Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis Facts and Figures

It has now been three weeks since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Here are the latest facts and figures on the crisis, culled from official sources via Relief Web.

Casualties:

According the government of Japan: The number of deaths is 12,087, the number of the injured is 2,876, and the number of missing is 15,552.  The number of those evacuated is approximately 206,400.

International Response

From the government of Japan:

So far, rescue and medical support teams from 20 countries and regions (Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, the ROK, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the U.K., the U.S.) as well as and the UNOCHA, an IAEA expert team, and the WFP have arrived Japan and have been operating in disaster-stricken areas. (The list includes countries and regions which have already left the site.) Surveys have been conducted by UN organizations and other institutions related to disaster relief. As of March 31, Japan has received relief goods from 29 countries/regions and international organizations.

Nuclear Crisis:

From the World Health Organization:

Is there a risk of radioactive food contamination?

-Yes, there is a risk of exposure as a result of contamination in food.
-However, contaminated food would have to be consumed over prolonged periods to represent a risk to human health.
-The presence of radioactivity in some vegetables and milk has been confirmed and some of the initial food monitoring results show radioactive iodine detected in concentrations above Japanese regulatory limits. Radioactive caesium has also been detected.
-Local government authorities have advised residents to avoid these food and have implemented measures to prevent their sale and distribution.

From the International Atomic Energy Agency:

Overall at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the situation remains very serious.

On 2 April, transferring of water from the Unit 1 condenser storage tank to the surge tank of the suppression pool was completed in preparation for transferring water in the basement of the Unit 1 turbine building to the condenser. Also, on 2 April transferring of water from the Unit 2 condenser storage tank to the surge tank of the suppression pool was started in preparation for transferring water in the basement of the Unit 1 turbine building to the condenser…

Radiation Monitoring

On 2 April, deposition of iodine-131 was detected in 7 prefectures ranging from 4 to 95 becquerel per square metre. Deposition of cesium-137 in 6 prefectures was reported on 2 April ranging from 15 to 47 becquerel per square metre. Reported gamma dose rates in the 45 prefectures showed no significant changes compared to yesterday.

Most of the previously imposed recommendations for restrictions on drinking water have been lifted. As of 2 April, one recommendation for the restriction based on iodine-131 concentration was in place in one village in the Fukushima prefecture, which applied for infants only. Meanwhile, also in this village, the iodine-131 level in drinking water has dropped below 100 becquerel per litre, which is the recommended restriction level for intake by infants. The restriction is still in place as a precautionary measure of the local authority.

Currently, one IAEA monitoring team is working in the Fukushima region. On 2 April, measurements were made at 7 locations at distances of 32 to 62 km, North and Northwest to the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The dose rates ranged from 0.6 to 4.5 microsievert per hour. At the same locations, results of beta-gamma contamination measurements ranged from 0.09 to 0.46 megabecquerel per square metre.

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Japan Earthquake, Tsunami And Nuclear Crisis Facts and Figures

The latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:

Casualties: 27,600 dead or missing

As of the 30 March, the official death toll from the 11 March  earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast  coast of Japan now stands at 11,257. Another 16,344  people remain missing.

Displacement

There are now 173,200 people  living in more than 2,000 evacuation centres  in 17  prefectures mostly in the north of Japan.  In the three worst  affected prefectures, Miyagi, Iwate and  Fukushima,  146,628 evacuees are living in some 1,245 evacuation centres.

Transportation Infrastructure:

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reports that more than 90 per cent of the Tohoku region’s main land, sea and air routes  are  open.  More than 37,200 vehicles are now passing through the Tohoku  Expressway per day, which is 1.3 times more traffic than before the disaster struck. All 15 ports and most  airports are now open. Railway lines are still under repair. Express buses are carrying 4,400 people per day  into and out of the region which is more than twice as many passengers than before the disaster. However,  roads in the affected cities and towns  are  still damaged or blocked with debris and this is  hampering the  delivery of aid  to  the many  smaller evacuation centres. Relief items are  being  delivered on foot in some  places.

Electricity:

An estimated 190,000 households (492,000 people) remain without electricity. Another 330,000 households  (936,000 people) are without gas supplies. Water availability has improved by about 25 per cent in the last  few days. Currently, 372,000 households (913,000 people) are still without water in nine prefecture.

