Not just a crisis from cataclysm, but a crisis in trust.
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I’m writing this letter to anyone who’ll listen.
Its hard not to feel helpless these days. Helpless in the face of Japan’s suffering over the last 72 hours, which has been overwhelming: a 9.0 earthquake, a deadly tsunami and now the partial, though now apparently contained, meltdown of three of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s core reactors. A single event would be enough for any country to give pause but today, we’re talking three.
According to Japan’s prime minister (the equivalent of our president), what has happened is comparable to the devastation of World War II. The sophistication of Japan’s technology and infrastructure would, in relatively less catastrophic circumstances, allow the country to quickly recover from the devastation of an earthquake. Japanese expertise in seismic safety design is second to none in the world and here in the quake-ridden SF Bay Area, we rely on that expertise as crucial to our own continued safety.
In the aftermath of the Dec. 26, 2004 quake and tsunami, early (or earlier) warning systems were put in place for Pacific and Indian ocean nations. Japan’s death toll of 10,000 or more could have been a lot worse without the factors of Japan’s continually updated seismic safety technology and tsunami warning system, made relevant by what happened in Banda Aceh.
However, radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s core failure could still be breathing down our necks here in California and throughout the western U.S. Even though experts say the current core meltdown is only partial, that it’s contained and the radioactive particle dispersion is low, the repetitiveness of that reassurance makes me — after Three Mile Island, Indian Power Plant, Chernobyl and Deepwater Horizon — highly suspicious. With nuclear incidents, we have not just a crisis from cataclysm, but a crisis in trust. With limited information on the news and the measured words of government officials from the last 24 hours, it’s not hard to become a cynic.
Distrust in government and all political disagreements aside, the aftermath of a nuclear-related catastrophe such as the one at the Daiichi plant presents an opportunity for governments, specifically the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to respond not just to the management of this disaster, but to the understandable concern and anxiety from the broader, global public’s perception of it. This is not about cover-up, but actually good disaster planning and protection of the public.
The mitigation of mass panic — the keeping of an informed and hopefully, calm public — is critical to safety when and if a disaster such as this one occurs. The public can expeditiously be mobilized out of harm’s way. The EPA has a phrase for it — risk communication — which is the government’s communication of potential environmental hazards to an affected public.
If I’m sounding a little panicked and may appear over the top, forgive me. But I live in California, and the possibility of free-floating radioactive material in the atmosphere at an undisclosed RAD level has me concerned for obvious reasons. Earthquakes and tsunamis happen. Concrete fails. Plant safety collapses. Operator error occurs. Nuclear power plants, regardless of age, break down eventually, and when they do, big disaster or small, that failure is spectacular. And plutonium lasts forever.
Worse-case scenarios have already happened just this past weekend. Now unless you can convince me that you have invented a satellite-operated global vacuum cleaner that can suck out all loose radioactive particulates from the air, maybe you should start telling me what’s happened so I can begin to prepare for safety, no matter where the event begins. Like a tsunami warning system, only for radioactivity.
Or better yet, when you plan to build a nuclear power plant in the vicinity of any part of the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, aside from factoring in plant design, how about checking in with not only your surrounding neighborhoods, but also your neighboring countries and continents on the impact of a proposed plant in the event of a similar disaster? In other words, how about asking us?
Maybe it’s time to start thinking about what the future of peacetime nuclear development is. Shouldn’t it be obvious that countries and regions with heavy seismic activity should think twice before developing nuclear power plants? Japan is a large island nation that sits on four tectonic plates — all heavy with seismic activity. And while we’re at it, how about adding a non-proliferation clause for development of future plants, signed off by international treaty? Or even better still — how about amending the current START Treaty to add nuclear power plants to the list of items all nations must scale back on?
Yes, I know. I’m not sounding very realistic right now. I admit that I’m scared not just about today, or a week from now, but what could happen to us, our kids and our planet thirty, fifty or one hundred years from now. Yes, realistically we have nations to develop, jobs to create, and regions to restore economically. We need jobs for not only economic stability, but in some cases national security. And we in the US have been too horribly negligent, in our own management of power and resources, to the loss and detriment of human lives to point fingers at Japan or Russia right now. Luckily today it seems, at least at the time of this writing, that the Daiichi situation may have stabilized. But this is a teaching moment.
