Learning that bluefin tuna caught off California contain traces of radioactivity is disturbing regardless of health risks to diners. But the fact is, when it comes to tuna, we have more serious problems to worry about, like mercury and overfishing.
Remember that in the immediate aftermath of the 3/11 tsunami, the U.S. Navy turned a carrier battle group and began evacuating dependent military personnel from Yokosuka and nearby bases south of Tokyo.
Those actions spoke volumes about the real military assessment of Fukushima.
Now, 15 months later, nuclear is politically dead in Japan, as it is in Germany.
Not so in the U.S., where a Democratic president and Republicans in Congress continue to pump tax dollars into an industry that Wall Street abandoned more than 30 years ago.
American nuclear is socialism at its politically corrupt finest.
ButteJbyrd: Remember that in the immediate aftermath of the 3/11 tsunami,
I am always amused that the people that were singing the 'All of the Above' energy plan are the first to dismiss any kind of alternative energy. So this means 'All of the Above' is actually 'More of the Same!'
BBackSoon: I am always amused that the people that were singing
As a card carrying member of the 'All of the Above' club, I fully support solar, wind and all other methods of energy production (including coal gasification plants) . But we need realistic expectations from renewables. We understand the numbers, solar is ~4% of Germany's electric production.
For myself, a diversified electric infrastructure is best. Let nukes do the grunt work of base load generation (50%), renewable supply 20% with natural gas turbine and existing coal plants doing the rest..
ModMark: As a card carrying member of the 'All of the
For the short term, I would agree with that, but did you read the article?
Solar provided 50% of Germany's electrical needs for a short period last week. And as far as diversification goes, residential solar arrays would provide massive amounts of energy here in the US. Even if they didn't provide everything, just think of how much coal we would not have to burn if we just got half of our electricity from the sun? And the jobs it would provide would also help.
And as long as there is the problem of long term storage of spent Nuclear fuel it is not a cheep alternative.
BBackSoon: For the short term, I would agree with that, but
if a japanese victim family, polite & honest is all i ask - has the resources & desire to get the hell out of there for a few months in sydney oz - we can talk
its an ok area - safe, leafy, great train etc. near water & parks
i have a v cool friendly dog who inevitably does sadly random pooS (free rubber gloves) - no kids that cant swim tho - I have a pool/pond - I dont want that on my conscience
have no idea how to do it or translate the above
MSROADKILL612: i have a small flat out back i dont want
The math has been done. Germany is hardly what anyone would describe as "sunny." Yet on my last trip there only a small percentage of the houses had solar panels. Yet already Germany has had days when they produce a third or half of their electricity needs.
Incidentally, solar panels work great in snowy areas from all that reflected light.
pr0gressivist: The math has been done. Germany is hardly what anyone
On July 1, a new law takes effect requiring utilities to purchase electricity generated from five renewable energy sources at a fixed price for a set length of time, under what is known as a feed-in tariff system.
The law was approved on the morning of March 11, 2011, by then Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet, just a few hours before the Great East Japan Earthquake and monster tsunami hit, claiming some 19,000 lives and putting the government's long-pushed nuclear power goals totally out of public favor.
It was the last piece of legislation passed in the Diet on Aug. 26, over stiff opposition from industry lobbies, utilities, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Kan quit later that day.
Bizarre timeline
mdinoregon: New feed-in tariff system a rush to get renewables in
HIYA TG You might enjoy a great book called, The Truth Machine, it deals with the invention of a ever smaller truth machine and how it changes the Planet!
Wish we had one now!
CaptD: HIYA TG<br>You might enjoy a great book called, <i>The Truth Machine</i>,
The truth doesn't do anything to lessen the damage, but at least it provides a more honest picture of the damage done and the damage likely to come.
The first thing that needs to happen is that TEPCO needs to either be liquidated, or turned into a state-owned firm. Second, there needs to be a brutally honest assessment of what went wrong at each step. Third, the Japanese government needs to begin dismantling nukes as quickly as possible--mothballing with on-site fuel and waste storage is not an acceptable option. A the same time, there needs to be a campaign to develop renewable capacity. For a country which imports so much, this is legitimately considered a national security matter.
Finally, it seems there is no realistic way to decontaminate all of that section of the country. At the very least, this would be a good time to begin experimenting with phytoremediation and anything else that will hasten removal rather than dispersion. All of the contaminants can't be removed, but dispersion to clean farmland, forests and urban areas--and the sea--needs to be stopped or restricted wherever possible.
