- Japan's March 11 earthquake/tsunami-caused nuclear disaster
affects millions of people regionally and throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
But you'd never know it from most major media reports, downplaying an unfolding
catastrophe.
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- In fact, distinguished experts like Helen Caldicott long
ago warned of inevitable nuclear disasters, especially in seismically active
areas. On May 23, 2004, The Japan Times contributor Leuren Moret headlined,
"Japan's deadly game of nuclear roulette," saying:
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- "Of all the places in all the world no one in their
right mind would build scores of nuclear power plants, Japan would be pretty
near the top of the list."
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- "Japan sits on top of four tectonic plates....and
is one of the most tectonically active regions of the world. (There) is
almost no geologic setting in the world more dangerous for nuclear power
than Japan."
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- In 2004, Kobe University Seismologist/Professor Katsuhiko
Ishibashi called the situation then "very scary. It's like a kamikaze
terrorist wrapped in bombs just waiting to explode."
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- American cities like New York have no credible evacuation
plans in case of nuclear disasters. Neither does Japan, its Fukushima response
a clear example. In fact, however, there's no adequate plan possible in
cases of catastrophic nuclear events. How and to where do you transfer
millions of people. Abandoning the technology alone can work, a possibility
not considered, at least not so far.
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- Japanese nuclear engineer Yoichi Kikuchi told Moret about
serious longstanding safety problems at Japanese nuclear facilities, including
cooling system cracks in pipes from reactor vibrations. Operators are thus
"gambling in a dangerous game to increase profits and decrease government
oversight," he said.
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- Former GE senior field engineer Kei Sugaoka agreed, saying:
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- "The scariest thing, on top of all the other problems,
is that all the nuclear power plants are aging, causing a deterioration
of piping and joints which are always exposed to strong radiation and heat."
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- As a result, Moret, like Caldicott, said:
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- "It is not a question of whether or not a nuclear
disaster will occur in Japan (or most anywhere); it is a question of when
it will occur," and if catastrophic enough, perhaps nothing can be
done to contain it.
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- Moreover, all radiation, especially large amounts, is
harmful, cumulative, permanent and unforgiving. Yet lunatic fringe, self-styled
"nuclear experts" like Ann Coulter told Fox News host Bill O'Reilly
that a "growing body of evidence (shows radiation) is actually good
for you and reduces cases of cancer." Even O'Reilly reacted skeptically
to the "hormesis" notion. Wikipedia calls it:
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- "the term for generally-favorable biological responses
to low exposures to toxins and other stressors," including radiation.
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- Other toxins aside, no amount of radiation is safe. In
her book "Nuclear Madness," Helen Caldicott explained:
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- "Lower doses of radiation can cause abnormalities
of the immune system and can also cause leukemia five to ten years after
exposure; (other) cancer(s), twelve to sixty years later; and genetic diseases
and congenital anomalies in future generations."
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- "Nuclear radiation is forever," she added.
It doesn't dissipate or disappear. Jeff Patterson, former Physicians for
Social Responsibility president said, "There is no safe level of radionuclide
exposure, whether from food, water or other sources. Period." In 1953,
Nobel laureate George Wald agreed saying "no amount of radiation is
safe. Every dose is an overdose."
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- On March 19, Ralph Nader's "Nuclear Nightmare"
article said:
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- "Over 40 years ago....the Atomic Energy Commission
(now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) estimated that a full nuclear meltdown
could contaminate an area 'the size of Pennsylvania' and cause massive
casualties."
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- In square miles, Pennsylvania is one-third the size of
Japan. Nader said that "people in northern Japan may lose their land,
homes, relatives, and friends as a result of a dangerous technology designed
simply to boil water."
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- On March 25, New York Times writers Hiroko Tabuchi, Keith
Bradsher and David Jolly headlined, "Japan Encourages a Wider Evacuation
from Reactor Area," saying:
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- "New signs emerged Friday that parts of the crippled
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were so damaged and contaminated that it
would be even harder to bring the plant under control soon."
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- Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) measured
seawater showing "the level of iodine-131 at 50 becquerels per cubic
centimeter - 1,250 times the legal limit."
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- Moreover, several workers were contaminated by water
measuring 10,000 times above normal, according to the National Institute
of Radiological Sciences. In addition, a senior nuclear executive said
"a long vertical crack" running down the side of the reactor
vessel (expected to enlarge) was detected "leaking fluids and gases."
The Times said, "There is a definite crack in the vessel - it's up
and down and it's large. The problem with cracks is they do not get smaller."
