Japan Earthquake: Political Aspects

[Susudake]

You're joking, of course.

A mobile phone uses at most 1-2 kWh per year (plus conversion losses). The average residential power use in Japan is over 6 kWh per day. Mobile phone power use is a mere rounding error in how much power we use.

Yes I was joking, I'll use the proper emoticon next time :-).

Just one of my little pet peeves here, exacerbated by numerous near-collisions in subway/train stations with people walking around glued to their keitai screens. I am tempted at times to just knock one of them over (I'm a lean but big guy).

 

[Susudake]

This interview is well worth reading:

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201107060307.html

 

[Susudake]

Yes I was joking, I'll use the proper emoticon next time :-).

Just one of my little pet peeves here, exacerbated by numerous near-collisions in subway/train stations with people walking around glued to their keitai screens. I am tempted at times to just knock one of them over (I'm a lean but big guy).

Edit:

Re-reading this post I may sound like some angry aggressive you-know-what. My meaning specifically was that I find myself swerving to avoid people who are walking around glued to their mobile phones, paying no attention to where they're going, and at times I'm tempted to just keep walking straight and let them bounce off of me.

And I bring it up in the first place because to me this " 携帯中毒" (mobile-phone addiction) is an example of how much of the population--especially younger and urban, but not exclusively so--has become both mesmerized by technology and have cut themselves off from their surroundings, especially their natural surroundings.

This is being asleep at the wheel--because as a rich country with world-wide influence Japan is a partner with the US and the Eurozone "at the wheel"--and it has consequences world-wide. We're now seeing that in a nearly worst-case-scenario.

Japan's in many ways a wonderful place populated by wonderful people, and has a traditional culture that, after 20 years of pretty deep involvement with aspects of it, continues to amaze me to no end with its insights into, and expression of, the human condition; but there's a sometimes disturbing level of complacency and disconnection from messy ole' reality that is in need of change, or both its wonderful traditional culture, already dying out, and its natural beauty, among the finest in the world, are at risk.

If they and we can dodge this nuclear bullet then perhaps it will be a catalyst for a renaissance here……one can dream, at least.

 

[jim hardy]

""how much of the population--especially younger and urban, but not exclusively so--has become both mesmerized by technology and have cut themselves off from their surroundings, especially their natural surroundings. ""

Nice post S'dake.

The law of diminishing returns is as much a law of nature as F=MA, and i believe it underpins the Bible tale of Tower of Babel. Our "stairway to heaven" built on unlimited energy won't hold up because of human foibles. He's 'confused our tongues' by information overload, as you observe.

Thinkers have been warning about it for generations.
America's Henry Thoreau asked: "Why are we in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises?"
A hundred years later Simon and Garfunkel repeated Thoreau's warning with: "Slow down, you move to fast, got to make the morning last.." (59th st bridge song)
From our own Eric Hoffer: “The superficiality of the American is the result of his hustling. It needs leisure to think things out; it needs leisure to mature. People in a hurry cannot think, cannot grow, nor can they decay. They are preserved in a state of perpetual puerility.”


The article you linked hit it too, at the end:
"The industry and the technical experts, so far, believe that they have the rational monopoly on saying what is a risk and what is not a risk, and what decision has to be taken. And they don't want to get the lay person and the public involved in this. "
in other words 'we no longer understand one another, our tongues are confused'

Our problems are more social than scientific.

sorry if i wandered off topic. but i really liked that article you linked.

 

[nikkkom]

""how much of the population--especially younger and urban, but not exclusively so--has become both mesmerized by technology and have cut themselves off from their surroundings, especially their natural surroundings. ""

Nice post S'dake.

The law of diminishing returns is as much a law of nature as F=MA, and i believe it underpins the Bible tale of Tower of Babel. Our "stairway to heaven" built on unlimited energy won't hold up because of human foibles. He's 'confused our tongues' by information overload, as you observe.

