Generalcomments

Dear all,

Thank you all for visiting, reading and sharing the news with me on the Fukushima Appeal Blog. I’ve kept it running since February 2012. Unfortunately, I will need some break now to attend to some of my health issues.

I would like to thank this blog and its supporters for giving me an opportunity to become a part of the slowly awakening global community during this very important time of global change. I had zero knowledge of nuclear before the Fukushima disaster, and was and still am a just normal citizen. It’s been hard to see Japan becoming a criminal, immoral and authoritarian country since the Fukushima Disaster. So it’s been a huge awakening and healing process to have a platform to speak out instead of feeling powerless, angry and sad about it. With the new secret law that is going to be introduced in Japan soon, Japanese people will need more help than at any other time in its history from foreign bloggers, doctors and scientists. Please remember Fukushima. I hope that the more difficulties we may encounter, the stronger and connected we will become to fight against injustice and be able to act from our heart space. (Mia)

日本の皆さん、がんばってください。 再稼動反対、子供を守れ! 1mSv/yの約束を守れ!

For more Fukushima update go to: www.nuclear-news.net, http://fukushima-diary.com/, https://www.facebook.com/fukushima311watchdog, http://enenews.com/, http://www.fukuleaks.org/web/, http://www.nuclearhotseat.com/ http://ex-skf.blogspot.co.uk/

Petition: Support Mari Takenouchi and Radiation Protection

日 本の皆様へ、個人的な感情面から、竹ノ内真理さんのことを批判したい方は、すでにそうしたのだから、これからは、その時間とエネルギーをエートス批判に向 けるべきではないでしょうか? そしてボランテイアで、海外に向けて、英語発信する真理さんは、海外の情報源にとって、貴重な存在だと思います。 (Mia)

(English) https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Office_of_the_Prosecutor_Iwaki_Branch_Fukushima_Japan_Support_Mari_Takenouchi_and_Radiation_Protection/?pv=4

(Japanese) https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Fu_Dao_Xian_Jian_Cha_Ting_Dian_ziyanarisutonoZhu_Ye_Nei_Zhen_Li_Shi_Save_Kids_JapanwoQi_Su_sinaidekudasai/?pv=8

Urgent Petition: ttp://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ask-japanese-government-promise-for-necessary-aid-for-children-who-are-still-exposed-radiation-more-than-1msv-year-3


National Parents Network to Protect Children from Radiation

I hope that every child in Japan is given comprehensive thyroid blood testing including at the minimum TSH, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. Their thyroid function should be regularly tested on an ongoing basis. “ By Dana Trentini http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/thyroid-testing-for-japanese-children.html

*latest Fukushima Thyroid examination results released on Nov 12. (Complete English translation) (Source) http://fukushimavoice-eng2.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/thirteenth-prefectural-oversight.html
National Parents Network to Protect Children from Radiation

*Fuel Removal From Fukushima's Reactor 4 Threatens 'Apocalyptic' Scenario In November, TEPCO set to begin to remove fuel rods whose radiation matches the fallout of 14,000 Hiroshima bombs

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/10/24-3

*Kashiwazaki Nuclear Plant: Fukushima Governor stands in the way to stop restarting! 柏崎原発:再稼動させないよう立ちはだかる新潟県知事泉田氏 http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/kashiwazaki-nuclear-plant-fukushima.html

*Statement: Japanese civil society requests that the reports of the United Nations Scientific Committee on Fukushima be revised 日本の64の市民団体が福島事故に関しての国連科学の報告内容を改訂するよう要請 www.http://hrn.or.jp/eng/a tivity/area/worldwide/japanese-civil-society-requests-that-the-reports-of-the-united-nations-scientific-committee-on-fukus/

Anand Grover, Esq., UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, criticizes UNSCEAR report on Fukushima -10/24/2013 (1 of 4)国連「健康に対する権利」の特別報告者のアナンド・グローバー氏: 国連科学の報告を批判 Video - http://vimeo.com/78483070 October 24, 2013 (NYC, NY)

*Medical experts criticize UNSCEAR report for playing down consequences of Fukushima nuclear accident ドイツの専門家が国連科学の報告書を、「福島事故の影響を過小評価している」と批判! http://www.save-children-from-radiation.org/2013/11/05/medical-experts-criticize-unscear-report-for-playing-down-consequences-of-fukushima-nuclear-accident/

