How did the Japanese fear of all things nuclear (after Hiroshima) evolve into acceptance?
Huge amounts of money have been spent to promote the idea that nuclear power is safe and necessary in Japan. From government mandated school textbooks to building with Disneyworld-like attractions the Japanese were conditioned to believe that Japan’s plants were totally safe. NYT
It happened at Chernobyl, and it is happening here. The consequences of the multiple melt-downs are starting to appear. One of the first effects of “low-level” radiation is a rise in infant mortality. Statistics on infant mortality in the Pacific Northwest were analyzed and showed a significant upturn in the first weeks of the Fukushima crisis. (Janette D. Sherman, ND and Joseph Mangano) The original essay looked at eight cities: San Jose, Berkeley, San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Portland, Seattle, and Boise. The time frame of the report was the four weeks preceding and the ten weeks after the disaster.
Scientific American claims to debunk this analysis, criticizing its choice of cities and time period as “cherry picking”. However, Counterpunch’s statistician investigated further and his analysis strengthened the results. (Scroll down to headline “Post-Fukushima Infant Deaths in the Pacific Northwest”)
Counterpunch’s staff statistician analyzed all the northernmost Pacific cities, extended the period to ten weeks before and after, and compared deaths in 2011 with the same period a year before (to avoid any seasonal bias). They found a greater increase in infant mortality than the original essay.
Every day there is news from Japan. The following are a few of the most newsworthy:
• Switzerland voted recently to phase out nuclear power. This came on the heels of a 20,000 person march against nuclear power. NPR.
• An area 17 times the size of Manhattan is off limits for habitation. Let’s demand US newspapers and TV stations report this staggering news. Natural News
• Children 32 miles from Fukushima are falling sick. Many Japanese children have “inexplicable” symptoms reported Tokyo’s Shinburn newspaper.
What are the conditions that are likely to lead to the next nuclear disaster?
Rueters expolores this question.
Japan admits melt-throughs (more serious than melt-downs) likely at 3 Fukushima reactors.Bloomburg News
TEPCO admits there is a molten pool of radioactive material at the bottom of the reactor. They are not denying the possibility of a molten pool of radioactive fuel burning a hole in the steel containment pressure vessel. What this could mean is not being talked about. According to Dr. Caldicott, the meltdown could initiate a hydrogen explosion which would release massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. Dr. Caldicott says the same goes for No. 2 Reactor.
Let’s contact the major networks and demand they cover this story!
Here are the latest stories from the last few days:
The crisis in Japan continues to escalate, yet US major media would have us believe all is well. There is good journalism in the US, however; thanks Tom Hartman, Gary Null and other progressive journalists covering this topic….look for them online.
Here are the latest stories from the last few days:
Even if you don’t understand all the science this is a great list of sites. What is most worrisome is the cumulative effect of the continuing leaks, as Fukushima is not slated to be entombed until 2015 at the earliest.