Nuclear Crisis:

Radioactive water found in and outside reactor buildings is delaying work to restore cooling functions of the  Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has reached a  much higher level of radiation than previously reported. New readings from a sample of sea water found  radioactive iodine at 3,355 times the legal limit. Japan’s Nuclear Safety Agency says this does not pose a  health risk. The Government says it is  expected to take a considerable amount of time before the  temperatures of fuel rods in the reactor cores at the power station are lowered to a stable state. The International Atomic Energy Agency says the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very  serious. A Joint FAO/IAEA Food Safety Assessment Team met with local government authorities in Ibaraki  Prefecture on Monday who  briefed the  team  on the extent of contamination in Ibaraki, the principle  agricultural products affected, the main production areas and production methods and levels of  contamination found. The FAO/IAEA  team also meet with the local authorities in Tochigi  Prefecture  yesterday, and will meet with local government officials in Gunma today.

U.S. Military Response:

Since Operation Tomodachi started US Military forces have delivered more than 185 tons of food, 3,638,184 gallons of water and 17,836 gallons of fuel, in support of Japan Self Defense Force efforts.  Currently, 19 ships, 133 aircraft and 18,165 personnel of the 7th Fleet are operating in support of the Operation to assist Japan.  Since Operation Tomodachi started, U.S. 7th Fleet forces have delivered more than 240 tons of  humanitarian assistance supplies to tsunami and earthquake areas.

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Japan Earthquake, Tsunami And Nuclear Crisis Facts and Figures

The latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:

Casualties: 27,600 dead or missing

As of the 30 March, the official death toll from the 11 March  earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast  coast of Japan now stands at 11,257. Another 16,344  people remain missing.

Displacement

There are now 173,200 people  living in more than 2,000 evacuation centres  in 17  prefectures mostly in the north of Japan.  In the three worst  affected prefectures, Miyagi, Iwate and  Fukushima,  146,628 evacuees are living in some 1,245 evacuation centres.

Transportation Infrastructure:

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reports that more than 90 per cent of the Tohoku region’s main land, sea and air routes  are  open.  More than 37,200 vehicles are now passing through the Tohoku  Expressway per day, which is 1.3 times more traffic than before the disaster struck. All 15 ports and most  airports are now open. Railway lines are still under repair. Express buses are carrying 4,400 people per day  into and out of the region which is more than twice as many passengers than before the disaster. However,  roads in the affected cities and towns  are  still damaged or blocked with debris and this is  hampering the  delivery of aid  to  the many  smaller evacuation centres. Relief items are  being  delivered on foot in some  places.

Electricity:

An estimated 190,000 households (492,000 people) remain without electricity. Another 330,000 households  (936,000 people) are without gas supplies. Water availability has improved by about 25 per cent in the last  few days. Currently, 372,000 households (913,000 people) are still without water in nine prefecture.

Nuclear Crisis:

Radioactive water found in and outside reactor buildings is delaying work to restore cooling functions of the  Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has reached a  much higher level of radiation than previously reported. New readings from a sample of sea water found  radioactive iodine at 3,355 times the legal limit. Japan’s Nuclear Safety Agency says this does not pose a  health risk. The Government says it is  expected to take a considerable amount of time before the  temperatures of fuel rods in the reactor cores at the power station are lowered to a stable state. The International Atomic Energy Agency says the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very  serious. A Joint FAO/IAEA Food Safety Assessment Team met with local government authorities in Ibaraki  Prefecture on Monday who  briefed the  team  on the extent of contamination in Ibaraki, the principle  agricultural products affected, the main production areas and production methods and levels of  contamination found. The FAO/IAEA  team also meet with the local authorities in Tochigi  Prefecture  yesterday, and will meet with local government officials in Gunma today.

U.S. Military Response:

Since Operation Tomodachi started US Military forces have delivered more than 185 tons of food, 3,638,184 gallons of water and 17,836 gallons of fuel, in support of Japan Self Defense Force efforts.  Currently, 19 ships, 133 aircraft and 18,165 personnel of the 7th Fleet are operating in support of the Operation to assist Japan.  Since Operation Tomodachi started, U.S. 7th Fleet forces have delivered more than 240 tons of  humanitarian assistance supplies to tsunami and earthquake areas.