*Frightening Report from the UNSCEAR (The United nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation UNSCEAR-国連科学委員会による、恐るべき報告http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/frightening-report-from-unsear-united.html

*Heavily Criticized Recent WHO Report on Health Risk Assessment from the Fukushima Disaster 厳しく批判された最近の福島事故による健康被害についてのWHO報告 http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/who-report-on-health-risk-assessment.html

*UN Report – Japanese Delegation to The UN Spreads Lies and Deception! 国連報告書2013年4月  国連への日本政府代表団のうそとごまかし! 抗議締め切り517日! http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/un-report-japanese-delegation-to-un.html

*まとめ:国連報告書2013年4月  国連への日本政府代表団のうそとごまかし! 抗議締め切り517http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/un-report-japanese-delegation-to-un.html

*A letter to all young athletes who dream of coming to Tokyo in 2020 東京オリンピックを目指している若い選手の方々へ Some Facts You Should Know About Fukushima 0.086Bq/kg was normal amount of ionizing radiation in fish before the Fukushima accident. Now it is 100Bq/kg 1160times more radioactive. http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/a-letter-to-all-young-athletes-who.html

Fukushima Petitions ☢ Please Sign and Share! Japan needs Worldwide Help NOW! Stop Fukushima Radiation – UN Action Needed

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/STOP_FUKUSHIMA_RADIATION_UN_ACTION_NEEDED/

Mobilize the U.N. Security Council to declare Fukushima a global emergency;
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/mobilize-the-un-security

*Tokyo radiation is worse than Gomel - Mika Noro’s speech on the impact of radiation in Japan http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/tokyo-radiation-is-worse-than-gomel.html

*Police arrest animal rescuers inside Fukushima evacuation zone — “They cannot be contacted and are being charged with crimes” http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/police-arrest-animal-rescuers-inside.html

Resistance posted by Ian Thomas Ash, a director of Fukushima Documantary Film "A2-B-C"

As one does not train with weight that is too light,….. And as I write this, I realize something for the first time: the more I embrace the resistance, the more I am becoming it. http://ianthomasash.blogspot.jp/2013/11/resistance.html

*福島原発で働く皆さんへ、世界からの暖かいメッセージ http://nuclear-news.net/2013/12/01/to-the-fukushima-workers-we-support-you-address-to-j-village-supplied/

(Japanese translation)http://goo.gl/re5822

*Fukushima Farmers negotiate with Japanese Government/Tepco 福島農家の若者、政府と東電に対して勇気ある発言 http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/fukushima-farmers-negotiate-with.html The current government limit is 100Bq/kg... 0.1Bq/kg for cesium in rice before the Fukushima disaster. … We feel guilty about growing it and selling it...

*Atomic bombs survivors received fair compensation, not so in Fukushima!

広島・長崎の被爆者援護法:追加1ミリ被曝で被曝者認定、福島事故被害者にも認定を、するべき

The Japanese Gov recognizes radiation related illnesses! http://fukushimaappeal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/atomic-bombs-survivors-received-fair.html


Saturday 31 March 2012

ZDF documentary video “Lies of Fukushima” summary translation


Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szGQFhG1zT4

We very much recommend you to watch these videos:

