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The looming threat of cancers from Fukushima

Two years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster is Japan facing a cancer time bomb? Express UK, by Adrian Lee, 26 March 13, TWO years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster local children are showing signs of cancer, prompting cries of a cover-up. “…… Officially the mass evacuation was a success and the prompt action of a heroic band of workers at the crippled plant averted a nuclear catastrophe. No one has so far died as a result of radiation from Fukushima, insist the authorities. However there are growing concerns that the full scale of the disaster has yet to be seen. There are claims of complacency and a cover-up. It’s not the Japanese way to stage protests but there has been a series of anti-nuclear rallies in Tokyo, 160 miles south. Continue reading →

March 29, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Google street views of Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone

see-this.wayExplore the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone with Google Street View http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/27/4151848/google-adds-namie-fukushima-street-view-imagery By Sam Byford   March 27, 2013  No-one has lived in the town of Namie, Japan for over two years since it was evacuated following the nearby Fukushima nuclear disaster, but you can visit for yourself today with Google Street View. Earlier this month, Google sent its camera-equipped cars into the exclusion zone at the request of Namie’s mayor Tamotsu Baba, who wanted both to show the world the ongoing crisis facing his town, and give its 21,000 displaced residents a way to return home.

“Many of the displaced townspeople have asked to see the current state of their city,”says Baba, “and there are surely many people around the world who want a better sense of how the nuclear incident affected surrounding communities.” The imagery has been uploaded to Google Maps and the “Memories of the Future” website.

Google’s Street View cameras have captured images such as fishing boats washed several kilometers inland, collapsed buildings that remain on the streets, and abandoned residential areas. “We would greatly appreciate it if you viewed this Street View imagery to understand the current state of Namie-­machi and the tremendous gravity of the situation,” says Baba.

March 29, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Serious doubts about safety of India’s nuclear industry

safety-symbol-SmAust could fuel India ‘nuclear accident’ THE AUSTRALIAN AAP  March 20, 2013  ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners have raised concerns Australian uranium could fuel a nuclear accident in India similar to the Fukushima and Chernobyl disasters.

flag-indiaNegotiations are under way in New Delhi to establish nuclear safeguards before Australia begins selling uranium to India. Last year India’s auditor-general warned that lax safety standards could lead to a nuclear disaster. It is a concern backed up by the Indian-based Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP).

“A major catastrophic accident like Fukushima could happen in any of our 20 reactors,” CNDP spokesman Praful Bidwai told ABC television. Workers in the reactors said they could not be relied upon to raise the alarm on an impending disaster because they were not kept informed by management.

“We can be out there all day in the reactor and we wouldn’t know if we’ve been exposed to danger or not,” said Gulab Singh who works in a Rajasthan reactor.

Anti-nuclear activist Imran Khan said workers were bullied into working in the dangerous conditions.

“They know that if they don’t do the job they won’t have work, so they accept all levels of radiation and keep on working,” he said……..http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/aust-could-fuel-india-nuclear-accident/story-fn3dxiwe-1226602027160

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

Media falsehoods about “background” and “low dose” radiation

The Truth About Radiation Joe Giambrone OpEdNews  3/20/2013  ”…….What you will be told by your televised talking heads is that there is such a thing as “background radiation” and that any and all radiation problems you may encounter are of no more concern to you than eating a banana or flying in a plane at high altitude.  Are you really going to fall for that one?

They type this stuff with a straight face. The US Academy of Sciences studied the effects of low-level ionizing radiation in a massive report called BEIR-VII: Health Risks From Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation (2006).  Well, the very first paragraph tells us, “A comprehensive review of available biological and biophysical data supports a “linear-no-threshold” (LNT) risk model–that the risk of cancer proceeds in a linear fashion at lower doses without a threshold and that the smallest dose has the potential to cause a small increase in risk to humans.”

So think about that.  How then can the news media and government officials proclaim that doses are so small that they are “safe” and of no concern?  Their own best available scientific data tells us that there is no “safe” dose at all, and that all radiation is bad and to be avoided. Continue reading →

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

Fukushima ‘s radiation cancer link confirmed in World Health Organisation report

radiation-warningFukushima cancer headlines appear all over mainstream media http://enenews.com/fukushima-cancer-headlines-all-over-mainstream-media
 February 28th, 2013

AAP: Fukushima cancer risk near plant: WHO

AFP: Fukushima raised cancer risk near plant: WHO

AP: WHO: Small cancer risk after Fukushima accident

BBC: Fukushima disaster ‘increased cancer risk’

Bloomberg: Fukushima Radiation Increases Cancer Risk for Girls: WHO

GlobalPost: URGENT ¥¥¥ Fukushima raised cancer risk near plant: WHO

Reuters: Higher cancer risk after Fukushima nuclear disaster: WHO

Update: “Shameless”: New World Health Organization report shockingly downplays health risks after Fukushima — “WHO and other organisations must stop hiding the impact”

See also: WHO beholden to nuclear interests — “Like having Dracula guard the blood bank” (VIDEOS

March 2, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Britain snubs international conference on humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapon use.

