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Soap causes 66 people to be hospitalized with severe allergic reactions www.japantimes.co.jp

Miyagi Pref. begins thyroid testing for kids near Fukushima border

SENDAI, Dec. 4, Kyodo

The Miyagi prefectural government began testing the thyroids of 83 children of up to elementary school age Sunday in the town of Marumori, which borders Fukushima Prefecture, to examine the health impact of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

The radiation level in the prefecture north of Fukushima is estimated to be below the annual limit of 1 millisievert in most areas but at 4.1 millisieverts and 2.8 millisieverts in two areas of the town, prompting concerns among residents, particularly those with children, it said.

It is considering testing also for internal exposure using a whole-body counter, it said.

''As it borders Fukushima Prefecture and the radiation level is high, I hope to get rid of my worries. I want test opportunities to be offered regularly,'' said Toru Sakuma, a 28-year-old self-employed resident who took his 1-year-old boy Haruki for the test.

==Kyodo english.kyodonews.jp

Kashiwa rad check by asuperdry www.youtube.com

MIA grabbed your link to read. Asahi Shimbun was a bit critical of the report. I hope more criticism comes out quickly.
ajw.asahi.com

UPDATE3: 50.7% want election before sales tax hike law enacted: Kyodo poll english.kyodonews.jp
Noda wanted a vote on this before elections. The tax hike is pretty big iirc 20%

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

Anyone know how to handle a kmz file?

Ah! ok.

Australia to export uranium to India

Australia's ruling Labor Party has decided to lift the ban on uranium sales to India.

Australia has the largest known uranium reserves in the world, but the former Rudd administration did not allow exports to India, which is not a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and possesses nuclear weapons.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard told a conference of her ruling Labor Party on Sunday that exporting uranium to India, where energy demand is rising, is in Australia's interest.

Some cabinet members expressed concern that the uranium may be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Gillard said she will secure safety measures, indicating her intention to have India sign a bilateral agreement that would only allow it to use the uranium for peaceful purposes.

The plan to lift the export ban was approved with majority support from party members.

Australia apparently intends to strengthen its ties with India, which has a growing demand for nuclear power generation and is playing an increasingly important role in Asian security.

Sunday, December 04, 2011 23:11 +0900 (JST)
www3.nhk.or.jp

New article on nuclear workers and high radiation doses www.latimes.com

@Edano I thought that was a race track when I saw the photo earlier

@Edano of course. On a public highway

So does that do the bioreaction by oxygen and co2 fed into or through it?

One of the Universities here developed algae based biofuel like a biodiesel

when i drive thru my city and i see all the construction sites with conventional buildings, i could cry. we need strong energy saving laws for house constructions. it is no problem today to construct houses that need no ac in summer and no to little heating in winter.

Home building in the US is still largely conventional inefficient builds with total dependence on grid electricity and natural gas for heat. It is impossible to get any alternative energy or even a fireplace put into a new home unless you go to the luxury custom home level. We lucked out that ours is 1/3 underground and has a big garage that blocks most of the north wind. This and the window placement helps balance so we don't need to heat it as much.

@Edano They do nothing to make them efficient here. Most commercial buildings you can't open the windows in either.

@Edano most apartments where I live are 4 story wood framed. Some actually do individual heat/ac for each unit so the renter has to pay it. Buildings that have central heating systems people will crank up the heat because it is included in rent. All these really tall buildings could have various efficiency things on them. Until there are incentives I don't think we will see much. High or unpredictable energy prices seem to be a good motivator