All of this in face of Japan's aging and shrinking population.
yo_drewski: The truth doesn't do anything to lessen the damage, but
Quote -- " Fukushima is far from over, and to emphasize this, new information coming from testimony from Japanese leaders who were making decisions during the early days of the crisis, force us to accept that virtually no one had correct information, no one was in control, and the situation was far worse than the public was told."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The government, regulators and the nuclear industry seem to have all been in bed together.
Nuclear energy is too costly and too dangerous.
Kenz300: Quote -- " Fukushima is far from over, and to
Quote -- " Former Prime Minister Kan testified that the ties between regulators and TEPCO was so intertwined, and the accident so profound, that he called for Japan to stop all use of nuclear energy. For once, it appeared that mainstream media paid attention and published both Kan's words, as well as articles on serious concerns about the status of fuel pools at Fukushima."
----------------------------------------------------------
TEPCO is bankrupt and is being supported by the taxpayers. This disaster continues today with no end in sight.
It is time to transition to safe, clean alternative energy sources. Wind, solar, wave energy and geothermal are all viable sources of energy in Japan.
Kenz300: Quote -- " Former Prime Minister Kan testified that the
Tokyo was going to have to be evacuated after 3-11. Again, they have contingency plans to evacuate Tokyo. Rice and tuna are radioactive. The soil is contaminated. Radiation comes down in precipitation. Radiactive water is being dumped into the ocean. There were large atmospheric discharges. Burning of contaminated soil continues. Cancer rates will soar. There are numerous other health problems associated with nuclear meltdowns, especially to fetuses in gestation where radioactive substances cross the placental-fetal barriers.
There are 32 million people in Tokyo. Anything that threatens that many people should be forever banned.
I am at a loss to understand why dangerous nuclear energy is still being used in any country, let alone one with great seismic, volcanic and tsunami threats. What does it take for those who favor nuclear energy to "learn?" Maybe if they had to pay huge jury verdicts, that would send a message to the boardrooms. Captured regulation does not accomplish either compensation nor effective regulation.
Dangerous computer viruses have escaped their targets in Iran and may infect NPPs' computers. The nuclear industry has invested many trillions into their "services." They will NEVER back off. We are looking into our own future when we look at Fukushima. The die is cast once the money goes down. We saw that with asbestos being used for many decades after they all knew it was a major health problem. When it came to paying the victims, they all headed for bankruptcy court. Real corporate responsibility.
outnow: Tokyo was going to have to be evacuated after 3-11.
its a shame that the sun only shines during the day....
the us uses over 100 times that amount during the daytime....not to say we shouldnt put pv on our roofs...its just going to take a while.
oilfield: its a shame that the sun only shines during the
Seems like some California new construction will reguire it. Along with some really commonsense energy savers.
Problem there, we ain't building many new houses.
Solar collection in space and microwave the energy back to Earth. It's doable with current technology and all it takes is the willingness of people and their governments to implement it.
Computer_Geek: Solar collection in space and microwave the energy back to
Those actions spoke volumes about the real military assessment of Fukushima.
Now, 15 months later, nuclear is politically dead in Japan, as it is in Germany.
Not so in the U.S., where a Democratic president and Republicans in Congress continue to pump tax dollars into an industry that Wall Street abandoned more than 30 years ago.
American nuclear is socialism at its politically corrupt finest.
Any wonder why the Nuclear Industry was President Obama's largest donor?
One Man One Vote is now One Dollar One Vote...
http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/tech_cap_factor.html
When the sun is not available, Germany will be buying electricity from France, burning coal, or burning natural gas bought from Russia.
And coal-burning plants typically require 100-car trains full of coal every few days, versus fueling a nuclear plant every few years.
Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks...
For myself, a diversified electric infrastructure is best. Let nukes do the grunt work of base load generation (50%), renewable supply 20% with natural gas turbine and existing coal plants doing the rest..
Solar provided 50% of Germany's electrical needs for a short period last week. And as far as diversification goes, residential solar arrays would provide massive amounts of energy here in the US. Even if they didn't provide everything, just think of how much coal we would not have to burn if we just got half of our electricity from the sun? And the jobs it would provide would also help.
And as long as there is the problem of long term storage of spent Nuclear fuel it is not a cheep alternative.
