Tag Archives: economy

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Bank of Japan Floods Economy with Cash, U.S. Bonds could Suffer

Bank of Japan officials are issuing millions in cash, into the Japanese economy.  This is due to the earthquake and tsunami destroying a major part of Japan’s infrastructure.

Major Japanese manufacturers have closed, mainly because employees and supplies can not get to the factories.  Farm lands have been destroyed by the tsunami.

Japan must focus on financing a major recovery effort, and this will affect U.S. Treasury Bonds.  Japan was one of the biggest buyers of U.S. bonds, helping the U.S. government deal with its debt, but now that money will go to rebuilding efforts.  Also, Japan might be forced to sell off its existing holdings of U.S. bonds, to help pay for the rebuilding of their country.  This will affect interest rates in the United States.

For all those electronic junkies out there, get ready for withdrawal symptoms.  Japan is a crucial electronics supplier, but don’t expect anything now. About 40% of lightweight chips, for computers and phones, are supplied by Japan. Objective Analysis, a semiconductor research firm, said “This may cause phenomenal shortages…”.  You can bet this will affect prices of goods, and trading in stock markets around the world.

Like your Blue-Ray movies?  Forget it, Sony shut down operations at their Blue-Ray plant in Japan, thanks to the disaster.

Were you thinking about getting one of those gas saving Toyota Prius, or Honda Fit?  They are made mainly in Japan, and production has been halted.

Speaking of gas. Expect fuel prices to go up, even more. Japan is being forced to turn to other sources of fuel to run electric generators, now that their nuclear plants are going critical.  Already two tanker ships, with LNG, were diverted from their original destination in Russia, to Japan.

Fukushima

Reactor 3 Explodes New Tsunami Approaches

Russia Today is reporting that massive smoke is pouring from reactor 3 at the Fukushima nuclear plant 1, Monday morning Japan time.  People living on Russian territory near Japan have received warnings from Japan about a second melt down.

Video on YouTube shows the reactor 3 explosion is bigger than the reactor 1 blast.

RT is also reporting that there are warnings of an approaching tsunami.  Reuters says the claim of an approaching tsunami came from a local Japanese TV station.

Reuters says the announcement of an explosion came from a  Japanese nuclear agency official.  A Canadian news source says the reactor 3 explosion was felt 40km away.  3 plant workers injured, 7 are missing.

Officials are also trying to determine if high radiation levels in Miyagi Prefecture are from a local nuclear power plant, or is coming from the damaged Fukushima plants.

Despite officials downplaying the threat of radiation contamination, hospitals in Miyagi Prefecture are reporting more and more people coming in with radiation poisoning.

Part of the reason why officials are not strongly concerned about radiation is that winds are blowing towards the Pacific Ocean.

Japanese Self Defense forces are also warning of a tsunami, but Japan’s Meteorlogical Agency says otherwise.  Fukushima Prefecture officials claim it could be 3 meters high.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Japanese Car Makers Shutting Down, forget economic recovery

Japan’s NHK is reporting that Japanese car maker Toyota is extending its plant closers.  Other auto manufactures are joining Toyota in closing down operation. These include, Honda and Nissan.

It is not damage to their factories that caused them to shut down, it is the near total destruction of Japans infrastructure.  There is no power, and because roads are destroyed employees and supply of parts can not get to the factories.

The near total lose of infrastructure, in the northern half of the state of Honshu, guarantees that there will be no economic recovery for Japan, in the short run.  The northern area of Honshu is home to many of Japan’s major factories. This include factories that are for other products, besides automobiles.  If they can not operate, they can not sell anything.  Don’t forget that the area’s agriculture industry has been wiped out.

The only way Japan can recover quickly is with economic help equal to what the United States provided after World War 2, and the U.S. is not able to do that now.

 

Fukushima, Idaho

Idaho INL Official statements ominously similar to statements made by Japanese Nuclear Officials

A local East Idaho TV news reporter interviewed an official at the Idaho National Laboratory, regarding the safety of the INL’s nuclear reactor during a seismic event.  INL’s emergency director Riley Chase made almost the same statements that Japanese officials made right before their nuclear disaster.

“If we were to have a seismic event, the safety systems would shut that reactor down…”, also, “…we have diesel generators that run, and we have battery backed-up systems that will provide and constantly keep cooling…”

I’d like to remind people that this is what the officials said in Japan.  Their safety systems and back up systems failed.  This is because the quake and tsunami in Japan was much stronger than anyone planned for.  The Japanese systems were set up to withstand a 7.9 quake. It is now clear that the event was much, much stronger.  I believe if we in Eastern Idaho experienced such a strong event the INL system would fail as well. A major fault line does run through East Idaho, from Salt Lake up to Yellowstone.

On the plus side, the INL reactor is low power, and is run for 6 weeks each time it’s powered up.  So hope that the big one hits when the reactor is shut down.

