{"id":1195,"date":"2011-06-16T19:45:03","date_gmt":"2011-06-16T19:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/?p=1195"},"modified":"2011-06-17T18:40:55","modified_gmt":"2011-06-17T18:40:55","slug":"fukushimas-radiation-3-months-still-counting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/2011\/06\/16\/fukushimas-radiation-3-months-still-counting\/","title":{"rendered":"Fukushima’s Radiation-3 Months & Still Counting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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"Solar Impulse" Soaring Innovation with Renewable Energy<\/p><\/div>\n

If you continue to read about the dark reality of the situation of Fukushima, at least make it to the end of the post to focus on something positive, that gives hope, like the solar airplane; Solar Impulse in flight. \u00a0Who would have ever thought it was possible?<\/p>\n

Fukushima still continues to spew radiation; this is projected to be ongoing for at least another year before the water temperatures drop below boiling since it is now confirmed that at three of the reactors had \u201cmeltdowns<\/a>\u201d. More about the situation<\/a> continues to be revealed. TEPCO has re-calculated the amount of initial radiation released in the first week of Fukushima.\u00a0 As a result there is serious concern about the effect of \u201cHot particles<\/a>,\u201d also known as \u201cFuel fleas<\/a>\u201d to human health. Hot particles when ingested through food we eat, breathed in, or drank through water\/milk, or on skin<\/a>; cause cancer. Watch Fairwinds<\/em> Arnie Gunderson\u2019s video on \u201cHot Particles\u201d<\/a> to better understand what hot particles are, and how they may affect us. Click here to see the interview by CNN\u2019s John King<\/a> about the re-calculation of radiation released. \u00a0\u00a0Parents are concerned the amount of radiation<\/a> their children are receiving as far away as Tokyo. Evidence of the Fukushima radiation (which may include hot particles) is found predominantly throughout Japan, but also around the world including Hawaii<\/a>, along the West Coast <\/a>\u00a0in 13 cities in the USA<\/a>, and \u00a0Ireland.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Remains of building #4 reactor and radioactive storage pool that holds spent nuclear fuel photo released by TEPCO<\/p><\/div>\n

There is the question of the #4 fuel pool\u2019s storage instability<\/a>, this is a critical situation<\/a> with the looming threat of the pool\u2019s structural integrity<\/a> in addition to keeping the rods from overheating without a cooling system. Work was done to re-enforce the troubled fuel pool<\/a> which is elevated several floors above the ground level in what remains of the building (see video from a month ago<\/a>).\u00a0 Plutonium discovered outside Fukushima<\/a> does not ease the severity of the situation. The radiation from Fukushima continues to stream at high levels into the air, water<\/a>, and earth.\u00a0 Disposal of radioactive water<\/a> will continue to be an issue, and radioactive sewage<\/a> is now a reality too. Not only are the lungs of people in danger but also radiation is affecting the lungs of our planet flora and fauna.<\/p>\n

It is out of the ordinary in the Japanese culture to protest, but this past weekend was the three months from the date it all began, March 11th<\/sup> and people had enough, so they took to the streets in protest of nuclear power<\/a>.\u00a0[youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=b-I3Sz49j0U&feature=player_detailpage]Fukushima protests have gone as far as Germany too<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 People shouted \u201cFukushima Warned\u201d\u2014pull the plug on all nuclear power plants<\/a>,\u201d and they also yelled \u201cFukushima, Chernobyl, too much is too much!\u201d\u00a0 German\u2019s protests where the largest anti-nuclear protest in history with tens of thousands of people. Riot control is now in force for the upcoming annual TEPCO board meeting, June 28th<\/a> .<\/p>\n

TEPCO\u2019s situation remains a challenge (see daily status<\/a>). Fukushima did not happen without warning<\/a>.\u00a0 Japan\u2019s rolling blackouts does affect the economy<\/a>. Decisions made during the crisis created suspicion and mistrust within the Japanese Government itself and between the USA and Japan<\/a> and remains precarious on all fronts<\/a>. Adult suicide rates have grown<\/a> and nearby school children will begin to wear a dosimeter<\/a> at all times to accurately measure the amount of radiation they receive. Dosimeters will be for children 4-15 yrs. old and under 3yrs. at the parents\u2019 request to help measure monthly radiation exposure.\u00a0 But the program will not begin until September, and cannot measure hot particles ingested.<\/p>\n

It has been suggested that Fukushima be a repository for nuclear waste<\/a>, even though it is on the \u201cring of fire\u201d<\/a>\u2014a study is being done now to consider making this site a permanent graveyard a nuclear repository.<\/p>\n

Governments from 30 nuclear countries called for stress tests<\/a> after Fukushima and international nuclear policy is being discussed. Japan admits to being unprepared<\/a> for a nuclear disaster even though they were warned<\/a>\u2014whether that is even possible to prepare for a nuclear disaster, when there is so many potentially fatal factors, is now being rightfully questioned.\u00a0 Many countries are willing to learn from Japan\u2019s experience as people all around the world are standing up to their governments and saying \u201cno more nukes\u201d.\u00a0 Italy\u2019s funny and creative video campaign \u201cFreedom of Choice\u201d<\/a> brought people out to vote on nuclear power. Italy now joins Switzerland, Germany, and voted in a referendum on Monday against the use of nuclear power<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As nuclear power becomes less of an option it affects the controversial uranium minihttp:\/\/resourcetelevision.tumblr.com\/post\/6249855066\/remember-fukushima-3-months-ago-a-disaster-likeng in Australia<\/a> and the USA\u2019s Grand Canyon where companies have applied for a license to begin mining, as well as in other parts of the world where uranium mining exists now.<\/p>\n

