Published: June 18th, 2012 at 5:16 pm ET
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Jitters as Japan decides to restart nuclear reactors
Christian Science Monitor
Justin McCurry, Correspondent
June 18, 2012
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Mitsuhiko Watanabe of Toyo University in Tokyo is among those who believe the restart may have come too soon. He does not oppose nuclear power, but believes scientific evidence points to the possibility of “shattered zones” or active faults, beneath the Oi power plant. If his theory can be disproved, Professor Watanabe says he would have “no opposition to the resumption of the operation of the Oi nuclear power plant. However, at this stage,” he says, “I believe those who want to give the green light to the restart of these reactors should not offer indirect arguments, but rather should state clearly, ‘safety is not secured, but we are allowing restart for various other reasons.’”
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Published: June 18th, 2012 at 5:16 pm ET
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sending...
Thanks Doctor So and So:
I'm not against nuclear power either … only against increasing the background level of radioactivity, which nuclear plants can't help but do, even when operating "within their design basis."
Oh, and I'm against the manufacture of nuclear waste, which we seem to he=ave way too much of already, in precarious, low rent buildings with no containment, all over the place …
Oh, and I'm against governments propping up corrupt utilities and allowing these monopolies to hold sway, without which nuclear power would not and could not exist.
Oh, and I'm against releases of mutagens and teratogens by pathological liars ans dupes, who preach a false doctrine of necessity where none exists, for nuclear power is not clean, it is not carbon free, it is not safe. Period. Shut them all down, now! We can't afford not to.
Peace to the 'newsers.
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Help me to understand "safety is not secured, but we are allowing restart for various other reasons.” If safety is not assured then do not restart period. But, of course, safety is not the reason for the restart is it then? I totally concur with nedlifromvermont- nuclear power is not clean, not carbon free, and has the potential for horrible consequences, some of which are coming to fruition already in Japan. "Thank You sir, may I have another?"
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This is why the japanese government ignores the will of the majority of its people.
This is why the japanese government ignores safety and fast tracks the restarts.
This is why the japanese people are left to their irradiated selves.
It's all about the money for a nuclear addicted bankrupt nation.
Fukushima Watch: Moody’s Rates Restarts
Though Japan, the most indebted nation in the developed world, usually gets dirty looks from ratings agencies about its dire fiscal situation, the proposed restart of two nuclear reactors in western Japan has received a more positive score. Credit rater Moody’s Japan said Monday that bringing the two reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant back online is “encouraging.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/06/18/fukushima-watch-moody%E2%80%99s-rates-restarts/
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I think they are trying to prove a couple of points….
money is more important than life
humans can't learn from their mistakes (even more so if money is involved)
Suffering is secondary to the accumulation of money
Tomorrow doesn't matter if today brings in money
Japan can sink into the ocean but lets keep the reactors running we need energy for the mass evacuation
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Like an addictive drug, JUST SAY NO!
Shikoku reactor seen as next restart candidate
The No. 3 reactor at Shikoku Electric Power Co.'s Ikata nuclear power plant is considered a key candidate to be restarted after two reactors in Fukui Prefecture become the first to be brought back online since the nuclear crisis that began in March 2011, according to informed sources.
But the prospects for restarting more reactors remain unclear amid persistent public fears and distrust due to the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, which was crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T120618004518.htm
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of course, the 'JUST SAY NO' campaign probably didn't change anything by the way.
it was just a way to get some mileage out of Nancy Raygun.
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Fukushima Crisis Total Cost Up To $10 TRILLION Dollars; via A Green Road
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/06/fukushima-crisis-total-cost-up-to-10.html
TEPCO Controls Mass Media, But Loses ALL Nuclear Plant Insurance Coverage; Via A Green Road
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/03/tepco-loses-insurance-coverage-for-all.html
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Tepco officially admitted they don’t need nuclear power
By using pumped-storage power generation and steam-power generation ,next summer they can supply more than 57 million kilowatts, which is the maximum supply capacity of this summer. This year, we did not run out of power. 57 million kilowatts is even OVER supply.
http://fukushima-diary.com/2011/11/tepco-officially-admitted-they-dont-need-nuclear-power/
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Gov’t withheld estimates showing electricity surplus to boost nuclear power
The recalculation found that the country would have a surplus power supply of up to 6 percent even without a government order for power restrictions if renewable energy supply and other elements were factored in. The recalculated data was compiled in August last year and was reported to Prime Minister Kan, but it was never released to the public.
Hisashi Kajiyama, research fellow at the Fujitsu Research Institute, who was a member of the team assisting Kan and took part in the recalculation of the estimate, said the initial estimate was biased. "The (released) estimate is based on the extreme presumption that was drawn from claims by utilities. The figures in the estimate led to politicians' remarks approving the restarting of nuclear plants.
http://www.eco-business.com/news/govt-withheld-estimates-showing-electricity-surplus-to-boost-nuclear-power-critics/
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in all fairness, 6% is not a surplus when considering power needs. That could be comsumed just by usual electrical tolerance standards (which can be 5 to 10%).
in my opinion, a threshold of 15% is worthy of consideration as a surplus.
i've read that nukes were providing 30% of needs. That seems high.
but as I read about new lighting technology (ie, LED lighting) that can reduce lighting power requirements by something like 70%, I tend to think the load needs to change, not the supply.
Become more efficient (LEDs) and become more diligent (turn the friggin light off when you're done). Stay a degree colder or warmer (ie, change thermostat settings). Turn OFF that stupid television. Leave it off.
