ScribbleLive

yeah the cove.

@bo Likely just a new worklight to look at the existing crises.

the dolphin slaughter.

Ah, not really. Most (if not all) Japanese that I know are very ambivalent about whaling. Most people at whales when they were kids and it is comfort food. Many will say that westerners eat cows by the billions and then have a cow about eating whales. That said, it is very often found in the stores here. Most people think that the rest of the world should leave Japan alone regarding whales. So almost no one has said a word to me Taiji. I do know that the few theaters that planned to show The Cove endured threats from the yakuza

@Rob in SF I'll mention that to my friends and email you if they are eager. The ones I know are very focused on France.

@fitter thanks for the link

@bo : in taiji they slaughter dolphins, not whales. latimesblogs.latimes.com it is said that most japanese don't know that this happens.

@Edano, so sorry. I think that is true. I have heard almost no one talk about the slaughter here. But it is easy to imagine that many Japanese lump it in with the sense of persecution about whales. But I have really not investigated.

@elainekirk I have been lusting over having an avatar! How do I upload one?

@bo has there been any mention of the e-mail in local papers there, and/or announcements about them goingin to vent

@bo : i have another difficult question: do you think that the shutdown of Hamaoka NPP (some say temporarily, some say for two or threee years, some say forever) is a turning point in japanese energy politics ? can it be a change in opinion towards nuclear power ? i mean, when japan changes his mind, the rest of the world cannot ignore it or laugh about it.

@fitter berlin, ger.

@Edano good freind of mine just came back from two year deployment, he might go back LOVEs it there

@Edano I think that it is an effort to block a real change. It is a bone to the angry mobs. There is no reason to believe the plants will not reopen eventually. It is an attempt to make people feel as though the GOJ is doing something, is acting on public concerns. If the protests were allowed to mount, there may well be a turning point, so I feel this is a way to deflate that balloon. Japan is so deep into nukes that I can't believe for a moment they will turn away. There has been a real tangible worry here about economic growth for more than a decade, and to take a step away from energy independence would be amazing.

@Edano, will be going to Heidelberg in a few weeks for a conference. Not exactly next door, but not far

@fitter a quick read and I agree with you. I will give it a long read when I have a moment. Thanks. Oh, and @elainekirk, how do I upload an avatar!?

@fitter I know there are about 40,000 in South Korea. Probably around the same here, mostly in Okinawa

@bo : good (and sad) point. i hope it does not release the pressure on Kan. here in germany it was a bone to the angry people, too, but now they cannot put any plant back to power agaiun without risking a riot.

@Edano I hope against hope that is the case here. The day I arrived to live in Japan I printed out a map with all of the nuclear power plants on it so that I could begin to worry.

@bo do you have home air filters? (good ones, not just DUST mite)

@fitter : the problem is that part of the world is laughing about germany. they cannot imagine a world without nukes. but i think in a few years they will stop laughing and eagerly buy our knowledge on renewables. it will be a prove that it is possible, i hope. we must not forget, the fight against nukes is a fight against a mightyful industry not willing any change. so it needs a really strong will and people willing to do that.