The Worst is Yet to Come

According to Brad Jacobson HERE:

Experts say acknowledging the threat would call into question the safety of dozens of identically designed nuclear power plants in the U.S.

More than a year after the triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, the Japanese government, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) present similar assurances of the site's current state: challenges remain but everything is under control. The worst is over.

But nuclear waste experts say the Japanese are literally playing with fire in the way nuclear spent fuel continues to be stored onsite, especially in reactor 4, which contains the most irradiated fuel -- 10 times the deadly cesium-137 released during the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. These experts also charge that the NRC is letting this threat fester because acknowledging it would call into question safety at dozens of identically designed nuclear power plants around the U.S., which contain exceedingly higher volumes of spent fuel in similar elevated pools outside of reinforced containment.

Reactor 4: The Most Imminent Threat


READ MORE HERE.

Radioactive Iodine from Fukushima Found in California Kelp

The Scientific American reported HERE today that:

Kelp off Southern California was contaminated with short-lived radioisotopes a month after Japan’s Fukushima accident, a sign that the spilled radiation reached the state’s urban coastline, according to a new scientific study.

Scientists from California State University, Long Beach tested giant kelp collected in the ocean off Orange County and other locations after the March, 2011 accident, and detected radioactive iodine, which was released from the damaged nuclear reactor.

The largest concentration was about 250-fold higher than levels found in kelp before the accident.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE ENTRY.

A Most Interesting Debate About Japan's Nuclear Energy Industry

This morning, I came across a most interesting debate about Japan's nuclear energy industry in  The New York Times by Martin Fackler - Japan’s Nuclear Energy Industry Nears Shutdown, at Least for Now.

Reporting from Ohi, Martin said:

All but two of Japan’s 54 commercial reactors have gone off line since the nuclear disaster a year ago, following the earthquake and tsunami, and it is not clear when they can be restarted. With the last operating reactor scheduled to be idled as soon as next month, Japan — once one of the world’s leaders in atomic energy — will have at least temporarily shut down an industry that once generated a third of its electricity.

Please CLICK HERE to read the rest of the entry and the many insightful comments shared by NYT readers. Have a great day!

Fukushima radioactive caesium leaks 'equal 168 Hiroshimas'

(NaturalNews) Japan's government recently estimated that the amount of radioactive caesium-137 released by the Fukushima nuclear disaster thus far is equal to that of 168 Hiroshima bombs.

Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed as a fission product by nuclear fission. Like all radionuclides, exposure to radiation from caesium-137 results in increased risk of cancer. Everyone is exposed to very small amounts of caesium-137 in soil and water as a result of atmospheric fallout. Exposure to waste materials from contaminated sites or from nuclear accidents that disperse these radioactive materials into the air can result in cancer risks that are much higher than typical environmental exposures.

If exposures are very high, serious burns and even death can result. The magnitude of the health risk depends on exposure conditions or on factors such as the strength of the source, length of exposure, distance from the source and whether there was shielding between you and the source.

How Fukushima's radiation release compares to Hiroshima

Since the three reactors were crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami this year, the amount of caesium-137 released has been estimated at 15,000 terabecquerels so far, as reported by the Tokyo Shimbun. This is supposedly quoting a government calculation.


CLICK HERE for the rest of the entry.

Toxic Truth - Myth Vs Reality

I was very saddened to read this article about how post-tsunami harmony is a myth and the reality is startlingly different. To read more, please CLICK HERE.

Shocking - Death from bed bug pesticide poisoning

A British couple were among seven tourists whose deaths in Thailand have been linked to a toxic bed bug pesticide.

Pensioners George Everitt, 78, and his wife Eileen, 73, from Boston, Lincolnshire, were found dead in their room at the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai.

An undercover investigation revealed shocking evidence linking the deaths between January and March after all seven stayed at or used facilities at the hotel.


Read more AT THIS LINK.

CHECK THIS OUT

I came across this article in one of my favorite blogs:

Radioactive Iodine In Phoenix AZ Milk 1600% Above EPA Drinking Water Limits 


Do check it out if you have time. Thanks!! Take care and keep safe.

