Published: March 20th, 2013 at 9:57 am ET
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Kyodo News: The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant said Wednesday it suspects a rat-like animal of causing a short circuit in a switchboard that may have led to the power outage at the plant, disabling cooling systems for spent fuel pools earlier this week. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said it found burn marks on a makeshift power switchboard on Wednesday and a dead animal nearby. The utility suspects excess current caused by an unknown reason led to the blackout.
AP: Masayuki Ono, spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, says a 15-centimeter (6-inch) rat was found dead Wednesday near a switchboard. He says the rat may be linked to the power failure, but that more investigation is needed to be sure.
WSJ: The prospect that a small animal could trigger the blackout underscores the facility’s vulnerability, two years after a massive earthquake and tsunami knocked out power to the reactors, triggering a nuclear disaster.
See also: Fukushima Worker: Rats now being found in many places around plant -- Concern about biting cables, tripping electrical systems, spreading high level contamination
Published: March 20th, 2013 at 9:57 am ET
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sending...
so a 'rat' nearly destroyed the world? that would make a great story!
all fun aside it's sad that a simple and single rat can criple a already cripled reactor possibly making the situation worse… if a rat can do this imagine what terrorists could do…. some food for thought
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We're not sure if it might be a Chinese-controlled robotic CIA-funded North Korean-Iranian rat but we're looking into somehow blaming on a convenient country that happens to have a lot of oil.
This innocent looking rodent could be the trigger that signals a massive realignment of the global power balance.
More news at 11.
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I have only one comment……..Rats.
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the next time, it will be a seagull and its corrosive dropping, a anthill, etc. We are surrounded by hostile nature, is this the point they want us to integrate? Oh, look how destructive NATURE can be, first a earthquake, than a tsunami, than a rodent, so many PROBLEMS!!!!
We humans must protect us behind nuclear plants, insecticides, herbicides, GMOs.
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If a rat ate into a high power electric line, I could not see much being left of the rat.
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Weeman, I agree with you 100 percent. Would have been rat sushi had he chomped down on that many volts. I'm leaning more towards PattiB's theory that Big Red(the giant mobile crane) ran over the power cables(Patti said she saw it moving when the power went out), then again Willard may have been resurected by some kind of MOX fuel reincarnation process and has unleashed his rat kracken lmao.
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They said they found the dead rat. But obviously, there is never "just one rat." Well, at least TEPCO is getting some idea what their cousins look like. But sad for the rest of us.
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They can eat small wires of a control board, especially if something is turned off due to human or technological error.
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Rats DO eat wiring. Their teeth continue to grow throughout their lives. They often chew things just to wear their teeth down. Including wiring. Ask an electrician.
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Wonder if he was related to this little fellow, there are volcanoes in Japan. Warning not for the squeamish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uP-kOPirdg
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If this is true, where there is one rat there are usually many, many others. Maybe putting out a few rat traps near the power lines would help protect the World from a Global disaster…any thought given to that idea?
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Gnaw, I just don't believe it – lol. Tepco are coming up with more and more of these ludicrous excuses. Of course the rat is dead – it's been breathing in all that high radiation with no protection suit on or face mask, hasn't it. We've seen dying animals before on cam and it was a terrible sight. Very distressing. These poor animals.
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Jelly fish are a problem for nuclear power plants, too.
There are stories of jelly fish clogging up cooling systems at nuclear power plants like the Ooi nuclear power plant in Japan; the Diablo Canyon plant in California, the St. Lucie npp in Florida; the Orot Rabin power station in Israel; the Torness power station in Scotland…
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Video of the dirty little rat before dining on the power cables
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WWWG3libBk
Looks like hes definately had too much cesium lately
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Then there was a cat that ate the rat..
Fukushima…where fairy tales are borne.
One rat can stop emergency cooling in at a nuclear power plant?
SHUT THEM ALL DOWN
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Here's a great idea on why they should all be shut down.
"Climate Silence, Nuclear Silence and Solar Silence: An Unholy Trinity"
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/12966-climate-silence-nuclear-silence-and-solar-silence-an-unholy-trinity
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Dear Heart of the Rose,
WHOOOHOOO!! Totally agree!!
Also have a day of good net access! Go Newsers!!
Aloha All.
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It's the modern day version of the La Brea Tar pits.
One animal is drawn in and gets stuck, then it is followed by scavengers who also get stuck in the deadly goo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Brea_Tar_Pits
I suspect the number of contaminated dead animals, such as rats, birds, fish and others, is a continual escalating problem.
Dead animals is yet another issue the Nuclear Industry would rather not talk about. It's the smelly, ugly face of death that will permeate Fukushima for a long time to come.
I see the large vultures circling the plant on a regular basis via the TEPCO web cam. They cannot resist the smell of death. Ultimately it will lead to the scavenger's contaminated demise too.
Circling Vulture observation: via fuku1long
Right at the start of the recording.