The program starts with an interview with Mr. Yukiteru Naka, a Japanese nuclear engineer who talks about a powerful group that put cost effectiveness as their top priority.  The group consists of TEPCO, the Government, and the scientists within top universities, and they are the ones involved in decision makings of national importance.  He says whoever tries anything against the grain of this prime directive gets met by its powerful opposition.  The documentary points finger to the climate of criminal design of the group and supporting psychological inertia that has together eventually lead to that final disaster that came to pass last year at Fukushima. Earthquake and tsunami was just a trigger.
Then there is another testimony from Mr. Kei Sugaoka, an engineer from the U.S. assigned to inspect the American designed reactor, and he testifies to TEPCO's deliberate concealment of serious mismanagements and accidents he witnessed during his employment.  He says Reactor 1 at Fukushima was operating with serious defects, and as the inspector it was his job to report it but he was told by TEPCO to keep his mouth shut.  Out of fear of losing his job , he kept this to himself for 10 years, until after he was laid off and finally reported it to the nuclear regulatory authority of Japan, but apparently they, too, squashed his reports.  Now, Mr. Eisaku Sato, the former governor of Fukushima had been warned by other whistle-blowers just like this man   who were likewise aware of serious risks in the operation of the reactors in Fukushima, and the governor tried to act upon it, only to find that instead of anything done about it, the names of the whistle-blowers were given away to TEPCO.  The governor then disclosed it in a newspaper the risks of nuclear reactors, as well as TEPCO's 30 years of concealing various accidents.  As a result of this TEPCO resorted to reshuffling the top executive posts to account for it, but at the same time orchestrated character assassination of the governor which led to his resignation from the post.  Naoto Kan, the former Prime Minister of Japan recalls that in the last 10 - 20 years there's been pressure applied in every possible way to prevent whistle-blowing about danger of nuclear power. Research scientists who warn the risks would never see a chance for promotion in their career, Politicians receive handsome supports from power companies depending on the size of contribution to promote nuclear power.  Same is true with sports and media industries.  There is an intricate network extending to vast areas making it a problem of national scale. Almost everybody in Japan is trapped in it.  Kan says 100 MPs who receive such financial support from electric companies includes his predecessor. Job opportunities for ministerial bureaucrats after retirements are secured at affiliated companies within the industry.  Sometimes the executives of the industry are appointed to the post of Energy Minister.  An MP interviewed in this video documentary says both central government and municipal governments have supported the illusion that nuclear power is safe.  Based on this myth, no precautionary measures have ever been considered or conceived, and this time last year the myth was broken.  Kan says Nuclear power station was initially planned to be built 35 m above sea level.  But TEPCO built it at 15 m above sea level, on the ground that it made it easier to pump sea water for cooling, that it is more cost effective.  At the time of last year's accident, the power was cut first by earthquake, then the emergency power source got submerged by tsunami. Kan says in the same interview that he was not informed of these facts at the time, and how he got to know about the explosion was from TV.  He thinks TEPCO owes responsibility to explain the situation despite all the difficulties to arrive at any solution.  He states further that although TEPCO has known of the meltdown as early as on the very day of the earthquake and tsunami, they insisted that they had no knowledge of meltdown until early May, while the rest of the world was well aware of the inevitability.  The climate of concealing massive data has not changed to this date.  They provide their data to the daily press conference, but keep insisting the situation is under control.  Unbelievable as it is, among the data provided by TEPCO are some facts that makes one wonder if everything IS under control - this goes to things like the disappearance of contaminated cooling water due to the hosepipes getting pierced by ....growing weeds???...  To this TEPCO tries their NOW-infamous phrase "unexpected in our estimation".
Another interview with Mr. Yukiteru Naka.  He owns a company with 80 engineers working under him; they work at the Fukushima nuclear disaster site.  Mr. Naka says his gravest concern is one day they run out of workers.  Whoever works at the site gets irradiated very quickly above the limit, and he doesn't think there will be enough workers with sufficient skills.  Even if it's possible to secure professionals to work at the site for the next 40 years, (In case you are not aware, this 40 years is the length of time that takes before they can stat decommissioning, not before) he says there remains one problem that may change the whole of Japan and the world.  He is very very worried about the state of Reactor 4 spent fuel pool.  He knows it will not withstand the impact of the next big earthquakes that is now said to be due. All six reactors at the site then become impossible to control. - Armageddon, that's the word the presenter chose to describe it.  And his concern is well justified since in the next interview with Mr. Hideki Shimamura who is a renowned seismologist talks about this earthquake as having 75 percent probability of occurring within 4 years. 