Shocking But True

CNN News has an article HERE which says that radiation in reactor's building tests 10 million times above normal.

CLICK HERE to read the whole story!

Oh No! High Radiation in Spinach and Milk Near Nuclear Plant

New York Times carried a report HERE on Japan Confirms High Radiation in Spinach and Milk Near Nuclear Plant. Please read that article and be shocked!

In case you did not know, THIS LINK reported that a strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled Japan's Ibaraki prefecture south of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, the country's meteorological agency said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

God bless the 50 Fukushima Heroes

How many people would still lay down their lives for the nation in this cruel world? Not that many. In the past, warriors and soldiers died in the battle field but today, we have 50 heroes in Fukushima who risked their lives for that of their fellow citizens, for their nation. I take my hats off to these heroes and pray that God will protect them as they endeavor to save their nation.

Here's a tribute written by Chris Hogg of BBC News reporting from Tokyo.

CLICK HERE to read Japan hails the heroic 'Fukushima 50'.

Bad, Worse Now and the Worst Has Yet to Come

Please read the following article. You will then realize that the worst is yet to come.

BBC News said HERE:

Japan's Emperor Akihito has said he is "deeply worried" about the crisis his country is facing following last Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

In an extremely rare appearance, the emperor went on live TV to make his first public comments on the disaster, and urged an all-out rescue effort.

He spoke after technicians temporarily abandoned a quake-crippled nuclear plant as radiation briefly surged.

Thousands of people were killed in the 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami.

The stricken Fukushima Daiichi power facility has sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo, spreading alarm in the city and internationally.

TV stations interrupted programming on Wednesday to show the emperor describing the crisis facing the nation as "unprecedented in scale".

The 77-year-old - deeply respected by many Japanese - said: "I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times."

Japan's titular head of state - who acceded to the throne in 1989 after the death of his father Hirohito - said he prayed that every victim would be saved.

He spoke as snow blanketed swathes of the disaster zone, where many survivors have little food, water or heat.

About 450,000 people have been staying in temporary shelters, many sleeping on the floor of school gymnasiums.

Nearly 3,700 people are listed as dead, but it is feared the total death toll will top 10,000 following the catastrophe, which pulverised the country's north-east coast.

Read the rest of this entry HERE.

Nuclear Crisis is WORSENING + Another Earthquake 6.1

According to CTV:

Responding to Japan's struggle to contain a possible nuclear catastrophe, the French nuclear safety authority has upgraded the severity of the ongoing accident to level six out of seven on the international scale.

Level seven on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale has been invoked only once, following the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.

The head of France's Nuclear Safety Authority, Andre-Claude Lacoste told reporters on Tuesday that the situation in Japan is less severe than the core explosion at Chernobyl, but worse than the 1979 partial core meltdown at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.

"We are now in a situation that is different from yesterday's. It is very clear that we are at a level six, which is an intermediate level between what happened at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl," the ASN president said at a news conference in Paris.

The incident at Three Mile Island was rated a level 5, which corresponds to "an accident with wider consequences," while level 6 is reserved for a "serious accident." Japanese officials had rated the situation at the plant in Fukushima prefecture as a 4 on the seven-point scale, meaning it's an accident with "local consequences."

But, pointing to the explosions that continued to wrack the Dai-ichi nuclear plant despite days of frantic efforts to cool them, Lacoste said the outlook is worsening.

"We are clearly in a catastrophe," he said.

Radiation levels spike, drop

Lacoste's announcement came as a Japanese nuclear safety official said water inside a waste storage pool at the crippled Dai-ichi plant may be boiling, just hours after radiation levels spiked then dropped after a fire erupted at its No. 4 reactor.

Japanese Economy Ministry spokesperson Hidehiko Nishiyama told reporters that "we cannot deny the possibility of water boiling" in the Dai-ichi nuclear power plant's spent fuel storage pool.

READ MORE HERE.

At the point of writing, another earthquake at the depth of 10km just struck the area of Tokyo (Tokai region) at 9.31pm. (Malaysian time).

Details OVER HERE.

Check HERE.

There IS Reason to be AFRAID!

According to BBC News HERE:

Radiation from Japan's quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has reached harmful levels, the government says.

