually the lowest point of his tenure.

Sharing the dais with Baba Ramdev, senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley said that the nuclear deal with the US was nothing to be proud of for the PM. “Country is suffering due to the nuke deal with US,” Jaitley said…http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/nuclear-deal-lowest-point-in-manmohan-singh-s-tenure-arun-jaitley_901658.html

January 7, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

A number of earthquakes near Fukushima prefecture

9 quakes hit same area near Fukushima border in past few hours — New island along ‘Ring of Fire’ south of Tokyo now over 15 times initial size in a month — Professor: “Massive volcanic eruption… We should pay close attention” (VIDEOS) http://enenews.com/9-quakes-hit-same-area-near-fukushima-border-in-past-few-hours-new-island-along-ring-of-fire-south-of-tokyo-now-15-times-larger-than-last-month-professor-massive-volcanic-eruption-we-s

Japan Meteorological Agency, Jan. 1, 2014:

02:35 JST 01 Jan 2014 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M3.0 1
17:18 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M3.4 2
15:17 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M2.9 1
13:23 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M2.7 1
11:37 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M3.4 2
10:58 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M3.3 2
10:22 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M2.8 1
10:08 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M3.6 2
10:03 JST 31 Dec 2013 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu M5.4 5-

NBC Dec. 26, 2013: Video over 2 islands in the seas south of Tokyo where lava from a volcano made 2 islands 1. […] It’s part of the Pacific ring of fire.  >> Watch the broadcast here

Jiji Press, Dec. 26, 2013: Volcanic fumes some 100 meters high are being emitted by a crater on the island. Kenji Noami, a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology’s Volcanic Fluid Research Center who took part in the observation, said the volcano is highly active, with fumes and lava continuing to increase in amount. The coast guard confirmed the existence of the new island on Nov. 20. Due to flowing lava, the island has grown to 150,000 square meters in size as of Tuesday from some 10,000 square meters on Nov. 21.
NHK, , Dec. 20, 2013: Professor Kenji Nogami, Tokyo Institute of Technology: […] says more lava may have been drawn up than in other massive volcanic eruptions in the past in Japan. “The volcanic activity on the new island has been considerable. I assume that magma has been rising to the surface for a month now. We should pay close attention to the volcano and its eruptions.” >> Watch the broadcast hereAerial footage of the eruption filmed Thursday here

January 2, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Japan relying on criminal gangs to save the situation at Fukushima

The Japanese have always been, self-admittedly, xenophobic and their reaction to foreign countries offering aid is not surprising. Relying on the criminal underbelly for help will not allow the Yakuza to save the world from Fukushima radiation fallout. With the ever present danger of fuel rod damage causing further meltdowns because of mishandling, the world stands poised to become prey to an ecological disaster of global proportion
Fukushima Radiation Fallout Yakuza to Save the World?  Guardianly. com by Michael Smith on December 31, 2013 While Turner Radio Network has released a warning about possible Fukushima radiation fallout that could cover the U.S.A from coast-to-coast it appears that Japanese Yakuza are in line to save the world. On December 28 it was reported by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) that steam was rising from the shattered remains of Reactor 3. Continue reading

January 2, 2014 Posted by | general | 2 Comments

Fukushima radiation is NOT under control

JAPAN RADIATION POISONING AMERICA? HTTP://WWW.WND.COM/2013/12/JAPAN-RADIATION-POISONING-AMERICA/ New concerns hitting U.S. Pacific coast STEVE ELWART Like a slow-motion train wreck, the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster is still causing damage long after the world’s media has left the news story behind…….

“The world is closely watching whether we can dismantle the (Fukushima) plant, including the issue of contaminated water,” said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “The government is determined to work hard to resolve the issue.”

This is quite a change from previous statements the prime minister has made. In a speech Sept. 7 in front of the International Olympic Committee in Buenos Aires, Abe stated categorically, “Let me assure you the situation (the contaminated groundwater problem) is under control.”

Six days later, Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the plant, disputed the prime minister’s claim at a meeting in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture.

“We regard the current situation as not being under control,” said Kazuhiko Yamashita, a senior official at Tepco.

Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympic Games following Abe’s speech. Continue reading

January 2, 2014 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Mainstream media lies about Fukshima radiation – here are 36 signs about this

text-nuclear-uranium-lies36 Signs The Media Is Lying To You About How Radiation From Fukushima Is Affecting The West Coast, Investment Watch,  By Michael Snyder  “…..the mainstream media is not telling us the truth about this.  What you are about to see is a collection of evidence that is quite startling.  Taken collectively, this body of evidence shows that nuclear radiation from Fukushima is affecting sea life in the Pacific Ocean and animal life along the west coast of North America in some extraordinary ways.  But the mainstream media continues to insist that we don’t have a thing to worry about.  The mainstream media continues to insist that radiation levels in the Pacific and along the west coast are perfectly safe.  Are they lying to us?  Evaluate the evidence compiled below and come to your own conclusions……..

If a full-blown meltdown does happen at Fukushima, it would be an environmental disaster unlike anything that we have ever seen before in human history.

As we enter 2014, we are entering a time when the world is becoming increasingly unstable. …..

In the end, millions upon millions of people could end up getting seriously ill as a result of all of this radiation coming from Fukushima.  Most of them will never even know why they have gotten sick.

And if there is a major earthquake or a significant accident during the cleanup at Fukushima, we could actually see huge sections of Japan be evacuated permanently.

