Tag: meltdown

The True Battle of Chernobyl Uncensored (via The Buddhist Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment
This is another web site where you can see the documentary, The True Battle of Chernobyl Uncensored. This site is very interesting. This particular entry is from 2008 but the blog is still going strong. I’d watch the documentary and then browse the other posts if I were you.James PilantThe True Battle of Chernobyl Uncensored.

 

1986 was a difficult year for the world. In January the United States saw the explosion of the space shuttle, Challenger during lift off. Then in April a man made disaster of epic proportions was triggered that rocked the then Soviet Union in Russia which affected the world as a result of the explosion of nuclear reactor #4 at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine.

I remember this accident vividly even though I was only 10 years old. The true reality of the extent of the damage wasn’t fully known for some time due to the censorship of the Communist Party of the USSR but now 22 years later the true story is finally being told.

And just yesterday I discovered a stellar, brilliant documentary (viewable at the bottom of this post) that compiles all the information known up to the present regarding the Chernobyl nightmare. It is beyond sobering but a must view due to the current push to build more nuclear reactors in the face of global warming and the current oil crisis. (Click here to see the rest.)

The True Battle of Chernobyl Uncensored (92 min) (via Picasso Dreams)

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

This documentary is chilling look at the Chernobyl disaster with all the benefits of hindsight. I was familiar with the original coverage – this is way beyond this. Fron just a serious nuclear incident in the popular press, this documentary shows you a cataclysm that Gorbachav explains was one of the causes of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Please watch it!

James Pilant

You can get this video at –

Fukushima update for today 4/20/11 (MsMilkytheclown)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

This is a very good summary of the situation as of today. This is, however, a “gotcha” video where they veer off into obscenity laden rants. There is no problem – just click out a little after three minutes into the video.

James Pilant

US power company abandons reactor construction (via hisatomijapan)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I am utterly astonished. I can’t figure this one out. The government is in the industry’s pocket. The American press really isn’t interested. The American public is opposed but if you have lived here any length of time, you know how little public opinion means. So, a utility is giving up builing a plant with loan guarantees from the federal government and indemnification if there were a crisis or future meltdown? I don’t get it.

Did some official in the company decided to exercise some judgment? Did somebody grow a backbone? Or did someone take out a calculator and figure out how much the building costs would increase if all the cures for the safety problems at the Fukushima plant were incorporated into the new plant’s design?

James Pilant

Fukushima – FDA refusing to monitor Fish radiation 18th April 2011 (via TheLeftSpace)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

As usual, we find that TEPCO is not being fully informative about what’s happening. However, there is a lot here to make one feel better about the current situation. However, what’s going on is still basically a holding action. I would have hoped we would be further along now.

James Pilant

Fukushima Gov. Slams TEPCO, Govt for ‘Betrayal’ (via TheResistance)

On By southwerkIn business ethics2 Comments

Betrayed.

Exactly right. The people of Fukushima were told those plants were perfectly safe. They were told they were the way to economic success. They were told that the power plants would bring prosperity and jobs for decades.

And what they got was a nuclear dead zone. Most will never be able to return to their homes.

They were lied to. If the nuclear industry were honest and stopped telling us how many chest x-rays their latest disaster was equivalent to, we might have an idea of how much nuclear power we want to use and where. But they are not. They are wretched lying propagandists, readily assisted by hack writers beguiled by the opportunity of turning the nuclear industry’s talking points into quick gotcha articles to persecute the tree huggers.

It gets old after a while. You get tired of seeing the same old talking points over and over again while new radiation plagues the earth.

James Pilant

InfoWars The Yomiuri Shimbun April 10, 2011 Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato has expressed anger at the central government and Tokyo Electric Power Co., saying both “betrayed” the people of Fukushima Prefecture with repeated assurances about the safety of nuclear power plants. “We feel we were betrayed [by the central government and TEPCO,” Sato said during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun on Thursday, nearly a month after the March 11 earthquake a … Read More

via TheResistance

The anguish people in Fukushima prefecture have to face (via Aoumigamera)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

This guy is measuring his radiation and deciding on the level of risk he finds acceptable. This is from someone on the ground in the area. I’m sure if you read Japanese, you can find hundreds, probably thousands of blogs from the area, but I only speak English. I imagine more than a few of you are in the same situation.

So, get a view from near the disaster from an independent soul with his own ideas.

James Pilant

I have often had nappa cabbage and lettuce harvested in Ibaraki prefecture, which is just next to Fukushima prefecture, in the last few weeks. Some of my friends knew this and they told me I was a reckless guy. I don’t care about that. They are quite cheap now, hehe. I’m not a vegetarian but I eat a lot of veges because I love them. If there’s no meat or fish for a couple of days, it’s no problem to me. If, however, there’s no veges in one meal, … Read More

via Aoumigamera

Japan Earthquake Tragedy and its Message (via A Fool’s Wish)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I’m more convinced of the toughness and resilience of humanity than this author. Nevertheless he has an interesting point of view. It is always possible to look at humans at the top of the food chain or at the very bottom. It’s a matter of perspective.

Is the glass half empty or half full? (Is that the champion cliche or what?)

James Pilant

Having no access to outside world for a month due to the mandatory military training, it’s joyous to be back in front of my laptop and catch up what I’ve missed. Facebook, Gmail and ESPN are my natural stops every morning, but I surfed away from those sites rather quickly and sought for articles on Japan Earthquake. It is extremely surreal that I still do not realize to my senses how serious of a tragedy this natural phenomenon has been. As final … Read More

via A Fool’s Wish

Hanford evacuates … (via Homeless on the High Desert)

On By southwerkIn business ethics
Courtesy of Nuclearinfo.net

There appear to be regular problems like this at nuclear plants all over the United States. But since they are considered local news, they attract only limited attention. While the difficulties associated with nuclear power are in the news in a major way, we see the small incidents.

Could a regular airing of these continual problems make a person more uncomfortable choosing nuclear power over other choices?

Is the media doing its job of informing the public? Are we being properly informed about these critical issues or shall we look at more critical subjects like Fashion friendly sunglasses for all types of faces? Is that the kind of media we deserve?

James Pilant

Washington State Nuclear Plant Briefly Evacuated (Reuters) – Washington state’s only nuclear power plant briefly evacuated about 25 workers after a small amount of hydrogen sprang from a pipe and ignited in a six-inch (15.5 cm) flash, plant officials said on Friday. The incident at the Columbia Generating Station late on Thursday afternoon resulted in no injuries or equipment damage, they said. Workers are now back. “It was like a little flash, l … Read More

via Homeless on the High Desert

Barack Obama – a President for the nuclear industry (via nuclear-news)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I’ll let the article speak for itself and you decide.

James Pilant

Barack Obama - a President for the nuclear industry One of Obama’s largest campaign donors since 2003 has been the Exelon Corporation, a nuclear power company. Obama’s former chief of staff, David Axelrod, previously worked as a consultant for Exelon. As a state Senator in Illinois, Obama skillfully played both sides of the nuclear debate, but ultimately did the industry’s political dirty work after a leak at an Exelon plant was exposed, causing public outrage. Obama put forward a bill requiring l … Read More

via nuclear-news