The warning comes after the plant was rocked by a third blast which appears to have damaged one of the reactors' containment vessels for the first time.

If it is breached, there are fears of more serious radioactive leaks.

Officials have extended the danger zone, warning residents within 30km (18 miles) to evacuate or stay indoors.

The crisis was sparked by a 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami on Friday.
'Don't go outside'

On Tuesday morning, reactor 2 became the third to explode in four days at the Fukushima Daiichi plant - 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo.

A fire also briefly broke out at the plant's reactor 4 on Tuesday and is believed to have led to radioactive leaks.

Reactor 4 had been shut down before the quake for maintenance but its nuclear fuel rods are still stored on the site.

Radiation levels in the Japanese capital were reported to be higher than normal, but officials said there were no health dangers.

In a televised address, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said: "There is still a very high risk of more radiation coming out."

He added that the last remaining people within the existing 20km (12 mile) exclusion zone around the plant must leave.

Those living between 20km and 30km were also at risk and should not leave their homes.

"Now we are talking about levels that can impact human health," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.

He told residents: "Please do not go outside. Please stay indoors. Please close windows and make your homes airtight.

"Don't turn on ventilators. Please hang your laundry indoors."


READ MORE HERE.

Nuclear Emergency Declared!!!

According to BBC News:

apanese authorities have declared a state of emergency at two nuclear power plants, after Friday's devastating earthquake caused malfunctions.

Cooling systems inside several reactors at the Fukushima 1 and 2 power plants have stopped working properly, leading to a build-up of pressure.

Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate the area near the plants.

Technicians are starting to release vapour to lower the pressure in some of the reactors.

Some of the released gases could be radioactive, but officials insisted the procedure would pose no risk to the public.

Radioactivity levels in the control room of the Fukushima 1 plant were reportedly running at 1,000 times normal.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE ENTRY.

Tsunami Fear Hits Japan

According to AP AT THIS LINK:

Japan was struck by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off its northeastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter. There were reports of injuries in Tokyo.
Enlarge This Image

A tsunami carried boats across waters in Kamaishi city port in this still image taken from video footage.
In various locations along Japan's coast, TV footage showed massive damage from the tsunami, with dozens of cars, boats and even buildings being carried along by waters. A large ship swept away by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK.

Officials were trying to assess damage, injuries and deaths from the quake but had no immediate details.

The quake that struck at 2:46 p.m. was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, including a 7.4-magnitude one about 30 minutes later. The U.S. Geological Survey upgraded the strength of the first quake to a magnitude 8.9, while Japan's meteorological agency measured it at 7.9.

CLICK HERE for the rest of the entry.

Many questions, no answers

Many things bug (not to be confused with bugger) me. Many questions. Not surprisingly not many bright answers. Anyone out there want to give a shot at these ?

Q1 : Is climate change is getting a grossly exaggerated share of attention ? After all, we do have many equally pressing issues.

Q2 : Why the Minister of Environment is always someone from Sarawak ? (and why have they all been men ?)

Q3 : Are plastic bags really bad ? I don’t think so. If people throw them irresponsibly, why blame the plastic bags ?

Q4 : Should we start cloning the rhinoceros to prevent it from going extinct ?

Q5 : Ali G once said that marine pollution is caused by the millions of fish and crabs shitting in the water (just imagine how much a blue whale might poop). What do you say ?

Q6: Does putting Anson Wong in prison change anything with regards to global illegal wildlife trafficking ?

Q7 : Is the performance of Pakatan Rakyat with regards to environmental protection any better than that of BN ?

Q8 : Can the WWF’s TX2 campaign’s target of doubling the tiger population by 2022 be achieved?

Q9 : Is Najib really serious about green technology or is it just hot, hot chicken shit (hangat-hangat tahi ayam) ?

PLEASE CLICK HERE for the rest of the post which was written by Dr. Bala of Planet of the Apes. Reposted with permission granted by Monyet King :-). Thanks!

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE

It gives me tremendous pleasure to announce that my cousin's daughter, Ashley Chung (a Year 11 Student at Chinese International School in Hong Kong), has just published her first book "Billy and Sophie's Big Environmental Adventures" as part of her personal project for the MYP system adopted by her school and also to raise funds for World Wildlife Fund, Hong Kong.



