Category Archives: International

International, Opinion

More than a year after the 7.0 Haiti quake, still no aid getting to the people, bad sign for Japan

Haiti was hit by a 7.0 quake in January 2010, which devastated several cities.  Donations came in, officially anyway, but according to the UN (United Nations) only a fraction has gotten through.

Donations to Japan, after their catastrophic disasters on March 11, still lag behind the official donation numbers reported for Haiti. Japanese media is already reporting problems getting aid to their people.

“Tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers should have given way to bulldozers, engineers, more police instructors, experts in support to justice and to the penitentiary system.”-President René Préval

Outgoing Haitian President René Préval has pleaded with countries, and charities, to hurry up and get the aid out. President Préval is the only Haitian president to complete two terms without being jailed or exiled.

“Now that we’ve had this election, and the international community has accepted the results and verified and participated in the oversight of it, I think greater donor disbursements are important.”-Bill Clinton, UN Secretary General’s special envoy for Haiti

This is not a good sign for the people of Japan. Haiti got more aid money than Japan, so far, and yet, more than a year later, Haiti is still waiting to see it. I don’t think Japan, with its catastrophic disasters, can rely on any help from the world community.

International

Coast Guard says Sea Floor moved and rose

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan said their survey of the sea floor, between 40km to 130km off Miyagi Prefecture, moved 5.6 meters to 15 meters towards the east-southeast.

The Japanese Coast Guard says they confirmed sea floor movement with their seabed observation points. They say the sea floor moved 23 meters (75 feet) east-southeast, and it rose by 3 meters (9.8 feet).

Business/Economics, International

Temporary housing for survivors being held up

Japanese home builders are facing the same problems that car makers and electronics industries are facing; lack of parts, lack of power.

Temporary housing is being built for the survivors who lost their homes due to the March 11 tsunami, or those who evacuated the government’s 20km nuclear danger zone.

Contractors say they are running into problems getting the materials needed to complete the mobile homes. Also, they are working without external electrical power supply, and they are running out of fuel for their portable generators.

Contractors say they will do their best for the survivors.

Business/Economics, International, Opinion

Japan nuke agency had no plans to warn fishermen of contaminated fish

The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency admitted that they had no plans to explain the dangers of contaminated fish to the fishing industry.  Japanese fishermen have been turned away from fish markets with their entire catch in tow.

The Federation of Fisheries Cooperative said they asked for an explanation of the dangers, but got none. Many fishing companies continued to fish after reports of radioactive contamination in the ocean.

Iwaki city officials, in one of the biggest fishing areas of Japan, say they’ve been waiting for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency to explain the situation, but, arrogantly the government agency said that they were waiting for the local people to come to them first.

Sounds like the arrogant Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency needs to pull their head out!

International, U.S.

California Water contaminated 181 times safe limits

University of California Berkeley is reporting that their own testing on rain water revealed radiation contamination 181 times safe limits.

The Federal government’s max safe level of iodine-131 allowed in drinking water is 0.111 becquerels per liter. The UC Berkeley test showed iodine-131 at 20.1 becquerels per liter. Again, that was a test of rain water. Eventually the rain water will end up in municipal water supplies.

Fukushima, International

Russian leaders say situation in Japan Real Bad

Who better to know when a nuclear situation is real bad, then those who dealt with Chernobyl.  Russia, back then part of the now extinct Soviet Union when the Chernobyl disaster happened, says Japan is in trouble.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says the situation at Fukushima Daiichi is showing no signs of improvement. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says the situation is still out of control.

From the very beginning of the nuclear disaster in Japan, Russian nuclear engineers have warned that the type of design used at Fukushima Daiichi (by the way, designed by General Electric) is dangerous if damaged in a natural disaster. Basically it can not be saved.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Donations still lag behind Haiti & Katrina, Japanese Red Cross blasted for not handing out money

It might be due to the bad world economy, or the fact that the rest of the World thought Japan was the best prepared for disasters, but donations are still lagging behind the Haiti quake, and Hurricane Katrina.

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s count, U.S.$161 million has been raised, in the past three weeks. Compare that to the first two weeks after last year’s Haiti quake; $528 million, and Hurricane Katrina; $1 billion.

The Los Angeles Times is also reporting that the Japanese Red Cross is dragging its feet on getting help to people.  Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano blasted the Japanese Red Cross for not handing out any of the $1 billion they claim to have raised. Edano ordered the Japanese Red Cross to get busy on handing out help this past Sunday.

Is it me, or does it seem that every organization is just one big failure after another, when it comes to dealing with the Japanese disasters?

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

U.S. Industries in final death throes

Research firm IBISWorld is revealing ten declining U.S. industries, saying their deaths are irreversible. And for some it will be a painfully slow death, lasting until 2016.

The three main reasons: new technology, foreign competition (including shipping off jobs overseas) and industry stagnation (why build new factories when your shipping the jobs off overseas?).

As an example; the number three ranked dying industry is manufactured homes. According to the report, in the last ten years more than 50% of manufactured homes dealers have gone out of business. And those that are still open have seen revenue (not to be confused with profit) fall by 77%.

Here’s the list; 1: Apparel Manufacturing  2: Record Stores  3: Mobile Home dealers  4: Photo finishing (remember the old film cameras)  5: Wired Telecommunications (Landlines)  6: Mills  7: Newspapers  8: DVD, Game & Video rentals  9: Formal Wear/Costume rentals  10: Video Post Production