Japan Earthquake | Page 2332
OPINION: Broader impact of Fukushima: non-proliferation and disarmament
By Bruno Tertrais
PARIS, Sept. 12, Kyodo
Much has been written about the consequences of the Fukushima accident on nuclear safety and security, but the catastrophe might also have a broader impact on nuclear non-proliferation, as well as perhaps on nuclear disarmament.
The coming downturn of civilian nuclear programs is good news for non-proliferation. Nuclear energy will cease, at least for a while, to be considered a symbol of ''prestige'' and ''modernity,'' and many aspiring nuclear countries are already revising or even canceling their plans.
This means that there will be less potentially dual-use activities in politically sensitive regions such as the Middle East. This also means that it will be harder for Iran to try to legitimize its allegedly peaceful nuclear program in the eyes of its own population and of those of global public opinion.
Also, Iran's only ''purely civilian'' installation, the Bushehr power plant, will come under closer scrutiny: it is located in a seismically active region and is a dubious mix of German and Russian technologies. In addition, Iran is not a party to the Nuclear Safety Convention. In sum, the legitimacy of the whole Iranian nuclear program will be put even more into question.
The possible impact of Fukushima on disarmament will be more complex and subtle. It is not very well-known that the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe had a significant impact on Soviet thinking about the dangers of a nuclear war. It also played a role in Belarus' and Ukraine's later decisions to return to Russia the weapons they inherited from the Soviet Union.
Since March 11, some voices have mentioned Fukushima as an additional reason for moving towards nuclear disarmament. So far, such voices have been mostly found in Japan. Furthermore, this has not altered Tokyo's commitment to support the U.S. nuclear extended deterrent.
But Fukushima will certainly make the global perception of nuclear dangers even more acute. At the least, it will bolster the taboo that exists on the use of nuclear weapons. Thus, Fukushima will impact not only the future of the nuclear industry and electricity generation, but also the broader nuclear debate.
(Bruno Tertrais is senior research fellow at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British research institute.)
==Kyodo
english.kyodonews.jpby Edano 9/12/2011 10:49:39 AM
english.kyodonews.jp
Softbank chief Son's renewable energy foundation launched
TOKYO, Sept. 12, Kyodo english.kyodonews.jpby Edano via English.kyodonews.jp 9/12/2011 10:51:40 AM
Yokohama's Solution of Ever-Increasing Radioactive Ashes from Sewer Sludge: Dump In the Ocean as Landfill
It's not that I'm picking on Yokohama City but I am just so amazed, more than anything else.
As I said before, my image of Yokohama City has been cosmopolitan, international, modern (i.e. what tourists think). In the nuclear crisis like Japan has had since March 11, I would have assumed the city like this would act in a conservative, responsible way that would never harm any of the residents or the visitors. In addition to its poor judgment in using radioactive beef for lunches at kindergartens and elementary schools and not admitting it for a long time, and just recently spending a large amount of money to create a PR pamphlet to tell Yokohama residents that radiation is nothing to worry about, the city is going to dump radioactive ashes from the sewer sludge into the ocean as landfill material, starting mid September.
ex-skf.blogspot.comby Majj 9/12/2011 10:52:08 AM- Int'l antinuclear conference to be held in Yokohama in January
TOKYO, Sept. 12, Kyodo english.kyodonews.jpby Edano 9/12/2011 10:52:19 AM - @Majj well, dumping radioactivity in the sea is not so easy. it's primarily illegal.by Edano 9/12/2011 10:54:05 AM
- @Edano Ilegal ???? Just dissolve the Sewer Sludge a lower radioactive level and dump it on the see. dissolve and disperse .....by Majj 9/12/2011 10:57:02 AM
- .....The plan freely admits that some minute amount of radioactive materials (they only talk about cesium, of course) will leak into the environment - in this case the ocean, marine life, beach sand, and fishing nets of the fishermen. But in conclusion, it declares that the safety of dumping radioactive materials in the landfill is proven "scientifically" because the estimated amount of radiation leaked into the environment is within the level deemed safe by the experts with whom the City consulted.......by Majj 9/12/2011 10:59:18 AM
- Not all ministerial gaffes are equal in Japan. Cabinet ministers making verbal blunders are nothing new in Japan, where media savvy politicians are the exception rather than the rule, but the price they pay depends on how vulnerable the government is at the time and who they offend.