flag-UKBanning Nuclear Weapons: UK to Snub Discussions on Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons – http://www.globalresearch.ca/uk-to-snub-discussions-on-humanitarian-consequences-of-nuclear-weapons/5324774?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=uk-to-snub-discussions-on-humanitarian-consequences-of-nuclear-weapons, 1 Mar 13, 

The UK has said today that it will not be participating in next week’s international conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapon use. The meeting will look at the immediate and long-term impacts of nuclear weapon detonations, as well as international capacities to respond to such incidents. The UK’s decision to line up with its P5 colleagues and refuse to take part in evidence-based discussions on these effects shows its disdain for the interests and concerns of the wider international community. Continue reading →

March 2, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

USA sees optimism in talks with Iran

Iran interested by nuclear proposals: US : http://www.smh.com.au/world/iran-interested-by-nuclear-proposals-us-20130228-2f73f.html#ixzz2ME46OsQT WASHINGTON: Iran was “interested” by updated proposals from world powers to break a stalemate over its suspect nuclear program, and must now take concrete steps to move forward, a US official says.

Characterising two-day talks in Kazakhstan as “useful,” State Department acting deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell said “the onus is absolutely on Iran”.

“We welcome that … Iran was interested in our ideas, is going to come back to the table here, and we’d like to see them take some of the concrete steps they need to come in line with the international community’s concerns,” he said. Continue reading →

March 1, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

UK’s outrageous subsidy for nuclear, while downplaying renewable energy

UK-subsidyNuclear power’s place in a safer, cleaner Britain The Guardian, Andrew Pendleton 24 February 2013 By offering the nuclear industry a 40-year subsidy ((Ministers offer nuclear reactor deal until 2050, , 19 February), the coalition is backtracking on its 2010 promise not to make the public pay for new nuclear, and tying us into decades of increasingly expensive, risky power.

Even if the nuclear industry delivers on time, new reactors won’t be ready until the 2020s, and could end up costing consumers tens of billions of pounds. Meanwhile, the government’s dash for gas is driving up our fuel bills, and giving new gas plants a free pass to pollute by allowing them to pump out climate-changing carbon till 2045.

It’s outrageous that nuclear and gas should be given such lengthy guarantees when renewable energy faces a funding cliff-edge after 2020. Britain has abundant wind and marine energy resources, and should be a world leader in developing and exporting expertise. MPs must act decisively where the government hasn’t, and back a 2030 clean power target in the energy bill that will tackle climate change, create green jobs and provide energy we can all afford.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/24/nuclear-energy-safer-cleaner-healthier-uk

February 25, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Fukushima nuclear catastrophe is not fading away, a world history turning point

Fukushima-aerial-viewAcademic Journal: Fukushima catastrophe becoming turning point in world history — “Its long-term impact and meaning are impossible to repress” Title: Thinking after Fukushima. Epistemic shift in social sciences
Source: Asia Europe Journal, 
February 20th, 2013
Title: Thinking after Fukushima. Epistemic shift in social sciences
Source: Asia Europe Journal,  Volume 11, Issue 1, pp 65-78
Author: Alain-Marc Rieu
Date: March 2013
The Fukushima catastrophe is a turning point in the conception, role and management of technology in industrial societies. As did Hiroshima (on another dimension) after 1945, the Fukushima nuclear accident questions and transforms established conceptions and values concerning the relations between technology, politics, industry, society and the environment. It has become impossible to think after Fukushima as we did before. This catastrophe initiates a major epistemic and conceptual shift with long-term consequences. […]

More than a year after the catastrophe, the time has come to evaluate its historical meaning. Fukushirna is not a disaster like others. This is the reason why it is becoming a turning point in world history: relations between technology, politics, industry, society and ecology are forever transformed. Its long-term impact and meaning are impossible to repress: wherever they live, people will never see and understand nuclear energy and nuclear industry as they did before […]
Read the article here

February 22, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Virginia’s Governor McConnell removes incentives for renewable energy

Governor signs repeal of renewable energy incentives By Kathy Adams The Virginian-Pilot February 21, 2013 RICHMOND Gov. Bob McDonnell today signed legislation repealing certain financial incentives for electric utility companies that use renewable energy sources.

The change means utilities, such as Dominion Virginia Power, will no longer be eligible for a bonus for obtaining a certain portion of their energy from renewable sources, such as solar power. Reduced incentives remain for nuclear and off-shore wind power….. Opponents of the repeal, mostly environmental groups such as the Virginia Chapter Sierra Club, argued the law needed to be changed, not done away with altogether. They suggested making participation mandatory and requiring utility companies to obtain their renewable energy from within the state in order to receive the bonus. They’ve pledged to try again next legislative session. Dominion still plans to meet the renewable portfolio standard goals, even without the financial incentive from the state, and is pursing projects to that end, said spokesman Jim Norvelle.

“We believe that renewable energy has a part to play in supplying electricity to our customers,” he said. “We are looking for ways to get on-shore wind generation and we are launching a pilot program to add a large amount of solar-generated electricity to our grid that will begin this year as well.”

