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Chernobyl – Let The Facts Speak

    An illustrated report on Chernobyl yesterday and today, 30 April 2012 http://greensmps.org.au/sites/default/files/chernobylltfs_0.pdf

There are two compelling reasons why this tragedy must not be forgotten.  First, if we forget Chornobyl, we increase the risk of more such  technological and environmental disasters in the future. Second, more  than seven million of our fellow human beings do not have the luxury of forgetting.

They are still suffering, every day, as a result of what happened… Indeed,  the legacy of Chernobyl will be with us, and with our descendants, for  generations to come.”  – Kofi Annann, UN Secretary General April 2000  …..

This ‘Let the Facts Speak’ publication was produced by the office of Scott Ludlam, 
Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia to commemorate the 26th anniversary 
of the Chernobyl disaster, in April 2012. It is the second in a series of reports on the 
true face of the nuclear industry.

April 30, 2012 Posted by | general, Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

VIDEO The critical situation of the San Onofre nuclear power plant

VIDEO  http://www.fairewinds.org/content/gundersen-kpbs-discusses-developing-san-onofre-situation       Arnie Gundersen on KPBS TV Discusses Developing San Onofre Situation A leak discovered earlier this year in a steam generator pipe at the San Onofre nuclear plant has lead to two unanimous City Council decisions to send letters of concern to the NRC. Fairewind’s Arnie Gundersen presented at both council meetings. In this video Gundersen talks with KPBS’s Peggy Pico about the steam generator leak, the city council decisions and the licensing status of San Onofre.

April 30, 2012 Posted by | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Belarus’ children – mental, physical, and social effects of Chernobyl nuclear disaster

Figures released by UNICEF  in 2010 showed that more than 20% of adolescent children in Belarus suffered from disabilities and chronic illness. Belarus absorbed 70% of Chernobyl’s fallout…..

VIDEOS   http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/25/world/iyw-chernobyl-children/?hpt=wo_mid  26 years on: helping Chernobyl’s children, By Katie Walmsley, CNN April 25, 2012  Chernobyl refuses to be relegated to the past. Indeed it may still be devastating the lives of millions who continue to live in the fallout zone. Aside from the potential health hazards of living in an area contaminated with radiation, domino socioeconomic effects have caused multiple problems in these regions.

Chernobyl Children International , or CCI, works to help kids in the region whose lives have been impacted by a disaster that happened years before they were born. Many suffer from physical problems such as congenital heart defects. Many kids have chronic illnesses or disabilities, and many live full time in institutions. Continue reading →

April 28, 2012 Posted by | health, Resources -audiovicual, social effects | 1 Comment

Global nuclear catastrophe could result from Fukushima’s still perilous situation

VIDEO Nuclear experts: Fukushima crisis may become ‘global catastrophe’  http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/323733   By Elliott Freeman Apr 27, 2012 – A nuclear watchdog official told RT News that the ongoing crisis at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan could become a “global catastrophe”, echoing warnings from other experts.

 Kevin Kamps, a radioactive waste watchdog with Beyond Nuclear , described the potential nightmare to “The Big Picture” host Thom Hartmann , stating that if the pools of nuclear fuel at the plant caught on fire, the area would become so radioactive that the entire containment operation would have to be permanently abandoned. Mitsuhei Murata, the former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland, also expressed grave concerns about what would happen if the damaged building that houses Reactor 4 collapsed. According to the Huffington Post , he explained to the Swiss House of Councilors last month that should such an event occur, it would adversely effect the thousands of spent nuclear fuel rods nearby, which are dangerously exposed to air.
 Nuclear expert Robert Alvarez, the former Senior Policy Adviser to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, spelled out the potential disaster  in more specific — and chilling — terms in an email sent to renowned Japanese diplomat Akio Matsumura.
 ”If an earthquake or other event were to cause the pool to drain, this could result in a catastrophic radiological fire involving nearly 10 times the amount of [radioactive] Cs-137 released by the Chernobyl incident,” Alvarez stated.
 However, things could get much worse. According to Alvarez, if the 11,138 spent nuclear fuel rods contained in the facility also went up in flames, it would unleash 85 times the amount of Cs-137 released by the Chernobyl disaster.
 In addition, a recent study of the meltdown at Chernobyl offers a sobering analysis of the situation, ENS News reports. According to research compiled by Russian scientists and published in the New York Academy of Sciences, the nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl disaster killed over one million people worldwide  from 1986 to 2004. If the worst-case scenario at Fukushima becomes a reality, the effects could lead to millions of casualties around the globe. http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/323733#ixzz1tNK5PTJN

April 28, 2012 Posted by | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

A window into the very controlled State of North Korea

(includes video)  http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/24/11365838-north-korea-nuclear-test-ready-soon   North Korea nuclear test ready ‘soon’ NBC’s Richard Engel spent two weeks in North Korea and got a rare and revealing look inside this very closed country. World News msnbc, By Reuters 27 April 12 BEIJING – North Korea has almost completed preparations for a third nuclear test, a senior source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing told Reuters, which will draw further international condemnation following a failed rocket launch if it goes ahead. Continue reading →

April 28, 2012 Posted by | North Korea, Resources -audiovicual, social effects, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Israel’s Secret Illegal Nuclear Biological And Chemical Weapons

  http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/04/israels-secret-illegal-nuclear.html April 2012, In this article, we will explore the secret weapons of mass destruction program in Israel, which still has not been disclosed to the UN or anyone else for that matter. Not disclosing the possession of weapons of mass destruction is illegal.

