Tag Archives: earthquake

Fukushima

Corporate Incompetence: Hokkaido Nuclear Plant fails to pass new safety tests!

On 29 February 2012, Japan’s Nuclear Industrial and Safety Agency said Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCo) failed to comply with new nuclear plant stress test rules.

Japan’s government officials have even more reason to get tough on nuclear safety, as an investigation into the Fukushima disaster revealed gross government incompetence.

The new stress tests are designed to force nuclear power plant operators to take into consideration major natural disasters regarding the reactor’s safety.  The  Nuclear Industrial and Safety Agency said HEPCo failed to consider fault lines running under and around their Tomari nuclear power plant.

HEPCo only considered fault lines that were 40km (24.8 miles) away!  Government officials also say the new stress tests require consideration of fault lines as far out as 150km (93 miles).

 

Fukushima

Medical Incompetence: Japanese hospitals not prepared for nuclear disaster in nuclear power dominated Japan!

Japan’s Nuclear Safety Commission reviewed the ability of hospitals to deal with nuclear accidents.  The results were not good.

The found that five hospitals, located near the General Electric designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, were not able to deal with the nuclear disaster.

Fukushima Medical University Hospital, a core care facility for radiation exposure, was too busy dealing with victims of the natural disasters, to be able to deal with victims of the nuclear disaster.

The Nuclear Safety Commission discovered a huge problem; Japanese hospitals are not set up to co-operate with each other regarding major disasters.  This would have been a great help. They are now working on new policy that will include such co-operation in the future.

Fukushima

Government/Corporate Incompetence: Finally, Japan to use 22,000 square feet of concrete at GE designed Fukushima disater reactor zone! Pacific Ocean under threat!

21 February 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) announced they will start pouring concrete! (again?)

They will focus on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, near the water intakes of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, to prevent any further radioactive materials from spreading.

TEPCo says they will begin right away (finally), starting on 22 February.  They will cover a 70,000 square meter (22,9658.7 square feet) area!

TEPCo hopes that the 60 centimeter (nearly 2 feet) thick layer of concrete will stop the spread of radioactive mud and sand, for at least 50 years!  The job could take four months.  The decision was made because high levels of cesium are still being detected in the Pacific Ocean!

People still need to demand an explanation why this decision took so long.  And what about the rest of the nuclear plant?

How did the Soviets deal with Chernobyl?

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Japan’s own government experts blame the government for lack of response to nuclear disaster at Fukushima! Only 2 reactors now operating in Japan

Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is being questioned by their own experts regarding the safety of nuclear reactors.  The Agency responded by censoring their own experts!

A publicized debate held by Agency experts was cut short, when it became clear that the consensus was that the government was accountable for the lack of response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, and that the current “stress tests” were also lacking.

The censorship happened specifically because of criticisms of the Agency’s approval of stress testing done at the Ohi nuclear plant.

Experts were pissed: “I feel deceived!”-Ino Hiromitsu, Professor Emeritus University of Tokyo

“The panel started to fully review plant safety to prevent another Fukushima!  Why are you rushing for a conclusion?”-Goto Masashi, Shibaura Institute of Technology

An official with the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency basically said they’re getting impatient, when he pointed out that the experts have already met eight times about nuclear safety.

Japan is now down to just two operating nuclear reactors, out of 54 total.  Most reactors have been shut down for routine maintenance and inspections, but, local governments are the only ones who can OK restart, and so far they all say ‘no way’.

Japan’s major industries rely on electricity from nuclear power plants.  Japan’s crashing economy is being caused in large part to its major industries struggling to operate with so little power plants on line.  The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is probably being pushed to convince local governments to get those power plants back on line.

 

Fukushima

Pale Green Horse & Fukushima: Damaged GE reactors still spewing radiation almost a year later!

On 20 February 2012, the Japanese media was given a short tour of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The tour was quick because the disaster reactors are still emitting high levels of radiation.

To give you an example; just at reactor 4, daily radiation levels are higher than the yearly safe limit for the civilian population!

The safe limit is one millisievert per year.  Reactor 4 is still pumping out 50 microsieverts per hour!  That’s 1,200 microsieverts, or 1.2 millisieverts per day!

Remember, that’s just from one of the four damaged reactors.

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Fukushima

Pale Green Horse & Fukushima: Almost half of population exposed to execesive radiation levels! Woman contaminated with 23 years worth of radiation in just 1 year!

20 February 2012, Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture released the results of their own radiation contamination study.  The study did not include people working at nuclear plants, or other employment where contact with radiation is part of the job.

42% of the people living in Fukushima Prefecture have been exposed to more radiation than the official safe limit. The safe limit is one millisievert per year.

The radiation is coming from the damaged General Electric designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

At least 71 people have been exposed to 10 millisieverts (or ten years worth of radiation), and one woman has been exposed to 23 millisieverts (or 23 years worth of radiation)!