"Billy and Sophie's Big Environmental Adventure" is a story about the experiences of two young siblings in a whole new world. One night, they go to bed and wake up in an entirely different place where they make new friends and learn about the environment during this exciting adventure. After learning about the perils facing our environment, the siblings return home with renewed vision and new found determination to make a difference to the world in which they live.

This book is the culmination of months of hard work and years of diligence and discipline to chase her dream of becoming an author. As a resident of Hong Kong, Ashley noticed the magnitude of pollution there and also the amount of litter scattered on the streets. That and the realization of other environmental issues such as global warming and extinction of some species of flora and fauna compelled her to play her role in helping to secure a more sustainable future for Mother Earth by raising environmental awareness via her book.

This is what Nicole Wong, Assistant Director (Education) of World Wildlife Fund, Hong Kong had to say about her book:

When I read the first draft of this book, I was touched by Ashley's ardor. "Billy and Sophie's Big Environmental Adventures" introduces environmental issues that we are facing. It covers various aspects of conservation, including the impact of climate change and pollution. More significantly, the story teaches children how they can make a difference in conserving this vast ecosystem through their daily life.

WWF-Hong Kong has long been devoted to the promotion of education for sustainable development and environmental conservation. We believe that the only way to achieve a sustainable future is by working together to conserve this living planet. Children are our hope; by cultivating their appreciation of nature, it will raise environmental awareness in the coming generations. That is also the ultimate aim of this story book.

Proceeds from the sale of her books will be donated to World Wildlife Fund, Hong Kong. The book was published by Print Plus International Hong Kong and they can be reached at sales@PrintPlus.com.hk

Well done, Ashley! We are very proud of you and wish you every success as you have purposefully made this dream come true. May you continue to write more books and make waves in the literary world!

THE END OF A LONG BATTLE

It was with much sadness and a broken heart that I read the following article from New Scientist HERE by Kate MacAlpine about the decades-long tug of war between environmental and indigenous groups on one hand and the Brazilian government on the other when a Brazilian energy consortium won the right to build what will become the world's third-largest dam.

Almost 27 years ago, I worked as a writer with Friends of the Earth and from then, I have always had a love for the environment. I have blogged about quite a number of environmental issues in this blog. In Malaysia, particularly in Sarawak, there are similar issues faced by many because of the construction of dams. We have only one planet and at the rate things are going downhill, we may not have much a planet to leave to the next generation. When will man learn that the environment is of MORE value than money?

Do read the following article and please leave a comment if you wish to share your thoughts and views. Thanks! Have a nice day!

EXTRACTED FROM HERE:

The controversial Belo Monte dam on the Xingu river in the Brazilian Amazon, a tributary of the Amazon, could power as many as 23 million homes. But since its proposal 20 years ago, it has been the subject of a vitriolic dispute with the government on one side and indigenous people and green groups on the other.

The latter say it would flood 500 square kilometres of farms and rainforest and prevent the migration of fish that are a major food source for 800 indigenous communities. CLICK HERE for more.

TAKING OUR BREATH AWAY

written by M. H. who blogs at Candlenut

All MP's, ADUN, Councillors who are representatives of the people should be made to take an oath where they promise never by their actions to harm the people they represent.

Some such people’s representatives have willingly lent their complete support to further environmental degradation in Selangor. This issue is clearly one created by a few interested parties to promote their commercial interests. It is especially troubling that they who are representatives of the living care more about profiting (or profiteering) from the lucrative business of death by deforestation & the conversion of the 56 ha forest to a 'fabulous' cemetery for all races.

If such a resource as this lowland dipterocarp forest which has been a working, living laboratory of natural resources for University Putra Malaysia and visiting researchers from all over the world can be so easily dismissed as being good only for a graveyard, then it an indictment of their lack of environmental awareness, their disregard for quality of life of their constituents and their own integrity. It also speaks volumes of the values of the civil servants involved in making those decisions.

