Re: Fukushima now! ☢

[Mordae]

C'mon Len...The Hulk is cool   

Interesting article about the monkeys that live around the city of Fukushima...which was never evacuated. The basic theme appears to be that all food in the area needs to be imported.

http://www.livescience.com/46987-fukushima-monkeys-blood-abnormalities.html

Wild monkeys living in forests of Fukushima — the Japanese city that was the site of a nuclear power plant meltdown in 2011 — have lower blood cell counts than monkeys from northern Japan, and carry detectable levels of cesium in their bodies, researchers have found.

The researchers studied blood changes and signs of radiation exposure in 61 monkeys living 43 miles (70 kilometers) from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, about one year after an earthquake and tsunami struck the region in 2011, causing a meltdown of three of the plant's reactors, which released a large amount of radioactive material into the environment.

The results showed Fukushima monkeys had lower counts of red and white blood cells, and other blood parts compared with 31 monkeys from Shimokita Penisula in northern Japan. The researchers also found radioactive cesium in the muscles of Fukushima monkeys, ranging from 78 to 1778 becquerels (units of radioactivity representing decay per second) per kilogram, but they didn't find any in Shimokita monkeys.

Another item that didn't really make it's way into the news (heard it somewhere but can't remember where)...while removing some of the rubble around reactor 4 in 2012, the wind caught the dust and deposited it into a rice paddy 50 miles or so to the south. The rice became contaminated but wasn't discovered until 2013.

[Rockhopper]

and you have been on a rant trying to sway all that scientific research is all good...when most is dedicated to controlling and manipulating the masses for profit

I think we have a balance no?

A balance yes but it also depends on the circumstances at the time.

Barnes Wallace invented the biggest bomb at the time (Earthquake Bomb) but it was during WW II and we were at war with Germany. It was built to destroy the Uboat pens in Norway. After the war he designed the Land Rover which was used mostly for peaceful purposes. Not all science is bad and we enjoy the lifestyle we have because of many scientific achievements.

Tim.

[Lenzabi]

Sad how much of the peaceful things we enjoy today from science came also out of weapons research. Microwave ovens are an adjunct from the dead end of Microwave-Death-Ray research. Radar waves were found to kill birds and small animals caught in the "beam" falling to the ground steaming and smoking.

BUT if put to peaceful applications, science does make for some cool stuff for people to use today.

[Mordae]

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/low-levels-radiation-around-fukushima-affecting-insect-survival

Even ingesting low doses of radiation can have serious impacts on insects living around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, researchers have found. Butterflies dining on contaminated foliage collected from surrounding areas are more likely to suffer abnormalities and higher mortality rates than those fed clean leaves, according to a new study. Some of the effects could also be passed on to progeny, but interestingly, feeding offspring uncontaminated leaves seemed to surmount the negative impacts, suggesting decontaminating the food source could save the next generation. The work has been published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.

On March 11, 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant experienced catastrophic failure that resulted in the meltdown of three of the plant’s reactors. Large amounts of radioactive material consequently spewed into the surrounding area which local wildlife has been exposed to ever since.

To examine the potential biological impacts of this radiation exposure, a group of researchers from the University of the Ryukyus has been conducting both field and lab studies on relevant animals for several years. In particular, they’re interested in how radiation could be affecting the development and genetics of the pale grass blue butterfly, a common butterfly in Japan.

In an earlier investigation, the team, headed by Joji Otaki, collected highly contaminated foliage from surrounding areas shortly after the disaster and fed it to butterfly pupae. The radiation in the plants was in the thousands of Becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg), much higher than humans would ever be consuming (the limit in Japan is 100 Bq/kg for human food products).

They found that the butterflies dining on tainted leaves were more likely to suffer physical abnormalities and high mortality rates than those chomping on uncontaminated leaves. But the study didn’t address the effects of low-level radiation ingestion, which is what the latest investigation set out to do...

[Lenzabi]

Radiation shortens the life expectancy, check
makes for harmful mutational side effects, check
damages blood cell count, check
damages the DNA more than helps, check

Basically the nuclear Genie is dangerous passively or aggressively. and Japan seems t be feeling the effects of angry nuclear power (1945) and passive nuclear harm (2011).