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Basic Facts About Surviving 2012

Imagine experiencing the impact of a tsunami tidal wave and so realize that surviving 2012 should be on your list of things to check out. If the theories of Mayan Prophecies are to be believed, then we are not very far from the time when the world comes to an end. The date December 21, 2012 has already made everyone concerned as it is the predicted day when this disaster is expected to arrive. Over the last few years, people have been discussing the impact of 2012, but perhaps the days for mere discussion are over. It is high time that we start to prepare strategies for surviving 2012. Whether 2012 will bring the disaster, or it will pass off just like another year is not definite, but it is better to adopt certain basic survival techniques along with a tough frame of mind to survive 2012.

Have the strong will

There is a common belief that humanity will come to an end due to a shift in the axis of the earth. If this is the case, there are chances of several cumulative disasters taking place such as tsunamis, earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, volcanoes and super volcanoes. So far, these disasters have occurred individually, but in 2012, they might all strike together. So, the chances of survival are very less and, therefore, you must have a strong will and a tough frame of mind to exist.

Places to avoid

If the pole shift takes place in December 2012, the places with a huge number of nuclear reactors will be the most dangerous to be in. Therefore, for surviving 2012, you must avoid places like the United States, South America, Europe, Canada, and Australia.

Safe places

The places with the lesser number of nuclear reactors will be safer in comparison to other places. South Africa has only two nuclear reactors and therefore, it will be the safest place. Also, the places with a high level of altitude will be safe as tsunamis will cause the rise of water levels to a massive extent.

Be prepared with food

Arrange for food so that you can manage to exist for at least one year. You must collect fruits, vegetables, dried meats, etc. You can also collect canned foods that are easy to prepare.

Right supplies and skills

According to some people, money will be extremely vital after 2012, but it is better to have proper supplies and skills rather than carrying a good amount of money. Get your basic survival kits like first aid boxes, batteries, flares, walk talkies, lanterns, portable water filters, sleeping bags, winter jackets, waterproof jackets, blankets, tents, fireproof matches, unsinkable boat, hunting equipment, etc.

These are some of the basic tips for surviving 2012. Of course, you will want to do your research and get all the facts in order to be prepared in the event this information is accurate.

Are you making any of these 3 classic mistakes which will prevent you from EVER surviving the possible events of 2012? I hate to admit it but I have made all three of them myself! Find out what they are and how to avoid them by visiting [http://www.KeysToSurviving2012.info] right now before it is too late! And if you're ready to access ongoing information about how to survive 2012, visit our Keys to Surviving 2012 blog at http://www.KeysToSurviving2012.com to get easy access to reports, videos, shopping, our specialty Surviving 2012 search engine and more...

Shayne Angel is a blog editor and enjoys sharing resources that have helped to advance and or improve his life. In doing so he has created relationships with certain experts and in recommending their products may receive compensation for doing so.

The Fabian Society-Extracts from Pierre de Villemarest’ book Facts & Chronicles Denied to the Public, Vol. 1)

(Extracts from Pierre de Villemarest’ book Facts & Chronicles Denied to the Public, Vol. 1)

The tortoise is one of the symbols of the Fabian Society

//

THE FABIAN SOCIETY

The name “Fabian” comes symbolically from the man who in Rome was named Fabius Cunctator, the Delayer, who used to advocate, the Larousse Universel in one of its last uncensored editions of the fifties reminds us, in evoking the Fabian Societies: “a slow and progressive tactic”, instead of direct attack.
This type of socialist movement was born within the Marxist movements, resulting from the meetings and seminars between academics and intellectuals, between March 1883 and 1889.
Harry W Laidler, one of the rare historians of the “set”, writes in 1968, in his History of Socialism (which appeared in New York) that the first group was officially founded in England on the 4 January 1884. George Bernard Shaw published as early as 1889 one of the first books stemming from these seminars, under the title of “Fabian Essays on Socialism”. Around him were already hovering Sidney and Beatrice Webb (future apologists of the USSR in 1936), Annie Besant, Eleanor Marx (one of Marx’s daughters) who left shortly for the United States to establish identical groups, etc. In exile in London in 1890, Edouard Bernstein became the main mover and shaker in the Fabian cells at the heart of the German social democracy. Others scattered to Hamburg, Brussels, Rome, and Paris. However their semi-secret work did not appear until after the 1919-1922 period, yet without ever using publicly the term “Fabian”. It is thus that Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, founder of the Pan European Movement in Vienna, and various research groups in France, such as Crise-X and other Committees of Economic, Humanist and Diplomatic Studies etc, were in fact the vehicles for the Fabian ideals and objectives. In their wake, the majority of movements with an internationalist, socialist calling, born in the thirties, and especially after 1945 were, if not created by, at least totally infiltrated and influenced by the Fabians. Thus before 1939 the group of Coutrot, ex-student of the Paris polytechnic, or in the USA, the League for an Industrial Democracy, and after 1945 the Bilderberg Conference, Pugwash, the Aspen Institute, the Club of Rome, the world-wide Federalist Movement. Twins born in 1919-1920: the Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA) in London, and the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, are purely and simply Fabian children.