With Daiichi and elsewhere, we are not separated by borders, political affinities, or national identities. We feel the pulse of a core reactor failure in Japan, the Ukraine, upstate New York, and Southern California no matter how much the nuclear power industry, politics, government and the media tries to define and divide us. For better or worse, with the events in Daiichi, we are all connected by ocean waters and winds. Too many risks have already been taken. Any one accident is lethal for eons. This is far too small of a world.
Yours & truly,
Fe Bongolan
San Francisco
Fe perhaps another option would be to suggest reducing our standard of living. If you can grow your own food mostly and have a woodfire heating one room in the winter, a solar panel or two. Perhaps lobbying for this is the way to go – Or having a system like L’Arche had in the 60’s – they were lobbying for no nuclear use at all not just against the bomb, and took it in turn to work 3 months in their Paris office, the rest of the time being on the farm. Sharing the paid work and the money that you need for certain things.
Otherwise
pharmacist with his geiger counter…
mineral stones is praps more adept
A pharmacist who visits the Vercors area each summer said if he lived here he would take a nettle cure a couple or several times a year to rid the body of radiation.
Did anyone else read about the field of cabbages near chernobyl where everything(?) was unaffected by radiation (have I rememberd this correctly)
Otherwise from ‘Love is in the earth’ by Melody (my experience of stones is little but my gratitude is high, black tourmaline, fluorite, topaz, opal, celestite)
(very pale yellow) kunzite allows RNA/DNA restructuring, promotes stability of the calcium magnesium field, provides blueprint information for cellular development in accordance with the prfect structure and can be used to deflect radiation and microwaves from one’s auric field
Malachite is said to protect against radiation
owyheeite can assist in bringing oxygn to the blood and in eliminating free raidical oxides. it has been used to provide protection from ozone impurities and radiation
Quartz … also tends to cancel the harmful effcts of radiation and radioactivity
Serendibite …can also be used to lessen the effects of radiation on the body
Tantalite …has also been used as an energy deflector, being and excellent stone for those with potential to be exposed to excessive amounts of radiation
Black Tourmaline can be used to both repel and protect against negativity. …it has also ben used as an energy deflector, being an excellent stone for those with a potential for exposure to excessive amounts of radiation …and can maintain ones’ ‘spirits’ even in conditions which appear to emit the message of gloom and doom
Topaz. This mineral helps to understand both the actions occurring in the ‘big picture’ and the interrelationships occurring in the minute details which comprises the big picture. it promotes expression of ideas and instills trust in the universe such that one may feel comfortable with the potential outcome …without ‘doing’.
…When a request is directed through the topaz to the object or thought form which is desired the topaz acts a conductor – sending the message to the ethers via a closed circuit of current which penetrates the energy field related to manifestation. The message is then relayed to the universal mind which in turn refines the information to ensure that the intent is for the good of all before sending the transmission directly towards manifestaiton on the physical plane. Then energies of topaz transcend both time and space…
Duplicating comment from Eric’s recent blog entry above:
“After watching CNN for the last fifteen minutes about the government’s and TEPCO’s briefing on the events at Daiichi, I thought it might be a good idea to post the EPA’s protocol for Risk Communication and the role of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the EPA in coordinating response and communication in the event of a transnational nuclear event. Here it is:
There are seven cardinal rules of Risk Communication developed by the EPA . These are:
1. Accept and involve the public as a legitimate partner.
2. Listen to the audience.
3. Be honest, frank, and open.
4. Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources.
5. Meet the needs of the media.
6. Speak clearly and with compassion.
7. Plan carefully and evaluate performance.
In the instance of this event, the EPA is the United States’ coordinating agency for our country’s response in the event of a transnational nuclear event. Coordinating agencies have primary responsibilities for federal activities related to the nuclear/radiological aspects of the incident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA’s Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (1987) addresses the potential for radioactive releases in one country to affect another country. It applies to actual or potential releases that may threaten the public health or environment in another country. Such releases are known as “transboundary releases.” It applies to releases from facilities and activities, such as nuclear reactors and fuel cycle facilities; transporting, storing, or managing radioactive materials for agriculture, industry, or research; and the use of radioisotopes to generate power in space objects.
The country in which the accident occurs must immediately notify any country that is potentially affected. They may do this directly or through the IAEA. They must provide the following information:
* time, exact location (if appropriate), and nature of the accident
* facility or activity involved
* assumed or established cause
* foreseeable development of the accident and transboundary (cross-border) release of radioactive materials
* general characteristics of the radioactive release, including its nature, probable physical and chemical form, as well as the quantity, composition, and effective height of the radioactive release
* current and forecast meteorological and hydrological conditions necessary to estimate the progress of the transboundary release
* results of relevant environmental monitoring
* off-site protective measures taken or planned
* the release’s predicted behavior over time.
Each country must respond, as promptly as possible, to requests for information and advice on minimizing the consequences of the accident. Each country must also identify a point-of-contact. The U.S. point of contact for receiving information is the Department of State. The U.S. point-of-contact for notifying IAEA and neighboring countries is the Coordinating Federal Agency (in this case, the EPA) for an accident that occurs in the U.S.
For the EPA, this means that the Agency works with the Department of State to receive information from the IAEA and neighboring countries and then passes it on to responders in other federal departments and agencies, Regional EPA responders, as well as state and local responders.”
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I have had a bad feeling about this situation for days and now there’s another explosion with Japan finally acknowledging radioactive material is out there.
Potassium Iodide can protect your thyroid but what about the rest of your body? This is what I am doing: diffusing (cold-air difuser) of medical grade essential oils that have been proven to kill bacteria, mold, viruses, etc. and taken them internally to boost my immune system. Clove oil is the highest antioxidant of any substance (medical grade that is). Lots of Vitamin C, JuvaCleanse which is a blend of oils to detoxify the liver and body of heavy metals, and products to detoxify my system. Contact me if you want the info – and yes, I will profit from your purchase. But I will say these products have saved many lives and will continue to and even in the face of radiation and anything else that happens, I have a natural first aid kit that will keep me well.
Life is trying to restore balance so that all life forms can exist on this planet, not just humans. Karma is acting out but we also must make conscious choices to not use chemicals and pesticides and not use products that contain chemicals like shampoos and toothpaste which has a warning label on it!
I pray and trust that the damage is minimal and I bless each life that has already been taken whether it be human, animal, insect or plant. So sad…
Fe: Thank you for this post. i would say you are being very realistic, well grounded and sane. Thank the good goddesses for you.
Thank you THANK YOU, Fe. This list helps tremendously. Thankfully I generally have a diet rich in much of this. Had a bottle of potassium iodide on hand, went to store to get a few more was very surprised to find there has been a run on this and other “supplies ” and there is none to be had — and the suppliers are saying they do not know when they can deliver more. That took me by surprise too – not enough Potassium Iodide to go around? Really?
Wondering if anyone has information about how to best protect food items in the home? Does water, produce etc in kitchen absorb much? I’m rather concerned as well about how our food supply will be contaminated (fields, water)
And because of the above then, what is an estimated length of time for continuing abnormally high levels of supplements? Sorry if this has been mentioned – I haven’t been able to keep up with the flow of posts.
Yeti:
Already loading up on kelp, miso, chlorella, chlorophyll and bee pollen.
Fortunately, one of my friends grew up in the Ukraine during the Chernobyl incident, and has sent to me the list of supplements, foods and other natural treatments for thyroid health, which I jetted over to Berkeley Bowl and scooped up a bunch. 26 years later she still has no tumors, growths or other cancer symptoms.
Not sure if its been published here before, but here it is:
http://rifeenergymedicine.com/Radiationprotection.html
I don’t think you’re over the top at all. I live in Oregon and even though the Coast Range kept the tsunamis from reaching this far inland, our south wind enters our valley from the Pacific and often originates from the seas off the coast of Japan. We’ve already been hit with the tsunami, so of course I’m concerned about the possibility of radiation. There’s no good reason to trust anything a paid servant of the nuclear cabal says. They don’t exactly have a trustworthy track record.
Lokta:
Thanks for the article.
And yes, its time to begin having “The Talk” with our leaders on whether or not we should continue using nuclear power.
Fe, really appreciate you expressing your thoughts. Here is a link to some ‘thoughts’ compiled by various European papers….questions for our future.
http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/547631-fukushima-relaunches-debate
Indeed, “this is far too small a world”