Tag Archives: japan

Fukushima

Government & Corporate Incompetence: Lies exposed about people being exposed to radiation, & more fish turning up with outrageously higher levels of contamination!

28 February 2013/17 Raby’ ath-Thani 1434/10 Esfand 1391

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo), operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi General Electric reactors, revealed that rock trout caught in the Pacific Ocean near the nuclear power plant, contain 510000 becquerels of cesium per kilogram!!!

Holy crap retiring Popeman, the official safe limit is only 100 becquerels per kilogram!!!

The fish was caught on 17 February 2013.  This is yet more proof that the GE designed disaster reactors are still pumping massive amounts of radiation into the ocean.  (and remember, the prevailing ocean current brings that radiation straight to the west coast of North America)

And here’s proof that contamination is increasing: Back in December 2012 they caught a fish that had 234000 becquerels of cesium per kilogram.  So in the past two months the levels went up by 256000 becquerels!

And for more insult to injury, TEPCo has refused to make mandatory yearly reports on the the amount of radiation contamination that employees encounter!  That’s according to the Japanese Radiation Effects Association (REA).

Officials with the REA say TEPCo stopped making the reports in 2011 (the year of the melt downs). 21000 employees have been involved in trying to contain the ongoing nuclear disaster. TEPCo publicly apologized and gave the excuse that they’ve been having problems “digitizing” the info, and they hope to submit the two years of missing data to the REA in March 2013.

 

Fukushima, Technology

Muslim scientist invents new nano water filter to cleanup radioactive cesium and even strontium!

22 February 2013/11 Raby’ ath-Thani 1434/04 Esfand 1391

12 years ago an Egyptian scientist moved to Japan, to work with the National Institute for Material Science to create new water filters with nanotechnology.  Sherif El-Safty’s motivation was to help North African countries filter well water, which has a high rate of arsenic contamination.

After the 11 March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster his Japanese colleges discovered that not only was his nanofilter working on natural contaminants, but it was cleaning up radioactive iodine as well.  Safty had been ordered back to Egypt by the Egyptian government, but returned to Japan, along with his family, after getting the news about the filter.

Safty focused on refining the filter, after three months he came up with nanofilters for radioactive iodine, cesium and even strontium.

The nanofilter (made up of HOM dust) traps the radiation in its itsy bitsy pores (one millionth of a millimeter).  In a lab demonstration Safty showed how a magnet can be used to pull the nanofilters out of the water.

This is not the first time that Safty’s, and his co-researchers’, experiments with HOM mesoporous carriers resulted in success.  Last year they created optical sensors that could detect and remove tiny bits of cobalt and gold from urban ore (discarded cell phones, computers, etc).

The Japanese government has just approved the experimental use of the nano water filters at Fukushima Daiichi, as the GE designed disaster reactors are still pouring out contaminated water.

Fukushima

Nearly two years later, Fish still contaminated with radiation!

18 February 2013, fish being caught off the Pacific coast of Chiba Prefecture, in Japan, are contaminated with 130 becquerels of cesium per kilogram! The new (higher) official safe limit is 100.

The area is 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Fukushima Daiichi, where several GE designed reactors melted down in March 2011.

This is the first time that fish caught near Chiba Prefecture has exceeded the government safe limits.  However, back in December 2012, sea bass were already showing 60 becquerels of cesium per kilogram. Some fisheries voluntarily stopped accepting the fish back then.

This shows that radioactive contamination of the Pacific Ocean is ongoing, almost two years after the multiple melt downs.

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Surprise downturn for Pioneer! From $10 million in expected profits to $40 million in losses! Proof that being an optimist will not hold back reality!

12 February 2013, Japan’s electronic maker, Pioneer, says it now expects to suffer a $40 million USD loss, instead of a previously expected $10 million profit.

As a result 800 employees will be laid off, and the rest will see their pay go down.  Pioneer is the first major Japanese electronics maker to couple pay reductions with job layoffs.

