Tag Archives: radiation

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, Technology

World War 3: Iran unveils new stealth fighter, 3rd generation indigenous design

02 February 2013, Iran has revealed a third generation indigenously designed stealth fighter.

It’s called Qaher-313 (Conqueror-313), and despite earlier reports that it’s nothing more than a redesigned U.S. F-5, or copy of F/A-18, it actually looks like a small combined version of the U.S. F-22 and controversial F-35.

Video has been posted on video sharing sites.

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.

Idaho, U.S.

2nd U.S. Civil War: Pew poll says the Federal Government is your biggest enemy! State of Idaho to become testing ground for domestic drone use!

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”-Benjamin Franklin, a founder of the United States

A new Pew Research Center poll shows that more and more citizens of the United States of America see the federal government as the enemy: “For the first time since we have been asking this question, we have a majority, 53%, saying that their rights are personally threatened by the government.”-Andy Kohut, Pew Research Center

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”-2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

The Pew poll shows that 73% of U.S. citizens now distrust the federal government, almost three of every four people!   That lack of trust is shared among Democrats and independents as well as Republicans.

The growing use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle, drone) against U.S. citizens is just one of dozens of reason people are seeing their government as their number one enemy.

In response to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to establish six drone testing sites in Idaho, the legislators of the Gem State have countered with a new bill.  The state Senate Transportation Committee introduced a bill that would create legal guidelines for drone use by Idaho law enforcement agencies, including establishing probable cause, or obtaining a warrant.

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Radiation decontamination of cities a big fail in Japan!

04 December 2012, more than a year after the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor disaster began, decontamination of residential areas isn’t anywhere near completion.

Japan’s Environment Ministry released the results of their study of the progress of radiation cleanup.  More than 80% of homes have not been decontaminated!

Of nearly 100,000 homes picked for decontamination only 18% have been cleaned up.

69% of educational facilities were cleaned up, as well as 51% of roads.   Only 38% of parks and sports facilities have been decontaminated.

Fukushima, International

26 years later: Chernobyl expected to remain a threat for the next 100 years, at least! Warning for worse things to come from Fukushima Daiichi!

29 November 2012, two days ago workers in Ukraine raised steel arches over the entombed Chernobyl reactor: “This is a very significant milestone, which is a tribute to the ongoing commitment of the international donor community, and an important step towards overcoming the legacy of the accident.”-Suma Chakrabarti, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Those new steel arches weigh 5000 metric tons (5,511.5 tons), and are 22 meters (72 feet) tall!  The steel container won’t be finished until 2015.  It’ll weigh 20000 metric tons (22,046 tons) and is designed to allow ongoing decontamination work for the next 100 years!

26 years ago the Soviet designed reactor melted down, and it’s still spewing radiation.

The Soviets slammed Chernobyl with tons of concrete, sand and boric acid.  The impromptu concrete tomb was breaking down and a new one was built.  But even that one is breaking down, so a new massive steel tomb is being built, hopefully to contain the radiation for the next century.

Now realize that Chernobyl is only one reactor, with no spent fuel storage, and Japan’s General Electric designed Fukushima Daiichi melt down disaster involves at least four damaged reactors with four spent fuel pools that contained hundreds of fuel rods, each.

Initially Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) said they could have Fukushima Daiichi cleaned up by July 2011!!!  In December 2011 the Japanese government published their own report, saying cleanup will take at least 40 years, TEPCo downplayed the government report.  Then in March 2012, TEPCo admitted that reactors actually melted down.  Now, at the beginning of November 2012, TEPCo is admitting that clean up will take much longer, and they’ve even doubled their estimated cleanup and compensation costs from $62.5 billion USD to $125 billion!

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Government, Corporate & Media Incompetence! Radiation monitoring devices shown to be inaccurate! $1.8 million to fix the problem!

08 November 2012, Japan’s Science Ministry discovered that 675 radiation detectors, placed around Fukushima Daiichi, are reading at least 10% below actual radiation levels!

Since April 2011 the monitors have been uploading radiation readings to the internet, in real time.

The Science Ministry investigated their devices because independent radiation detection by local governments, and individuals, were consistently higher than the national Science Ministry’s data.  Something I’ve pointed out in past postings, but of course the main stream media goes with official national government data.

