Home

Follow Countercurrents on Twitter 

Google+ 

Support Us

Popularise CC

Join News Letter

CounterSolutions

CounterImages

CounterVideos

Editor's Picks

Press Releases

Action Alert

Feed Burner

Read CC In Your
Own Language

Bradley Manning

India Burning

Mumbai Terror

Financial Crisis

Iraq

AfPak War

Peak Oil

Globalisation

Localism

Alternative Energy

Climate Change

US Imperialism

US Elections

Palestine

Latin America

Communalism

Gender/Feminism

Dalit

Humanrights

Economy

India-pakistan

Kashmir

Environment

Book Review

Gujarat Pogrom

Kandhamal Violence

Arts/Culture

India Elections

Archives

Links

Submission Policy

About Us

Disclaimer

Fair Use Notice

Contact Us

Search Our Archive

 



Our Site

Web

Subscribe To Our
News Letter

Name: E-mail:

 

Printer Friendly Version

Fukushima: It Isn't Over

By Alex Smith

18 March, 2013
Countercurrents.org

It isn't over. Danger to women, children, wildlife. Selections from symposium "The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident" New York March 11-12 by Helen Caldicott Foundation & Physicians for Social Responsibility. Radio Ecoshock 130320

MYTH #1 THE ACCIDENT IS OVER

This is the huge lie politicians and power companies most desperately want you to believe. Here is Akio Matsumura, Founder of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders. Who is he? Lets just say Mr. Matsumura meets with world leaders one on one. As he tells us, when he was invited to dinner with the Japanese Prime Minister, the whole cabinet was invited to join them. What did he tell them?

1. Japanese children will be part of giant nuclear experiment for hundreds of years. 2. Nobody knows where the nuclear fuel has gone, or what state it is in. Government policies are based on wishful thinking, because "Fukushima has no time". That is, it will last and last, beyond us and our descendents.

Kevin Kamp, Radioactive Waste Specialist for the non-profit group "Beyond Nuclear" demolished the "it's over" myth when interviewed by Karl Grossman Chief Investigative Reporter for VVW Hamptons TV.

In just one of a thousand examples that the Fukushima accident is far from over, just listen to Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds.com in that morning Q and A session on March 11th at the symposium. That's right, 400 tons a day of groundwater is mixing with the loose hot nuclear fuel. It is being pumping into hundreds of temporary holding ponds that are not rated to withstand an earth quake over 6.0. Fukushima gets lots of earth quakes.

MYTH 2 American reactors are safer.

You think so? Think the next nuclear melt-down isn't just waiting for the USA? Here are two quick clips from David Lochbaum, nuclear engineer from the Union of Concerned Scientists, again from that morning Q and A session. He explains the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission can't even enforce the "no-brainers" like putting vents on the aging Mark I reactors (as every other country has done except maybe India).

Or this one: why can't the NRC force the California nuclear reactors to meet the fire codes? They've had about 25 years to comply, and still get granted more time? Lochbaum says Californians have won the nuclear lottery - they better hope their number doesn't come up like Fukushima.

MYTH 3 Women and children are being protected.

This is one of the most important lessons of this symposium. A stream of scientists and investigators have found women, girls, and babies are far more sensitive to radiation than the 30 year old healthy male used to set acceptable radiation standards around the world. If you aren't outraged about what you are about to hear, you aren't paying attention.

Here are clips from a presentation by Mary Olson, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Southeast. She spoke on "Gender Matters in the Atomic Age".

MYTH 4 Japan will return to normal.

This talk March 11th is titled: "The implications of the massive contamination of Japan with radioactive cesium" by Dr. Steven Starr from the University of Missouri (and Physicians for Social Responsibility).

Find out everything you wanted to know about Cesium, but were afraid to ask. Yep, the kids get it first, but Europe and Japan are loaded with it. A nice dusting hit the American West coast too. Cesium never goes away, even though the news media stops reporting on it, and the government stops inspecting food.

MYTH 5 Chernobyl is an Eden with animals returning, and Japan's wildlife is recovering nicely.

Dr. Tim Mousseau, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina. We'll hear a ten minute excerpt from his talk "Chernobyl, Fukushima and Other Hot Places, Biological Consequences".

The story that Fukushima has become a wild Eden after the accident was founded on zero scientific studies. Mousseau and his team did the studies. One third fewer birds. Many fewer insects and species of insects. So few sick mammals that the Ukraine has to install a petting zoo, to provide for the Chernobyl tourists who came to see all the famous wildlife (but see nada).

Same again in Fukushima, except the spiders there are doing better, now there are so few birds to eat them. Radioactive "Eden" isn't going so well, and won't for hundreds of years.

Download/listen to Radio Ecoshock 130320 1 hour in CD Quality

http://www.ecoshock.net/eshock13/ES_130320_Show.mp3

Or use the faster downloading/lower quality Lo-Fi

http://www.ecoshock.net/eshock13/ES_130320_Show_LoFi.mp3

Alex Smith
host/producer
Radio Ecoshock
http://www.ecoshock.org

 

 




 

 


Comments are moderated