Trade Minister Yoshio Hachiro resigned at the weekend after media reports that he had joked with journalists about radiation from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. .......reports that he rubbed his sleeve against a journalist and joked that he was spreading radiation proved unforgivable for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, sworn in just over a week ago and facing a divided parliament where opposition parties can block bills..... in.reuters.comby Majj 9/12/2011 11:14:24 AM 
Not enough whole body counters to go around
Public denied access to devices that check internal radiation levels The health department in Kashiwa, a city in Chiba Prefecture with multiple radiation hot spots, has received numerous inquiries from worried residents wanting to find out their internal radiation levels. search.japantimes.co.jp
A final irony disclosed in this article is that "Tepco's eight whole body counters at the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants are either still broken or don't produce reliable data due to high ambient radiation at the sites, according to research undertaken by the government's panel on helping nuclear accident victims."by Luisa 9/12/2011 11:20:30 AM- @Edano Did you check on the check cardiomyopathy from Cs‐137 incorporation ? I look on Pr Chris Busby , en.wikipedia.org But is all to much for me .....by Majj 9/12/2011 11:25:45 AM
Morning! (afternoon-evening)by lillymunster 9/12/2011 11:41:58 AM
@lillymunster morning ft calhoun is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad www.nrc.govby elainekirk 9/12/2011 11:42:51 AM- @Luisa thanks for finding that on the whole body counters. That is a big deal, people are being denied access to medical care due to inaction.by lillymunster 9/12/2011 11:43:22 AM
- @Luisa , coming to think of the whole body counting conundrum, what would the proceduby Peter 9/12/2011 11:43:56 AM
- ...procedure be in your country? Iby Peter 9/12/2011 11:44:42 AM
- @elainekirk NRC cited two incidents before the flood as the reason. One was electrical, can't remember the other one. There is a 100+ page on Ft. Calhoun and their restart plan. I need to take the time to go read it. They are trying to restart asap.by lillymunster 9/12/2011 11:46:38 AM
- @Majj i haven't found anything more than Bandazhevsky's studies:
"The medical research of Prof. Y Bandazhevsky, a medical pathologist, Rector of the Medical Institute of Gomel, in Belarus, had to be presented by a colleague, Prof. Michel Fernex. Prof. Bandazhevsky was under house arrest. Belarus received the heaviest fall out from the Chernobyl disaster. After nine years of research in Chernobyl-contaminated territories, he had discovered that cesium 137 incorporated in food, leads to destruction of those vital organs where the cesium 137 concentrates at higher than average body levels. With his wife, a paediatric cardiologist, Bandazhevsky described what he called “cesium cardiomyopathy”, and which others say is a syndrome which will eventually be named after him. The cardiac damage becomes irreversible at a certain level and duration of the cesium intoxication. Sudden death may occur at any age, even in children. After publishing this finding, denouncing government non-intervention policy, and arguing against the lack of resources given to the medical investigation of the disaster, Bandazhevsky was arrested, tried and condemned to prison for eight years." www.nirs.org
it is an interesting theory, but it's from 2001 and i would have expected more discussions about it, if it had substance.by Edano 9/12/2011 11:48:11 AM - (chrome problem with page loading and the wait button) I start over. What would the procedure for whole body scanning be in your country?
In no country I lived would there be free access to whole body scanning on demand, unless you were willing to pay for it in full. And even then, you might need a prescription from a physician who decides whether you need it. I wonder how you qualify for this procedure in Japan.by Peter 9/12/2011 11:50:37 AM - this is an article by Bandazhevsky's wife on cesium and children: radionucleide.free.frby Edano 9/12/2011 11:51:37 AM
- @Peter look here: www2.fz-juelich.de it seems to me a freely accessible (body counter).by Edano 9/12/2011 11:54:59 AM
- @Peter we could ask a few people in JP. They have national insurance, some qualify for it free, others have to pay a premium for it. I have seen people mention medical bills so it isn't 100% covered.by lillymunster 9/12/2011 11:55:03 AM
- @Edano I would assume nobody in Belarus was going to take it up when it landed that guy in jail for 8 years.by lillymunster 9/12/2011 11:57:04 AM
- 66 € for a whole body scan is not much. www2.fz-juelich.deby Edano 9/12/2011 11:57:41 AM
- @lillymunster but the scientific community is worldwide and andrej sacharow, for example, was in jail half his life but nevertheless a well known and well discussed researcher.by Edano 9/12/2011 12:00:06 PM
- BBC:
"'Leak risk after explosion at French nuclear plant'
Breaking news
There is a risk of a radioactive leak after a blast at the southern French nuclear plant of Marcoule, media reports say.
One person was killed and three were injured in the explosion, following a fire in a storage site for radioactive waste, Le Figaro newspaper said.
The plant is in the Gard region.
It is a major site involved with the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, and operates a pressurised water reactor used to produce tritium."by kalelovil 9/12/2011 12:00:27 PM - @lillymunster , as I pointed out, whole body counting may be considered a medical procedure which needs referral from a physician. As I understand, the Japanese government instituted that the people who qualify like residents of the exclusion zone must report to a specific hospital in the Fukushima prefecture, complicating the process. Perhaps they are pre-screened there and decision is taken. I don't want to defend lapses. But this may be more complicated than we imagine.by Peter 9/12/2011 12:00:32 PM
Anyone know about an explosion at a french nuke plant...4 dead... I don't know what blew up thoughby RBeaner 9/12/2011 12:00:43 PM- @Edano , can anybody call and make a reservation?by Peter 9/12/2011 12:01:22 PM
- by Edano 9/12/2011 12:01:52 PM
- French media says 1 killed in explosion at nuclear plant in southern France
content.usatoday.comby RBeaner 9/12/2011 12:02:10 PM - but local police said there was no risk of contamination ??? www.reuters.comby RBeaner 9/12/2011 12:03:43 PM
- @Edano , as to the cesium cardiomyopathy, I doubt that you get any health data from Belarus.by Peter 9/12/2011 12:03:59 PM
- "AFP
There is a risk of a radioactive leak after an explosion in an oven at the Marcoule nuclear site near the city of Nimes in the south of France, emergency services say.