Thinkers have been warning about it for generations.
America's Henry Thoreau asked: "Why are we in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises?"
A hundred years later Simon and Garfunkel repeated Thoreau's warning with: "Slow down, you move to fast, got to make the morning last.." (59th st bridge song)
From our own Eric Hoffer: “The superficiality of the American is the result of his hustling. It needs leisure to think things out; it needs leisure to mature. People in a hurry cannot think, cannot grow, nor can they decay. They are preserved in a state of perpetual puerility.”

It's not like Western culture doesn't allow you to slow down. If you want to, you can. Leave New York and settle in some rural area.

However, West by "moving too fast" managed to outrun all competing cultures.

To name a few: it proved in practice that it works better than socialist utopia of centralized state economy: it out-produced, and out-innovated them. In USSR, China and North Korea people were at times dying en masse from hunger (not in a time of war, mind you!) - a startling failure to perform a seemingly not so complex task of feeding the population, but the failure didn't stop there. Computers and IT in general, heavy machinery, chemistry - in all these areas socialists lost big time to the West.

Similarly devastating blow Western culture delivered to religious Muslim culture in the Middle East. In many Muslim countries people did plenty of "slow down, you move too fast, got to make the morning last". Prayers five times a day. Study and preservation of rigid religious practices. What's not to like?

Well, they discovered that while they were taking a nap, West used this time to create more agile and more efficient society. Whenever a West society and a Middle East society clash (most notably in Israeli-Arab conflict), the gap in capabilities of these different cultures to respond to crisis looks more like chasm.

OTOH, countries which adopt Western ways of doing things generally succeed. Germany, Japan, South Korea. Now even China and Vietnam drift into the direction of becoming more West-like, and they immediately started looking better, stronger, more prosperous.

 

[zapperzero]

OTOH, countries which adopt Western ways of doing things generally succeed. Germany, Japan, South Korea. Now even China and Vietnam drift into the direction of becoming more West-like, and they immediately started looking better, stronger, more prosperous.

Succeed at what? I suppose you mean, at American-style democracy.

Germany hardly changed anything in its political/social lookout. It's still a left-leaning country with a somewhat restricted democracy and relatively powerful regional governments, as it was 90 years ago.

Japan is bust, a sad victim of its own "success". China will look the same in 30 years only worse - an aging and demoralized population, vast assets (dead money) but an underperforming internal economy, political instability, country littered with engineering megaprojects that ultimately went nowhere but cost an arm and a leg to maintain.

Vietnam is becoming Westernized? Tell me another one.

Oh, wait, you did. You said South Korea is a westernized country and they owe their succes to that. I lol'd. In real life. The first semi-free elections they had? 1988. First time a civilian became president? 1993. Kim Dae-Jung (ironically enough, the most pro-democratic president the country ever had) was almost killed by the CIA once for his views. The current president was groomed for power and pushed in the position of CEO of the Hyundai chaebol by Park Chung-Hee, former officer of the Japanese Manchukuo army, Communist turned CIA stooge and dictator of Korea until 1979. How's that for Westernization?

 

[gnasch]

Quite interesting link on bbc:

the LWR may be nuklear VHS instead of betamax...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14060913"

best, gnasch

 

[zapperzero]

Quite interesting link on bbc:

the LWR may be nuklear VHS instead of betamax...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14060913"

best, gnasch

It may well be, but these aren't VCRs we're talking about. They're so big and scary, that the natural tendency is to choose the evil you know and that's water-cooled, water-moderated reactors. I, for one, would love to see sodium cooled reactors go the way of betamax. Ditto for any design that uses carbon in the core.

 

[Sorai]

OTOH, countries which adopt Western ways of doing things generally succeed. Germany, Japan, South Korea. Now even China and Vietnam drift into the direction of becoming more West-like, and they immediately started looking better, stronger, more prosperous.

At what point in history Germany stopped being part of the West?

*Scratch, that, I forgot about East Germany.

 

[nikkkom]

Succeed at what? I suppose you mean, at American-style democracy.