Also under consideration is an off-shore wind farm for Virginia Beach and an expansion of Dominon’s nuclear facility in Louisa County, Norvelle said. http://hamptonroads.com/2013/02/governor-signs-repeal-renewable-energy-incentives

February 22, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

USA Department of Defence recognises the long term health effects of ionising radiation

DARPA Seeks to Defuse the Threat of Ionizing Radiation Space Daily, by Staff Writers Washington DC (SPX) Feb 22, 2013

Ionizing radiation can be a silent killer. While scientists have made some strides in preventing immediate death from exposure, there are currently few intervention technologies to protect against long-term morbidity and mortality. In light of the diverse, persistent and substantial threat posed by ionizing radiation, the Department of Defense seeks new ways to protect military and civilian personnel against the immediate and longer-term effects of acute exposure.

Exposure to ionizing radiation would be a particular concern in the aftermath of a large-scale release of nuclear material, such as might occur following either a natural disaster or a deliberate attack.

The damage to Japan’s Fukushima nuclear reactor after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake raised concerns regarding U.S. preparedness to treat large-scale human exposure to ionizing radiation. Additionally, the immediate destructive potential of nuclear and radiological weapons, as well as their long-term health and economic impacts, continue to be of concern to DoD. Continue reading →

February 22, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear lobby does not divulge the numbers in the global nuclear energy decline

For the longer term picture on the decline of nuclear I still recommend theirWorld Nuclear Industry Status Report 2012.

Nuclear Lobby Doesn’t Tell How Much Nuclear Generated Last Year http://k.lenz.name/LB/?p=8858 Feb 19 2013   by  The good news for Australian Fossil Nukes like the one I discussed yesterday is that nuclear didn’t decline at all in Australia last year.

That is of course caused by the fact that it is completely illegal there in the first place, and there is no way to further decline from zero…..

While it is easy to find out how much nuclear declined in Australia, it is surprisingly difficult to find out what happened world wide. Continue reading →

February 21, 2013 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

10 overwhelming reasons to reject nuclear power, now.

Ten Urgent Reasons to Reject Nuclear Power Now http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/14461-ten-urgent-reasons-to-reject-nuclear-power-now  17 February 2013   By Jim McCluskey, Truthout

“……..1. Nuclear Power Stations are Prohibitively Dangerous. There have now been four grave nuclear reactor accidents: Windscale in Britain in 1957 (the one that is never mentioned), Three Mile Island in the United States in 1979, Chernobyl in the Soviet Union in 1986 and now Fukushima. Each accident was unique, and each was supposed to have been impossible.

A recent book, Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment, concludes that, based on records now available, some 985,000 people died between 1986 and 2004, mainly of cancer, as a result of the Chernobyl accident. Alice Slater, New York representative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, comments: “The tragic news uncovered by comprehensive new research that almost one million people died in the toxic aftermath of Chernobyl should be a wake-up call to people all over the world to petition their governments to put a halt to the current industry-driven ‘nuclear renaissance.’ Aided by a corrupt IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), the world has been subjected to a massive coverup and deception about the true damages caused by Chernobyl.”

At Fukushima we have the worst industrial disaster ever. Three simultaneous ongoing complete meltdowns have proven impossible to stop or contain since they started almost two years ago. These meltdowns are still pouring radiation pollution across the Japanese landscape.

International experts (e.g. Charles Perrow in Normal Accidents) agree that there will continue to be disastrous failures at nuclear power stations, and that this cannot be avoided.

As Edward Teller, the great nuclear physicist, said, “If you [try to] construct something foolproof, there will always be a fool greater than the proof.”

2. Nuclear Power Stations are Prohibitively Expensive. Continue reading →

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

Interview with Julian Assange

Down under, nationwide polls conducted by UMR Research, the company used by the Labor Party, show (during 2012) that a clear majority of Australians think he wouldn’t receive a fair trial if extradited to the United States, and that in any case he and WikiLeaks shouldn’t be prosecuted for releasing leaked diplomatic cables.

Assnage,JulianLunch and dinner with Julian Assange, in prison, The Conversation, John Keane, Professor of Politics at Sydney University, 18 Feb 13,  Everybody warned this would be no ordinary invitation, and they were right. Three hundred metres from Knightsbridge underground station, just a stone’s throw from fashion-conscious Harrods, I suddenly encounter a wall of police…..Through a set of double doors, I’m confronted by more police officers, this time armed, with meaner faces…… The silver-haired “high-tech terrorist” (Joe Biden’s description) appears quietly,…. Calm, witty, clear-headed throughout, he’s in a talkative mood. But there’s no small talk…. Continue reading →

February 18, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

We hear all about Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program, but nothing about Israel’s

U.S.-Israel nuclear policy a hypocrisyhttp://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/02/17/opinion/doc511d3f2fca54a549686953.txt Oakland Press 17 Feb 13, America claims to be dedicated to stopping the spread of nuclear weaponry and Senators McCain, Lieberman and Graham have something to say about Iran’s alleged program almost every day. Interestingly however, nobody ever says anything about Israel, who we know has more than 200 nuclear warheads. Now why is that? Just hypocrisy, that’s all.

February 18, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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