Company officials said their optimistic expectations of profits were shattered by the reality of crashing sales worldwide.

 

 

Fukushima

Fukushima Daiichi still deadly! 40 years to go before it might be safe!!! More proof nuke disaster reactors are not worth the risk!

01 February 2013, almost two years since three GE designed reactors melted down at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi, and the latest tour given to Japanese reporters shows it’s still spewing radiation.  The entire clean up process is expected to continue until Gregorian year 2051!!!

Here’s more of what NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) reporter, Akira Hombo, discovered at Fukushima Daiichi.

“The highest reading was on the ocean side of the building that houses the number 3 reactor. It was over 1,300 [micro sieverts per hour].”

“The most important task remains to cool down the melted fuel….could be as hot as a one million watt heater….heat emitted by one thousand electric stoves in a small space. If these units aren’t kept consistently cool another melt down could happen.”

“Work has already started at the number 4 unit….since this reactor didn’t melt down.”

“The entire [clean up/decommissioning] procedure will take until 2051, that is 40 years after the accident.”

Hombo Akira explained that Tokyo Electric Power Company is facing three major problems in getting the decommissioning work done.

1: Radiation is so high that even existing robots are failing after just a few hours inside the reactors.  New robots must be built that can withstand such high levels of radiation.

2: There are not enough trained workers, and there are ongoing problems with the way subcontractors hire and train their employees.

3: There is currently nowhere in Japan to store the massive amount of radioactive material that will be coming from Fukushima Daiichi.

Influenza

Japan Influenza Epidemic! New strain attacking children by the thousands! Vitamin D3 better than a flu vaccine?

01 February 2013, the Japanese National Institute of Infectious Diseases is estimating that 2.1 million people are infected with the flu in Japan!

Health officials are basing their claim on reports coming from local hospitals.   740,000 more cases than last week!  It’s the highest estimated number of flu cases in Japan since flu cases began to be officially monitored four years ago!

Last week it was reported that so many children were sick that 2,000 schools were closed! Health officials report that the new strain of flu is going after children first, then going after their parents.

Also out of Japan, researchers studying the effects of flu vaccines discovered that vitamin D3 is at least as effective at preventing flu A infections than the much touted vaccines!  The study was conducted several years ago by the Jikei University School of Medicine Minato-ku in Tokyo. It was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2010: “This study suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A…”

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. expands military presence in Africa! U.K. sending troops to Mali! Western leaders agree to ‘donate’ your tax money to the war in Mali!

29 January 2013, the Obama administration announced they will send military personnel into Niger.  On the surface they will be operating drones in support of the western/christian invasion of Mali.  Pentagon officials said the actual role U.S. forces will play has yet to be determined.

In the United Kingdom, British Defense Secretary, Philip Hammond, announced plans to send 240-300 Red Coats to Mali.

The British empire is already helping the French by flying in supplies on Boeing C-17 transports.  And at least 70 Red Coats are in the country of Senegal, operating drone aircraft.

Also, leaders from the United States, European Union and Japan (note: these are the main players in the one world government wanna be Trilateral Commission) met and agreed to become “donors”.  In other words, they’ve already met in Ethiopia for a conference to determine how much of your tax money will be spent on the invasion and occupation of Mali.  Reports say our fearless leaders have agreed to give hundreds of millions of taxes, just to the pro-western government of Mali.

Let’s see, our western government leaders have been cutting social programs saying there isn’t any money for them, yet they spend billions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Mali!

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? 96% of people will see cuts in Social Services!

28 January 2013, 96% of families are about to experience drastic cuts in the taxpayer funded social programs.

The new Japanese government has cut funding for social programs by 10%. The Welfare Ministry says that equates to a reduction of about $736 million USD, over the next three years.

Cuts to families will be staggered according to income.  Unfortunately, large families in urban areas will see the biggest cuts.  An example was given, showing the average urban family will see a $220 USD reduction in their monthly assistance.

This will have great impact on reducing spending in urban areas.

