tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388372827914524197.post5076561767800857877..comments2023-05-27T00:08:34.330+09:00Comments on Japan - after the BIG earthquake: June 21, TuesdayGabi Grevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16362456518166174106noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388372827914524197.post-91274682069838491822011-06-21T21:07:00.968+09:002011-06-21T21:07:00.968+09:00Japan parents launch nuclear 'emergency petiti...Japan parents launch nuclear 'emergency petition'<br /><br />apanese parents living near the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant issued an "emergency petition" on Tuesday, demanding the government do more to protect their children from radiation exposure.<br /><br />A coalition of six citizens' and environmental groups called for the evacuation of children and pregnant women from radiation hotspots, stricter monitoring and the early closure of schools for summer holidays.<br /><br />They voiced concern that authorities had focused on testing for radiation in the environment and not on people's internal exposure through inhaling or ingesting radioactive isotopes through dust, food and drinks.<br /><br />"Since atmospheric radiation levels show no sign of abating, the inhabitants of heavily contaminated areas will continue to endure high radiation doses, both externally and internally," they said in the petition.<br /><br />"To minimise such exposure, residents should be evacuated promptly to areas where radiation is less severe. Top priority must be given to infants, children and expectant mothers -- all highly susceptible to radiation effects."<br /><br />On Tuesday the six protest groups -- including local citizens, anti-nuclear activists, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth -- launched their <br />"Emergency Petition to Protect the Children of Fukushima" <br />at the Japanese parliament.<br /><br />http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110621/wl_asia_afp/japandisasteraccidentnuclearhealthprotest_20110621093512<br />.anonymous newshttp://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110621/wl_asia_afp/japandisasteraccidentnuclearhealthprotest_20110621093512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388372827914524197.post-78358919961382863712011-06-21T17:02:18.154+09:002011-06-21T17:02:18.154+09:00cont.
Mori, who took over last month as chairman ...cont.<br /><br />Mori, who took over last month as chairman of the Kansai federation, said the disruption of transportation and distribution systems in Tokyo and eastern Japan following the March disaster may also provide an opportunity to reverse a decades-long trend that took investment and influence away from the western region.<br /><br />“It’s now clear the whole nation will stop functioning if a big disaster hits the capital,” he said. “The earthquake proved the potential risks of limiting the government’s workings to Tokyo.”<br /><br />Mori said the Kansai region, consisting of Osaka and its surrounding prefectures including Kyoto and Hyogo, used to account for almost a quarter of Japan’s electricity consumption when he joined Kansai Electric in 1963. That ratio is now about 17 percent, after the central government shifted its investment to the Tokyo area, he said. <br /><br />http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-20/japan-needs-nuclear-as-main-energy-kansai-electric-s-mori-says.html<br />.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388372827914524197.post-24678344843743258112011-06-21T11:03:35.040+09:002011-06-21T11:03:35.040+09:00AP IMPACT:
US nuke regulators weaken safety rules...<b>AP IMPACT: <br />US nuke regulators weaken safety rules </b><br /><br />LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. – <br />Federal regulators have been working closely with the nuclear power industry to keep the nation's aging reactors operating within safety standards by repeatedly weakening those standards, or simply failing to enforce them, an investigation by The Associated Press has found.<br /><br />Time after time, officials at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission have decided that original regulations were too strict, arguing that safety margins could be eased without peril, according to records and interviews.<br /><br />The result? Rising fears that these accommodations by the NRC are significantly undermining safety — and inching the reactors closer to an accident that could harm the public and jeopardize the future of nuclear power in the United States.<br /><br />Examples abound. When valves leaked, more leakage was allowed — up to 20 times the original limit. When rampant cracking caused radioactive leaks from steam generator tubing, an easier test of the tubes was devised, so plants could meet standards.<br /><br />Failed cables. Busted seals. Broken nozzles, clogged screens, cracked concrete, dented containers, corroded metals and rusty underground pipes — all of these and thousands of other problems linked to aging were uncovered in the AP's yearlong investigation. And all of them could escalate dangers in the event of an accident.<br /><br />http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110620/ap_on_re_us/us_aging_nukes_part1<br /><br />.anonymous newshttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110620/ap_on_re_us/us_aging_nukes_part1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388372827914524197.post-64086891238475303402011-06-21T10:59:27.694+09:002011-06-21T10:59:27.694+09:00Angst-fueled energy policy
By HUGH CORTAZZI
The F...<b>Angst-fueled energy policy</b><br />By HUGH CORTAZZI<br /><br />The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant disaster has induced many people to question whether and how far the world should become dependent on atomic power.<br /><br />The threat of radiation on the lives of people, especially children, resulting from an accident at a nuclear power station is real and must rightly be an important consideration in drawing up plans for power supplies in the future.<br /><br />Those responsible for deciding the direction of energy policy and the most deserving investment recipients must take into account a variety of other factors and must assess carefully the cost/benefits of the choices available.<br />... But burning coal is a major pollutant of the atmosphere and through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions a significant contributor to global warming and climate change. Pollution and CO2 can be reduced by the use of modern technology, but these can add significantly to costs.<br />... main alternative was hydroelectric<br />... Wind power<br />... Solar may be a better source of power than wind, ...<br /><br />http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/eo20110621hc.html<br />.anonymous newshttp://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/eo20110621hc.htmlnoreply@blogger.com