It would be hard to overstate just how serious all of this is.  But you won’t hear about this from the mainstream media.  Their story is that “everything is okay” and they are sticking to it……..
Read more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/36-signs-the-media-is-lying-to-you-about-how-radiation-from-fukushima-is-affecting-the-west-coast/#8Wo2Tt4CA6C8WJS3.99

 

January 2, 2014 Posted by | general | 2 Comments

Now that the safety myth has been shattered, the government should quickly decide to decommission all reactors for which there is no practical evacuation plan

EDITORIAL: Nuclear safety myth is raising its ugly head again ASAHI SHIMBUN, 31 Dec 13 Electric power companies have filed formal applications with the Nuclear Regulation Authority for permission to restart 14 idled nuclear reactors on grounds the facilities meet new regulatory standards. The Abe administration is keen to allow utilities to bring their reactors back online.

But the grim reality is that efforts by local governments to develop emergency evacuation plans have not made satisfactory progress. Continue reading

January 2, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Yet another record year for renewable energy for Scotland

Another Record Year For Renewables In Scotland , 26 Dec13 Renewables met a record-breaking 40.3 per cent of gross electricity consumption in Scotland in 2012 and quarterly data up to Q3 2013 shows that renewable generation this year will likely beat that……http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=4093

December 26, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Global Renewable Energy Market in Military 2014-2018

Renewable Energy Market in Military Global 2014-2018 New Research Report, News International , 23 December 2013 ReportsnReports.com adds report Global Renewable Energy Market in Military 2014-2018 to its store. Analysts forecast the Global Renewable Energy market in the Military to grow at a CAGR of 13.99 percent over the period 2014-2018. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increased adoption of de-centralized power generation……Complete report is available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/271943-global-renewable-energy-market-in-military-2014-2018.html.

December 24, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

The truly intolerable risk of nuclear war

even if starting a war is unintentional, it could happen. 

Nuclear-Winter-Experts Fear Nuclear Famine: “A Disaster So Massive in Scale that No Preparation is Possible” Peak Oil, Dec 20 13, At last count, there are eight countries in the world that have officially designed, developed and tested nuclear weapons. Another two (Israel and Iran) deny they have built or are building such weapons, but the probability that Israel has them and that Iran is building them is believed by members of the international community to be extremely high.

That being said, it’s only a matter of time before a madman at the helm in any of these ten nuclear-armed states decides to push the button. With the global economy in shambles, the world’s super powers mobilizing military assets, and hundreds of trillions of dollars in unservicable debt soon to be realized by the financial community, how long before history rhymes with previous large-scale events that culminated in the fall of the Roman empire or the World Wars that  devastated tens of millions of lives in the 20th century? Continue reading

December 21, 2013 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Watered down – the USA nuclear security reform provisions

Nuclear Weapons Oversight Reforms Pared Down in Compromise Bill By Douglas National Journal, P. Guarino December 20, 2013  The compromise defense authorization legislation for fiscal 2014, which House Republicans released in cooperation with Senate Democrats on Dec. 10, includes remnants of House-originated provisions aimed at addressing perceived management problems in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex.

The measures do not go as far as the House Armed Services Committee had initially sought, however…….http://www.nationaljournal.com/global-security-newswire/nuclear-weapons-oversight-reforms-pared-down-in-compromise-bill-20131220

December 21, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Sailors lost radiation court case, but will file suit again

Radiation lawsuit dismissed; lawyers to refile UPI.com 20 Dec 13“San Diego Federal Judge Janis L. Sammartino late last month dismissed the lawsuit, filed by U.S. military personnel from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in December 2012, ruling it was beyond her authority to determine whether the Japanese government committed fraud against the U.S. military, the U-T San Diego reported Wednesday…..more than 50 crewmembers of the USS Ronald Reagan have joined the lawsuit, which lawyers say they plan to refile, Fox News reported.

“They went in to help with rescue efforts,” said San Francisco Attorney Charles Bonner who is representing the sailors. “They did not go in prepared to deal with radiation containment.”….http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/12/20/Radiation-lawsuit-dismissed-lawyers-to-refile/UPI-29891387572931/

December 21, 2013 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

How nuclear war could wipe out the human race

Atomic-Bomb-SmUS-Russia nuclear war to end human race: Study http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/12/10/339285/usrussia-nuclear-war-to-extinct-human-race/ 12 Dec 13, “With a large war between the United States and Russia, we are talking about the possible — not certain, but possible — extinction of the human race,” Helfand, the co-president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, said in a report released on Tuesday.

“In this kind of war, biologically there are going to be people surviving somewhere on the planet but the chaos that would result from this will dwarf anything we’ve ever seen,” he added.

There are currently more than 17,000 nuclear warheads which have been ignored since the Cold War ended in 1991, according to the study called “Nuclear Famine: Two Billion People at Risk?”

Helfand said modern nuclear weapons are far more powerful than the atomic bombs the US used against Japan in 1945 which killed more than 200,000 people.

The scientist warned that even a limited nuclear war– involving just less than 0.5 percent of the world’s nuclear arsenal– would put 2 billion lives at grave risk with more than 20 million people losing their lives within the first week of the explosions.

The ecological consequences of a nuclear war would put the survival of the entire planet at risk, according to the study. The firestorms caused by such a war would send approximately 5 million tons of soot into the atmosphere, blocking out sunlight and dropping temperatures across the planet.

Helfand painted a scenario where this climate hazard would cause “a nuclear famine” across the world. Hundreds of millions of people would face severe food shortages for years.

Nine countries are believed to possess nuclear weapons, with Russia and the United States holding the vast majority of them. Israel is the Middle East’s sole possessor of nuclear weapons. In 2009, Washington pledged to work toward the abolition of its nuclear weapons, but said it would keep them so long as others keep theirs.

In May 2012, seventeen nations issued a joint statement called for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. By this fall the number rose to 125 nations.

December 13, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment