At the Nuclear Security Summit Conference in Seoul on March 26 and 27, 2012, Ambassador Murata informed the participants from 54 nations of the potential global catastrophe of reactor Unit 4.
Murata wrote to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, “It is no exaggeration to say that the fate of Japan and the whole world depends on No. 4 reactor.”
Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources who is highly experienced with nuclear waste storage issues, visited Fukushima in April 2012. When he returned he stated that the situation is “worse than reported,” with “spent fuel rods currently being stored in unsound structures.”
Senator Wyden warned that the Fukushima spent fuel was a U.S. national security issue because radiation caused by the pool failure “could reach the West Coast within days.”
Wyden sent letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko and Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki. He appealed to everyone to work together and with the international community to address this situation as swiftly as possible.
Wyden reaffirmed that “The precarious status of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear units…… should be of concern to all and a focus of greater international support and assistance.”
On April 30, 2012 seventy-two Japanese NGO organizations lead by Shut Tomari and Green Action Japan send an urgent request to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urging immediate action to stabilize the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel. The letter was endorsed by experts from Japan and abroad.
The letter urged the United Nations to organize a Nuclear Safety Summit to take up the crucial problem of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool. The letter stated that the United Nations should establish an independent assessment team on Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 and coordinate international assistance in order to stabilize the unit’s spent nuclear fuel and prevent radiological consequences with potentially catastrophic results.
Kaori Izumi of Shut Tomari stated, “Fukushima Daiichi is no longer a Japanese issue but is an international issue. It is imperative for the Japanese government and the international community to work together on this crisis before it becomes too late.”
On May 10, 2012 The Nuclear Information Resource Service started a petition to U.S. President Obama urging him to “Act now to prevent a second Fukushima disaster”
The petition points out that the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site remains perilous and that the area has been hit with hundreds of earthquakes since March 11, 2011.
NIRS is urging President Obama to support UN intervention but also not to wait for the UN to act but to “forcefully begin providing substantive assistance, technical capability, skilled personnel and financial resources now.”
It further points out that “the U.S. has the capability to respond to this crisis immediately, to shore up the pool and to begin moving this fuel from the pool in 2012.”
Avaaz.org is calling for a “global wave of public pressure to the UN to force the (Japanese) government to work with the experts to curb this lethal threat that would dwarf last year’s disaster.” This petition is addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Japan’s Prime Minister Noda with a plea to “Stop the Next Nuclear Disaster.” Avaaz says it’s time for urgent international action and is calling on global citizens to urge Ki-moon to send an independent team of international experts to assess the dangerous situation at Unit 4.
The Pacific Nuclear Awareness Group in Vancouver British Columbia sent a petition to the Canadian government that was read out to the Members of Parliament today. This petition asks the government to urge Ban Ki-moon and Noda to organize the Nuclear Safety Summit to take up the crucial problem of Unit 4 and to establish an Independent Assessment Team on Unit 4.
As well, the petition asks the Canadian government to participate in both the Summit and the Assessment Team. This group has also created a petition for Canadian citizens to sign.
They are encouraging everyone to sign all the petitions and “not participate in our own destruction because we are too busy with other things to take action.”
But the question remains; do petitions work? Jeff Jones, a Canadian lawyer, points out that petitions do have value because they are a means to educate people and a way to warn those in power.
Nevertheless, with all the petitions and letter writing going on, the risk at Reactor 4 still remains. The building is still crumbling. Four hundred and sixty tons of fuel rods remain on the roof exposed to the atmosphere. A 7.0 earthquake can still hit any day.
So far the United Nations has not responded to the petitions sent to them. President Obama has not taken action based on the petition he received. Prime Minister Noda has clearly ignored the petitions sent his way. And to add an additional problem to the mix, even if the United Nations, Canada and the United States decide to act and work together to help Japan, it is not clear that the Japanese will accept assistance.
On May 27, 2012, Akio Komori, a TEPCO executive, rejected growing calls to let outside experts inspect the plant. The Japanese government is doing everything it can to try to convince the world that they can handle the job and that this crumbling building that used to be Reactor 4 is safe.
BOYCOTT JAPAN?
The nuclear industry/Japanese government doesn’t appear to care if they are destroying the planet and hastening the slow painful death of millions of human beings. They don’t appear to care that not enough is being done to protect people’s health and security in Japan or over here in North America.
They weren’t willing to spend the money to build a concrete sarcophagus over Reactor 4 to protect the world from the 460 tons of radioactive fuel ready to destroy Japan and the northern hemisphere at the next big earthquake – because it would have been too expensive. They aren’t willing to spend the amount of money it would take to pay thousands of additional workers to speed up their plan of removing the fuel rods.
They would care if North Americans and the rest of the world stopped trading with them and buying their products. They would care if their income were to disappear.