By the way, the INL reactor is not the only nuclear plant in East Idaho.  Idaho State University has a graphite reactor on its Pocatello campus.  Shouldn’t be much concern, their ANG-201 reactor produces only 5 watts of power (at least that’s the maximum it is allowed to produce).

I have talked to long time building maintenance employees at the University, and they have told stories of the radioactive waste, from ANG-201, being stored in unmarked buildings. The story I heard was that some maintenance employees were on the roof of a building when they were suddenly told to get off the building. They were sent for medical exams, where they learned they were being checked for radiation exposure. Apparently the building they were on was being used to store radioactive waste.

This brings up the issue of radioactive waste.  In the United States storage of radioactive waste has become a problem, because no one wants it in their back yard. So what happens to it? Some nuclear plants in California have simply been building up a stockpile of waste on their property. Here in East Idaho, the INL has been dealing with the problem of  contaminated waste for decades. If the U.S. experiences a major seismic event near nuclear plants, not only will the reactors become an immediate threat, so will the waste.

Fukushima

Japan Nuclear Disaster Update, it’s Bad Bad Bad

As of 1600 Mountain Time, March 13, here is what Japan’s NHK is reporting on the status of Fukushima nuclear plants.

Plant 1:

Reactor 2 coolant levels low. Pressure and gas build up. Use of external generators failed.

Reactor 3 possible explosion imminent. Pressure and gas build up. Relief valves malfunctioning. Coolant levels dropping. Sea water having little affect. Nuclear power rods exposed by 2.2 meters, partial meltdown occurring.

Reactor 1, exploded, sea water being pumped in to flood reactor, but it is taking longer than expected.

Plant 2:

Reactors 1, 2 and 4 cooling system failure.

Fukushima

Iodide Not Iodine

Once again the U.S. media has been getting it wrong; saying that people in Japan are being issued “Iodine” pills. No, it’s “Iodide” pills!

Iodine and Iodide are related, but are different. Both can be good for you, and bad for you. It depends on the form, dosage and how they are used.

Many people think Iodine is good for you, in extreme small doses, and, in fact Iodine deficency can cause health problems. But, some forms of Iodine, like Iodine 131 (used in nuclear reactors), are bad and can cause cancer.  Iodine is not used in table salt.

Some table salts are enriched with Potassium Iodide. It is called “Iodized Salt”.  The general public has mistakenly called it iodine salt.

Potassium Iodide is what is used in anti-radiation pills. This is what the people, near the crippled nuclear reactors in Honshu, are being given. 

The thyroid gland in animals (that’s us humans as well) uses trace amount of Iodide to create proteins and hormones that contains Iodine. Hyperthyroidism can occur with an increase in Iodine consumption.  In other words, this substance is finicky when it comes to the health of humans. It can prevent cancer, and, it can also cause cancer and glandular problems, it depends on how much the person is ingesting, or is exposed to.

The lesson here is: Use Iodine and Iodide only when necessary, like in the case of diagnosed Iodine deficiency, or as a disinfectant (Lugol’s Iodine), or to prevent radiation poisoning in a nuclear event (Potassium Iodide). Otherwise, do not eat or drink it on regular basis.

Do your research.

Fukushima

Japan Tsunami Much Higher than Officially Stated!

Japan’s NHK has interviewed survivors on the coast of North East Honshu.

Survivors in one coastal town say they have been told that the official tsunami height was put at 4 meters, for their area.  They say that can not be, because sea wall tsunami barriers are built 10 meters high, and the tsunami easily went over the 10 meter high sea walls.  One resident says the tsunami that hit their town had to be at least 14 meters high.

1 meter = 3.28 feet.  14 meter wave is 45.9 feet high.

 

Fukushima

Japan Disaster Predicted, More to Come for Rest of World!

13 March 2011

In February there were several reports that a massive geological event was beginning under Japan. This was driven by the sudden increase in volcanic and quake activity south of Japan. It’s all tied to the increasing activity of the Pacific Plate, and surrounding tectonic plates. It’s also believed that disasters will resonate around the world.

13 March, a report in a Wales newspaper says the Japan event was part of a larger event that changed the tilt of the Earth on its axis. The tilt was changed by 10cm. The article also says Japanese professors claim that events will occur around the world on “…faults that are already on the brink of a tectonic upheaval.”  They also say this event in Japan happens every 1000 years.

Another report says that the speed of Earth’s rotation has increased, as a result of the Japan event. It was increased by 1.6 microseconds.  The speed was also increased after last years big Chile quake. But after the big 2004 Sumatra quake/tsunami the Earth was slowed down by 6.8 microseconds.  The point is that these events are not just ‘normal’ quake events.  They are deep events affecting the very rotation of the planet.

For the past few years there have been growing events of quakes and tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean.  There’s a reason it’s called the Pacific Ring of Fire: An event on one side of the Pacific will result in an event on the other side.  The intervals of events have been getting closer together.  So far this year we had New Zealand quake event, then volcanic event in Hawaii, now Japan. There was also a moderate quake off Chile the same day as the big Japan quake.  It looks like the Pacific Ring of Fire events are intensifying.

