Video & Multimedia

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts) Sun Mar 10, 2013, 06:09 AM Mar 2013

Fukushima forests found to be radioactive

AlJazeeraEnglish · Published on Mar 9, 2013

Two years after the triple calamities of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster ravaged Japan's northeastern Pacific coast, forests that cover 70 percent of the Fukushima Prefecture have been found to contain high concentrations of radioactive cesium. With traces revealed not only in the fallen leaves and soil, but in the trees themselves, the findings suggest that radiation has permanently found its way into the ecosystem.

The government is already spending billions of dollars decontaminating various towns in Fukushima, but the forests continue to emit radioactivity, putting the residents at risk. Scientists suggest cutting down the trees as soon as possible because the cesium will gradually be transferred to the earth itself.

Many residents are now suing TEPCO, the nuclear plant's operator, for the impact the disaster has had on surrounding communities. It is estimated the power company will pay some about $400bn in cleanup costs and compensation. Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports from Fukushima.

WSJ- Molten fuel could be outside Fukushima reactor

12 replies

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Highlight:

Fukushima forests found to be radioactive (Original Post) DeSwiss Mar 2013 OP

No surprise there nt newfie11 Mar 2013 #1

After the meltdown sulphurdunn Mar 2013 #2

Fukushima is a wake up . . . another_liberal Mar 2013 #3

"Nuclear Power Is Dead" DeSwiss Mar 2013 #4

Excellent Summation! another_liberal Mar 2013 #7

Jeremy Rifkin..... DeSwiss Mar 2013 #8

I will get his book. another_liberal Mar 2013 #11

where is the radiation now? tomtharp Mar 2013 #5

I stopped buying seafood the day of the accident, oldbanjo Mar 2013 #6

January 2012 map: DeSwiss Mar 2013 #9

K&R. Scary, and even more so... Mr_Jefferson_24 Mar 2013 #12

k&r nt bananas Mar 2013 #10

newfie11

(8,159 posts)

1. No surprise there nt

Reply to DeSwiss (Original post)

Sun Mar 10, 2013, 07:11 AM

Mar 2013

sulphurdunn

(6,891 posts)

2. After the meltdown

Reply to DeSwiss (Original post)

Sun Mar 10, 2013, 08:49 AM

Mar 2013

TEPCO's stock melted down too, and the company applied for permits to build two new reactors at Fukushima only weeks after the disaster.

http://japanfocus.org/events/view/67

another_liberal

(8,821 posts)

3. Fukushima is a wake up . . .

Reply to DeSwiss (Original post)

Sun Mar 10, 2013, 09:16 AM

Mar 2013

Fukushima is a wake up call the nuclear power companies and the governments which support that industry seem determined to ignore. I guess it will take several more such disasters to finally get these monstrosities decommissioned. Then we'll still have to find a way to deal with millions of tons of radioactive waste, all now being held in temporary containment facilities.

No one expected something like Fukushima could happen. The next one will likely be from an unexpected cause as well. I live about thirty miles from a nuclear plant and there is an experimental reactor at the University in our town. It feels a little like living on the slopes of an active volcano.

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)

4. "Nuclear Power Is Dead"

Reply to another_liberal (Reply #3)

Sun Mar 10, 2013, 09:28 AM

Mar 2013

another_liberal

(8,821 posts)

7. Excellent Summation!

Reply to DeSwiss (Reply #4)

Mon Mar 11, 2013, 01:38 AM

Mar 2013

The gentleman who did most of the talking on this clip gave an excellent summation of the nuclear power situation. Such clarity coupled with such brevity is rare indeed!

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)

8. Jeremy Rifkin.....

Reply to another_liberal (Reply #7)

Mon Mar 11, 2013, 01:59 AM

Mar 2013

...longtime progressive warrior.

Jeremy Rifkin (born January 26, 1945) is an American economist, writer, public speaker, political advisor and activist. He is the founder and president of the Foundation On Economic Trends. Rifkin's work explores the potential impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the workforce, society, and the environment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Rifkin

- In my view, Rifkin has always been ahead of the curve. No political party is addressing the real underlying issues of change that we're now experiencing as Rifkin has. Even beyond the absurdity of fiat monetary systems in which values become superfluous and that depends upon a calculated and enforced poverty to provide the system's drive and momentum, he asked the question: "what happens... when machines are smart enough to become workers? Who will be able to buy it's products?'' Thus proving the inanity and cancerous nature of our hierarchical, greed-based capitalist monetary system.

His 1995 book, The End of Work, is credited by some with helping shape the current global debate on automation, technology displacement, corporate downsizing and the future of jobs. Reporting on the growing controversy over automation and technology displacement in 2011, The Economist pointed out that Jeremy Rifkin drew attention to the trend back in 1995 with the publication of his book The End of Work. The Economist asked "what happens... when machines are smart enough to become workers? In other words, when capital becomes labor." The Economist noted that "this is what Jeremy Rifkin, a social critic, was driving at in his book, "The End of Work," published in 1995... Mr. Rifkin argued prophetically that society was entering a new phase, one in which fewer and fewer workers would be needed to produce all the goods and services consumed. 'In the years head,' he wrote, 'more sophisticated software technologies are going to bring civilisation ever closer to a near-workerless world. The process has already begun."

another_liberal

(8,821 posts)

11. I will get his book.

Reply to DeSwiss (Reply #8)

Mon Mar 11, 2013, 08:22 AM

Mar 2013

Thanks for the link. If Rifkin writes half as well as he speaks, I'm sure his book will be a great read.

tomtharp

(30 posts)

5. where is the radiation now?

Reply to DeSwiss (Original post)

Sun Mar 10, 2013, 11:06 AM

Mar 2013

In March 2012 a map published showed radioactive water had almost reached Hawaii. Why is there no newer map? I can only assume most of the Pacific is now radioactive, I have thus curtailed my seafood consumption.

oldbanjo

(690 posts)

6. I stopped buying seafood the day of the accident,

Reply to tomtharp (Reply #5)

Sun Mar 10, 2013, 03:30 PM

Mar 2013

also every time they find higher levels in food in Japan they just raise the level that is safe to eat.

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)

9. January 2012 map:

Reply to tomtharp (Reply #5)

Mon Mar 11, 2013, 02:27 AM

Mar 2013

===========================================
Also:

(Subscription Only) Title: TEPCO plans to dump water from Fukushima plant after cleaning it
Source: Kyodo News
Date: Jan. 24, 2013

Tepco said Thursday it plans to dump contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean after removing radioactive substances to reduce contamination to legally permissible levels.

... it fears eventually running out of capacity to store radioactive water that continues to accumulate at the plant ...

Still, the utility acknowledged that it needs to win approval of local governments and other parties concerned in actually discharging the water into the ocean. An official said, “Nothing specific has been decided at this moment.” ...

http://enenews.com/tepco-planning-dump-water-fukushima-plant-pacific-ocean

Mr_Jefferson_24

(8,559 posts)

12. K&R. Scary, and even more so...

Reply to DeSwiss (Reply #9)

Tue Mar 12, 2013, 09:43 PM

Mar 2013

...when we can't seem to get honest reporting from US mainstream media sources on this.

bananas

(27,509 posts)

10. k&r nt

Reply to DeSwiss (Original post)

Mon Mar 11, 2013, 02:44 AM

Mar 2013

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