Succeeded in science. In medicine. In technology. In space exploration. In ability to respond to crises. In ability to relatively quickly detect and correct mistakes in political decisions.

Germany hardly changed anything in its political/social lookout. It's still a left-leaning country with a somewhat restricted democracy and relatively powerful regional governments, as it was 90 years ago.

Nothing changed since 1930s in Germany... are you sure about that?

Japan is bust, a sad victim of its own "success". China will look the same in 30 years only worse - an aging and demoralized population, vast assets (dead money) but an underperforming internal economy,

As opposed to vast success under Mao? If you measure success in millions of dead from hunger, then yes.

political instability,

Why would you want to maximize political stability? Hitler, Franco, North Korea were/are very politically stable: no real elections, no meaningful methods to effect change (a.k.a. "instability").

Oh, wait, you did. You said South Korea is a westernized country and they owe their succes to that. I lol'd. In real life. The first semi-free elections they had? 1988. First time a civilian became president? 1993. Kim Dae-Jung (ironically enough, the most pro-democratic president the country ever had) was almost killed by the CIA once for his views.

Your point is?

The current president was groomed for power and pushed in the position of CEO of the Hyundai chaebol by Park Chung-Hee, former officer of the Japanese Manchukuo army, Communist turned CIA stooge and dictator of Korea until 1979. How's that for Westernization?

How is this relevant to the fact that current president was elected in a free and fair (i.e. Western style) elections?

You seem to be a typical Western leftie.

Typical Western leftie lived all his/her life in the West. Therefore he/she doesn't notice how many things work well in the West society. Just like you don't realize how precious is the ability to breathe air - until you are deprived of such ability (say, if you are drowning). So, a lot of things in the West work very well, but it is "natural" and he/she doesn't notice it.

However, West is not ideal and there are numerous things which can be improved, such as: financial mafia, businesses which tries to cut corners on safety and pollution, dishonest politicians who push policies beneficial for them and their friends but harmful for the country, etc, etc, etc.

Which makes you to come to conclusion that West is a horrible society.

I, on the other hand, had a "privilege" to live not only in the Western society, but also to live in "socialist paradise" of Ukraine (former part of USSR) before that. I know that supermarkets full of goods, mobile phones, computer in every house, freedom to say "our president is a f*cking idiot, let's elect someone less moronic" are not naturally happening things!

I think my perspective is much wider than one of people who only lived in a Western country (and no, tourist visits to non-Western countries don't count).

My opinion is that Western society is better than any other society currently existing, or existed in the past, on this planet. Note: "better" is not the same as "good" or "the best thing possible". The history of mankind is far from over. We will most likely devise an even more efficient societal constructs.

 

[nikkkom]

At what point in history Germany stopped being part of the West?

*Scratch, that, I forgot about East Germany.

Hitler's reign was a period when Germany strayed away from the Western-style democracy. I consider it a requirement for being a Western country to have an *elected* government, freedom of press and freedom to form political parties. This makes country more capable to effect a change in politics when current government is making mistakes.

 

[Sorai]

Hitler's reign was a period when Germany strayed away from the Western-style democracy. I consider it a requirement for being a Western country to have an *elected* government, freedom of press and freedom to form political parties. This makes country more capable to effect a change in politics when current government is making mistakes.

Fascism was a completely western phenomenon though. Unless you understand Western as it was understood during the cold war, which would be a bit narrow (but probably normal from an American point of view).

 

[zapperzero]

Fascism was a completely western phenomenon though. Unless you understand Western as it was understood during the cold war, which would be a bit narrow (but probably normal from an American point of view).

The corporate State considers that private enterprise in the sphere of production is the most effective and useful instrument in the interest of the nation. In view of the fact that private organization of production is a function of national concern, the organizer of the enterprise is responsible to the State for the direction given to production. State intervention in economic production arises only when private initiative is lacking or insufficient, or when the political interests of the State are involved. This intervention may take the form of control, assistance or direct management.

This is China. This is Japan. This is South Korea. This is Germany. This, increasingly, is the US of A. This is Mussolini speaking.

