Tag Archives: nuclear

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

Oil & Gas Prices: U.S. gas reserves up. Iran allows private sector oil sales. OPEC says there is too much oil!

May 10, 2012, Iran announced the discovery of a huge oil field in the Caspian Sea.  The discovery was made while exploring a huge new gas field.

The gas field was discovered in December, and named the Sardar-e Jangal field.  It’s estimated to contain 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

May 9, 2012, Iran’s Oil Ministry is now allowing the private sector to sell up to 400,000 bpd to international customers.

The decision leaves the National Iranian Oil Company, as well as the Iranian central bank, out of any oil sales involving private sector companies. This means those private sector companies can avoid the U.S./European oil sanctions.

Despite U.S. led sanctions against Iranian oil, Turkey (a NATO member) actually increased oil shipments from Iran.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, Turkey imported 270,000 bpd of Iranian oil in March. That’s more than double their February imports!

May 10, 2012, officials from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) members are reporting that there is too much oil in the world markets!

OPEC reported that in April they pumped out 31.62 million barrels per day (bpd). According to Reuters, that’s 1.62 million bpd more than what OPEC intended.

Keep in mind that OPEC does not represent all oil producing countries in the world. Reuters reports that even non-OPEC members increased oil production in April!

However, OPEC, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), expect demand for oil to increase, especially since Japan has shut down all its nuclear reactors.

The U.S. EIA also reporting that natural gas supplies increased in the United States.  For the week ending May 4, U.S. natural gas storage is at 2.606 trillion cubic feet.  That’s 44.5% above the five year average. However, analysts expected it to be more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Last Nuclear Reactor shut down in Japan

05 May 2012, on the northern big island of Hokkaido, Japan’s last operating nuclear reactor is being shut down.

By Saturday night (Japan time), and after 42 years, the country will be free of electricity produced by nuclear reactors.

The Hokkaido Electric Power Company is shutting down Reactor 3 of the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant.  The reactor will be completely shut down by 02:00 hours Sunday morning.

While the Tomari reactor is not scheduled for re-start, those that are have been blocked by local governments.  In Japan the local governments have the final word on reactor re-start, and because of the on going disaster reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, the majority of people in Japan are against re-starting any reactors.

For the summer of 2011 Japan’s domestic industries suffered greatly because of an electrical power shortage, even with 37 reactors operating.  Now Japan is heading into summer 2012, with not one nuclear reactor up and running.  National officials are scrambling to find ways to convince the local governments to re-start reactors.

There has been a push for wind power, but, just like here in the United States, there’s been a backlash of people who are against it because those windmills are “eyesores” and reduce property value.

International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Iran begins mass production of modified F-5, new radar, new missile. Iranian navy threatens to send ships to New York.

April 29, 2012, after years of development Iranian officials announced they are mass producing their Saeqeh fighter jet.  It is not only proof of reverse engineering, but of indigenous designs.

The Saeqeh (lightning/thunderbolt) is a reverse engineered U.S. F-5, with modifications, most notably a twin tail instead of the original single tail.

Prototypes of the Saeqeh has been seen with a single 20 mm gun, as well as two 20 mm guns.  Iranian officials say the production aircraft has advanced avionics, radar and carries Iranian developed smart bombs and air to air missiles.

Iran also operates reverse engineered U.S. F-4 and F-14 jets, as well as Huey, Cobra and Chinook helicopters.

On April 27, 2012, the Aerospace Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRCG), Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, announced the mass production of a radar with a 1,100 km (683 miles) range.  It’s called Ghadir.

The Ghadir radar system was first tested last year, and was used to monitor low altitude satellites.

Brigadier General Hajizadeh also says they have been mass producing an anti-ship missile called the Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf).

The missile was developed in 2008, and revealed publicly in 2011.  It has a range of 200 km (124 miles) and can be mounted on small fast attack boats.

Iranian media mistakenly reported that Iran had radars with 1,800 miles range, but after further reading of the articles it became clear they were talking about ballistic missiles.  Brigadier General Hajizadeh stated they will be used to target U.S. forces: “Today, one of our short range missiles can function as an intercontinental missile because they [U.S. military] have been based near us.”

Last year Hajizadeh said their short range ballistic missiles “…will target NATO’s missile shield in Turkey and will then attack other targets.”

On April 24, 2012, IRGC Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, announced: “Our naval forces are so powerful that we have a presence in all the waters of the world and, if needed, we can move to within three miles of New York!”

Last year another Iranian military official gave this warning: “The Navy has a strong presence in the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman, Indian Ocean and international waters and soon it will be present in the Atlantic Ocean.”-Ahmad Vahidi, Defense Minister of Iran

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Proof that being a refugee will kill you, more than 1600 people die in Japan. Money does not help!