[Mordae]

Pretty much. This is interesting as well, and fits in with some of what we found out over at the stream...

Tokyo Contaminated & Not Fit for Habitation, Doctor Says

In July 2014 Dr Shigeru Mita wrote a letter to his fellow doctors to explain his decision to move his practice from Tokyo to Okayama city in the West of Japan [1]. In it, he appeals to their sense of duty to answer the anxieties of parents in Japan who do not believe the information coming from the authorities. He says “I must state that the policies of the WHO, the IAEA or the Japanese government cannot be trusted.” and “if the power to save our citizens and future generations exists somewhere, it does not lie within the government or any academic association, but in the hands of individual clinical doctors ourselves.”

Mita claims that all 23 districts of Tokyo are contaminated, with the eastern area worst affected — up to 4 000 Bq/kg. (The becquerel is a unit of radioactivity. One Bq is the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second.) These findings confirm what the nuclear physicist Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Nuclear Education found in 2012, when he picked up five random soil samples in Tokyo from between paving stones, in parks and playgrounds. The levels of contamination were up to 7 000 Bq/kg; in the US, anything registering these levels would be considered nuclear waste [2].

While practising in Tokyo, Mita also discovered changes in the white blood cells of children under 10.


Independent science & independent reporting in Japan outlawed

In December 2013, the Japanese parliament passed a bill whereby public officials and private citizens could face ten years in prison for divulging “special state secrets”, and journalists, five years, for seeking to obtain classified information. The bill is widely interpreted as a way of preventing sensitive information about Fukushima (among other topics) reaching the Japanese public and by extension the rest of the world [3].

The independent organisation Reporters without Borders has downgraded Japan in its world press freedom index from 22nd place in 2012, to 53rd in 2013 and to 59th in 2014, following the passing of the state secrets bill. Reporters without Borders say that Japan“has been affected by a lack of transparency and almost zero respect for access to information on subjects directly or indirectly related to Fukushima” [4].

Nuclear lobby put in charge

Back in December 2012, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) whose mission is to promote the peaceful uses of the atom, signed agreements with Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima Medical University and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. These “Practical Arrangements” have in effect, handed over the management of the post-accident situation at Fukushima and its health consequences to the nuclear lobby. Among other clauses regarding cooperation and funding, we read that “The Parties will ensure the confidentiality of information classified by the other Party as restricted or confidential” [5]...

[Lenzabi]

Mord if true, this means that Humanity is boned'

[Mordae]

Yeah it kinda does. While I wish I could say the good doctor is overstating his case...I'm not sure I can.

[Lenzabi]

Because the fossil fuel industry and the Nuclear industry wish to maintain their expensive and toxic stranglehold on those unwilling to fight them, America is a prime example of corporate domination.

Absolutely!!

This is why I  dream of owning a house with solar panels someday........ just to get my self more.... self reliant?

Solar energy collectors of the photo-voltaic variety, the heat the water kinds so to ease electric use to heat the water, energy efficient appliances, windmills in different colors like I linked to, with enough battery storage for good nights of use when the sun goes down, photo-voltaic windows, insulated so that just keeping the windows closed will be enough for body and appliance heat to work on a cold day. Grow some gardens for herbs and veggoies, raise chooks for eggs and meat, maybe some rabbits and other small animals. Cows are expensive to raise and feed! Well, grass fed for the milk and then one day the meat. Make the house likely a rammed earth in the side of a hill kind of place.

[Agartha]

Len.... it's a dream..... I hope I could make it real one day.... I don't ask for much: solar panels, a water well, some chickens, a food garden... it's always on my mind.


Mordae, regarding that letter.... is it true? His findings are not peer reviewed, he says that himself... but if he is correct: aren't the Olympics in 2020 going to be held in Tokyo????

[Lenzabi]

Ags, that is a very nice dream house idea. I hope one day you get to have that all set up.

