Fukushima Again
Well, here's the latest news about the lies and deception surrounding the Fukushima disaster:
Well, they've already apologized. That will be a big comfort to the potentially millions of people who will die as a result of TEPCO's behavior. And let it be noted that, as I have reported before, the measuring equipment did not malfunction. It didn't go any higher than 900,000 becquerels per liter. Even though they knew this perfectly well, it apparently never occurred to them that the fact that their equipment was showing the maximum possible, the actual radiation might be higher. So now, as the article reported, the current level is a mere 166,000 times the legal standard.
And lest you think I am solely holding TEPCO and the Japanese government solely responsible for this monstrous behavior, this has been the standard whenever there is a nuclear power disaster- endless lying by the companies involved and the government agencies charged with their oversight, which has but one purpose: to preserve corporate profits regardless of the expense in human suffering.
This is but one more concrete demonstration that the entire nuclear power industry should be dismantled. Instead, of course, they will continue with this insane conduct, and when disaster does occur, as usual, we will be expected to pick up the tab.
"TEPCO has revised the readings on the radioactivity levels at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant well to 5 million becquerels of strontium per liter – both a record, and nearly five times higher than the original reading of 900,000 becquerels per liter.
Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope of strontium produced by nuclear fission with a half-life of 28.8 years. The legal standard for strontium emissions is 30 becquerels per liter. Exposure to strontium-90 can cause bone cancer, cancer of nearby tissues, and leukemia.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. originally said that the said 900,000 becquerels of beta-ray sources per liter, including strontium - were measured in the water sampled on July 5 last year.
However, the company noted on Friday that the previous radioactivity levels had been wrong, meaning that it was also likely reading taken from the other wells at the disaster-struck plant prior to September were also likely to have been inaccurate, the Asahi Shimbum newspaper reported.
The Japanese company has already apologized for the failures, which they said were a result of the malfunctioning of measuring equipment."
Well, they've already apologized. That will be a big comfort to the potentially millions of people who will die as a result of TEPCO's behavior. And let it be noted that, as I have reported before, the measuring equipment did not malfunction. It didn't go any higher than 900,000 becquerels per liter. Even though they knew this perfectly well, it apparently never occurred to them that the fact that their equipment was showing the maximum possible, the actual radiation might be higher. So now, as the article reported, the current level is a mere 166,000 times the legal standard.
And lest you think I am solely holding TEPCO and the Japanese government solely responsible for this monstrous behavior, this has been the standard whenever there is a nuclear power disaster- endless lying by the companies involved and the government agencies charged with their oversight, which has but one purpose: to preserve corporate profits regardless of the expense in human suffering.
This is but one more concrete demonstration that the entire nuclear power industry should be dismantled. Instead, of course, they will continue with this insane conduct, and when disaster does occur, as usual, we will be expected to pick up the tab.
Comments
It’s easy, you just talk vaguely about mixed energy resources, say “not yet” and then do nothing.
Further, the mainstream Right there implies a zero sum equation wherein no guarantee about the economy and the social security of the elderly can exist within a nuclear vacuum. They don’t actually say that – they’d rather not confront the issue in the first place – they just convey that impression.
And people fall for it. Because the nuclear issue has poetic dimensions in Japan. It’s an amorphous fear. A thing of nightmares and bad memories. I thing too big to fight. Your pension on the other hand… that’s something you can grasp having or not having. So the dialogue relentlessly focusses on that, and other welfare promises they can renege on later, while the radioactive elephant in the room is just glossed over in speeches about mixed energy sources and renewables that are 99% diversion from the essence of the matter which is that the status quo will go on until ultimate catastrophe occurs.
And if the social security diversion doesn’t work then the unemployment talk will, and if that doesn’t work then the tensions with China will, and if that doesn’t work well then they’ll just switch to another issue. Anything. Illegal betting in the sumo world, if that’s what it takes. And they’ll drone on in the hope that no-one below age 60 will actually be moved to vote anyway (voter turn out was down from 62.2% to 46.15%), so this sham called democracy can be dispensed with and the people who - one way or another - were ALWAYS going to end up in charge can go on working on the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY of modern politics, at least on the Right, which is to preserve and amplify the wealth of a tiny minority, whatever the risk whatever the cost to the little people.