(2x speed. prepare to pause)
2013.03.17 08:00-09:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9iT3N2_k1U
Wherever that bird flies, which can be a long distance, wherever it poops and wherever it dies will 'most likely' become contaminated also. The transport vectors for the spread of radiation are numerous.
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> ‘Rat-like animal’
Sounds like a "BOFH Excuse".
ONE small animal can power-off
a multi-billion-$ power plant?
Nice design.
h.
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ONE small animal can power-off
a multi-billion-$ power plant?
lemmings are made of stern stuff!! imo its likely a norwegian lemmus lemmus, they get everywhere
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Eucalyptus or peppermint oil works against mice or rates. I've known people to use high-powered rifles as well.
Cluster bombs?
Hmmm..we'll get that dowty rat!
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[..mice or rats..]
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Yeah I blame Fukushima problems on "small(minded)beady-eyed,(2-legged)rat-like rodents too!!! Seems their favorite habitats are Big Nukes corporate offices and they are a most dangerous creature!
**
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+1000000
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There was a previous article about Fukushima being infested with rats. What I want to know is, are they REALLY rats? Are we sure that it is not just TEPCO people masquerading as who they really are?
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Great! Ha! Ha!
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A meltdown makes the surrounding land uninhabitable. Radiation causes mutations and “gigantism”. Anyone who services a meltdown of a nuclear plant becomes a member very quickly of the walking dead. As radioactive animals take over the land, the conventional energy needed to maintain cooling of the nuclear waste is disrupted causing even more huge radiation releases.
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its obviously a lemming left over by the norwegian Bellona team who resently reported on fukushima..
and bellona have just been targeted by the russians
Bellona’s office in St. Petersburg yesterday got a surprise look at how the Russian government plans to enforce its law requiring NGOs that receive foreign funding to register as “foreign agents” with an unannounced inspection from the general prosecutor and other authorities.
http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2013/bellona_ngo_raid
now call me suspicious.. though the bellona staff suspect they were going alphabetically??? …. ?????
reports on fukushima… then a raid by a pro nuke government.. hmmmm?????
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i think i smell a rat!
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TY, arclight,
I suspect humour is all that's left to us. Trying to educate psychopaths is like hitting your head against a brick wall. People can rationalize any action, even if it is self-destructive. We're working against people who are still acting out childhood traumas, who've never been able to grow beyond the 3 year old stage.
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Radiation has already dumbed down way too many people. Too bad they have the means and will to destroy the whole earth.
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Anne, your posts are SO helpful. Leuren Moret has done lots of research on the MANY ill effects of radiation. It's not just cancer at all. It is YES I.Q., plus a wealth of illnesses beside cancer. Even the explosion of diabetes. In Fukushima, all the way back last summer 60% of the children tested as diabetic. Then nothing more was heard of it. Then there was an article that people there are becoming obese, and they're sure it must be lack of exercise. It's way more sinister than that. It is also stunting the growth of children because of radiation in their thyroids and other hormonal systems. What has this species done to itself?
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Yes, and wonder how the voc's affect the brain. Some voc's are commonly used as industrial degreasers; the brain, being fat must be also be affected. So when our children are forced to sit through their school day, because their schools is in or adjacent to a fracked oil or gas field,- how is it affecting the their cognitive ability? What, for the love of money, has been done here?
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Mmmn … and all the wireless networks and radio freq's, microwave exposure they're getting. What is all of this (collectively) doing to the brains of the young and old?
I'm EMF sensitive and get sick when I'm within 0.2 miles of a microwave tower. Get a splitting headache. Had to get the smart (oops, I meant stupid) meter removed from my house so I could sleep and digest food normally. Not to mention the 12-14 hours of sleep which were required daily when the stupid meter was in place.
The children are being exposed to all kinds of nasty things. It doesn't help to have them sitting in classrooms getting their brains fried daily by the schools' wireless networks.
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Oh yes, and let's not forget the six year olds talking on their "smart" (stupid) phones. Fry those brains early, git 'em while they're younguns.
This is like a bad movie about eugenics run amock. Only we're living it.
Arrtgh, "Shut up you useless eater," he said.
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Did you ever notice they put the cell phone towers at the school grounds and kids sports parks? That way they fry them all day at school and after school. They also put the cell phone transmitters on the city water tanks and that destroys the structure of our water.
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The schools receive money for the use of their buildings and land. This is prohibited by some legislatures — California is one, British Columbia, and smaller schools districts. It is ironic that this state and province, who are protecting their citizens more than others, are now facing so much radiation from Fukushima, over which they have no control.
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They also put cell phone towers hidden in church steeples. I know this because I have seen them during roofing projects. Always wondered if the congregation were getting any detrimental exposure from them.
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Anne..There is no way to stop the will of demonic entities….
Why do these entities wish to destroy earth? Maybe they breathe methane? This is the Mein Kamph of the very very wealthy and their ambition to Control the world. Gone very very bad.
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Dear Anne,
Me thinks it's the right time to embrace me god-given 'hardheadedness'! After all …I'm in the best of comp'ny!!