Here is what the Fabian, Harry Laidler wrote as far back as 1919: “The Fabian socialism considers that the (inescapable) transition from capitalism towards socialism should be effected gradually. It foresees the socialisation of industry by means of well-controlled political and economic agencies; the middle classes are the best means of introducing and developing the technique of an administration intended for a new social order…”
The English professor G.D.H. Cole, who became president of the Fabian Society in 1941, himself, stressed that all forms of socialism should be sustained and used towards the objectives planned throughout the world “both the social-democratic parties, Labour Party members and others in Europe and in the New World, and communism in Russia, or other minority groups elsewhere, since there is no difference in their objectives, only in their methods.”
The power of the Fabians has come from a slow and patient progression. Since their very first meetings they decided that since the world was entering the industrial era, they had to cell in the future framework of the States, in public and private administration, in factories and businesses. And thus to prepare the managerial staff of the parties, governments, international organisations, etc.

In Great Britain, the Labour Party (like its splinter-group in 1993, the Social Democratic Party led by Shirley Williams) are Fabian creations, the Labour Party members Aneurin Bevan, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Roy Jenkins, Denis Healey etc. as well as the “fascist” Oswald Mosley, were or are Fabians. The London School of Economics is a Fabian creation.
Since the forties, the International socialist used an apparatus through which 70% of the ruling members were cast in the same mould. Daniel Meyer, like half of the members of the Mitterrand team, after 1981, came out of that. Likewise the American economist J.K. Galbraith, and the majority of the movers and shakers of the foreign Political Institutes or foreign Centres of Political Studies currently at work in Europe, North and South America and the Commonwealth States. Of course, the “thinkers” who surround David Rockefeller in the Trilateral Commission, as yesterday the leaders of the Monnet Committee, are Fabians.
We are making use of information drawn directly from the archives of the Fabian Society, and from the schools and universities where the Fabian professors are charged with recruiting disciples.

EDWARD HEATH -NAZI AND FABIAN MEMBER- ANOTHER FABIAN PRIME-MINISTER!

IS THERE ANY ORGANIZATION FREE OF THE FABIAN CANCER?

http://www.aquilion.com/fabian.htm

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Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Facts and Figures

From the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs most recent situation update on the crisis in Japan.

Casualties

28,550 dead or missing with 10,901  confirmed deaths and 17,649 reported as missing.  In the 3 hardest-hit prefectures, Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, it is estimated that more than 230 school children (7-18 years old) have died and 885 are missing.

Debris Removal

In Miyagi alone, the debris amounts to roughly 15 to 18 million tons, which is equivalent to 23 years worth of waste for the prefecture. It only has the capacity to dispose of 0.8 million tons per year.  Authorities say it will take three years to remove all the debris and this  does not include cars and boats. The Government says it plans to cover most of the removal costs.

Water and Sanitation

The Emergency Disaster Response Headquarters says approximately 4.3 million bottles of water have been  delivered to evacuation centres in the affected areas so  far. Water supply to 170,000 households has  improved since 25 March, but 490,000 households still remain without water in 10 prefectures (50,000 in  Iwate, 330,000 households in Miyagi and 50,000 households in Fukushima).   Furthermore, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is coordinating with water supply companies to  provide emergency water to the affected areas. 488 water trucking vehicles are currently on the ground with  213 vehicles in Miyagi, 39 in Fukushima, and 82 in Iwate.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 15 sewage systems are not  functioning or damaged in Iwate, 59 in Miyagi, and 14 in Fukushima. This is a slight improvement in Iwate and Fukushima.