The study is still ongoing as Fukushima prefectural officials have not been able to screen everyone, and the Fukushima Daiichi reactors are still spewing radiation.

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Iran unveils homemade Nuclear Fuel Rods, Nuclear Drugs, Nuclear Cake and 3,000 new Centrifuges

A few days ago Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said he would reveal Iran’s latest nuclear achievements.

Today, it was revealed that Iran makes its own nuclear fuel rods, radio-pharmaceuticals, and has added 3,000 centrifuges to its program to produce enriched uranium.

Iranian made nuclear fuel rods were placed in the Tehran Research Reactor.  The fuel rods were made under the supervision of the International Atomic energy Agency.  This is the last step in Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle.

Iran has also increased the number of centrifuges from 6,000 to 9,000.  This increases Iran’s ability to make uranium “yellow cake” by 50%.  Iranian officials say that their Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility is under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran has also begun production of several pharmaceutical drugs using radio isotopes (like cancer treatment drugs).

Iran says they don’t trust the latest negative reports from the IAEA, preciously because the IAEA has been openly watching their nuclear program, and has never lodged a formal complaint directly with the Iranian government.

 

International

Global Warming, Ice Age? U.S. study says Ice Age caused by particulate matter. Japan study shows Warming starts inside the Earth. Tropical Vietnam hits 25 Fahrenheit!!!

At the end of January 2012, the Christian Science Monitor published a story about a study done in the U.S. and Canada, which said, in a round-about way, that particulate matter in the air causes Ice Ages, not global warming.

A few days ago the Japanese Meteorological Agency reported the results of their  a study, which said ocean temperatures have increased.

I’ve been following the research on supposed global warming, with doubts about most of the claims, because traditional scientific hypothesis always said that large amounts of particulate matter in the air, either from volcanoes or man made pollution, causes cooling.

The latest study in the U.S. backs that up, but they found more than one cause.  What the researchers discovered is that changes in the weather are caused by  ‘triggers’.  Regarding Ice Ages; they found that it’s a combination of major triggers such as decreased activity from the Sun, increased particulate matter in the air and the depletion of the ozone in the upper atmosphere.

Although we’ve certainly had increased particulate matter in the air (from both pollution and volcanoes) the Japanese study showed that temps deep in the ocean have been rising about 0.02 Celsius (32.036 Fahrenheit) per year over the past decade!  They say the deep ocean temps are now an average of 0.15 C (32.27 F) warmer than 60 years ago.

But note that it’s deep ocean temperatures, not surface level.  The temp readings were taken at about 700 meters (2,297 feet) depth.  This means, to me, that the latest Japanese study says global warming originates inside the Earth.

Can there be warming and cooling happening, seemingly at the same time? Yes. There are hypothesis that say they are interactive cycles, one leading to the other.  This would mean that humans have nothing to do with it.

Studies have shown that decreased ozone in the upper atmosphere leads to a cooling of the atmosphere.  Everyone should know that there are now huge holes in the ozone above the North and South Poles.  Scientists say this is why ice forms at those regions, and why most of the Ice Age glaciers originate from the Poles.

Some scientists also say that ozone depletion is connected to Sun activity (not just pollution).  Is the Sun taking a break? Back in summer 2011, astronomers reported that Sun activity was declining.  Now, parts of Europe are being hit with a micro ice age (have you seen the pics of cars and buildings covered with inches of ice, which formed overnight?).

Another interesting thing is that even though South America is in the middle of summer right now, Peru’s mountainous areas have been hit with record cold temps and snowfall (at least 3,000 Alpacas froze to death)!

There are other reports that show a connection between depletion of ozone and the weakening of the Earth’s magnetic field.  A few years ago PBS did a report that showed the magnetic poles have become extremely weak, and that mini poles were popping up in other parts of the world (specifically one near south western Africa).

Sun activity was high in the past decade, which just happens to be when many people were crying “Global Warming”.  But increased Sun activity can only account for surface warming, and atmospheric warming, and it’s obvious now that many parts of the surface of the Earth are cooling.

Increased ocean temperatures, at more than 2,000 feet down, can only be caused by activity within the Earth.  Yes, there is an increase of earthquake and volcanic activity.  Especially around the Pacific Ring of Fire. Already there have been seven “significant” (magnitude 6.5 or higher) earthquakes in the first month of 2012, and all seven have happened around the Ring of Fire (or adjacent to it).

In total there have been more than 500 earthquakes around the Pacific Ring of Fire, since January 1, 2012!

Activity inside the Earth also affects the magnetic field.  One scientists described the core of the Earth more like an old wind up watch spring.  As it spins it releases energy such as the magnetic field, and like a watch spring it winds down weakening the magnetic field.  As it slows down it’s actually winding itself back up, eventually to spring back the other way, releasing the built up energy when it was winding up.