Last interview was with Mr. Isao Shirai, who is in charge of disaster countermeasures office, 60km away from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant.  This office was set up by Tepco, Nuclear safety agency, Fukushima prefectural government.  When Mr. Shirai was questioned about earthquake-resistance of nuclear power plants in Japan by the ZDF presenter, he could only say “I found the question difficult to answer.” after long silence.
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 It’s a great report by German video.  I wish this kind of report were broadcast in the main stream TV in Japan and UK.  I feel very sad about so much control over the media which most Japanese people are not aware of.  Whenever this group of Nuclear power was accused of not enough information to the public, they say “We don’t want to cause the panic.”.  Aren’t we talking about people’s life?  Of course they need to know.  I didn’t know anything about radiation/nuclear world till March 11 last year, but I’ve come to notice there are so many manipulations over the media even for my eyes as normal citizen.  When they don’t tell a lie, they only give out a bit of it so I often have to read several reports on the same topic to get the whole meaning of it.  They often use different unit, I bet it’s a deliberate, to explain the amount of radiation which is rather confusing.  When there were reports of death of Tepco workers, the articles were short, saying radiation level they were exposed wasn’t that high… Further investigation to follow… and we never get to hear any more news about it.  Also Tepco and the government only give out data and information a little bit at a time.  Unless I research and follows the news on a daily basis it’s easy to miss what’s going on.  So it’s really great to see all the fact together.  (Mia June)

WHITE HOUSE HESITATING ON VOGTLE NUCLEAR LOAN!


The $8.3 Billion taxpayer loan for construction of two new reactors at the Vogtle site in Georgia, the centerpiece of the Obama Administration's support for the "nuclear renaissance," may be blocked--by the Obama Administration.

Friday 30 March 2012

Ms. Mika Noro, a charity organizer for Chernobyl children, has criticized the Japanese government for not evacuating children living in Fukushima.

Ms. Noro, who lives in Kushiro in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, has been working as a volunteer organizing one-month stays with host families for Chernobyl children near where she lives for the past 19 years.  Over the years, she has learned a lot about the dangers of radiation and how we can protect children from it.  She has not invited any more Chernobyl children since the disasterbecause she feels unable to provide them with a safe enough environment in Japan now.  Since the disaster,  she has been touring around Japan, giving lectures and sharing her valuable knowledge and experience.  She also organizes occasional ad - hoc clinics with volunteer doctors when possible for worried parents whose children have developed symptoms such as nosebleeds, headaches, nausea, painful joints, and diarrhea and so on.  If these parents take their children to their usual doctors, they just say [Don’t worry, it’s nothing to do with radiation.] and give the children antibiotics to stop diarrhea if they have it, and then give them more if they come back.  She said that most doctors don’t know how to treat patients with radiation sickness.   Antibiotics don’t cure the symptoms.  She suggests that such patients need to stop taking any radioactively polluted food and drink, eat food full of enzymes such as fermented foods like miso and pickles, and fresh fruit such as bananas and apples, to help to repair the DNA  damaged by the radiation, keep up a healthy immune system in the body and also rest if they get tired easily.  Ideally they should be evacuated into a safe area, but if they can’t, at least they should regularly be taken somewhere safe for some time to give their bodies a chance to repair the damaged DNA.   The worried parents found her advice really helpful.  Ms. Noro reported that some weaker children first got nosebleeds and diarrhea two months after the disaster, then some children who were normally fine started to present the same symptoms.  These were followed by other symptoms such as lack of concentration and appropriate body weight gain, getting tired easily, forgetting things, and having difficulty understanding school lessons.  This has been happening not just with children in Fukushima, but also with some children in the Kanto area, including Tokyo.  Although the number of children who have developed such symptoms is relatively small considering how many children there  are, Ms. Noro predicts serious consequences in the future if children are kept in the contaminated area for longer periods.
I have also heard from other reports that 45 per cent of 1,080 children under 15 in Fukushima prefecture have tested positive for thyroid exposure to radiation.  This result came from a health survey done by Fukushima prefecture under the guidance of Prof Yamashita.  Many citizens in Fukushima declined take part in this survey, feeling as if they had been treated as guinea pigs because of his misleading safety campaign last year, which resulted in many adults and children being exposed to radiation unnecessarily.  Although the number of children who participated in this survey is relatively small, I think it is significant enough to say that Fukushima is not safe for children to stay in.  Ms. Noro has suggested that all the children in the affected area should receive a blood test and an echocardiography examination twice a year to detect signs of illness at the earliest stage.  She warns that children living in Fukushima need to be evacuated as soon as possible before it is too late.
Ms. Noro’s website: チェルノビルのかけ橋 (A bridge to Chernobyl) 

JAPAN DOWN TO ONE NUCLEAR REACTOR AFTER SHUTDOWN


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-down-one-nuclear-reactor-075734807.html

Thursday 29 March 2012

Support Indian Protesters; Stop Kudankulam!