 

[NUCENG]

Succeeded in science. In medicine. In technology. In space exploration. In ability to respond to crises. In ability to relatively quickly detect and correct mistakes in political decisions.



Nothing changed since 1930s in Germany... are you sure about that?



As opposed to vast success under Mao? If you measure success in millions of dead from hunger, then yes.



Why would you want to maximize political stability? Hitler, Franco, North Korea were/are very politically stable: no real elections, no meaningful methods to effect change (a.k.a. "instability").



Your point is?



How is this relevant to the fact that current president was elected in a free and fair (i.e. Western style) elections?

You seem to be a typical Western leftie.

Typical Western leftie lived all his/her life in the West. Therefore he/she doesn't notice how many things work well in the West society. Just like you don't realize how precious is the ability to breathe air - until you are deprived of such ability (say, if you are drowning). So, a lot of things in the West work very well, but it is "natural" and he/she doesn't notice it.

However, West is not ideal and there are numerous things which can be improved, such as: financial mafia, businesses which tries to cut corners on safety and pollution, dishonest politicians who push policies beneficial for them and their friends but harmful for the country, etc, etc, etc.

Which makes you to come to conclusion that West is a horrible society.

I, on the other hand, had a "privilege" to live not only in the Western society, but also to live in "socialist paradise" of Ukraine (former part of USSR) before that. I know that supermarkets full of goods, mobile phones, computer in every house, freedom to say "our president is a f*cking idiot, let's elect someone less moronic" are not naturally happening things!

I think my perspective is much wider than one of people who only lived in a Western country (and no, tourist visits to non-Western countries don't count).

My opinion is that Western society is better than any other society currently existing, or existed in the past, on this planet. Note: "better" is not the same as "good" or "the best thing possible". The history of mankind is far from over. We will most likely devise an even more efficient societal constructs.

Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.
- Winston Churchill

 

[daveb]

This came out today from the NRC. It shows the NRC is taking seriously the possibility of similar circumstances happening in the USA.

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2011/11-127.pdf"

 

[jim hardy]

""Hitler's reign was a period when Germany strayed away from the Western-style democracy. ""

One ought to read Albert Speer's memoir.
Hitler's intent was to create for his people a pastoral utopia supported by slave labor where the Aryans lived a life of liesure.
Now THAT's redistributing wealth (= liesure?).



""It's not like Western culture doesn't allow you to slow down. If you want to, you can. Leave New York and settle in some rural area.""
I did that, retired from South Florida to a rural community (pop 63) in the middle of nowhere . Google Earth "williford arkansas" and you'll see mostly trees. If you've ever noticed that Twilight Zone episode "Next Stop Willoughby" , you have an inkling.
But like the Ant one must be mildly frugal in the busy years and set aside for it. Instead we are barraged by advertising industy's 'instant gratification' culture to be grasshoppers.
I think that's the biggest single thing wrong with our culture - we are Madison-Avenued into a frenzy.

""However, West by "moving too fast" managed to outrun all competing cultures.""
Indeed. A measure of 'Hustle' is a good thing and it seems youth seems biologically programmed for it.
Like all good things is too much of it toxic for a culture ?
"A Question of Balance" - Moody Blues
"A Time to Every purpose..." Ecclesiastes

 

[nikkkom]

""Hitler's reign was a period when Germany strayed away from the Western-style democracy. ""

One ought to read Albert Speer's memoir.
Hitler's intent was to create for his people a pastoral utopia supported by slave labor where the Aryans lived a life of liesure.
Now THAT's redistributing wealth (= liesure?).

To be honest, for me it doesn't matter what particular kind of insanity Hitler wanted to achieve. This planet does not suffer from insufficient supply of people with, eh, let's call them "ideas" how to build the "ideal society", and most of said ideas are unworkable, naive, horrifying or some combination of these attributes.

For me what matters is that Hitler quickly removed any possibility of meaningful political discussion in the German society, banned all parties except his own, and didn't allow elections. Which made it impossible for Germany to swerve away from its disastrous path.