 The UN required Iraq to disclose the nuclear program it had along with all other weapons of mass destruction. The UN did not require and still has not required that Israel disclose all of it’s weapons of mass destruction; nuclear, biological or chemical. Why not? ….
According to this BBC movie , Israel not only possesses weapons of mass destruction, it has actually used one or more of these secret weapons of mass destruction in Gaza. Of course, they will not confirm or deny that they even have any of these weapons. Nor will they admit that they used any of these weapons.
The thing that is so ironic about the possession of weapons of mass destruction is that this nation has been subject to genocide in the past, so one would think that they would be the LAST nation on Earth to use or stockpile these types of weapons. They know the horrors of genocide, but now they seem intent on accumulating and also using them.
Israel is outside of all international weapons of mass destruction treaties. It will not even disclose whether it even has a nuclear plant, much less nuclear weapons. The whole nuclear and weapons program is completely secret, and completely covered up.  Continue reading →

April 28, 2012 Posted by | Israel, Resources -audiovicual, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Rapid increase in brachytherapy for breast cancer, but is this wise?

“The most plausible explanation for our data is that women treated with brachytherapy were at increased risk of having a recurrence of cancer in their breast”

 A large federally funded study is trying to clarify the risks and benefits of brachytherapy for breast cancer. But the results won’t be out for years. 

includes audio.  Wider Use Of Breast Cancer Radiation Technique Raises Concern   http://www.npr.org/blogs health/2012/04/09/150088892/wider-use-of-breast-cancer-radiation-technique-raises-concern?ps=sh_stcathdl “…..there’s an intense debate under way about whether the approach is being used too widely before there’s clear evidence it’s as effective as the traditional approach. Continue reading →

April 16, 2012 Posted by | health, Reference, Resources -audiovicual, technology, USA | Leave a comment

Modernizing nuclear weapons – a recipe for global destruction

 http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/5713-new-publication-from-rcw-on-nuclear-modernization   New publication from RCW on nuclear modernization, On Tuesday 10 April, Reaching Critical Will launched its latest publication, Assuring Destruction Forever: Nuclear weapon modernization around the world. This new, groundbreaking study explores in-depth the nuclear weapon modernization programmes in China, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and analyzes the costs of nuclear weapons in the context of the economic crisis, austerity measures, and rising challenges in meeting human and environmental needs

April 16, 2012 Posted by | resources - print, Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Fukushima radiation leaks bringing sickness to children

Japanese professor says Fukushima radiation leaks are harming children’s health http://www.straight.com/article-660131/vancouver/japanese-professor-says-fukushima-radiation-leaks-are-harming-childrens-health
VIDEO  Radio host Steve Zeltzer conducted the interview Akira  Murakami’s comments about children’s health are at 13:37 of the video.

By Charlie Smith, April 13, 2012 A media professor at Akia University in Japan has claimed that
children in his country are suffering serious medical problems as a result of last year’s Fukushima nuclear disaster.

In an interview on WorkWeek Radio (which works with Project Censored), Prof. Akira “Lazy Cat” Murakami linked the leak of radiation to kids have suffering nosebleeds, skin diseases, short tempers, and cardiovascular diseases.

Murakami said that the Japanese mainstream media is not covering the impacts, but this information is being disseminated to Japanese people through cyberspace.

“Our food regulations are quite loose,” Murakami said. “We have only spot inspections.” He called on Americans to do whatever they can to shut down remaining nuclear reactors.

“This planet could not afford another Chernobyl or another Fukushima,” he said.

April 14, 2012 Posted by | health, Japan, Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

The cleanup of Moab uranium tailings – 17 more years to go?

Lack of funding to slow cleanup of uranium tailings (includes video) KSL.com Utah By Geoff Liesik , 13 April 12,  MOAB — Environmental crews have removed more than 5 million tons of radioactive tailings from the banks of the Colorado River in less than three years.

They still have about 11 million tons to go, but the pace of the cleanup is about to slow down. Continue reading →

April 14, 2012 Posted by | Resources -audiovicual, Uranium, USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear radiation is more harmful to women than to men

Mary Olson on how women are more vulnerable to atomic radiation, http://ifyoulovethisplanet.org/?p=5755   7 April 12 This week’s guest is biologist Mary Olson, Southeast Regional Coordinator with the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) in the U.S., an organization that provides information to citizens concerned about nuclear power, radioactive waste, radiation and sustainable energy issues. In her 21st year of this work, Olson has come to focus on the disproportionate impact that exposure to ionizing radiation has on women and children. Her recent paper entitled “Atomic Radiation is More Harmful to Women”reveals information the National Academy of Sciences BEIR (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation) VII report includes, but does not discuss.