When you compress a spring, it builds up energy, and heat.  Scientist know that the Earth’s core is about to spring back into action, sometime soon.  The core is winding up, building up energy and heat, which could explain the deep ocean temperature increases.

Increased ocean temps would melt the fresh water polar glaciers faster than warm air temps.  Realize that the oceans are now full of fresh water, which floats on top of salt water.

The atmosphere of Earth is cooling and drying.  Anyone who’s lived in a freezing, yet dry, environment knows that you still have lots of evaporation (I’ve even seen what I call freeze dried snow and ice).

Ice that is evaporating, but not melting, is recognizable by the cavities forming inside.  It melts but that ice melt is almost instantly evaporated into the air.

Other studies have shown that it doesn’t take much of a surface temperature change to effect radical weather changes.  Only about 3 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus, over about ten to 20 years. Scientist have also realized that radical weather changes happen fast, not slowly as once thought.  Again, anyone notice how much the ice built up in the micro ice age that’s hitting parts of Europe right now?

What about tropical Vietnam?  Vietnam is partly blaming an outbreak of H5N1 influenza on unusual cold weather. On top of that, on January 15, 2012, Vietnamese media reported that 7,000 water buffalo froze to death, after temps in tropical northern Vietnam hit minus four degrees Celsius (25 Fahrenheit)!!!

So we now have a situation with lots of fresh water in the oceans and an extremely dry, and cool, atmosphere.  A dry atmosphere, even though cool, will suck up as much water as it can. When it gets saturated it’ll dump out the excess water.  If overall temps are still warm, we could see tropical weather almost everywhere.  But if temps are cold…Ice Age.

What we are seeing now, is an Earth that is in between major cycles. An Earth whose watch spring core has wound down, and is winding back up for the next run. Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows.  Maybe the Mayans are correct about 2012?

Fukushima

Government/Corporate Incompetence: General Electric designed Fukushima Daiichi Reactor 2 hits 96.4 Celsius on 13 February 2012!

Reactor 2, of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, continues to see increased temps, despite increased water injection.

At 10:00 hours on the morning of 13 February 2012 (Japan time) Tokyo Electric Power Company reported that the temperature hit 91.2 Celsius (196 Fahrenheit), by noon it was 96.4 C (205.5 F)!

TEPCo officials are hoping the thermometer is defective!  If the Reactor 2 hits 100 Celsius it will no longer be in cold shut down, and re-criticality is a possibility.

Two other thermometers are showing temps hovering between 30 to 35 Celsius.  However, TEPCo has just revealed there are three other thermometers, positioned about four feet lower down on the reactor, and they show temps dropping.  It sounds like all their thermometers are faulty!

TEPCo says all their eyes are on Reactor 2, and they’re working to get an accurate temp reading.  Reactor 2 is the only reactor, that went critical after the 11 March 2011 quake and tsunami, that did not explode.  Reactors 1, 3 and 4 exploded.

International, U.S.

Radioactive debris in Pacific Ocean months away from West Coast of North America

“A Russian ship discovered a small Japanese fishing boat in the waters north of Hawaii in October that was definitively tied to the tsunami, and it was about where we thought it should be, given the currents.”-Jack Barth, Oregon State University

11 months after the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunamis hit Japan, and started the worlds biggest nuclear disaster, the radioactive flotsam is still a few months away from the West Coast of North America.

According to the Yamhill Valley News, in the U.S. state of Oregon, officials and non-governmental organizations are preparing.  So when do they think the March 11 debris will begin arriving, and which way will it go when it hits the coast line?

“Much of the debris generated from the earthquake and tsunami has or will become waterlogged, weighed down with barnacles or other organisms, and sink. A large fraction of it will be diverted south into the ‘Garbage Patch’ between Hawaii and the West Coast, and may circulate in that gyre. What remains should arrive here at the end of 2012, or the beginning of 2013.  If it arrives in the fall and winter, it will get pushed up north by the currents to Washington, British Columbia and even Alaska. Debris arriving in late spring and summer will hit Oregon and be swept south into California waters.”-Jack Barth, Oregon State University

Note that the university official is talking about the debris that was instantly swept out to sea by the tsunamis.  The radiation contamination of the Pacific Ocean began days after that, and is continuing.

“The major air and water discharges of radioactive material from the Daiichi plants occurred a few days after the debris field was created by the tsunami…wind, rain and salt spray have been pummeling this material for months. The key radionuclides are composed of iodine and cesium….Most of the iodine has gone because of radioactive decay. The radioactive cesium, to a great extent, will be washed off and diluted in the surrounding ocean.”-Kathryn Higley, Oregon State University

However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning people to use common sense when picking up objects found on the west coast beaches.  They even have a website for beachgoers: http://marinedebris.noaa.gov

The Japanese Consulate in Seattle, Washington, is asking anyone who finds personal possessions on the beach to please return them to Japan.