International Response

Individuals and private sector companies, along with countries and aid organizations, have contributed and pledged a total of US$545 million bilaterally to the Government of Japan, Red Cross Societies, NGOs and  other partners to support the immediate relief efforts, according to the Financial Tracking Service. More than  86 per cent of the contributions are funds raised from the private sector.

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Should Residents Of Tokyo Be Preparing For Massive Radiation Exposure? 12 Disturbing Facts To Consider

Does anyone really know what is going on at the Fukushima nuclear complex?  When problems at the facility first surfaced, authorities promised that no significant amounts of radiation would be released.  Then we were told that only those living within 20 kilometers of the complex needed to take precautions.  After that we were told that radiation was showing up in many different types of vegetables all over northern and central Japan but that it was not a major concern.  Now we are being told that the tap water in Tokyo is unsafe for infants to drink.  So what are they going to tell us next?  Should residents of Tokyo be preparing for massive radiation exposure from this disaster?  Tokyo is only 150 miles away from the Fukushima nuclear complex.  If a worst case scenario plays out at Fukushima, exactly what would that mean for the over 30 million people that live in and around Tokyo?

Sadly, so far the authorities in Japan have not been very transparent about this crisis.  But what should we expect?  Internationally, standard operating procedure during a nuclear crisis is to keep the public from becoming too alarmed.  The real scope of the danger is always downplayed in order to avoid a panic.  We saw this at Chernobyl and we are seeing this now.

Not only that, but in a world where legal liability plays such a key role, there is a huge incentive for TEPCO executives not to admit everything that they know.  Admitting something now could potentially cost them massive amounts of money later.

Right now airborne radiation in Tokyo is four times the normal level, but Japanese authorities do not seem too concerned yet.  They still insist that everything is going to be okay.

But things at Fukushima seem to be taking a turn for the worse again.  Today, thick black smoke was belching from Unit 3.  Unit 3 is considered the most dangerous of the reactors because it contains plutonium.  If a large scale release of plutonium were to take place that would be absolutely catastrophic.

But plutonium is far from the only significant danger.  For example, cesium isotopes have a half-life of about 30 years.  All of the cesium that is currently being released at Fukushima will be highly radioactive for decades.

So how much cesium is being released at Fukushima?  Well, nobody knows for sure, but Keith Harmon Snow is estimating that each spent fuel pool at the Fukushima nuclear complex could have 24,000 times the amount of cesium that was produced by the nuclear bomb that the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War 2.

Yes, this is a very, very serious crisis.

But up to this point many in the mainstream media have been doing their best to play down the potential dangers.

In fact, some prominent scientists have really done a disservice to the public by putting out blatant falsehoods.

For example, in a disgraceful article published just a few days after the tsunami, Dr. Josef Oehmen of MIT promised that there would not be "any significant release of radioactivity" from the damaged Fukushima nuclear complex....

I repeat, there was and will *not* be any significant release of radioactivity from the damaged Japanese reactors.

By "significant" I mean a level of radiation of more than what you would receive on - say - a long distance flight, or drinking a glass of beer that comes from certain areas with high levels of natural background radiation.

You know, a lot of people actually believed Dr. Josef Oehmen when they read this nonsense.  We are supposed to be able to depend on our top scientists to tell us the truth.

Sadly, these days it is hard to know who you can depend on for the truth.  The following are 12 facts about the crisis in Fukushima that should have all of us deeply concerned....

#1 The Kyodo News Agency is reporting that radiation levels around the Fukushima nuclear facility are now up to 1,600 times the normal level.

#2 According to The Daily Mail, 5 of the now famous "Fukushima 50" are believed to have already died.

#3 Tokyo government officials have announced that radiation levels in Tokyo tap water are now so high that it is unsafe for infants to drink.  In fact, CNN says that tests show that the amount of radioactive iodine in the water is twice what is considered safe for infants....

Government samples taken Tuesday night found 210 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kilogram of water -- two times higher than the limit that the government considers safe for infants.

#4 Elevated levels of radiation have been found in 11 different types of vegetables grown in the vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear complex.

#5 The government of Fukushima Prefecture is instructing residents that they should not eat any leafy vegetables that have been grown in the prefecture recently.

