Even before Three Mile Island, a group of nuclear engineers had proposed that filtered vents be attached to buildings around reactors, which are intended to contain the gases released from overheated fuel. If the pressure inside these containment buildings increased dangerously — as has happened repeatedly at Fukushima — the vents would release these gases after the filters greatly reduced their radioactivity.
France and Germany installed such filters in their plants, but the [United States] Nuclear Regulatory Commission declined to require them. Given the influence of America’s example, had the commission demanded the addition of filtered vents, they would likely have been required worldwide, including in Japan.
More recently, independent analysts have argued, based on risk analyses done for the commission, it is dangerous for the United States to pack five times more spent fuel into reactor cooling pools than they were designed to hold, and that 80 percent of that spent fuel is cool enough to be stored safely elsewhere. It would also be more expensive, however, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission followed the nuclear utilities’ lead and rejected the proposal.The commission has even fought relentlessly for decades against proposals — and more recently a Congressional requirement — to distribute potassium iodide pills beyond the 10-mile emergency zones around American reactors, arguing that the probability of a large release of radioactivity was too low to justify the expense. And yet the American Embassy in Tokyo is handing out potassium iodide pills to Americans 140 miles from the Fukushima plant.
–Nuclear physicist Frank von Hippel. He is a Princeton professor and co-chairman of the International Panel on Fissile Materials. From 1993 to 1994 he was responsible for national security issues in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
12 thoughts on “Worth repeating”
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I, for one, have committed myself to relentless communiction with the Obama administration and other local and state representitaives, to add my voice in protest to our government’s continued support of nuclear power at the expense of supporting alternative energy sources. Of course, as a individual, I am responsible for reducing my own energy footprint, as well. It doesn’t matter to me how small the inpact my reductions may be in the “world of agreements” where “everyone” would agree my contribuiton is laughably small. I choose the context within which I live. I choose to create and live in the context of “the end of nuclear power as an idea whose time has come.”
I have been meditating, along with Eric and the rest of this fine community, on the implications and possibilities of current astrological configerations. I was inspried by Wed. pod cast regarding taking responsibility for “knowing who I am.”
I am thinking about the rise of individuals in the middle east against dictators and in Wisconsin and deeply appreciate their example. I know is that it is time for me, personally, to take action, in whatever ways occur to me over time starting today. I have another mission – the end of child abuse and neglect. These two missions are the same thing. (I have Chiron in Scorpio in the 11th making a t square to Moon Aquarius 2nd and Mars Leo 8th – which is making sense to me today in a way it never has before.) I think children are like the canarys in the mine shaft, and we are all children of this beautiful planet along with our brothers and sisters in the plant and animal world.
When I read today Mr. Louchbaum was delivering his testimony which is partly covered in #1 below I wondered–“where are the citizens (groups?) standing behind him and in the corridors supporitng him?”
Then, the incredible wisdom from todays Mars, Neptune and the Nexus of Our Time” that I have partly quoted in #s 2 & 3 where non-resistance is emphasized and each of us one by one is being challenged (not by Len so much as by The Universe) to be accountable I started wishing.
So when I read Kyla’s post, (#4 below)I felt that maybe, just mayve, when in May, “they” meet to discuss the international regulations of nuclear power, each of us, one by one, all around the globe, could do …just something…stand together with a friend in our Town Square, or light candles and put them in our windows and get a neighbor to join in( and then maybe see the whole block light up, or most of it), or any creative idea which is meant to demonstate at a specified time for everyone that coincides with the “nuclear summit” our concern for the earth and that we want our leaders to do it right this time.
Every one of “us”–one by one by one–town and street after town and street…just a wish.. a hope,.. maybe a plan…What does the sky look like in May?
1) “The irrefutable bottom line is that we have utterly failed to properly manage the risk from irradiated fuel stored at our nation’s nuclear power plants. We can and must do better.
– David Louchbaum (testifying this week before the U.S. Senate)
Union of Concerned Scientists” – from quote on Planet Waves “Worth Repeating” 3-30-11 9:47 pm
2)”force is no longer useful or relevant except to cause a new cycle of resistance when the world needs it the least. When oceans are dying and ecosystems are being decimated, when the continued viability of DNA itself is in question, the very ideas of both force and resistance are rendered absurd, no matter how just the cause. The decision can no longer be left up to those with the power to force the issue. Their track record sucks. It is up to those of us with no power except to say “no more.” “— excerpt from Planet Waves afticle ” Mars, Neptune and the Nexus of Our Time” by Len Wallick 3-31-11
3)”The established order is bankrupt literally and figuratively; it is powerless except to make things worse. It is for individual human beings to begin with each other. One person at a time, one day at a time. You know what to do, you always have. That’s how you come to be reading these words today.”—Len Wallick, ibid.
4) “# Kyla on 31 Mar 2011 at 1:04 pm
Well, at least this is something:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/31/japan-sarkozy-nuclear-standards.html
…excerpt from above…
Sarkozy wants new nuclear standards
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the first world leader to visit Japan in the disaster’s aftermath, said he wants G20 nuclear power watchdogs to meet in May to discuss new global industry standards,
“We will ask the nuclear safety authorities of the Group of 20 countries to meet, if possible, in Paris during May, to define international nuclear safety standards,” Sarkozy said after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.”
I hear what you say about reducing footprints still not being practical.
The thing we are thinking here is that this nuclear disaster isn’t really going to change anything – except for the people immediately affected by it. France is putting in place the first experimental fusion power station (www.iter.org) and one of the french nuclear sub companies is apparently proposing mini (localised) nuclear power stations (submerged in water) – according to a friend. Mr Sarkozy said immediately after Mar 11 that there will never be a referendum in France about nuclear energy (tho looking into safety is good). So then the question is how to influence or turn the debate. And what to do. Perhaps the answer is at an energetic level. And something simple. A leap of some sort.