More than a year after the March 11, 2011, earthquake/tsunami and nuclear disaster, 1,618 people have died.

Japan’s Reconstruction Agency announced on April 27, 2012, that living as refugees was the cause of their deaths.

Most had lost their homes and were living in makeshift housing. The Agency determined that extremely stressful and unhealthy conditions causes people to die. Some people died because they needed medical treatment, but were unable to get help.

Deaths occurred in nine prefectures. So far Fukushima leads the list with 764 deaths, followed by 636 in Miyagi and 179 in Iwate.

The Reconstruction Agency started tracking refugees only because of the money that was given out for disaster relief. Turns out the money did little to make life better for the refugees.

Note: Japan is part of the Trilateral Commission (Europe, North America, Japan/Asia)

Fukushima

One Year Later: Radiation contaminated fish found in Japanese rivers!

In a town 180 kilometers (111.8 miles) from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant, which continues to spew radiation, fish in a major river are contaminated with Cesium.

Silver crucian carp caught in the Tone River contain 110 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram.  The new official safe limit is 100 becquerels.

This is not the first time contaminated animals have been caught in the river.  Last month shellfish were also found to be contaminated.

Chiba prefectural officials are asking all commercial fisherman not to sell any fish caught in the river.  People are warned not to eat anything from the river.

ONE YEAR LATER: SOME FUKUSHIMA FARM ANIMALS WILL BE ALLOWED TO LIVE

FUKUSHIMA TO EUTHANIZE ABANDONED LIVESTOCK AND PETS!

ONE YEAR LATER: MORE RADIOACTIVE SHROOMS, SHOOTS & BEEF

International, U.S.

World War 3: Israel doing a 180 on Iran, now says Iran is NOT a threat! Egypt is!

April 25, 2012, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, told Israeli media that Iran was not a nuclear threat!

He based his statements on a report that was published back in February. That report cited 16 intelligence agencies that said Iran is not a nuclear threat. But General Gantz is not the first, or most important, Israeli official to back off of Iran.

On April 22, Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company canceled its deal with Israel, causing Israeli politicians to have a shit fit: “This is a dangerous precedent that diminishes the peace treaty!”-Yuval Steinitz, Israeli Finance Minister

As a result, probably the most influential politician in Israel, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, announced that Egypt was now Israel’s greatest threat: “We have to be prepared for all possibilities…The Egyptian issue is much more disturbing than the Iranian issue!” (statement was reported in an Israeli newspaper, which was paraphrasing what Lieberman was telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a closed door/private meeting)

This is just proof that what our glorious leaders tell us (whatever it is about) is unadulterated crap!

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.

International, Technology, U.S.

Government & Media Hypocrisy: Pakistan launches purpose built Ballistic Nuclear Missile; where’s the outrage, where’s the sanctions, where’s the UNSC resolutions?

April 13, 2012, North Korea launched a satellite (not a ballistic missile as western media continued to report!), which ended in failure, yet didn’t fail to bring world wide condemnation.

April 25, 2012, Pakistan launches an improved Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), yet no one cares?   Pakistan has nuclear weapons, yet no one cares that they’ve successfully tested an improved missile designed to carry nukes?

This launch comes less than a week after India successfully launched their first ever ballistic missile.

Here’s what the western members of the UN Security Council had to say about North Korea’s 4th non-weaponized rocket launch: “…[it’s a] provocation, threat to international stability, and another violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

On April 17, 2012, the UNSC increased sanctions against North Korea for launching a non-weaponized rocket!

So far, here’s what the UNSC said about India’s first ICBM launch:

Yeah I thought so you hypocritical SOBs!!

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: North Korea says targets in South Korea will be turned to ash. Soon?

“Once Revolutionary forces’ Special Action is taken, all the rat parties [South Korea] and provokers [U.S. forces in South Korea] will be burned to the ground in three or four minutes….with our own unique methods, which haven’t been witnessed.”-North Korean TV announcement, translated by Reuters

April 23, 2012, an announcement by North Korea said that “special action” will be taken against South Korea.

While most Western media are reporting that North Korea isn’t being specific about what they mean, some are speculating that they could be talking about an attack on the U.S. puppet South Korea ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army on Wednesday.

I’ve read some of the North Korean propaganda articles on their Korean Central News Agency site, and while they have similar rhetoric, they do qualify their threats by adding “if provoked”.  This indicates that any “special attack” by North Korea would be in response to something South Korea, or the United States, does first.

However, some of the propaganda articles do also say they are going to make the U.S. puppet Lee Myung Bak, and his political party, pay for what they see as his sabotage of the unification talks between North and South Korea.