#6 Government officials have ordered all dairy farms within 18 miles of the Fukushima nuclear complex to suspend all shipments.

#7 Over 100 km south of Fukushima, Spinach containing radioactive iodine 27 times the legal limit has been discovered.  The level of cesium found in the same spinach was 4 times the legal limit.

#8 25 miles from the Fukushima complex, one batch of a leafy green vegetable known as kukitachin was recently discovered to contain 11 times the legal limit of radioactive iodine and 82 times the legal limit of cesium.

#9 The U.S. government has now put in place import alerts on milk products and fresh produce from any of the prefectures surrounding the Fukushima nuclear complex.

#10 25 foreign embassies have already either shut down or moved temporarily out of Tokyo.

#11 Radiation levels in one city north of Tokyo, Utsunomiya, were recently reported to be 33 times above normal levels.

#12 It is also being reported that there were over 600,000 spent fuel rods stored at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex.  Each one of those 600,000 spent fuel rods is a potential "dirty bomb".

Some of the best information that I have found on what is really going on at Fukushima comes from an interview recently posted on Counterpunch with nuclear energy expert Hirose Takashi.  He says that spraying water on the reactor buildings in Fukushima is like "sprinkling water on a desert", and he says that if a worst case scenario does play out a deadly cloud of radiation could cover all of Japan in a matter of days....

As you know, of the six reactors at Daiichi, four are in a crisis state.  So even if at one everything goes well and water circulation is restored, the other three could still go down.  Four are in crisis, and for all four to be 100 percent repaired, I hate to say it, but I am pessimistic.  If so, then to save the people, we have to think about some way to reduce the radiation leakage to the lowest level possible.  Not by spraying water from hoses, like sprinkling water on a desert.  We have to think of all six going down, and the possibility of that happening is not low.  Everyone knows how long it takes a typhoon to pass over Japan; it generally takes about a week.  That is, with a wind speed of two meters per second, it could take about five days for all of Japan to be covered with radiation.  We’re not talking about distances of 20 kilometers or 30 kilometers or 100 kilometers.  It means of course Tokyo, Osaka.  That’s how fast a radioactive cloud could spread.

In addition, Takashi says that the media is not telling us the truth about the true danger that radioactive material from the Fukushima nuclear complex poses....

Around Fukushima Daiichi Station they measured 400 millisieverts – that’s per hour.  With this measurement (Chief Cabinet Secretary) Edano admitted for the first time that there was a danger to health, but he didn’t explain what this means.  All of the information media are at fault here I think.  They are saying stupid things like, why, we are exposed to radiation all the time in our daily life, we get radiation from outer space.  But that’s one millisievert per year.  A year has 365 days, a day has 24 hours; multiply 365 by 24, you get 8760.  Multiply the 400 millisieverts by that, you get 3,500,000 the normal dose.  You call that safe?  And what media have reported this?  None.  They compare it to a CT scan, which is over in an instant; that has nothing to do with it.  The reason radioactivity can be measured is that radioactive material is escaping.  What is dangerous is when that material enters your body and irradiates it from inside.  These industry-mouthpiece scholars come on TV and what to they say?  They say as you move away the radiation is reduced in inverse ratio to the square of the distance.  I want to say the reverse.  Internal irradiation happens when radioactive material is ingested into the body.  What happens?  Say there is a nuclear particle one meter away from you. You breathe it in, it sticks inside your body; the distance between you and it is now at the micron level. One meter is 1000 millimeters, one micron is one thousandth of a millimeter.  That’s a thousand times a thousand: a thousand squared.  That’s the real meaning of “inverse ratio of the square of the distance.”  Radiation exposure is increased by a factor of a trillion.  Inhaling even the tiniest particle, that’s the danger.

Are you alarmed by what Takashi is saying there?

I know that I was alarmed when I first read it.

The truth is that radioactive material is nothing to mess around with.

Hopefully the authorities in Japan can get this situation under control, because no rational person wants to see a worst case scenario play out.

Let us pray for Japan and the Japanese people.  What they have been through already is nightmarish beyond all imagination, and the last thing they need right about now is a full-blown nuclear catastrophe.

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Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Facts and Figures

The latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs contains new information on the casulties, destruction and international response to the earthquake and tsunami.

