Tag Archives: japan

Fukushima

One Year Later: Japanese government says some Nuclear Disaster areas not worth saving!

One year ago the Japanese government promised every refugee from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster that they would be returning home soon.

Not only did they recently admit that some areas are far to contaminated for anyone to live in, but now they say it’s not worth even trying to decontaminate those areas.

On April 22, 2012, government officials admitted that radiation levels are so high in some areas, that they will be uninhabitable for at least 10 years!  Only now is the Japanese media reporting the revelation.

Recently the government said they would clean up areas with 50 millisieverts per year of radiation contamination.  But now they’re backtracking, saying there are some areas that will still have 20 millisieverts of contamination, even after ten years have gone by.

Considering Japan’s economic situation many politicians say it’s not worth trying to decontaminate those areas.

Gee, anybody who studied the Chernobyl incident could have told them that.  In fact, the city of Prypiat is still too contaminated for people to live in, 26 years later!   You know what they say about societies that fail to learn the lessons of history; they’re doomed to repeat it.

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

One Year Later: Study discovers that homes are radiation traps

A study by Tohoku University says  homes are traps for radiation contamination.

Radiation expert, Hiroko Yoshida, led the study. Since September they’ve monitored radiation exposure levels of 125 people in 31 households in southern Miyagi Prefecture.

They concluded that decontaminating the inside of houses would be the most effective way to reduce radiation exposure, because the interiors of houses accumulate radiation contamination.

Yoshida is urging local governments to start radiation decontamination in homes rather than in public buildings, since most people, especially children (who’re most vulnerable to radiation), spend more time at home.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery: “Developed Country” status for Japan to end, could officially regress to “Less-Developed”

The Japan Business Federation’s 21st Century Public Policy Institute is warning of not only a collapse of the Japanese economy, but a regression to “less-developed” country status.

That would put Japan behind India, as India’s economy counties to boom.

Analysts blame Japan’s fall on an ongoing population exodus, and money exodus, both caused by the March 2011 natural and ongoing nuclear disasters (gee, maybe nuclear reactors are not good for the economy?).

The analysts say that even in the good scenario, Japan’s economy will shrink drastically and by 2050 will drop to 28th in world Gross Domestic Product rankings.

However, the analysts say one way the government can slow the fall, is to drastically increase taxes!  That seems counter productive, as I think it would cause even more people to leave Japan (as is happening in the United States).

By the way, Japan is a member of the Trilateral Commission (Europe, North America, Japan/Asia), whose goal is to establish a singular privatized government system that is seemingly created in response to severe economic and “natural” disasters.

Fukushima

One Year Later: Big Exodus continues; most number of people flee Japan since 1950!

April 17, 2012, Japan’s Internal Affairs Ministry reported a record drop in Japan’s population.  The exodus started as a result of the March 2011 nuclear disaster at the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

As of October 2011, 259,000 people fled Japan.  Percentage wise it’s not much, only 0.2% of the total population of Japan, but still a record since 1950.

It’s not just people who live near the disabled nuclear power plant who’re leaving; 40 of the 47 prefectures are experiencing exodus.

Japan is also experiencing the biggest number of foreign residents leaving.  By October 2011, 51,000 more foreigners left, than those who were moving to Japan.

International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? IMF accepts Chinese Yuan policy against U.S. dollar, Japan loans IMF billions to bail out Europe, IMF says it’s not enough!

April 15, 2012, Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi, announced that Japan will lend $50 billion USD to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help bail out the European economies.

The IMF says at least $500 billion USD is now needed to bail out Europe!

On April 14, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde, said she welcomes the Chinese Yuan:  “I would like to welcome this important step by the People’s Bank of China to increase the flexibility of their currency. This underlines China’s commitment to re-balance its economy toward domestic consumption and allow market forces to play a greater role in determining the level of the exchange rate.”

The Bank of China said it will allow the value of the yuan to fluctuate by at least 1%, against the U.S. dollar, when international markets open on Monday.  Up ’till now the Chinese central bank has allowed only a half percent fluctuation.

However, some analysts say allowing the value of the Chinese yuan to fluctuate more could result in even more volatility/instability for world markets.

 

International, U.S.