In March 2012, residents of Fukushima Prefecture reported that the national government data was too low.  They were ignored.  In April 2012, Green Peace reported that radiation levels were much higher than what the national government was reporting.  Green Peace was blown off.   Even independent Japanese reporters risked their lives going into the radiation contamination zone, then posted their video on YouTube, in some cases showing their radiation detectors pegging at higher than officially reported levels.  They were ignored.

The Science Ministry now says the data from individuals and local governments are correct. The 675 defective official radiation monitors were constructed with the battery housing blocking the radiation detectors’ sensors!

It will now cost Japanese taxpayers $1.8 million USD to fix the problem!

Opinion, U.S.

FEMA suggests Presidential elections be canceled! Nuclear plants threatened. Who’s in charge when the President declares a disaster area?

On 29 October 2012, Federal Emergency Management Agency boss, Craig Fugate, suggested that Presidential elections be postponed, or even canceled, because of the mess caused by hurricane Sandy: “It [elections] needs to be safe and secure. This will be led by states and their election commission supervisors.”

This is because of the flooding and electrical shortages, which are also affecting several nuclear power plants: Constellation Energy Nuclear Group’s 630MW Nine Mile Point 1 nuclear reactor, in upstate New York, shut down.  Investigation ongoing as to why.  Power reductions at Exelon’s Limerick nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, and at Dominion’s Millstone plant in Connecticut. New Jersey’s Exelon’s Oyster Creek remains on alert because of flooding: “Oyster Creek is still in an alert but may be getting out of it as long as water levels continue to drop.”-Neil Sheehan, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

The NRC reporting that half a dozen nuclear plants were shut down, or have reduced power output because of the hurricane.

President Obama declared New Jersey, and New York, major disaster areas (most of the north east has been declared emergency areas).

FEMA is now in charge of the declared disaster/emergency areas. Since FEMA director, Craig Fugate, wants Presidential elections delayed or suspended, then he could probably get his wish.

Under U.S. State of Emergency laws, Congress is not needed to make such decisions.  The National Emergency Act allows such declarations to remain in effect for two years, and can be extended by Presidential decree.

In fact, the United States has been in various states of emergency since Bill Clinton’s first term as President.  Bush Jr and Obama have only expanded on those emergencies (in the name of fighting terrorism).

Now we have Hurricane Sandy wreaking havoc across the most populous part of the United States (home to a crap load of nuclear power plants), and reports that even Mitt Romney will kowtow to FEMA and Obama’s emergency declarations (some reports say Romney will reverse his anti-FEMA stance).  Sounds like the perfect political storm.

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

Global Food Crisis & What Economic Recovery? Crops being destroyed by weather, disease and plagues of Red Squirrels! Crop prices going up, good for Idaho farmers with crops to sell, bad for you at the grocery store check out! Is it all smoke & mirrors bull shit?

17 October 2012,  despite reports indicating crop destruction worldwide, and within the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports (in their newly released October 2012 report) that overall crop production in the United States is way up (if you throw out corn & soybeans).

A major indicator of crop destruction is the announcement by Farm Credit Service of America (FCSA) that insurance payouts, to U.S. farmers who’ve lost crops, will be at least $25 billion USD, but could hit $40 billion for 2012.

FCSA blames the insurance claims for most of the U.S. crop losses on drought.  Even the USDA reported that the entire state of South Dakota is suffering severe to exceptional drought.  South Dakota farmers, alone, have filed more $149 million in insurance claims.

Some states are now experiencing corn crop destruction because of early freezing temps.  So, in states like Arkansas and Kentucky, not only have drought and cold weather hurt corn production, but the October/Halloween corn mazes aren’t happening because the stalks are too short. The result is that revenue from agritourism is going down (the USDA does agritourism surveys every five years, the last one in 2007).

It’s so bad that corn crops from the Midwestern states are considered destroyed (U.S. corn production is at its lowest point since 1995).  The result is corn prices are soaring.  By 15 October, corn commodity prices increased 5% at the Chicago board of trade.

Last year U.S. corn prices averaged $6.22 per bushel, this year the average is now $7.80!  Some analysts say it’ll hit $8.25 before the end of the year.

The U.S. corn crop destruction is part of a worldwide decline in corn crops. Currently international corn stockpiles are 14 million metric tons below what was expected!  (keep that in mind; “what was expected”, research UN data and you’ll learn that there’s still a lot of corn out there)

Apples are down as well. My own apple tree (here in Idaho), as well as my neighbors’ apple trees, have produce only a fraction of what they normally put out.  In the state of Michigan apple farmers are reporting the same thing, saying their trees produced only 10% of normal output!  An apple farmer in Michigan reports his agritourism revenues way down at his U-Pick apple farm.