Casualties

The number of casualties continues to rise. The Government has now confirmed 5,178 people have died and another 2,285 are injured. The number of people who are missing has increased to 8,913 from 7,844.

Tokyo Evacuations

The Embassy of Germany in Japan have instructed their nationals residing in Tokyo and Yokohama to evacuate either to the western part of Japan or outside the country. The Embassy has also transferred some of their operations to Osaka. The British, Australian and French embassies have given similar instructions to their nationals. Australia has moved their embassy to its Honorary Consulate in Osaka. The Embassies of Iraq, Bahrain and Angola have temporarily closed their embassies. According to 2007 data from the Japan Statistics Bureau, there are about 2.1 million foreign residents living in Japan, with the majority from China, Korea, Brazil and the Philippines. The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau says that approximately 10,000 foreign nationals have left (or are leaving the country).

International Assistance:

The Government of Japan has requested its position on international donations of relief items and on international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in Japan be made public. With regard to relief items, “the Government of Japan has received offers for relief goods/material from many countries, international organizations, NGOs and private sector. The Government is identifying the needs and establishing a mechanism for storage and transportation to affected people. Therefore, it is recommended not to send any relief goods without coordination with the Government and local governments”.

Concerning NGOs, the Government of Japan says “Search and Rescue operation phase still continues in the affected areas at this moment and the access to those areas is strictly limited to rescue workers. It is also reported that there is temporary shortage of petrol in the affected area. International/foreign NGOs are recommended to wait until the situation improves so that those NGOs are able to conduct their activities in a self-sustainable way”.
It is understood that some 13 NGOs are providing assistance in the tsunami and earthquake affected areas, working through local partners. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has a team of 10 people divided into three groups, conducting mobile clinics and assessments in Miyagi prefecture. Turkish Red Crescent, Switzerland Humanitarian Aid Response Team, Save the children, and Plan International have deployed technical assistance teams in the affected region.

U.S. Military Response:

Currently nearly 5300 U.S. service man and women are supporting the disaster relief effort in Japan. The military operation includes eight ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, transport aircraft and more than 100 military helicopters which are being repositioned to northern Japan to best assist ongoing humanitarian efforts. The U.S. military has flown reconnaissance flights and provided the Japanese government with images of the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Search and rescue flights and missions along the coast continue, relief operations including the delivery of food, water and other relief supplies also continue.

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Global warming down under: 10 little facts

by Professor Bob Carter

Control the language, and you control the outcome of any debate

Ten dishonest slogans about global warming, and ten little facts.

Each of the following ten numbered statements reproduces verbatim, or almost verbatim, statements made recently by Australian government leaders, and repeated by their media and other supporters. The persons making these arguments might be termed (kindly) climate-concerned citizens or (less kindly, but accurately) as global warming alarmists.

Despairing of ever hearing sense from such people, some of whom have already attributed the cause of the devastating Japanese earthquake to global warming, a writer from the well regarded American Thinker has badged them as “idiot global warming fanatics”.

Be that as it may, most of the statements below, self-evidently, were crafted as slogans, and all conform with the obnoxious and dishonest practice of political spin – in which, of course, the citizens of Australia have been awash for many years. The statements also depend heavily upon corrupt wordsmithing with propaganda intent, a technique that international Green lobbyists are both brilliant at and relentless in practising.

The ten statements below comprise the main arguments that are made in public in justification for the government’s intended new tax on carbon dioxide. Individually and severally these arguments are without merit. That they are intellectually pathetic too is apparent from my brief commentary on each.

It is a blight on Australian society that an incumbent government, and the great majority of media reporters and commentators, continue to propagate these scientific and social inanities.

1. We must address carbon (sic) pollution (sic) by introducing a carbon (sic) tax.

The argument is not about carbon or a carbon tax, but rather about carbon dioxide emissions and a carbon dioxide tax, to be levied on the fuel and energy sources that power the Australian economy.

Carbon dioxide is a natural and vital trace gas in Earth’s atmosphere, an environmental benefit without which our planetary ecosystems could not survive. Increasing carbon dioxide makes many plants grow faster and better, and helps to green the planet.

To call atmospheric carbon dioxide a pollutant is an abuse of language, logic and science.