April 7, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, health, Resources -audiovicual, women | Leave a comment

See YouTube on high radiation, little water in Japan reactor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCr2O2TsNZk   High Radiation, Little Water in Japan Reactor  28 March 12,  Recent investigation found one damaged reactor at Japan’s crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has extremely high levels of radiation and very little water. Authorities haven’t been able to probe two others that had meltdowns.

March 31, 2012 Posted by | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Global competition for modern clean energy is under way

The Great Renewable Energy Race  (excellent interactive graphics)  http://go.bloomberg.com/multimedia/the-great-renewable-energy-race/ BLOOMBERG MARCH 18, 2012   Global investment in renewable energy climbed to a record $260 billion last year, and the race for clean power is just getting started.

We reported last week how new solar and wind technologies are approaching price parity with traditionally cheaper coal- and gas-burning power plants. Today, the world’s regions go head-to-head….

Where the Wind Blows

The wind energy market started in the U.S. in the 1980s, in a drive for greater energy independence. Investment shifted to Europe  in the 1990s, drawn by grants, incentives and so-called feed-in tariffs,  which encourage cost reductions by locking in long-term prices  at favorable rates.

Turbine installations moved to Asia in 2009. By 2011, China, the world’s biggest wind investor, was installing 20 gigawatts of wind power a year, three times as much as the U.S., the second biggest investor. Asia will remain the most active region for wind investment until 2019, according to BNEF estimates.

Where the Sun Shines

Japan dominated solar installations in the 1990s, when the market remained small. In 2004, European feed-in tariffs abruptly shifted the solar focus to Europe, where it remains today.

The decline in crystalline solar silicon prices has been dramatic. As the cost of producing solar approaches parity with retail electricity purchased from the grid, installations are expected to shift from utility-scale solar fields to smaller-scale rooftop projects. The biggest share will move to Asia next year, according to BNEF: China’s total solar capacity is expected to climb to 272 gigawatts in 2030 from less than 1 gigawatt today. http://go.bloomberg.com/multimedia/the-great-renewable-energy-race/

March 21, 2012 Posted by | renewable, Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

“Radiation Stories part 3 – Koothamkulam” film on anti nuclear protest

Nuclear nuances THE HINDU, MARIANNE DE NAZARETH, 20 March 12,  It’s an old story, almost 20 years old, says filmmaker Amudhan.R.P, about the people’s movement against the Koodankulam nuclear plant.

People have become more aware of the problems of nuclear energy post Fukushima and this has helped the movement gain momentum, in and around Koodankulam and
Idinthakarai villages. In his film “ Radiation Stories part 3 – Koothamkulam” Amudhan has tried to capture the anti-nuclear movement.

Amudhan’s 80-minute film, in Tamil with English subtitles, was screened recently in Bangalore by Pedestrian Pictures. …… “Twenty years ago the police arrested us,” says one woman. “We were against it even then.” “We will give up our lives but we don’t want the reactor. Ninety percent of us don’t want it here as the radiation will affect
us all and kill our future generations.”….

.  “The entire middle class is trained to think that nuclear energy is the only way out for us in a power crisis. I want to counter that campaign and sensitise people on the true issue,” said Amudhan. http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article3016255.ece

March 21, 2012 Posted by | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Mapping Fukushima radiation as it moves across the Pacific Ocean

http://www.straight.com/article-638451/vancouver/fukushima-radiation-moving-seawater-across-pacific-ocean-according-consulting-company   Maps show movement of radiation, and of debris  across Pacific Fukushima radiation moving in seawater across Pacific Ocean, according to consulting company, Straight.com  By Charlie Smith, March 18, 2012 Oceanic radiation from last year’s Fukushima nuclear disaster is approaching northern Hawaii, according to the latest tracking by ASR Limited .

The coastal-management consulting company has created a map that follows the movement of radiation in seawater since the Japanese earthquake on March 11, 2011. ASR Limited suggests radiation is crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Last April, Japanese officials claimed  that they had halted the release of radioactive radiation from the crippled nuclear reactors at Fukushima.

On December 5, however, the Los Angeles Times revealed  that “45 tons of highly radioactive water” had been released from the plant on the previous weekend.

Greenpeace has also reported  finding highly radioactive sea life off the Japanese coast. Meanwhile, ASR Limited has also released a map showing how far the floating island of Japanese debris has travelled since last year’s earthquake.

It’s expected to reach the British Columbia Coast in 2013. A huge amount of debris is headed toward British Columbia.  

March 20, 2012 Posted by | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

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