In Indiana, apple farmers report getting only 25% of their normal apple harvest.  The Washington Growers Clearing House reports that apple commodity prices are 13% higher than last year.  But that’s good news for Washington state apple farmers; they’re reporting a record harvest.

Even with their record harvest, apple growers in Washington can not make up for crop loses in the rest of the U.S.  As a result, with the high commodity prices for apples, Washington apple farmers could see a record $7 billion in revenue for 2012!  By the way, if your willing to pick apples reports say Washington apple farmers are unable to fill 700 apple picking jobs.

Why the decrease in apples in the rest of the country?  Some states are blaming earlier than normal freezing temps, but several states are reporting a plague of red squirrels.  In Vermont some apple farmers report the squirrels ate half their crop.  In South Carolina, squirrels are blamed for killing more than 100 apple trees.

While biologists suggest that warmer than normal temps caused an increase in squirrel populations (causing an increase in food sources), they admit no one could have predicted this year’s huge numbers of squirrels.  The squirrels are now devouring apples because their normal food source, acorns and beechnuts, are way down this year.

Around the world, in Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Korea (north), India, Pakistan, and in African countries, crops have been destroyed by drought, or other extreme weather events like flooding.

In Japan, domestic agriculture has not only been affected by weather but by the ongoing nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi.

In Afghanistan, farmers report hundreds of acres of crops destroyed by disease.

In Zimbabwe, farmers who couldn’t pay their electric bills had the power cut off to their irrigation pumps.  A farmer said the power was cut without warning, even thought they tried to make payment arraignments with the utility company: “We admit we owe ZESA a debt of $3,000 but they should not have disconnected us without discussing our payment arrangements which we had submitted. The farmers were willing to settle their debts after harvesting their crop during the first week of November.”-Newton Gwetu

In India it’s not just weather, but animals.  Farmers are reporting that their crops are being destroyed by rampaging wild boars and elephants. Elephant rampages have been reported since August.

It’s not just elephants in India, but elephants in African countries are also rampaging.  In Tanzania, officials report elephants have destroyed villages and crops: “Up to now people are helpless and TANAPA [Tanzania National Park] rangers are just watching the destruction without taking any action.”-Jumanne Kwiro, Serengeti District Council

In Australia, the climate change is being blamed for driving feral pigs to eating farmers’ crops: “We’re seeing enterprises being destroyed, also pressure in grazing lands that we haven’t seen before. Going into drier seasons we’re really looking at grazing problems as well as destruction of crops.”-Rachel Pratt, Queensland’s AgForce

Australian ag officials are also concerned the exploding feral pig population will affect cattle: “Pigs carry diseases like bruscellosis, leptospirosis and paracites and also they can also carry potentially exotic diseases like foot and mouth.”-Ben Gardiner, Australian Veterinary Association

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) recently reported that corn and wheat crops in Central America are expected to continue their downward trend, averaging a loss of $120 million per year by 2020: “Even with our most conservative estimates, it’s clear that climate change could transform the agricultural landscape across Central America.”-Anton Eitzinger, CIAT

One activist said farmers need to be more adaptable to radical changes in climate: “Extension services across the region need to be reinvigorated to train small farmers in soil and water management. And governments need to lead, they have the ability to make a real difference through setting climate-smart agricultural policies.”-Paul Hicks, Catholic Relief Services

War can be blamed for crop destruction as well. Not just the obvious destruction by bombing and gunfire, but illegal Israeli settlers, in Palestinian territory, have been actively destroying Palestinian olive trees.  More than 500 Palestinian olive trees destroyed by illegal Israeli settlers, so far in 2012!

But what about crops that we don’t eat?  The clothes on your back could be threatened as well.  Cotton crops in Pakistan and India have been destroyed by recent floods.  However, Indian officials have stated that many cotton farms that survived the floods will actually produce bumper yields.  (also, cotton production in the U.S. is up, according to the October 2012 USDA report)

Again, those areas that are not suffering from crop destruction tend to be enjoying bumper crop yields, which means those farmers will also enjoy the higher revenue due to the higher commodity prices, created by speculators supposedly fearful of crop destruction.

