Friday, August 31, 2012

Great Story on How Corporations Manipulate the Internet

Might Fukushima Explain the Rapid Recent Decline in Arctic Ice and the Rapidly Expanding Hole Over the Arctic





Depletion of the ozone layer over the Arctic and the melting ice in the region are not new phenomena. However, over the last two years these problems have rapidly and substantially worsened. 

I wonder whether the heat and excess gamma radiation in the atmosphere from the decay of radioactive isotopes from Fukushima is responsible?

Fukushima radiation is moving around the globe on the jet stream and people who have been using their radiation detectors to assess fallout have found a general increase in background radiation, especially on the US west coast and in the Rockies.

Let me provide documentation for the worsening of the ozone hole and melting of the Arctic ice, as well as some supporting evidence for the possibility that Fukushima is contributing to these unfortunate changes for humans.

I'll also examine what scientists had to say about the effects of a limited nuclear war on global food production and the ozone level in February of 2011.

ARCTIC ICE DEATH SPIRAL

Why the Arctic Sea Ice Death Spiral Matters By Joe Romm, ThinkProgress  27 August 12
http://www.readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/13145-why-the-arctic-sea-ice-death-spiral-matters

[Excerpt] In the past week the Arctic sea ice cover reached an all-time low, several weeks before previous records, several weeks before the end of the melting season. The long-term decline of Arctic sea ice has been incredibly fast, and at this point a sudden reversal of events doesn't seem likely. The question no longer seems to be "will we see an ice-free Arctic?" but "how soon will we see it?". 

ARCTIC OZONE HOLE BREAKS RECORD

In October 2011 the New Scientist announced "Arctic Ozone Hole Breaks All Records"
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20988-arctic-ozone-hole-breaks-all-records.html

The New Scientist was covering research published in Nature: Unprecedented Arctic ozone loss in 2011. Nature 478,469–475(27 October 2011) doi:10.1038/nature10556
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v478/n7370/full/nature10556.html

Abstract: Chemical ozone destruction occurs over both polar regions in local winter–spring. In the Antarctic, essentially complete removal of lower-stratospheric ozone currently results in an ozone hole every year, whereas in the Arctic, ozone loss is highly variable and has until now been much more limited. Here we demonstrate that chemical ozone destruction over the Arctic in early 2011 was—for the first time in the observational record—comparable to that in the Antarctic ozone hole. Unusually long-lasting cold conditions in the Arctic lower stratosphere led to persistent enhancement in ozone-destroying forms of chlorine and to unprecedented ozone loss, which exceeded 80 per cent over 18–20 kilometres altitude. Our results show that Arctic ozone holes are possible even with temperatures much milder than those in the Antarctic. We cannot at present predict when such severe Arctic ozone depletion may be matched or exceeded.

Majia here: Once has to wonder whether this UNPRECEDENTED hole was caused by Fukushima's UNPRECEDENTED release of radiation.... 

EVIDENCE OF FUKUSHIMA FALLOUT

Here is a summary of US based research on Fukushima Fallout I've compiled: http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/summary-of-us-based-research-on.html

Two sample studies' findings:

XENON-133 WAS DETECTED AT 450,000X BACKGROUND IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST MAR/APRIL 2011
US Particulate and Xenon Measurements Made Following the Fukushima Reactor Accident
1 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
2 The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Justin McIntyre1, Steve Biegalski2, Ted Bowyer1, Matt Copper1, Paul
Eslinger1, Jim Hayes1, Derek Haas1, Harry Miley1, J.P. Rishel1, Vincent
Woods1 http://www.batan.go.id/inge2011/file/day1/1650_mcintyre.pdf

Radioxenon levels were 40,000X Average Concentration In Pacific Northwest in Week Following Accident. Bowyer, T. W. et al. (2011). Elevated Radioxenon Detected Remotely Following the Fukushima Nuclear Accident. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 102, 681-687


COULD FUKUSHIMA FALLOUT AFFECT CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS?
 
Previously I posted speculation on a possible relationship between this year's drought in the midwest and Fukushima http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/drought-and-nuclear-testsaccidents.html  

The post looked at scientific linkages that were posited in the past between nuclear testing and drought:

"Earthquakes and Nuclear Testing" by Dr. Gary Whiteford. Paper presented to the Second International Conference on the United Nations and World Peace, Seattle, Washington,
14 April 1989
http://www.orgonelab.org/UnusualNuclearEffects.pdf

[excerpt from the article on a previous study]:
The Spring 1992 issue of Journal of Orgonomy (1) carried a paper by James DeMeo describing research undertaken in 1990-1991 on the California drought, with a "Special Note on Underground Nuclear Testing and the Oakland Wildfires" that bears repeating here:

Weather Response to Nuclear Testing: In prior articles, I discussed a possible connection between underground nuclear bomb testing in Nevada to weather changes in the Western US.(2) A graph was published showing changes in 500 mb pressure over Nevada and Montana in 1990, with a generalized association with nuclear tests. Nuclear testing appeared to have increased atmospheric pressure in the upper atmosphere, a possible factor in the expansion of high-pressure drought conditions in the West. [end excerpt]

Majia here: Also of interest is Ernest Bondietti's "Effects on Agriculture" published by Springer in 1982 on behalf of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which examines the effects of radiation on crops.