The largest, most important, anti-nuclear protest you don't know about is in southern India

 Million people within 30km of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project

Dr. S.P. Udayakumar (Kumar to his friends) is a longtime leader in the peaceful resistance to nuclear power in India, as well as a leader in the NIRS/WISE International Network.  The Indian government has threatened to charge him with terrorism and “Waging war” for his role in leading the nonviolent citizens movement against operation of the nearly-completed Kudankulam Nuclear reactors in the Tamilnadu section of India …




Tuesday 27 March 2012

BBCTWO PROGRAMS ON FUKUSHIMA

There were 2 hour long program over the 2 weeks nearer to March 11 anniversary.  I watched the programs.  They were well documented and featuring how children have been feeling from their point of view which was very touching.  I heard lots of good comments from my friends who watched,  especially about the second one with children in Minami Soma-city.   However I was disappointed with these reasons.  First one was focused on first a few weeks of what happened at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, but I think it gave an impression that it was about “the past” because it never mentioned what’s been happening till now even there has been continuous leaking of the radiation into the air and the sea.  What about reactor 4?  It could potentially bring even more catastrophe than ever.   “The greatest tsunami in 1,000 years” which was used by BBC2 program was a phrase once used by Tepco, then later it was criticized as a wrong expression in Japan.  I read a report which said the highest wave that hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was 15m.  In 2008 Tepco submitted their report in which said over 15 m height of wave could hit the plant, but they dismissed their own calculation and did nothing to implement their report.  Tepco shouldn’t have really said one in 1000 years and unimaginable, it is more like one in 100 years, and it showed how un-responsible company Tepco is.   I wonder if BBC did their own research for making these programs.  If you look at Japanese history, there was a huge tsunami with highest wave 38.2m hit the east coast of Japan in 1896 which came after magnitude -8.5 earthquake, resulting in 22,000 people dead.

Also I would like to comment on “Iodine tablet”. Japanese government never instructed citizens in the affected area to take the tablet.  People who took it were Tepco people’s family as they knew the danger, and also citizens in Miharu-machi where they decided to take it voluntarily without waiting for the government’s instruction.  So it is doubtful that in the first program one father giving her daughter the iodine tablet.  Even if he did, it doesn’t represent at all for most of citizens.  Also there isn’t any single case of children who already suffered radiation related symptoms such as nose bleeding, diarrhea 2 months after the explosions.  Children who already have these symptoms are not just worried about their future as it said in BBC program, but worried about what’s happening in their body right now as well. 
It seems that BBC doesn’t want to broadcast anything that might the citizens to stir up anti-nuclear movement.  When there were so many demonstrations going on towards and around March 11 this year, I heard nothing about them in the main stream media.  
(Mia June)

“Safety Campaign” on the Ceremony of Remembrance in London to mark one year after the 3.11 Earthquake and Tsunami in UK”


A Japanese friend of our community attended the Ceremony of Remembrance to mark one year after the 3.11 Earthquake and Tsunami at the Embassy of Japan in London.

According to her, she thought that the Ambassador, Keiichi Hayashi's speech was so arrogant and insensitive.  For example, he said "Japan had been the biggest donor of foreign aid for many years but now we have become a recipient and we humbly accept it."  (She thought why he simply didn't say "we were overwhelmed and moved by people's kindness and encouragements from all over the world.)

He then went on to glorify Japan, saying "how wonderfully we have been coping with the after mass of the disaster and recoveries have been seen in lots of areas."  He also emphasized that there is no need to worry about the radioactive affects in Fukushima and the surrounding areas.  He carried on by saying, "To prove the safety of the food, we are going to serve you sushi, sake and vegetable canapés which ingredients are from Fukushima."
About 500 people who attended the ceremony were served with the so called "absolutely safe and delicious food"! 

She thought that the Ambassador is a typical Japanese bureaucrat and has been brainwashed not to raise any questions.  Although 70% of people who attended the ceremony were Japanese, however "The Ceremony of Remembrance" was like propaganda of "The safe Japan and The Resilient Japanese".
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According to my friend’s experience, Mr. Hayashi is underestimating the danger of radiation, not aware of what’s going on at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.  I think he should know that more and more tragedy is happening in Chernobyl even after 27 years later.