France who has been the global leader in nuclear energy is now being pressured by the people to reconsider this source of energy too. The big question remains with USA and China, as both continue to hold up the issues of global importance now, as they are doing in Bonn, Germany on the road to Rio+20<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Right now, in the USA,\u00a0 the decision to extend a nuclear power plant\u2019s license lives at the Federal Government level and each state government, like it or not, now has to accept the federal decision made on their behalf\u2014but that may soon change. State vs. federal is going at it, for example, in Vermont<\/a> and Massachusetts<\/a> where they have started to fight this battle in court to take back their power. As a result, Vermont Yankee may have their recent nuclear plant operation renewal revoked, as it is highly controversial that it was even extended.\u00a0\u00a0 It is one of the oldest reactors and has the same reactor model as Fukushima, and has been cited for safety failures numerous times. The operating company, Entergy (a large contributor to President Obama\u2019s campaign), is now in a lawsuit with the state of Vermont; this may get more interesting. Massachusetts is filling suit too, and brings to question whether California and New York will take action next and what the USA & China<\/a> will do regarding this so-called \u201cnuclear renaissance\u201d. There is concern that no entity will be able to prepare for the terrorist threat involving nuclear plants<\/a> .<\/p>\n

We need an international framework and policy structured for nuclear as well as other environmental catastrophes, and mechanisms to approach them when they affect the entire world. This is idealistic but in times like this, we need a little idealism.<\/p>\n

Embracing the reality of this entire nuclear situation is not easy.\u00a0\u00a0 A reminder to consider the bigger perspective\u2014read \u201cEnergy and the Future of our Earth\u201d here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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"Liquid Solar Robot" on mission to collect data<\/p><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s focus on hope by trying to find something positive like this new helpful technology \u201cLiquid Robots\u201d<\/a> that may help monitor the oceans’ with their solar powered ocean robots<\/a> that could accurately measure contaminates. \u00a0Or remember the Solar Eagle aerial art we made last year as to raise awareness of the U.N. Climate Conference in Cancun<\/a>.\u00a0 Let\u2019s think about the Solar Impulse<\/a> that actually took flight again and landed yesterday in Paris! World Team Now<\/a> is focused on renewable energy, \u00a0and finding \u00a0innovative solutions.\u00a0It takes a team and we need all the help we can get, so please join us<\/a>! \u00a0We appreciate the support and welcome your comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fukushima still continues to spew radiation; this is projected to be ongoing for at least another year before the water temperatures drop below boiling since it is now confirmed that at three of the reactors had \u201cmeltdowns\u201d. More about the situation continues to be revealed. TEPCO has re-calculated the amount of initial radiation released in the first week of Fukushima. As a result there is serious concern about the effect of \u201cHot particles,\u201d also known as \u201cFuel flees\u201d to human health. Three months from the date it all began, March 11th there has been many protests of nuclear power. Governments from 30 nuclear countries called for stress tests after Fukushima and international nuclear policy is being discussed. As nuclear power becomes less of an option it affects the controversial uranium mining in Australia and the USA.Right now, in the USA, the decision to extend a nuclear power plant\u2019s license lives at the Federal Government level and each state government, like it or not, now has to accept the federal decision made on their behalf\u2014but that may soon change.We need an international framework and policy structured for nuclear as well as other environmental catastrophes, and mechanisms to approach them when they affect the entire world. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[40221],"tags":[32261213,59120286,59120268,59120270,57806989,59120267,18392415,59120290,22627,1024531,59120262,59120273,28971839,11126353,59120291,1121696,28662481,1450859,59120280,59033329,1212,184,1474372,349326,419,2062,144187,1927652,240276,183866720,13315614,146226,53190157,7514351,565611,183866729],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-1195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nuclear-power","tag-dosimeters","tag-energy-and-thefutureofourearth","tag-fuelfleas","tag-fuelpool","tag-fukushimanuclearpowerplant","tag-hotparticles","tag-international-framework","tag-liquidrobots","tag-massachusetts","tag-nuclear-radiation","tag-nuclearprotests","tag-nuclearrepository","tag-rio20","tag-solar-airplane","tag-solareagleaerialart","tag-tepco","tag-u-n-climate-conference","tag-uraniummining","tag-vermontyankee","tag-3month-anniversary-fukushima","tag-energy","tag-environment","tag-fukushima","tag-iaea","tag-italy","tag-japan","tag-meltdown","tag-nuclear-meltdown","tag-nuclear-policy","tag-nuclear-power","tag-nuclear-protests","tag-radiation","tag-reactor4","tag-solarimpulse","tag-vermont-yankee","tag-world-team-now","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1195"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1228,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1195\/revisions\/1228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1195"},{"taxonomy":"post_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_series?post=1195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}