Get rid of CRT screens and replace them with LED screens. Big power shift there.
Anyway, the point is so much can be done, in simple terms, to become more efficient.
Even if you can't be efficient, stop being so indulgent, because the gluttony today is at the cost of the future generations' survival.
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I was searching for this article to add to that.
Japanese increase surplus solar energy by 50%
The country cracked down on inefficiency as a matter of course and as a whole, exceeded national energy conservation mandates. And now, another trend is emerging from the island nation: according to Reuters, owners of small solar panel installations sold 50 percent more power back to their utilities in 2011 than in the previous year.
This segment of the population–homeowners and small businesses with small solar panel systems–took advantage of a government feed-in tariff scheme that requires Japan’s 10 regional power companies to purchase surplus solar power. In 2011, over 2,150 gigawatt hours were sold to the utilities in this way, equally a total of $1.2 billion spent on solar power. Comparatively, only 1,400 gigawatt hours of surplus solar energy were purchased in 2010.
http://www.atissun.com/blog/6366/japanese-increase-surplus-solar-energy-by-50/
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Richard, just read about cutting energy use, I just took a shower in the dark, it seems I can find all my body parts without light, hair is so short doesn't need combing, and as it has been between 98 and 108 for the last 3 weeks the "cold" water comes out at about 86F so it was a "cold" shower. My A/C is set at 85 now, in winter the furnace is set to 62. My energy bills are less than one-fifth of my mothers bills in simular houses in same neighborhood. If everybody made small changes, it would add up to huge amounts on a global scale.
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Nice work Sharp. It doesn't tale much to make some saving at home.
The work place can be pretty bad.. but improving, particularly with building management systems and 'follow me' lighting that only illuminates 'in use' areas.
heavy industry is the tough nut to crack. they do need the big base load. but i've seen factories/warehouses where lighting bills have been halved using new technology and computer management.
thanks for your great examples. but i'm not cutting my hair
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Under Japanese law[159] the operator is liable for nuclear damage regardless of culpability except in cases of exceptionally grave natural disasters and insurrection. Government spokesman Edano said this exception would be "impossible under current social circumstances".[160]
Reactor operation is prohibited unless the operator concludes a private contract of liability insurance as well as an indemnity agreement with the government for damage not covered by private insurance. An amount of coverage of 120 billion yen per installation is required.[161] The Japan Atomic Energy Insurance Pool does not cover damage caused by earthquakes and tsunamis.[162] If damage exceeds the amount of coverage, the government may give the operator the aid required to compensate the damage, if authorized by the Japanese Diet.[163] On 13 April, the government considered a plan to limit TEPCO's liability to approximately 3.8 trillion yen (US$45 billion).[164]
the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund
On 21 October the president of TEPCO Toshio Nishizawa said that his company hoped to avoid capital injections from the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund, a foundation of the Japanese government. TEPCO would need financial aid from this fund to be able to pay the huge compensation payments due to the nuclear disaster at its Fukushima nuclear power plants. At a press-conference in Tokyo Nishizawa made the following remarks:
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"We would like to properly conduct compensation by receiving …*financial assistance*..(the Japanese will have to pay for their own compensation), while also taking rationalization measures to turn around management and keep on going as a private company, I think it's the best option for all to avoid capital injection as much as possible."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_reaction_to_Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster
~So we see that the company does not need to worry about paying compensation…it gets the money for compensation from the taxpayers themselves…. This is the reason that they have no concerns about any faults under the reactors.~
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deplorable. i'm not permitted to say what i really think and want to have happen to tepco management. they are an abomination.
and the japanese government are just as complicit. and yakuza holds a knife to everyone's throat.
such a disgusting little world they have created. corruption and deciet. the people have been played for fools.
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Richard sometimes I type furiously away in a word document….& then delete it all..I too have soo very much I want to say.
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@MH – yes, i hear you on that.
I too have many unpublished comments. Sometimes I write something, then have second thoughts about relevance – or I end up censoring myself (applying enenews protocols).
but I have learnt to tone down my style, i realised I can sound too militant (which I'm not).
i think enenews has done a good job of avoiding too much agro (yes, I've been told to pull my head in
).
it could distance people from the site if it was all outrageous anarchism. (not saying that's a bad thing, just no appealling to a wider audience).
Having said all that, I have made assumptions about what you dumped into the virtual bin. Maybe you have a different angle?
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The ONLY answer for the people of Japan is a revolution.
When a democratic government ignores the will of the majority it ceases to be a democracy and becomes a dictatorship. The only way to remove a dictatorship is with a revolution.
Japanese government ready to move past public concern after decision to restart idled nuclear reactors
A poll published last week by the Washington-based Pew Research Center showed 70% of Japanese surveyed wanted nuclear power reduced or eliminated.
Noda’s “under intense political pressure from the banks and the utilities” who want reactors restarted, said Andrew DeWit, a professor at Tokyo’s Rikkyo University who focuses on energy policy. “They want to get those income streams back in operation.”
Japanese news reports claim the No. 3 reactor at Shikoku Electric Power Co.’s Ikata nuclear plant is seen as a key candidate reactor to be restarted next. Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura has already begun stressing the importance of restarting the No. 3 reactor of the Ikata station.
http://enformable.com/2012/06/japanese-government-ready-to-move-past-public-concern-after-decision-to-restart-idled-nuclear-reactors/
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