Modern Western society's mechanisms to prevent this is freedom of speech, freedom to form parties, free and regular elections, and term limits.

If someone disagrees with me, it merely means he uses a different definition of "Modern Western society".

 

[tsutsuji]

NRC Task Force Report is now available

http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1118/ML111861807.pdf

Thank you for the link. I thought it was not necessary to read the "dedication" at the top of the report because I was not expecting it to contain much information, but it turns out I was wrong. The dedication is very interesting.

The outcome—no fatalities

"Dedication", page iii http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1118/ML111861807.pdf

This is a shocking statement. As I earlier wrote in this thread, based on http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/News/Sp201106100047.html and other articles, 10 elderly people died in hospitals inside the evacuation zone while nearly everybody else in the towns had already evacuated. There is more in the following Yomiuri article :

Nearly 80 elderly people who were evacuated from nursing homes near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant died within three months of the accidents at the plant that forced them to move, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

The 77 deaths are more than triple the 25 recorded at the nursing homes during the corresponding period last year.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110702002582.htm

 

[swl]

Re: NRC report dedication

This is a shocking statement. As I earlier wrote in this thread, based on http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/News/Sp201106100047.html and other articles, 10 elderly people died in hospitals inside the evacuation zone while nearly everybody else in the towns had already evacuated. There is more in the following Yomiuri article :

It is sad, but not surprising to see the NRC fall into lock-step with the obfuscators from the UK and Japan. I understand that the existence of the NRC is dependent on the promotion of nuclear power, and it is clear that they understand this too. It is an unfortunate conflict of interests. Alas

 

[Danuta]

Not to forget all the cases of suicide. Here is the latest, particularly poignant one.

"MINAMISOMA, Fukushima -- A 93-year-old woman, dejected over the ongoing nuclear crisis, was found hanged at her home in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, in late June, leaving behind suicide notes that said in part, "I will evacuate to the grave. I am sorry.""

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110709p2a00m0na013000c.html"

 

[tsutsuji]

I am afraid Nobukatsu Osumi's widow will not be very happy to learn that the NRC's official number of fatalities is zero. She is struggling to have her husband's death from a heart attack on 14 May be recognized as a workplace accident.

Let alone the fact that as of the end of April :

Some are suffering from insomnia, dehydration and high blood pressure, and risk developing depression or heart trouble, Takeshi Tanigawa, chairman of the public health department at Ehime University's medical school, told Associated Press.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/21/japan-declares-fukushima-no-go-zone , my underlining

it is a known fact that Nobukatsu Osumi was not sent to a doctor or a hospital emergency department in a timely manner :

it was pointed out that there were deficiencies in the emergency care system for workers, as it took more than two hours for Osumi to reach hospital from the time that he complained of feeling ill.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110712p2a00m0na008000c.html

If there had been no nuclear accident, in normal time, it would have been possible to find a doctor or a hospital close to the nuclear plant at 7 in the morning on a 19th of May. Because the whole area in the 10 km range had been evacuated, there was no doctor or hospital there.

Not to forget all the cases of suicide.

Yes, or like the case reported here :

Farmer's suicide note shows Japan's disaster impact (...) "Wish there was no nuclear power plant. My endurance has come to an end,"
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-14/world/japan.farmer.disaster_1_fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-plant-nuclear-crisis-suicide-note?_s=PM:WORLD

Although it is not exactly the same thing, I am curious to know how the birthrate is going to evolve in Fukushima prefecture. Just after the Chernobyl accident:

A clear increase by more than 50% in the number of induced abortions was observed in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland in June 1986, but not for other months (5).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1240640/pdf/ehp0109-000179.pdf

 

[Danuta]

Not to forget this farmer either, whom I mentioned a while ago on another thread that was locked where the now ubiquitous "radiation has not killed anyone" line was used.

A 64 year-old cabbage grower hanged himself on Mar. 24 morning in his own premises, Sukagawa, Fukushima prefecture.