The Ayer Hitam Forest is designated under the Sustainable Development Plan 2020 for Selangor as a "Sanctuary for Wildlife" and there is even a signboard designating it as “Hutan Simpanan Kekal”. A sanctuary is a sacred space, and in this case not one that can be replicated. More deforestation has taken place in Selangor and in the 2 Federal Territories associated with it namely KL& Putrajaya than anywhere else in Peninsular Malaysia.

When lungs (green or otherwise) are diseased and damaged, it compromises our ability to breathe. Is this then an insidious method of "taking our breath away"? The citizen's basic right to fresh air. There are to the best of my knowledge only 2 areas of semi dense lowland dipterocarp forest remaining in Selangor. This is one of them. Forests are nature’s air conditioners, regulating surrounding temperatures for comfort. Forests are nature’s repository of DNA (think food, fibre, furniture, medicines, oils, wildlife etc). They are nature’s reduction agent /absorbent of typhoons & storms. Forests are nature’s reservoirs and conservators and regenerators of water, soil and yet to be understood systems of energy and energy transformation.

By their actions, the former Selangor State Government have clearly assigned themselves to causing individual and collective harm to 2000 families (roughly 8,000 law abiding, tax paying citizens) whose wellbeing they are morally and legally bound to protect.

The then Puchong MP said that 'an amicable solution' could be found. This was a surprising turn around for the same man who on (Chinese Newspaper item & photo) gave his voice and support along with several other MCA colleagues to the 'project'. (This is the man whose name I have selectively forgotten- before our present hero YB Gobind Singh Deo)

If indeed it was their intention to 'do the best' for the people they represent, the residents as stakeholders ought to have been widely consulted. In the event, 2 households located closest to the perimeter fence were notified in writing.

25/2/06 the MP made a comment that only 2 households replied to a ‘letter’ they had sent to which a reply was required within one week. Why a letter, when you know full well they will be ignored. Why not face to face consultations?

"Work could start anytime", this is a statement that was quoted by one of the committee members as coming from a councillor. It could be true or it could be interpreted as a form of intimidation or a hint that once the "work" of clearing the forest begins it will effectively be fait accompli.

The MP said this project was planned in 2001. Whenever it was planned, it still does not make it right. The MP mentioned the possibility that the then MB (Khir Toyo, who else?) was "wrongly briefed".

How would the residents respond the MP said if the MB asked "Why are you so selfish?" Simple, if we really were selfish, we would try and sell up and leave even at a loss. On the contrary we are civic minded, law abiding, tax paying, loyal citizens and supportive members of a united community. If the well being of our families is likely to be harmed, if our community of 20,000 could be so disregarded by the very people who are responsible for our well being, and we respond, that is citizen participation in ensuring good governance, transparency &accountability.

In at least one other similar situation in the vicinity of KL, an urban island forest was deforested to extend an existing graveyard right up to the door step of a housing development. Residents protests fell on deaf ears, their properties dived in value. It was suggested that the Residents Association seek the assistance of Michael Chong of MCA. He in turn arranged for the residents to meet Tengku Adnan Mansor – then Minister in charge of Federal Territories, in the PM’s Dept. At the meeting, the residents were informed in a rude and cursory manner that the 'project would go on'.

At the meeting, the residents had presented them with a dossier on the economic, social and political impacts of the proposed graveyard as well as the problems they already encountered as a result of the deforestation of their green lung. They posed for a photograph of the handing over of the dossier at the request of MCA’s Michael Chong. The next day, the Malay Mail featured a report of the meeting between the residents association, Tengku Adnan Mansor and Michael Chong with a photograph & caption that the residents now were in complete approval of the graveyard project!

Apart from that S'gor already suffers from a shortage of water so much so water has to be diverted here from Pahang. Why from Pahang? Pahang still has large areas of forest which replenish and recharge our rivers, but for how much longer, is the question. Selangor on the other hand has deforested in favour of development. At the cost of the well being which the forests have provided for eons. Development has compromised the quality of the people’s food, water and air. The motives of those who take the lead in this kind of compromise ought to be tested by denying them these very essentials!

To understand more about this issue, please read this paper at THIS LINK. Thanks.

Thanks M.H. for sharing your article with us.