A conscious boycott of imported Japanese goods produced by large corporations would send a powerful message of protest. People have power. The economic power of the people can strongly influence the Japanese government.
In 2010, Japan exported to the world, goods with a total value of $765.2 billion U.S. Canada imports about $12 billion worth of goods from Japan every year. The United States imports over $148 billion worth. The biggest imports are motor vehicles and car parts followed by industrial machinery, computer and video equipment, electronic items, semi-conductors, construction machinery, motorcycles, rubber, iron, steel, aircraft parts, plastics, toys, games and sport equipment and foodstuffs such as seaweed, rice and green tea.
After reading most of the news here especially the unforgettable fire, I have come to an absolute final conclusion to save Japan and the rest of us the planet world, just as a lay person who wants life not death , is to have Japan declare Fukushima a national sacrifice zone after evacuating all population. Once the whole plant sinks under the ground or partly in the ocean which is already contaminated anyway beyond repair, then start pouring from the air tons and tons of Boron and cement etc. day and night until the crater is completely filled. Just maybe we can save our breathing air this way and people simply don’t eat any more seafood. Any better solution and I urgently want to know! Thanks.
As a species, we seem to be the only one foolish enough to invent things beyond our abilities to control them….This disaster, and the subsequent denial of the truth by all media is amazing. If this isn’t fixed, a good part of the planet will be uninhabitable. Our food chain has already been destroyed by the radiation of fish, soil, crops and air.
I am a historian, and have often wondered if illness, disease, war, plague, etc. is what destroyed the ancient civilizations causing them to vanish overnight. Perhaps it is this same insane denial of the truth (whatever it might have been) that caused it.
We seem to be able to progress only so far before our progress destroys us. I think our demise started with the splitting of the atom. It was a technology that should never have been revealed. If we could have stopped somewhere before WW I in development, we might have been able to go on for centuries. From 1800-1920 We went from candlelight to electric lighting, horse and buggy to autos and aeroplanes. We developed the telephone, telegraph, railroad….so many things that will be remembered as as golden era. Now, we face disaster, and our leaders deny it as if by pretending it doesn’t exist, it won’t hurt us.
We may well be experiencing our own extinction.
Thanks for a great article not seen elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Gjerdrum
@nateobie: We included your nitwiticism as another glaring example of the anonymous ‘experts’ that like to goo up the works by insulting folks here. We don’t explain how “fission works” rather use the word twice in this long piece to refer to the unfortunate process of uncontrolled radioactive goo going critical once again achieving fission outside the (semi) controlled space of an intact and functioning reactor. Professor nateobie here ought to stick to looking at the neat photos.
@nateoble – Could you please educate all of us “uneducated” on how fission really works? If you know something we don’t it would be great to know. I, for one, would love to know that we really don’t have a problem here. Then I could go back to my old easy life and stop worrying.
p.s. great pics tho.
Wow…This author is seriously uneducated on how fission actually works. Go back to school buddy. Stop freaking people out because you are ignorant. All you readers, try getting a second opinion before you believe any one man’s claims. Wow…you must be one of those believers in dihydrogen monoxide.
We will all be dead men walking if reactor #4 becomes the cause of a world-wide nuclear catastrophe. And, if it were not for your amazing articles, Michael, it really would be almost a totally dead silence….with emphasis on “dead”.
Why are not ALL of the major newspapers putting articles like this on their front page, and in the headlines? This is surely denial on steroids!
I thank you again and again, Michael, for your knowledge, your writing and for having the strength and bravery to keep at it, no matter what. If any lives get saved here, it will be thanks to you!
IRRESPONSIBLE, TREASON TO HUMANITY, INCOMPETENCY,TOTAL NEGLECT. THE WORLD IS IN DIRE STRAIT.EVEN YOU THAT PUT THE HEALTH OFF THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN CANNOT ESCAPE THIS DISASTER THAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. GET WITH IT PICK IT UP GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD BEFORE ITS TO LATE.
cant they just nuke the thang?
Exactly! Excellent article.
“We are on our own. But we are not helpless…”
– Michael Collins
“I want to live free, free of contaminated air, water and food.” – Chase
Why and how, did this basic right of existence get corrupted, stolen and forever changed and possibly destroyed?
Does it matter now?
Do the masses really care?
Do most people really understand?
I cannot answer these questions directly, because none of this makes any real sense to me. Corporations and militaristic governments playing God I guess.
from a comment elsewhere:
“The reactor that is my soul has reached criticality.”
– user johnnyo enenews
“Judging by the pollution content of the atmosphere, I believe we have arrived at the late twentieth century.”
–Spock in ‘The Voyage Home’
Sub in ‘radioisotope pollution’ for ‘pollution’ and ‘early twenty-first century’ for ‘late twentieth century’, and I think he’ll have it about right.