Majia here: There is evidence that suggests that the decay of radioactive isotopes in the atmosphere may impact atmospheric conditions, producing warming conditions.

There is also evidence that radiation contamination in the atmosphere could adversely impact the planet's ozone level:

Limited Nuclear War Could Deplete Ozone Layer, Increasing Radiation Feb 24, 2011 Chris Schneidmiller
http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/limited-nuclear-war-could-deplete-ozone-layer-increasing-radiation/
[Excerpted] -- A nuclear conflict involving as few as 100 weapons could produce long-term damage to the ozone layer, enabling higher than "extreme" levels of ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth's surface, new research indicates (see GSN, March 16, 2010).

“A regional nuclear exchange of 100 15-kiloton weapons … would produce unprecedented low-ozone columns over populated areas in conjunction with the coldest surface temperatures experienced in the last 1,000 years, and would likely result in a global nuclear famine,” according to a presentation delivered on Friday at a major science conference in Washington.

MAJIA HERE: As few as 100 weapons could cause long term damage to the ozone causing "global nuclear famine"?

Uh oh!!!!!

Professor Hiroaki Koide, Nuclear Reactor Specialist and Assistant Professor at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute also spoke at the conference.[i] 

Prof. Koide discussed the amount of radiation released in March of 2011 and discussed the status of the reactors at the plant. He stated that the Japanese government report submitted to the IAEA quantified the radiation released by the explosions of March 2011 at 15,000 terabecquerels of cesium-137 alone. This figure did not include other radionuclides, nor did it include cesium released of radionuclides into the ocean. Yet, it amounted to 170 times the amount of cesium-137 released by the Hiroshima explosion (Hiroshima was 89 terabecquerels of cesium-137). 

See also: Asahi: Radioactive cesium spread 600 km in waters off Fukushima
"...scientists said, in amounts that reached 100 times pre-accident levels."

Majia here: And Fukushima Emissions have been continuous since the explosion!!! (see http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/lies-lies-and-more-lies.html)

And the US is experiencing a terrible drought in the Midwest that is destroying soy, corn and wheat crops.http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/us-corn-and-soy-crops-at-risk.html

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT FUKUSHIMA MAY BE ALTERING THE CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS IN WAYS THAT WILL HAVE DIRECT ADVERSE IMPACTS ON FOOD PRODUCTION

Let us hope I am wrong.


FUKUSHIMA ANOMALIES?

King Salmon Missing
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/wsj-alaska-missing-its-king-salmon.html
 
There is reason to suspect that fallout from Fukushima contributed to the unmanageable wildfires in the west in the summer of 2011 and 2012 http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/radiation-fallout-from-fukushima-and-us.html

Speculation on Hermit Crabs in San Diego
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/speculation.html

Cockroaches MIA
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/more-on-missing-cockroaches.html



Low Wages in the US Signal Devolving Neofuedal Econom


Two articles examining low wages in the US:

Squeezed Workers Cloud Growth by Justin Lahart Aug 30, 2012 Wall Street Journal p. C10

"Compensation in the second quarter accounted for 55% of gross domestic income (a GDP equivalent that is the sum of US profits, wages and other sources of income). That was close to the 60-year low and compares with an average of 57.2% in the 1990s and 59.1% in the 1970s.

As compensation's share of the economy has fallen, the share going toward corporate profits, rental incomes, divideds and the like has risen."

 
Majority of New Jobs Pay Low Wages, Study Finds. By Catherine Rampell The New York Times Aug 31, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/31/business/majority-of-new-jobs-pay-low-wages-study-finds.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120831

[Excerpted] "While a majority of jobs lost during the downturn were in the middle range of wages, a majority of those added during the recovery have been low paying, according to a new report from the National Employment Law Project.

The disappearance of midwage, midskill jobs is part of a longer-term trend that some refer to as a hollowing out of the work force, though it has probably been accelerated by government layoffs....

The report looked at 366 occupations tracked by the Labor Department and clumped them into three equal groups by wage...
 