Aloha ;D
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Yes the death of all life on Planet Earth is truly hilarious…..
No more funerals.All treated alike.For some so called humans no more existence anywhere including hell.Its like they will dissapear forever….
The source of our fate? Endless greed Endless Selfishness.Endless lies.Endless treason…So of course it will all end soon.
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For me, there is nothing funny about the situation itself. I meant the comment was funny. Not funny, ha, ha. But the funny of something like hysteria or helplessness. There don't seem to be many pro-nukers on this website anymore. But in a class and in a class I'm taking and a previous class, someone very intelligent (at least where physics is concerned) and very adroit with pro-nuke propaganda is arguing with me. He knows nothing about biology and, IMHO, has been brainwashed or is defending his career, having no other career possible or as lucrative. He only knows how to attack people, not their arguments. I've been answering his arguments for months in the way of information from internet sources. I doubt seriously he ever reads any of the links I post. I find him very sad because there is no way to change his mind. He seems to have technical knowledge about computers and physics, but very little rationality when it comes to facing reality. I only provide the information because there are so many hits on the topic, about 2,000 now. He just takes great delight in attacking anyone anti-nuke. This is very sad, as is mindless brain washing.
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Ann you deserve better from me.Im actually a very vengeful angry person who finds it incredulous that so much of humanity is either brain washed or brain dead.Its very sad when demonical greed and ignorance wins out and thats pretty much the last harah… Its only a matter of time.As the nyc Fugs use to sing:"Death is a coming in."
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Anne the problem is billionaire and zillionaire psychopaths….Their acting out the end of life on this planet.
What sustains me is that i know somehow that we are not alone and intelligent beings are endless all over the infinite Universes.Earth is not the only planet we have lived on and we will move on.
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Pastor to the elite was on a radio show called Coast to Coast, March 19, 2013, at 9 minutes. youtube has it. I have only listened to about 5 minutes of it. Sounds interesting.
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TY, for the information. I found the video, but don't have time to watch it right now, as I have a midterm for the physics class I'm taking for non-credit on edx.org.
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I'll try to watch it soon.
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Remember that radioactive rats were found in Fukushima back in May 2012.
(Rats with Cesium levels in the 3,100 becquerels range)
http://corium.blogspot.com/2012/05/radioactive-cesium-found-in-rats-near.html
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Can cockroaches survive as long as radioactive rats…Maybe they will be the new successors on planet earth?
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So there will be real actual RATS taking over the world? And we thought it was just people like Dick Cheney….
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You are TOO FUNNY.
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Rat has probably been dead for two years. Nothing will survive that area of Japan, and beyond, thanks to nuclear.
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Is this the latest in the race to build a better mouse trap? They blew me out of the water. Kill all life on the planet to smite the rat. I am surprised no one thought of this before.
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So they have mutated into zombie power plant eaters.
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I think this whole thing means that they have a new writer and he is probably Canadian.
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Chalk it up on the list of Tepco lies. Add it to the biggest lie of all…There are no meltdowns which they repeated daily for nearly three months.
The lies about spent fuel pond water levels. A lie so big the NRC head man was shown the exit door by Obama.
The radium bottle lies (multiple).
The radiation monitoring station lies (so many we can't get an accurate number).
The worker lies (no computer worker files, lead shields over dosimeters, workers sent away to die quietly).
The most horrible genocide lie of all.. The hundreds of thousands of children with thyroid cysts are fine, radiation did not cause it.
I would like to think Americans would not sit by so quietly if a US government made similar lies in the event we blow a big nuclear plant in America. We will see because if they keep running ancient nuclear plants in America it is almost certain we will experience a catastrophic nuclear accident in the next two decades.
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There's something to be said for living in California, after all. That is, if you're in Northern CA, and far away from Eureka, San Diego, Simi Valley, and shuttered plants like Rancho Stinko (near Sacramento).
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At least we have a chance of being upwind of most of the U.S. plants, should something blow. Not that I'd wish being downwind of a nuclear accident on ANYONE.
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Oh, I forgot the Diablo Canyon plant near San Luis Obispo. Its presence IMHO has ruined one of the most lovely places on earth.
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Two Decades, LOL
Ya gotta ask yourself, what if Fukushima had not happened.
What nuclear radiation generating plant in the US, was running on empty, before Fuku, and (no one?) knew it…
I'm looking for more to go down economically, but the cheap nuclear industry will not invest in the geriatric ones, closing soon anyways, still running at 100+ percent…
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… and the cold shutdown lies.
Fukushima is in cold shutdown, says Japanese prime minister
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/16/fukushima-cold-shutdown-japanese-pm1
[Justin McCurry in Tokyo
guardian.co.uk, Friday 16 December 2011 12.05 GMT]
I know, there are so many it's hard to keep track sometimes.
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Clearly, the Mouse That Roared is back. With a vengeance.
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The plant continues to be bathed in lots of radioactive steam.
I don't believe the problems have actually been resolved, although the color distortion is now less
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/i-dont-think-fukushimas-cooling.html
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