 

 

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Japan hit with record number of quakes in 2012 (not counting 2011), already big start to 2013!

For the end of Gregorian year 2012 Japan reported 3,134 “noticeable” earthquakes.  That’s about 1,000 more than the yearly average (from 2001 to 2010).

The Japan Meteorological Agency says 60% of the quakes are considered aftershocks of the 11 March 2011 disasters.  Of course, 2011 was the year Japan experienced the most noticeable quakes, with 10,000 being reported!

It looks like 2013 is starting out big.  From 01 January to 03 January 2013, Japan has already had 12 earthquakes, of magnitude 4+.  For the same three day period in 2012 there were five quakes.

Japan has its own earthquake rating system, different from the U.S. Geological Survey.

International, U.S.

Norovirus update, 31 December 2012: 1 million sick in U.K.! More deaths in Japan! More cruise ships hit hard! Hospitals refusing service! U.S. prisons getting hit! Mis-diagnosed as flu! New version found in California!

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is trying to find out what made at least 400 people sick, on two xmas time cruise ships.

Officials with the CDC suspect norovirus.  The latest cruise ship outbreaks took place on ships belonging to Cunard and Princess Cruises.

In Japan, people are still dying from norovirus.  In a third outbreak just in the Gregorian month of December, four more people have died.  This latest outbreak is taking place in a hospital in Yokohama.  At least 68 patients are sick, as well as  27 hospital staff.

In United Kingdom, more than one million people are confirmed sick with norovirus like symptoms (3,538 have so far been confirmed as norovirus by lab tests, which takes time), and hospitals are being shut down.  The vomiting bug (as it’s called in Britain) has shut down East Surrey Hospital, for the third time in the past two months!  U.K. is experiencing an 83% increase in norovirus cases, compared to the same time last year.  Just in the past two weeks 70 British hospitals have reported outbreaks! To make matters worse, an average of 5,000 health workers have been calling in sick everyday!  Health officials say it’s a little early for the vomiting bug: “The number of laboratory confirmed cases has risen once again as it appears that we have seen the rise in cases that usually begins in January start a little earlier than we normally expect.”-John Harris, Health Protection Agency

Back in the U.S.A., in Illinois officials are reporting norovirus outbreaks in prisons.  At least 140 inmates were sick in the Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet.  Prison officials say the first cases showed up on xmas day.

In Iowa, media in Sioux City are reporting that many cases of norovirus are being misdiagnosed as influenza. In fact, here in the U.S. norovirus is often incorrectly called “stomach flu”.  Another factor is that Iowa doctors and hospitals are not required to report cases of norovirus to state health officials!

A nurse in Maine explains the main differences between norovirus and influenza: “Basically the biggest difference between norovirus and the actual flu is that the norovirus causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. The actual flu that we all are vaccinated against every year is mostly respiratory in nature, with cough, aches, fever and chills. As far as numbers of cases, I cannot say exactly how much of either but will say that this is one of the busiest seasons I have seen in a while for both norovirus and the flu.”-Chris Reeder, York Hospital

In California, officials in San Luis Obispo County are reporting what they think is a new strain of norovirus. They are reporting three outbreaks in the past month. It’s thought to have come from Australia.   California has been dealing with norovirus outbreaks all year!  In October a middle school in Oak Park, Ventura County, saw at least 320 students out sick.  A pizza restaurant, in Contra Costa County, was shut down because of the vomiting bug back in June.  In July the Alisal Guest Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County, was investigated after customers got sick at the end of June.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since September there have been one confirmed and five suspected outbreaks in several nursing homes.

In Michigan, Lansing area health officials are reporting 75 cases at a local retirement home.

There is no treatment for norovirus, no vaccine, and your body does not develop immunity so you can get sick again and again and again….

Check my previous postings about norovirus.  You’ll notice most outbreaks involve hospitals.  You’ll also read about a recent study that says cleanliness might not have any affect on viruses (it’s actually the first study ever to investigate such claims).