Due to the accident in Fukushima nuclear plant, the government imposed restrictions on intake of vegetables grown in Fukushima the day before.
The grower was disheartened by the harm caused by the quake, but was full of drive to start delivery of his cabbages. His family speak in a mortified tone, “The plant killed him.”

http://fukushima.greenaction-japan.org/2011/03/30/a-vegetable-grower-in-fukushima-commits-suicide-after-restriction-on-vegetables-i-cant-take-it-anymore/"

 

[tsutsuji]

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/genpatsu-fukushima/20110714/0720_3_118nin.html Tepco is unable to check for radiation exposure 118 workers who worked in April, and 14 workers who worked in March at Fukushima Daiichi, because their whereabouts are unknown.

I guess most of them are safe and sound, but it is impossible to verify in a scientific manner if nobody is able to check their health.

 

[Dmytry]

NRC still did not comply with FOIA request by AP, right? And ZAMG stopped publishing source term estimates after first publication.

It is a fact that there is a massive coverup going on.

Furthermore it is a fact that deaths attributable to accident (e.g. hospital evacuation fatalities) are being ignored in the plain sight.
There may well be dozens dead workers (among sub-sub-contractors) and we would not know (due to lack of mechanism by which we'd know). Even ignoring the radiation hazards, given the conditions, and given the number of workers, some workers ought to have died from heart failure or heat stroke - we did not hear of those deaths - meaning deaths are being covered up. Given the secrecy already in place at nuclear power plants, given NRC's willingness to break the law (ignoring FOIA request), and given their willingness to officially deny and ignore even well known - nothing is guaranteed about the official data. The zero death toll is a lie so colossal and so stupid its mind-boggling.

 

[Sorai]

NRC still did not comply with FOIA request by AP, right?

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/japan-foia-info.html

 

[robinson]

TEPCO denies nuke crisis compensation to kindergartens, nursing homes and clinics

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has refused to pay provisional compensation to kindergartens, nursing homes and health clinics affected by the ongoing crisis at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, according to a document obtained by the Mainichi.

TEPCO, operator of the Fukushima plant, said it saw no need to pay provisional compensation to the facilities as they do not fall into the category of "small- and medium-sized companies" eligible for payments.

"Legally, school corporations, social welfare corporations and medical corporations do not fall under the category of small- and medium-sized enterprises," the utility explained. The company said it was not clear whether it would pay them the damages in the future, sparking a furious backlash for its infringement of the Act on Compensation for Nuclear Damages which obliges the company to pay compensation to all victims.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110716p2a00m0na016000c.html

 

[Morbius]

NRC still did not comply with FOIA request by AP, right? And ZAMG stopped publishing source term estimates after first publication.

It is a fact that there is a massive coverup going on.

Given the secrecy already in place at nuclear power plants, given NRC's willingness to break the law (ignoring FOIA request), and given their willingness to officially deny and ignore even well known - nothing is guaranteed about the official data. The zero death toll is a lie so colossal and so stupid its mind-boggling.

Dmytry,

I think it is outlandish and unfair to say that the NRC is breaking the law. It appears to me that they are
doing quite well in honoring FOIA requests.

The reason for unfair and invalid claims of cover-up are mostly due to ignorance as to what is covered by FOIA.
As part of my job, I'm certified as a "Derivative Classifier"; a person who applies DOE guidance in deciding what is and is not
classified. Part of that function is also to rule on FOIA requests. FOIA is not an automatic release of the information
that the requester wants. There are a number of exclusions to FOIA.

When I receive a FOIA request to review, and the requested information is classified, then I turn down the FOIA request and
cite the fact that the information is classified and therefore ineligible to be released under FOIA.

Often a statute requires that information not be released to the public. Again that is one of the exceptions written into the
FOIA Act that Congress passed. If FOIA conflicts with another statute that Congress passes telling the agency not to release
information, then by the provisions of FOIA itself - FOIA loses to the other statute.