If Solar (of all flavors) replaces nuclear during the daytime,
... Then they just do not pencil out!
i dont want to be paid nor freeloaded on
if a japanese victim family, polite & honest is all i ask - has the resources & desire to get the hell out of there for a few months in sydney oz - we can talk
its an ok area - safe, leafy, great train etc. near water & parks
i have a v cool friendly dog who inevitably does sadly random pooS (free rubber gloves) - no kids that cant swim tho - I have a pool/pond - I dont want that on my conscience
have no idea how to do it or translate the above
Faved, already fanned!
Don't Stop!
real remains to be seen
try to be honest.man if my word
have had a bad run w/ weirdos tho
but a pretty good run w/ japanese people
i suspect there is not enough sunny land to power a fraction of the globe using PVs
yet u would express outrage about food > methanol
u cant have it both ways
nuclear in geologically stable areas is the only option bar choking
tepco screwed up badly, as did the russians, but dont throw the baby out with the bathwater
Incidentally, solar panels work great in snowy areas from all that reflected light.
Reflections and a higher efficiency factor at low temperatures.
at what cost
u sure u not including wind
has days? cost of backup power for other days?
why did u bother to comment?
so vague & unsubstantiated - its disinformation even if true - encourages false logic basd on zero facts
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120529i1.html
On July 1, a new law takes effect requiring utilities to purchase electricity generated from five renewable energy sources at a fixed price for a set length of time, under what is known as a feed-in tariff system.
The law was approved on the morning of March 11, 2011, by then Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet, just a few hours before the Great East Japan Earthquake and monster tsunami hit, claiming some 19,000 lives and putting the government's long-pushed nuclear power goals totally out of public favor.
It was the last piece of legislation passed in the Diet on Aug. 26, over stiff opposition from industry lobbies, utilities, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Kan quit later that day.
Bizarre timeline
Japan's feed-in tariff for small systems is 0.375.Kwh (euro's). I believe the average retail price for electric in Japan is ~0.20/Kwh (Euros).
"Is that a radiation detector in your hand?"
"No.... It's a lie detector."
You might enjoy a great book called, The Truth Machine, it deals with the invention of a ever smaller truth machine and how it changes the Planet!
Wish we had one now!
(Cartoons can sometimes say more than a two-page editorial.)
The truth is otherwise."
(Nuclear news dot net theme for June: "Solar Energy.")
... And the Nuclear Industry is the first to feel the effect!
Faved, already fanned!
The first thing that needs to happen is that TEPCO needs to either be liquidated, or turned into a state-owned firm. Second, there needs to be a brutally honest assessment of what went wrong at each step. Third, the Japanese government needs to begin dismantling nukes as quickly as possible--mothballing with on-site fuel and waste storage is not an acceptable option. A the same time, there needs to be a campaign to develop renewable capacity. For a country which imports so much, this is legitimately considered a national security matter.
Finally, it seems there is no realistic way to decontaminate all of that section of the country. At the very least, this would be a good time to begin experimenting with phytoremediation and anything else that will hasten removal rather than dispersion. All of the contaminants can't be removed, but dispersion to clean farmland, forests and urban areas--and the sea--needs to be stopped or restricted wherever possible.
All of this in face of Japan's aging and shrinking population.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The government, regulators and the nuclear industry seem to have all been in bed together.
Nuclear energy is too costly and too dangerous.
----------------------------------------------------------
TEPCO is bankrupt and is being supported by the taxpayers. This disaster continues today with no end in sight.
It is time to transition to safe, clean alternative energy sources. Wind, solar, wave energy and geothermal are all viable sources of energy in Japan.
There are 32 million people in Tokyo. Anything that threatens that many people should be forever banned.
I am at a loss to understand why dangerous nuclear energy is still being used in any country, let alone one with great seismic, volcanic and tsunami threats. What does it take for those who favor nuclear energy to "learn?" Maybe if they had to pay huge jury verdicts, that would send a message to the boardrooms. Captured regulation does not accomplish either compensation nor effective regulation.
Dangerous computer viruses have escaped their targets in Iran and may infect NPPs' computers. The nuclear industry has invested many trillions into their "services." They will NEVER back off. We are looking into our own future when we look at Fukushima. The die is cast once the money goes down. We saw that with asbestos being used for many decades after they all knew it was a major health problem. When it came to paying the victims, they all headed for bankruptcy court. Real corporate responsibility.
the us uses over 100 times that amount during the daytime....not to say we shouldnt put pv on our roofs...its just going to take a while.
Problem there, we ain't building many new houses.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/california-home-prices_n_1563992.html