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- In addition, contamination is spreading, now affecting
Tokyo water with elevated radioactive iodine levels, an alert saying don't
let infants drink it. Milk, vegetables, fruits, and likely all crops in
northern Japan are affected. Further, on March 25, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper
said:
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- "Iodine-131 detected in Tokyo hit 12,000 becquerels,
compared with the previous day, a tenfold increase in both radioactive
iodine and cesium." In addition, "Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture,
saw the highest radioactive values recorded, with 12,000 becquerels of
cesium, iodine and 85,000 becquerels."
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- On March 25, the Takoma Park, MD-based Institute for
Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) said:
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- "Radioactive iodine releases from Japan's Fukushima
Daiichi reactors may exceed those of Three Mile Island by over 100,000
times....While Chernobyl had one source of radioactivity, its reactor,
there are seven leaking radiation sources at the Japanese site. Together,
the three damaged reactors and four spent fuel pools at Fukushima Daiicho
contain (much) more long-lived radioactivity, notably cesium-137, than
the Chernobyl reactor."
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- Its half life is about 30 years. According to IEER president
Arjun Makhijani, "This accident has long since passed the level of
Three Mile Island." Already, large parts of Honshu, Japan's main island,
have been affected. Even so, Japanese authorities haven't been forthcoming
about actual radiation releases that independent experts believe are extremely
high and dangerous.
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- On March 26, government officials said predictions on
when Fukushima could be stabilized aren't known, spokesman Yukio Edano
saying "this is not the stage for predictions." According to
IAEA head Yukiya Amano, "(t)his is a very serious accident by all
standards, and it is not yet over." Ending it "will take quite
a long time."
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- So far efforts to stabilize the damaged reactors haven't
succeeded. On March 24, Natural News.com writer Mike Adams headlined, "Radioactive
fallout from Fukushima approaching same levels as Chernobyl," saying:
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- "The radioactive (iodine-131) fallout is now as
much as 73 percent of the daily radiation emitted from Chernobyl following
its meltdown disaster." For cesium-137, it's 60%.
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- Monitoring in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Montreal and
other cities are registering Fukushima fallout. Yellow rain in Japan was
reported, much like what happened after Chernobyl. Whether it's entirely
radioactive isn't known. Contamination, however, is spreading, yet "the
nuclear industry says stop worrying....it's all safe!"
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- On March 25, Natural News.com writer Ethan Huff headlined,
"Ominous smoke plumes, contaminated water and food, but everything
is just fine in Japan, suggest authorities," saying:
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- "....black smoke....was seen billowing from Reactor
3, (containing) highly dangerous MOX plutonium fuel," prompting an
"evacuation at all four reactors." No explanation was given.
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- In addition, Kyodo News said "mysterious neutron
beams (were seen) coming from the plant 13 times since" the earthquake/tsunami,
suggesting uranium and plutonium releases from damaged reactors and fuel
rods.
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- Interviewed on March 17, nuclear expert Hirose Takashi
doubts water sprayed on damaged reactors was effective, saying:
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- "If you want to cool a reactor down with water,
you have to circulate the water inside and carry the heat away, otherwise
it has no meaning. So the only solution is to reconnect the electricity.
Otherwise, it's like pouring water on lava."
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- Moreover, by using salt water "(y)ou get salt. The
salt will get into all these valves and cause them to freeze. They won't
move. This will be happening everywhere. So I can't believe that it's just
a simple matter of reconnecting the electricity and the water will begin
to circulate....I can't understand it....Now it's a complete mess inside....I'm
speaking of the worst case, but the probability is not low....Only in Japan
it is being hidden."
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- "I hate to say it, but I am pessimistic....We have
to think of all six (reactors) going down, and the possibility of that
happening is not low."
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- On March 26, Reuters headlined, "Radiation spikes
in seawater by stricken Japanese plant," saying:
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- "Radioactivity levels are soaring in seawater near
(Fukushima), Japan's nuclear safety agency said on Saturday...." On
March 25, tests showed they spiked to 1,250 times normal. NISA official
Hidehiko Nishiyama criticized Tokyo Electric (TEPCO) for not following
safety procedures inside the turbine building. Throughout the crisis, TEPCO
hasn't given accurate information on the disaster's severity, downplaying
it instead.
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- As a result, independent experts express grave concerns
that conditions are much worse than reported. They also believe it will
take months perhaps to contain Fukusima. In the meantime, radiation keeps
leaking and spreading, but it will be years before the real toll is known.
Downplaying its gravity is scandalous.
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- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com
and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays
at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs
are archived for easy listening.
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- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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