Those with huge IQ’s in the industry, or remotely tied with the industry knows these things, yet nothing is done to prevent this outcome? Have we overstepped technology? The powers of magical thinking have brought us to this point. It says a lot about how our psyche’s choose to perceive ultimate destruction. If we could only step out collectively of our current illusion and be adult enough to face and tend to reality. Has television corrupted our minds to this extent? Or is it the brains attempt to calm our unsteady nerves?
The 60 ton lid placed on #4 SRP is protecting it from the structure to be built that will facilitate the eventual removal of the rods for dry cask storage. This cover will ensure any construction debris that could fall, will not hurt the remaining condition of the rods.
Funny how unit 4 exploded when it was out of service for refueling – you even have a picture of its containment lid sittting in its holder. So do tell how did the reactor explode? Also how come no mention of reactor 3 the real story it did explode and it was full of plutonium mox fuel? You know the most toxic substance known to man.
The world leaders are sociopaths! They always end up in control inevitably causing death, misery and suffering. We sheeple just follow along like the blind fools that we all really are.
Greed and stupidity do not make answers for why we are being continually poisoned and tortured in just so many ways. Look all around you and ask why are we continually be subjected to out and out negative scenarios in every way shape and form as we go along here?
The time is now to wake up people! Wake up from the dream they are creating for you, or shall i say nightmare! This is our only chance to change what awaits or future. I will assure you that it will not be pleasant unless we wake up now!!
The people of Japan are “Dead Men Walking” thanks to TEPCO and Government politics….Lies Lies Lies… and soon they might take down the whole world.
Here’s my article that analyzes the likelihood of another big quake, the topic of the last section of your dynamite article:
Humanity at the Height of Folly
Nuclear Power and Earthquake Zones
http://dissidentvoice.org/2012/05/humanity-at-the-height-of-folly/
Michael, Great article. I had not kept up on the lid issue. That is very freaking weird to be sure. Arnie Gunderson keeps telling them to get the fuel rods out of there as soon as possible, but since their logic is so opaque at best we cannot know what Tepco thinks and at worst your speculation may be correct: THESE PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY BONKERS.
I live in Japan and have written a number of articles about this (see below). Most people here are in complete ingnorance/denial of the seriousness of it all. A professor I know even said an article by Mr. Muramatsu, the diplomat who has done so much to expose the Unit 4 crisis, as “tabloid journalism”! And I am afraid this is typical of the silly pride/stupidity of people in general. Thanks for your great work Michael, we love you, Concrete man
Tokyo Electric Power
Company’s Radioactive Lies
The Arsonist Investigating The Fire
http://www.rense.com/general95/tokyoars.html
6~20~5993
We are fighting the radiation by taking Iodine drops in water, Boron, Green Tea Extract, VitC, D3, Magnesium, and other liquids, capsules. Replaced cows milk with Almond milk because Almonds help kill cancer. Please keep informed!
We are also sealed in the Names of the Father and Son (Yahweh and Yahshua), Revelation 14:1. Now we know WHY!
Yahshua returns SOON!
Please, people, make a positive difference in this worst tragedy ever…
Where is Superman when you really need him ????
Me thinks the nationwide burning of rad debris is to purposely raise the overall background in the country, the same old modus operandi of the Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission witnessed here stateside. After all, this Fukushima is an American-esque Chernobyl: created, engineered, and continually educated by American professors — whether we yanks like it or not. Higher background measurements equals less money spent on cleaning up radionuclide contamination as we have learned from your marvelous coverage of the Rocketdyne mess. Higher background also lulls one into a sense of complacency in mistakingly believing food tested on an Inspector device near background is safe to consume; the news is in, IT IS MOST DEFINITELY N-O-T!
‘GENERAL ELECTRIC’ does not have any Japanese in the name. What is going on in Japan today was gleaned from their allies, the Americans — plain and simple. Investigate the authoring of the Japanese Constitution, see for yourself just how postwar Japan came to be…
Next they will declare National Sacrifice Zones in Japan, just like guess where? The good ol’ USA. Gee, thanks so much DOE!
If you are a responsible male, I implore you: get a genetic test before going about creating any new life (ie., baby making). Cesium-137 concentrates in the testes. FYI, UCLA has the capability to run this test. Write Planned Parenthood and teach them the problem please, then maybe free testing for couples will become the norm.
http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=7B5D3A49-96BF-57FE-A849-E369E6196A27
Boycotting General Electric though? Yes, by all means. Let’s start today. Ostracizing Jeffrey Immelt? The President already has, FWIW. Nailing idiots who pursue nuclear anything? As long as we start with the fat cats with deep pockets first (USA, France, Russia, China, UK, Israel, India, Pakistan, Koreas, and et al.)