Pacific Ring of Fire: April 12, Two quakes hit Gulf of California, four more in Sumatra

For April 12, 2012, around and adjacent to the Pacific Ring of Fire (PRoF) there have been 10 magnitude 5+ quakes.

Gulf of California: 6.2 and 6.9  (USGS saying the epicenters were in the Gulf of California, but news media reporting it being felt in Mexico City)

West Coast northern Sumatra: two 5.0s, 5.1 and 5.3

East coast Honshu, Japan:  5.3 and 5.6

North Indian Ocean (adjacent to/borders PRoF): two 5.0s

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Trilateral Commission Plan in Motion: Japan to join U.S. & U.K. in creating joint military force! Preperations for Total World War?

“We have decided to identify a range of appropriate defense equipment for joint development and production….which contributes to both countries’ security and presents industrial opportunities.”-Japan-U.K. joint statement

Back on March 14, 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama stated, at a White House press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, that the U.S. and U.K. would be uniting their militaries, and military industries.  I watched the conference live and not one reporter questioned him on that.  Now Japan has announced they want to join in!

April 10, 2012, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, and British Prime Minister David Cameron, have agreed to study the possibility of Japan becoming a partner in joint defense and military research.

Japan has already been working on revising their constitution so their military industries can begin selling weapons to other countries.

This joint military talk comes as Obama issued an executive order, very quietly on March 16, that paves the way for Total War.  The main stream media never reported it.

 

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

What Economic Recovery? Sony posts record loss, Sharp says they’re about to follow suit, blames the United States for lack of economic recovery

April 10, 2012, Sony announced the biggest loss in its history!

Sony says it lost about $6.4 billion USD for their quarter ending in March!  That’s $4 billion more than they first estimated back in February.

Sony officials blame the monster loss on huge declines in sales in the United States!

Another Japanese company, Sharp, says it will post record loses as well.

Sharp says loses could be as high as $4.6 billion USD, much higher than first thought back in February!

They also blame lack of economic recovery, saying their TV sales have crashed!

Sharp is now forced to sell controlling stake in its liquid crystal panel factory to a Taiwan company, Hon Hai Precision Industry.

 

 

 

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

Oil & Gas Prices: Egyptian pipeline blown up again, Natural Gas Glut results in 10 years low prices, U.S. investigates European oil companies in Libya, Iran reduces oil exports

According to Azerbaijani media, Iran’s Oil Ministry is confirming that their oil exports are dropping due to Western oil sanctions.

Iranian oil officials say Japan has made the biggest cut in oil purchases, despite recently getting an exemption from the United States.  Japan cut Iranian oil imports by 28% from January to April 2012.

However, Iran’s oil exports have also gone down due to their own oil embargo of the European Union.  The EU’s own oil sanctions go into effect on July 1.

Speaking of Japan, Tokyo Electric, the operator of the nuclear disaster reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, has been using oil to generate electricity, a lot more oil.

TEPCo reported that in March 2012 they used four times the amount of oil than in March 2011.  They also used the most natural gas since August 2011, and August was a record for gas use by TEPCo; 2.079 million tons.

Regarding natural gas, the United States is so full of it, that there is no where left to store the stuff.  Underground salt caverns, depleted oil fields and aquifers are being used but even they are rapidly filling.

The result is that drilling and pumping of the LNG will have to stop, natural gas prices are at ten year lows (we consumers like that).  Maybe this will mean an end to fracking and man made earthquakes?

But that might be bad news for places like Williamsport, Pennsylvania.  The town has seen an economic boom; their tax revenues have gone up more than 10% between 2006 and 2010, and 115 new business in and around Lycoming County have been created.

In Egypt, ever since the January 2011 Revolution their gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan keeps getting blown up.  April 9, 2012, it got blown up again, for the 14th time since the Revolution.

In Libya, U.S. officials are investigating oil deals made with Italy’s Eni, and France’s Total.  The companies are being investigated for their connections to Muammar Gaddafi.

Eni officials said certain payments made to Gaddafi might have violated the U.S. Foreign Corruption Practice Act.  The U.S. is helping the new Libyan government investigate many oil companies, and could result in huge fines being levied in favor of the new government.