Be prepared.

 

Fukushima

Japan Modern Day Atlantis round 3 Quake Upgraded 10,000+ Dead

13 March 2011

Nuclear power plant officials admit that reactor 1 at Fukushima plant 1 exploded due to hydrogen gas build up. Many western observers had already made this statement, but Japanese officials downplayed it for almost a day. This is becoming standard of Japanese officials, they have been downplaying the severity of the situation from day one. Nuclear officials say their nuclear plants are designed to withstand 7.9 quakes. Japan’s government has uprated the main quake to 9 on the international scale. I think it will be higher.

Miyagi prefecture is reporting that at least 10,000 people are dead. Towns wiped out along with their population. Miyagi prefecture has 13 cities, plus towns & villages, with a total official population of about 2 million.

Some local governments have literally been wiped out and the national government has taken direct control.

Major Japanese companies, like Toyota, Honda, Sony, etc, are shutting down operations in Japan due to a total collapse of the infrastructure of Japan. Japanese reporters have said that rescue helicopters have not been able to land in the hardest hit areas because the ground is too torn up. One city looks like it has been hit with a nuclear bomb, only the tallest buildings are standing. Landslides have hit areas further inland. The infrastructure includes roads, bridges, rail lines, water lines, power lines, etc. This is adding to the growing nuclear disaster.

Officials with nuclear power plants say they have no back up power from non-nuclear plants because those plants have been shut down by the quake/flood. The back up generators at the nuclear plants are not working, or will not run properly, damaged by the quake/flood. Power is needed to run the massive cooling systems on the nuclear reactors. Fukushima nuclear plants 1 and 2 are in trouble. Reactor 1, at plant 1, has exploded and experience partial melt down of reactor rods. Other reactors at both plants are overheating. As I’m writing this word has come that reactor 3 could explode. Officials say hydrogen gas is building in the reactors. They are trying to vent it to prevent explosion. They are dumping sea water on the reactors. Using sea water is a last ditch act, which is a sign that they can not do anything else to prevent nuclear catastrophe. 62,000 people have been evacuated from around the Fukushima plants. Officials are now saying they want to expand the evacuation to include another 80,000 people. There are reports that another nuclear plant, in Onagawa, is in trouble.

JAPAN MODERN DAY ATLANTIS ROUND 2: People of Atlantis had become extremely arrogant because of their technological advances. 

Fukushima

Japan Modern Day Atlantis round 2

12 March 2011

Part of the myth of Atlantis is that the people of Atlantis had become extremely arrogant because of their technological advances. Some Atlantis myths say they were destroyed for their arrogance. The ongoing nuclear disaster in Japan is a modern day example.

The Fukushima nuclear plant was built with many safe guards and back up systems. This was part of the selling point of the plant when convincing the people to accept that the worlds biggest nuclear plant was to be built in their country. Right up until the explosion at reactor 1, the government was reminding people of all the back up systems and how unlikely it was for the problem to get worse. It got worse, and it could get catastrophic. There is more than one reactor at the plant, and reactor 2 is in trouble. (Japan’s NHK media will not show the video of the explosion of the reactor, I watched it on BBC and RT. Japanese officials are still claiming that the explosion happened after the walls fell down. Watch the video, there is a clear shock wave before the walls fall.)

What happened to the safeguards and back up systems, which included 13 back up diesel generators for reactor 1? It all failed, all the high tech systems failed. Plant officials and workers were attempting to cool the reactor manually. They were rotating work crews in and out of the plant, because of the radiation levels. The crews were trying to operate cooling valves manually. Also, they were dumping sea water on the reactor, in an attempt to cool it down (the U.S. military was helping with this attempt). All these attempts failed.

Another event has escaped the attention of most media and government officials: Landslides. A CNN reporter discovered, on her way to flood hit areas, that major landslides have occurred at higher elevations. She did a live report from one small town where half a neighborhood was buried by what looks like about 20 feet of earth. There are reports of towns being wiped away, by landslides and flooding. One small city says 9500 of their residence are missing, half their population. Again, the Japanese government is downplaying the severity of the situation, they are still saying the “…death toll could hit 1000” (can you say “understatement”?). When you hear the number of people being reported as missing, by the different cities and prefectures, the indication is that the death toll will be in the thousands, if not tens of thousands. Japan’s NHK has been showing before and after aerial pics of cities. It is clear that some cities have been completely erased.

Also, I have heard that millions of people on the main Japanese state of Honshu are without access to drinking water. The water supply system has failed. No power, no water, no food supply because the road/rail systems are disrupted, the systems of an advanced society have failed. In the U.S. I still hear insulting talk about the people of Haiti, still suffering from their deadly quake, better think twice and humble your arrogance.

The Atlantis myth has another lesson for arrogant humans: Societies can be erased by Mother Earth, no mater how advanced their technology, no mater how correct they think their way of life is. Mother Earth always wins.

JAPAN MODERN DAY ATLANTIS:  “A potentially catastrophic disaster,” understated President Obama.