2. We need to link much more closely with the climate emergency.

There is no “climate emergency”; the term is a deliberate lie. Global average temperature at the end of the 20th century fell well within the bounds of natural climate variation, and was in no way unusually warm, or cold, in geological terms.

Earth’s temperature is currently cooling slightly.

3. Putting a price on carbon (sic) will punish the big polluters (sic).

A price on carbon dioxide will impose a deliberate financial penalty on all energy users, but especially energy-intensive industries. These imaginary “big polluters” are part of the bedrock of the Australian economy. Any cost impost on them will be passed straight down to consumers.

It is consumers of all products who will ultimately pay, not the industrialists or their shareholders.

4. Putting a price on carbon (sic) is the right thing to do; it’s in our nation’s interest.

The greatest competitive advantage of the Australian economy is cheap energy generated by coal-fired power stations.

To levy an unnecessary tax on this energy source is economic vandalism that will destroy jobs and reduce living standards for all Australians.

5. Putting a price on carbon (sic) will result in lower carbon dioxide emissions.

Economists know well that an increase in price of some essential things causes little reduction in usage. This is true for both energy (power) and petrol, two commodities that will be particularly hit by a tax on carbon dioxide emissions.

Norway has had an effective tax on carbon dioxide since the early 1990s, and the result has been a 15% INCREASE in emissions.

At any reasonable level ($20-50/t), a carbon dioxide tax will result in no reduction in emissions.

6. We must catch up with the rest of the world, who are already taxing carbon dioxide emissions.

They are not. All hope of a global agreement on emissions reduction has collapsed with the failure of the Copenhagen and Cancun climate meetings. The world’s largest emitters (USA and China) have made it crystal clear that they will not introduce carbon dioxide tax or emissions trading.

The Chicago Climate Exchange has collapsed, chaos and deep corruption currently manifests the European exchange and some US states are withdrawing from anti-carbon dioxide schemes.

Playing “follow the leader” is not a good idea when the main leader (the EU) has a sclerotic economy characterised by lack of employment and the flight of manufacturers overseas.

7. Australia should show leadership, by setting an example that other countries will follow.

Self-delusion doesn’t come any stronger than this.

For Australia to introduce a carbon dioxide tax ahead of the large emitting nations is to render our whole economy to competitive and economic disadvantage for no gain whatsoever.

8. We must act, and the earlier we act on climate change the less painful it will be.

The issue at hand is global warming, not the catch-all, deliberately ambiguous term climate change.

Trying to prevent hypothetical “dangerous” warming by taxing carbon dioxide emissions will be ineffectual, and is all pain for no gain.

9. The cost of action on carbon (sic) pollution (sic) is less than the cost of inaction.

This statement is fraudulent. Implementing a carbon dioxide tax will carry large costs for workers and consumers, but bring no measurable cooling (or other change) for future climate.

For Australia, the total cost for a family of four of implanting a carbon dioxide tax will exceed $2,500/yr* – whereas even eliminating all of Australia’s emissions might prevent planetary warming of 0.01 deg. C by 2100.

10. There is no do-nothing option in tackling climate change.

Indeed.

However, it is also the case that there is no demonstrated problem of “dangerous” global warming. Instead, Australia continues to face many self-evident problems of natural climate change and hazardous natural climate events. A national climate policy is clearly needed to address these issues.

The appropriate, cost-effective policy to deal with Victorian bushfires, Queensland floods, droughts, northern Australian cyclones and long-term cooling or warming trends is the same.

It is to prepare carefully for, and efficaciously deal with and adapt to, all such events and trends whether natural or human-caused, as and when they happen. Spending billions of dollars on expensive and ineffectual carbon dioxide taxes serves only to reduce wealth and our capacity to address these only too real world problems.

Preparation for, and adaptation to, all climate hazard is the key to formulation of a sound national climate policy.

Professor Bob Carter is a geologist, environmental scientist and Emeritus Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs.

Notes:

*Assuming a tax rate of $25/tonne of CO2, and Australia’s emissions being 550 million tonnes, indicates a total cost of $13.8 billion. Spread across a population of 22 million persons, that equates with $627/person/year.

This essay originally appeared in Quadrant online and was reposted here at the invitation of Dr. Carter

For more information:

Australian Climate Science Coalition
The Carbon Sense Coalition
Institute of Public Affairs
Non-governmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC)
joannenova.com.au

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