[Rockhopper]

Solar energy collectors of the photo-voltaic variety, the heat the water kinds so to ease electric use to heat the water, energy efficient appliances, windmills in different colors like I linked to, with enough battery storage for good nights of use when the sun goes down, photo-voltaic windows, insulated so that just keeping the windows closed will be enough for body and appliance heat to work on a cold day. Grow some gardens for herbs and veggoies, raise chooks for eggs and meat, maybe some rabbits and other small animals. Cows are expensive to raise and feed! Well, grass fed for the milk and then one day the meat. Make the house likely a rammed earth in the side of a hill kind of place.

Aye. I went into this for VM over at the Olde Forume.

For solar panels you need to work out just how much power you use each day on average (more in winter -- less in summer). Somewhere around 2000w would be the basic amount of panels. For batteries, deep cycle are best but prohibitively expensive, which is why I use the Frie Service ones. Probably 4 batteries would be the minimum.

My windgens were modified windpumps that I scored for scrap prices and I built the generator onto them. They produce power at night here when there is no sun. Again look at your weather where you are to see if they are viable.

Heating and cooking are dependant on the access to firewood. I'm fortunate that I can get all the wood I need for free. A good Aga style stove in the kitchen (they cook, bake and heat water), I have an Aussie designed Rayburn but there are others.

I can't run my workshop off the panels etc because the machinery is three phase and the panels/windgens don't produce enough juice anyway. So I use a Lister singe banger diesel to drive those. It has a three phase 400v genny mounted on it. I mostly use WVO to run it (also free) when I can get enough.

Tim.

[Lenzabi]

Solar energy collectors of the photo-voltaic variety, the heat the water kinds so to ease electric use to heat the water, energy efficient appliances, windmills in different colors like I linked to, with enough battery storage for good nights of use when the sun goes down, photo-voltaic windows, insulated so that just keeping the windows closed will be enough for body and appliance heat to work on a cold day. Grow some gardens for herbs and veggoies, raise chooks for eggs and meat, maybe some rabbits and other small animals. Cows are expensive to raise and feed! Well, grass fed for the milk and then one day the meat. Make the house likely a rammed earth in the side of a hill kind of place.

Aye. I went into this for VM over at the Olde Forume.

For solar panels you need to work out just how much power you use each day on average (more in winter -- less in summer). Somewhere around 2000w would be the basic amount of panels. For batteries, deep cycle are best but prohibitively expensive, which is why I use the Frie Service ones. Probably 4 batteries would be the minimum.

My windgens were modified windpumps that I scored for scrap prices and I built the generator onto them. They produce power at night here when there is no sun. Again look at your weather where you are to see if they are viable.

Heating and cooking are dependant on the access to firewood. I'm fortunate that I can get all the wood I need for free. A good Aga style stove in the kitchen (they cook, bake and heat water), I have an Aussie designed Rayburn but there are others.

I can't run my workshop off the panels etc because the machinery is three phase and the panels/windgens don't produce enough juice anyway. So I use a Lister singe banger diesel to drive those. It has a  three phase 400v genny mounted on it. I mostly use WVO to run it (also free) when I can get enough.

Tim.

Very nice set up. Have to stay attached to the grids in some states as now they passed state laws like florida where it is illegal to off grid!

[Rockhopper]

Perhaps you need to cut Florida loose and let it float away Len. It was a piece of Africa originally so maybe it should go back there!

Or tell 'em that your living in your car!

Tim.

[Lenzabi]

Well, thankfully am not living in that state, and with the oceans rising, that state will be underwater soon enough.

[Mordae]

Mordae, regarding that letter.... is it true? His findings are not peer reviewed, he says that himself... but if he is correct: aren't the Olympics in 2020 going to be held in Tokyo????

I'm not sure TBH Ag's, my take on it was that he has come to his decision through observation and what tests he (and maybe a small group of others) have done. However I am tending to lean towards his assessment of the situation, especially if you consider that some of that reactor water would be leaching into the aquifer that supplies Tokoyo's water, and there is also the wind vector to consider (dumped a pile of radioactive dust on top of a rice crop quite a few km's south of the reactor a few years back).

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