While researching Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) I noticed that their most recent graph of global food production shows a steady increase, year after year.  Yet back in August, the UN actually asked the United States to stop bio-fuel production so those crops could be used for food!

The problem isn’t a lack of crops, the problem is the increasing cost to people who need to eat those crops.

There are several examples from the 1990s, such as U.S. rice rotting on Haitian docks because Haitians couldn’t afford to buy it, and African tomato farmers who left their crops to rot in the field because forced competition from Italian companies drove down tomato prices so low it wasn’t worth harvesting the fruits.

Is that what’s happening now, but on a global scale?  Is this what our leaders  mean by leveling the playing field of globalization?

I live in a state that is experiencing bumper crops: Idaho.

Idaho’s dry bean production is up 61% from 2011 (in fact bean production for the entire U.S. is expected to be 56% more than last year).  Despite bean production being so high, speculators are also keeping prices for beans high. Commodity prices for beans are currently about 40 cents per pound, some bean prices are down from last year but they’re still near record highs: “That’s still the best price I’ve ever got myself! I’m not going to complain.”-Dana Rasmussen, Idaho bean farmer

The USDA says Idaho’s canola production has doubled from last year (canola production is also up in Washington & Oregon).  Ag officials attribute this directly to higher commodity prices driven by speculators: “The number one  reason for this increase is there have been excellent and very competitive prices available for farmers.”-Jack Brown, University of Idaho

Idaho’s alfalfa production was down 7%, but that reflects those hay farmers who do not have irrigated fields.  Idaho hay farmers with irrigation actually saw bumper alfalfa yields: “I would say our yields were up a half to a ton per acre. It was a warm summer, and alfalfa loves heat and water.”– Will Ricks, Idaho Hay and Forage Association

Even though Idaho hay farmers with irrigation had bumper crops, the demand for those crops far exceeded supply: “Hay producers were getting calls from dairies in the Midwest. They were willing to pay $300 per ton plus shipping, but nobody had any hay to sell.”-Glenn Shewmaker, University of Idaho

Ag Officials from other states are lamenting just how much Idaho’s ag industry has grown: “Idaho has increased in just two years the equivalent of the entire state of Maine’s production. The July 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s crop production report showed Oregon at 41,000 acres, Colorado at 55,000, Michigan at 46,000, Minnesota at 51,000, Maine at 59,000, New York at 17,000 and Wisconsin at 63,000 acres.”-Bob Davis, Maine Farmers Exchange

What is Bob Davis talking about?  Idaho’s farming acreage has grown, in just two years, to 345,000.   That’s 13,000 more than Oregon, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, New York and Wisconsin combined!!!

You might say Idaho’s ag industry is good for the economy, providing jobs for Idahoans.  But that ain’t so.  Most ag workers are migrants, and even though there’s a shortage of migrant workers many Idaho farmers complain that Idahoans aren’t willing to work for the peanuts they pay.

Idaho law states that farm workers must be paid minimum wage (currently $7.25 per hour in Idaho), however, if a farm laborer is “contracted” that’s a different story: “When I first talked to the farmer about work, he told me that he would pay me $14 per acre. I worked nine hours every day for over a week, but the work was so hard I was only able to do three acres a day. On payday, my boss made up all kinds of excuses and ended up paying me just $11 per acre, which comes out to about $3.60 an hour…. I didn’t know what to do. I have two children to feed.”–Gloria Paniagua, Cassia County, Idaho

Being a contracted farm worker is similar to being on salary, a really bad salary.

According to a report by Idaho Community Action Network, and the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, the average wage earned by farm workers in Idaho is $5.97 per hour, working ten hours per day, six days per week.

So what’s the point of all this?  There is no food shortage!  Reports show that while there are massive crop losses, those farms still producing are producing record yields!  UN agencies (FAO) report record global ag production almost year after year!  Crony capitalist speculators (who’re probably working for the corporate farms) are driving up food prices, even when there is no shortage of the resources!  Farmers with crops to sell are making big money because of the increased commodity prices and because of the dirt wages they pay their workers!  Don’t forget to add in escalating transportation costs! The net result is everyone is going to pay unjustifiably more for their food at the grocery store or restaurant!

Did you get a pay raise?

International, U.S.