Unless you know the FOIA law and its exceptions, and have good evidence to back-up claims of law-breaking;
it would be best to keep your uninformed opinions to yourself.

Greg

 

[NUCENG]

NRC still did not comply with FOIA request by AP, right? And ZAMG stopped publishing source term estimates after first publication.

It is a fact that there is a massive coverup going on.

Furthermore it is a fact that deaths attributable to accident (e.g. hospital evacuation fatalities) are being ignored in the plain sight.
There may well be dozens dead workers (among sub-sub-contractors) and we would not know (due to lack of mechanism by which we'd know). Even ignoring the radiation hazards, given the conditions, and given the number of workers, some workers ought to have died from heart failure or heat stroke - we did not hear of those deaths - meaning deaths are being covered up. Given the secrecy already in place at nuclear power plants, given NRC's willingness to break the law (ignoring FOIA request), and given their willingness to officially deny and ignore even well known - nothing is guaranteed about the official data. The zero death toll is a lie so colossal and so stupid its mind-boggling.

FOIA with comments from President Clinton recognizing that some requests will exceed the response time requirements:

http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_XVII_4/page2.htm

NRCs FOIA compliance and guidelines

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/foia-privacy.html

Japan FOIA status (AP requests are FOIA/PA 2011-118, 119, and 120. Released over 3000 pp. so far.))

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/japan-foia-info.html

2010 report on FOIA processing by NRC (Exemptions for release are summarized on page 4):

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/annual-reports/annual-foia-report-fy2010.pdf

The Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS ) is described and accessed at this link free of charge:

http:// www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html[/URL]

Explore and see what is available even without a request under FOIA.

One last question, Dmytry, Why do you suppose NRC non-compliance with FOIA hasn't even been a big story in the AP? Are they part of the coverup?

Morbius, welcome to the Dmytry doghouse!

 

[Caniche]

It is a fact that there is a massive coverup going on.

Chernobyl was accompanied by daily updates on UK national media. Nightly graphics on national TV tracking the radioactive fallout and likely hotspots across Scandinavia ,Europe ,USSR ,Far East . After Fukushima no such coverage , two initial reports of increased radiation attributable to the present catastrophe ,then 0 . Barely half a dozen national news items in six months.
The Uk govt. did act swiftly to remove the restrictions on the sale of radioactive sheep ,suddenly safe after 30 years within one month of Fukushima. 300 + farms magically all decontaminated simultaneously at a very opportune moment.
They even managed to pass an act of parliament that suspends the usual regulations governing development for the proposed expansion of UK Npp's. Some things seem to be above the usual law

 

[Gary7]

Chernobyl was accompanied by daily updates on UK national media. Nightly graphics on national TV tracking the radioactive fallout and likely hotspots across Scandinavia ,Europe ,USSR ,Far East . After Fukushima no such coverage , two initial reports of increased radiation attributable to the present catastrophe ,then 0 . Barely half a dozen national news items in six months.

I have to say that it is a complete myth that there is media silence on this. Here in Japan, Fukushima continues to be top news on all stations, in all newspapers, and of course it is a consistently hot topic on the internet. There is so much testing going on in public and in private (with results being posted in various places online) that we are awash in data. We have detailed reports of radiation around the plants which are updated numerous times a day, and every prefecture is providing daily reports on atmospheric radiation. In addition, for those who read Japanese we have Twitter reports from workers on the site. When workers fall ill, we know within a few hours. We have access to so much information that we are able to tell you how many becquerels are in flounders caught off the coast of Fukushima and Iwaki.

The amount of information and the level of detail surrounding the Fukushima disaster is incomparable to Chernobyl. I had a friend in Kiev at the time of the Chernobyl accident, and it was not unusual for the phone to get mysteriously cut off if one brought up the Chernobyl meltdown. Having said all of that, there are tons of things that remain to be known, and surely Tepco is not telling us all they know of the situation. But when I think back on the Chernobyl disaster, and the very real blackout on information coming from the Soviet Union, it blows my mind when people claim that we know nothing about what's going on in Fukushima.