Looking today at the website for the electro flower remedy and seeing the white light, and light frequency essences, and then thinking prayerfully of the water at Fukushima, is it possible to release selfhealing, to ask for those light frequency notes to manifest where they are most needed and equally in the water component of all Japanese bodies, infact in all life forms that will be affected by nuclear emissions – as Eric said, to clear the aura and etheric auras and protect and/or finally to heal the physical body.
Bypass the debate and lift it to another level. But then there is still the basic question of aggressive capitalism and accruing wealth and taking percentage risks or just the sheer numbers of people who are faceless (and can be disregarded or turned into numbers, or of whom we are merely unaware and do not know the reality of their lives).
Just a few thoughts
The way you get progress on an issue is you become a master of that issue.
In all sincerity, I am one person; who has a talent for getting help. I’ve been able to accomplish a lot in astrology. I merely focused me creativity here. I only know one true expert on alternative energy, and none of his work is on the Internet. He is a printer. It’s sitting on piles of paper in his print shop.
Somebody who cares: become a master of the issue. You have a publisher, if you do.
Eric & Kyla –
Agreed with you both on the whole consumption issue compounded with the *expectations* issue. Americans are used to being told by commercial interests what it is that we SHOULD be used to. What our standard of living should be. I believe that’s part of the reason we’re presented with the “straw man” argument that if you want to maintain your modern lifestyle (replete with every conceivable gadget obtainable that requires tons of energy) you can choose from either:
oil
nuclear
coal.
That’s the list for our needs. Both concepts need to change, IMO.
But we’ve been trained to aspire and/or maintain a “middle class” lifestyle. Who does the message go to and how?
I agree that the whole “live more lightly” message has problems. For one thing, most of us who are receptive to that message are hardly the ones creating the major problems of consumption. (Eric’s story is a great illustration of that.)
I agree we have a Western consumption addiction and disease and it is rampant. However, it is possible to have infrastructure retooling and all manner of creative applications (nothing that still needs invented, mind, stuff that is already in existence) which would give us all a lovely life with needs met and comforts a-plenty.
So the issue is not rooted there, IMO. That zone, of personal comfort/consumption is, I believe, USED to keep us feeling both at fault and powerless to affect these situations of destructive and deadly misuse of resources.
Well, at least this is something:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/31/japan-sarkozy-nuclear-standards.html
…excerpt from above…
Sarkozy wants new nuclear standards
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the first world leader to visit Japan in the disaster’s aftermath, said he wants G20 nuclear power watchdogs to meet in May to discuss new global industry standards,
“We will ask the nuclear safety authorities of the Group of 20 countries to meet, if possible, in Paris during May, to define international nuclear safety standards,” Sarkozy said after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
Not “influence”, perhaps. I agree with you there chutzpah ( and bravo to France) . But we sure gave anyone who wanted it a “good excuse” for their criminal negligence.
Reducing consumption would help, but this is a matter of priority and policy. There is infinite energy. It’s the masters of oil who are driving that, for profits; and the only solution they are offering is nuclear, which does not really threaten their business.
That said, I lived in Europe, where they use HALF the energy we do. HALF! and nobody sits in the dark. What do you have? Smaller cars, slightly smaller living spaces, lots of street cars and trains, you leave the heat a little lower.
I think the standard of living is overall better. However, I will add this. I have a friend who I happened to be in Paris with for a while and she lives like a church mouse. I mean, she eats well and has a nice bed but a very simple lifestyle. But no car, etc. And she took this energy survey. The result was that it would take TWO earths to support her lifestyle. That may have been about her occasional use of airplanes more than anything, or her square footage (one bedroom apartment), but still.
Not sure i agree with the ‘given the influence of America’s example’ comment
– the US doesnt hold sway over the rest of the world on a variety of issues, this one included, France produces 75% of all its energy from Nuclear power, it also has a nationally owned company that is producing most of the new generation plant designs for the world – if France couldnt influence the world with its choice to fit filters im hard pushed to see what other country could.
Thanks, Pam.
Your post makes me think–Is it really that hard for us Americans to think about having “less” when even that will be more that what 75% of the rest of the world considers , well, “enough”?
It can be done. Others are doing it. Great example in Cuba, except it was enforced, by loss. Much harder to get an entire society like ours to “volunteer”.
I keep thinking…of going somewhere….
Got to pray at noon (Dr. Emoto has a beautiful book of pictures of the changes of the molecular structure of damaged water after concentrated group prayer for it. I’ll find the title if any one would like…)
and resist the urge of every molecule in my body to seek out the US Nuclear “Regulatory Commission” noted in Eric’s article and exterminate them one by one.
Such a bundle of contradictions we star people are, huh?
“The water of Fukushima Nuclear Plant, we are sorry to make you suffer. Please forgive us. We thank you, and we love you.”
“The water of Fukushima Nuclear Plant, we are sorry to make you suffer. Please forgive us. We thank you, and we love you.”
“The water of Fukushima Nuclear Plant, we are sorry to make you suffer. Please forgive us. We thank you, and we love you.”
What about looking to reduce our standard of living and consumption of electricity. Then we can lobby for no nuclear on the basis of less need. Just started reading Ecological Debt by Andrew Simms. He talks about Cuba and how they have localised their economy – shared out their land and how most of Havana’s fresh veg comes from 26,000 home veg gardens in the city. This was after they lost their cheap oil from Russia at the end of the 80’s. A side effect has been how all disease has reduced by (at least) just under a fifth. Calorific intake reduced by a third. Programmes to ensure old, young, pregnant mothers got enough…
It’s hard to think about having less.