Fluoride Update, 24 September 2012: Portland officials ignore what the voters want! EPA and HHS admit too much fluoride is bad! Argentina says it causes diabetes! Japan says it causes cancer! China (and Harvard) says it reduces intelligence!

“Even if fluoridation reduced cavities, is tooth health more important than brain health? It’s time to put politics aside and stop artificial fluoridation everywhere!”-Paul Beeber, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation

By the year 2014, Portland, Oregon, will cease being the last major U.S. city without fluoridated water. On 12 September 2012, and in a unanimous decision that seemed to go against voter sentiment, the Portland city council approved fluoridation of the water supply.

Supporters of the plan claim that residents of Portland has a higher number of dental problems than other parts of Oregon.  However, a state study proved the reverse!

Most all of Oregon’s water supply already has naturally occurring fluoride.

To top that, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have come out and admitted that too much fluoride can be bad for you!  Not only that, past fluoridation levels in the United States were too high!!!

But guess what? Those admissions came out at the beginning of 2011!  Where was the main stream media coverage?

HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, said fluoride levels should be no more than 0.7 parts per million (ppm) per liter of water (this is the level the city of Portland, Oregon, says it will use).  Up ’till 2011 municipalities were being told to use as much as 1.2 ppm per liter!

“The new EPA assessments of fluoride were undertaken in response to findings of the National Academies of Science (NAS).  At EPA’s request, in 2006 NAS reviewed new data on fluoride and issued a report recommending that EPA update its health and exposure assessments to take into account bone and dental effects and to consider all sources of fluoride.”-joint EPA/HHS statement, 07 January 2011

Fluoride is claimed to protect your teeth, but according to HHS, too much fluoride actually does the reverse, causing tooth decay, as well as bone fractures,  and skeletal fluorosis.  Is this why the state study in Oregon showed higher dental problems in areas with fluoridated water?

But wait, there’s more!  The EPA actually said stop using sulfuryl fluoride. Sulfuryl fluoride is used as an insecticide (’cause it’s a fumigant neurotoxin), and cities have been using it to fluoridate their water!

Portland, Oregon, isn’t the only U.S. state obviously in the pockets of the fluoride industry.  Right now in Pinellas County, Florida, the issue of fluoridation has got a local dentist threatening to run for public office, to force fluoridation of the water.  One of his campaign billboards reads: “Want Fluoride…..?”

A in the pockets of the fluoride industry Florida newspaper (The Daytona Beach Journal) published an opinion piece on 20 September, applauding cities that add fluoride to their water.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is even giving out awards to cities, it’s called Water Fluoridation Quality Award.

But wait, there’s more!

A study in Argentina (done at the Rosario National University in Santa Fe, Rosario) concluded that ‘artificial’ fluoride use causes insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes!  Gee, isn’t the United States suffering from a high rate of diabetes?

What’s really significant, relating to the new fluoride levels issued by HHS, is that the Argentine study shows that the onset of type 2 diabetes occurrs regardless of the amount of fluoride. Even at a fraction of a ppm, after 60 days insulin resistance is the result!

A study out of Japan (by the University of Tokyo) shows that fluoride use increases the rate of cancers of the “….oral cavity and pharynx, colon and rectum, hepato-biliary and urinary organs.”  Gee, doesn’t the United States have a problem with increased cancers?

The Japanese researchers looked at cancer rates in the United States in comparison with fluoridated water supplies, from 1978 to 1992.  They found that two thirds of the people with cancer lived in areas with lots of fluoridated water.  In the majority of the sites studied, they concluded that 64% of them had a direct connection between cancer and fluoride!

Another study from the Zhejiang Normal University in Jinhua, China, backs up a Harvard study released earlier this year.  Fluoride makes ‘mericans dumber than a stump!  Gee, isn’t the United States suffering from too much of that!!!

The Chinese study found that the higher the dose rate of fluoride, the dumber you get.  Back in July, 2012, Harvard University published the results of their study, it not good: “Fluoride readily crosses the placenta. Fluoride exposure to the developing brain, which is much more susceptible to injury caused by toxicants than is the mature brain, may possibly lead to damage of a permanent nature.”

But this info was known before these latest studies.  I’ve posted how a study in India blamed idiocy on fluoride, and that was based on naturally occurring fluoride.  But here’s what the National Research Council (NRC) stated in 2006, about ‘artificial’ fluoride: “It’s apparent that fluorides have the ability to interfere with the functions of the brain.”