The site is partly used by French nuclear giant Areva to produce MOX fuel which recycles plutonium from nuclear weapons.
Part of the process involves firing superheated plutonium and uranium pellets in an oven."by kalelovil 9/12/2011 12:04:09 PM - news.smh.com.au AFP
There is a risk of a radioactive leak after an explosion in an oven at the Marcoule nuclear site near the city of Nimes in the south of France, emergency services say.
The site is partly used by French nuclear giant Areva to produce MOX fuel which recycles plutonium from nuclear weapons.
Part of the process involves firing superheated plutonium and uranium pellets in an oven.by kalelovil 9/12/2011 12:04:27 PM - @Edano , and what happens next? Who would come up with the consult?by Peter 9/12/2011 12:04:43 PM
- @Peter i just called Helga Driesch, the whole body scan is for everyone without prescription, but you have to pay cash. !!!by Edano 9/12/2011 12:04:59 PM
- Explosion on a nuclear site in the Gard : An oven exploded Monday on the nuclear site of Marcoule in the Gard region, causing a risk of radioactive leakage, said the firefighters and the prefecture.
The incident took place in the center of society Centraco Socodei, a subsidiary of EDF, Codolet, said a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
"Right now, there is no release to the outside," he added.
A security perimeter was set up because of the risk of leakage, said the firefighters were not able at present to provide an assessment of the accident. The prefecture said not being able to communicate for now.
translate.google.comby Majj 9/12/2011 12:09:55 PM 
medias.francetv.fr The accident reportedly occurred following a fire in a storage site for radioactive waste. It would have caused an explosion so, according to firefighters, one dead and three wounded. The alarm was quickly given. A security cordon is in place around the company. translate.googleusercontent.com
by Majj via Medias.francetv.fr 9/12/2011 12:10:47 PM- @kalelovil Yikes!by lillymunster 9/12/2011 12:12:50 PM
- One dead, three injured in French nuclear blast. MOX fuel production facility. No reactors.by elainekirk 9/12/2011 12:14:22 PM
- impossible, in france there is no risk of nuclear accidents and contamination.by Edano 9/12/2011 12:14:44 PM
- Live nuclear accident: One dead and several injured after the explosion of a furnace on the site of Marcoule translate.google.comby Majj 9/12/2011 12:15:41 PM
- @Edano , the money for the count does not seem to be the problem. However, once the results are in, who decides how to proceed?
In addition, have they got enough counters to satisfy demand after a radiological emergency? I can't remember anyone I knew in Germany receiving a whole body count after Chernobyl or talking about someone else who did. I lived in Switzerland at the time.by Peter 9/12/2011 12:15:48 PM - @Peter
"Noch zu Zeiten des kalten Krieges geplant und realisiert, war der Ganzkörperzähler mit einem Raumkonzept ausgelegt, das auch für einen größeren Ansturm von Personen mit Inkorporationsverdacht ausgelegt war. Es waren separate Räume zur Dekontamination, ein Arztzimmer, ein Zimmer für einen Physiker und verschiedene Laborräume in dieser Abteilung vorhanden. Solche Szenarien sind glücklicherweise bislang nicht eingetreten und die Räume sind einer den aktuellen Bedürfnissen angepassten Nutzung zugeführt worden. Das ursprüngliche Raumkonzept wäre jedoch leicht wiederherzustellen. Nach wie vor ist der Ganzkörperzähler ein elementarer Bestandteil der Strahlenschutzüberwachung im niedersächsischen und westfälischen Raum."
www.klinikum.uni-muenster.deby Edano 9/12/2011 12:17:29 PM - @Peter
Ganzkörperzähler Strahlenbelastungs-Test für Japan-Rückkehrer
Wer von Japan nach Deutschland zurückkehrt und sich Gewissheit verschaffen will, kann sich in einem sogenannten Ganzkörperzähler auf radioaktive Strahlenbelastung untersuchen lassen. www.bild.deby Edano 9/12/2011 12:20:44 PM
Japan Earthquake | Page 2332
- Who's Blogging
-
hudebnik
alblee
UKVal
Oliver (ScribbleLive)
Jonathan Keebler
kaykodh
PKelley
Markfm
Angie
Deb
Mid Valley- Pedro Jesus
Matt (ScribbleLive)
George Gibb- elainekirk
- lillymunster
dean
bo- Edano
IanGoddard