Lower-wage occupations, with median hourly wages of $7.69 to $13.83, accounted for 21 percent of job losses during the retraction. Since employment started expanding, they have accounted for 58 percent of all job growth.

The occupations with the fastest growth were retail sales (at a median wage of $10.97 an hour) and food preparation workers ($9.04 an hour). Each category has grown by more than 300,000 workers since June 2009.....

Majia here: Declining wages and opportunities are ushering in a new economic order that has been aptly termed "neo-feudal" by observers such as Michael Hudson and Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert.

As with feudalism, most (global) resources are controlled by a few wealthy individuals and corporations. People working for those wealthy individuals/corporations benefit from their feudal allegiances, unless they represent the serf-like workers that populate the bottom levels of the pyramid.

More and more people are simply "dispossessed" and have no access to jobs that pay living wages. In the developing world these individuals face starvation. 

In the US, these individuals attempt to hobble together wages through part-time employment and, when all assets are gone, depend upon federal aid in the form of food stamps and welfare.

Welcome to the New World Order.


Relevant Posts

 

Wage Divide Grows (2012)

Young Adults See Pay Decline
 
New Job Growth is Poor Job Growth (2011)

Economic Stability and Wage Equity (2010)

Wages Collapsing (2010)


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Lies, Lies, and More Lies


Majia here: The nuclear industry is unbelievably deceitful and the IAEA is populated by liars, as is Japan's NISA. Please read the evidence upon which I base these strong accusations:


Nuclear Safety Standards Conference: There's 'Much More To Be Done', IAEA Chief Urges Fredrik Dahl http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/nuclear-safety-standards_n_1832587.html
 
[Excerpted] VIENNA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Improving global nuclear safety after last year's Fukushima disaster must remain an urgent concern, despite improvements already made, the U.N. atomic agency chief said on Monday.

"Much work remains to be done and we must not relax our guard," said Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, at the start of an IAEA-hosted conference aimed at enhancing international standards to prevent any repeat of Japan's reactor meltdowns....


Amano said "significant progress has been made in several key areas" after the adoption of an IAEA safety action plan last year, including assessments of safety vulnerabilities of nuclear power plants and improvements in emergency preparedness....
 

Some nations criticised the IAEA plan, approved six months after the Fukushima accident, for recommending voluntary steps instead of mandatory measures.

A senior Japanese official, Shinichi Kuroki, later briefed the conference about conditions at Fukushima, saying the reactors were stable but that decommissioning posed challenges.


Fukushima "is not in a position where we expect any further accidents," said Kuroki, deputy director general of Japan's nuclear and industry safety agency, NISA...

The reactors are "being cooled off in a stable manner" and there is "containment of further radioactivity emitted", he added. [end excerpt]

Majia here: I AM REALLY SICK OF THE LIES.

I've been watching the plant for the last few days and emissions are nearly continuous.http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/f1-np/camera/index-j.html

I've posted links to video clips from the camcorders at the plant that document ongoing emissions.

Experts have acknowledged the ongoing nature of emissions.

Keep in mind what Nuclear Professor Hiroaki Koide said publicly recently about emissions:

Atomic Age Symposium II: Fukushima, May 5, 2012 – Session III Roundtable (August 22, 2012) Published by: University of Chicago At 9:00 in Hiroaki Koide, nuclear reactor specialist and Assistant Professor at Kyoto University’s Nuclear Research Institute: 

[Excerpted] I think you saw some pictures of the Fukushima power plants today, and what you saw there is that it’s got huge stacks, smoke stacks, and there’s stuff coming out of that, and that there’s radiation coming out of that on a daily basis.

There’s also radioactive material in fluid form coming out from the water that is released in trying to keep the radioactive material cool.

Hat Tip Enenews Japan Nuclear Professor: Fukushima smoke stacks releasing radiation on a daily basis (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/japan-nuclear-professor-radiation-released-smoke-stacks-fukushima-plant-daily-basis-video

 
Majia here: Also keep in mind that Tepco admitted to millions of becquerels of radiation being released hourly:

NHK documentary Fukushima Daiichi Radiation: March to Recovery; Voices From 3/11 published August 12, 2012
According to Tepco’s estimates in June 2012, the plant continues to emit 10 million becquerels per hour 

Majia here: And this morning Kyodo is reporting problem at the reactors:

Fukushima reactors briefly did not get enough coolant water: TEPCO. August 30, 2012 Kyodo:
 http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2012/08/179513.html

[Excerpted] The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said Thursday that the amount of water injected into the crippled Nos. 1 to 3 reactors temporarily dropped below the level regarded as necessary to keep the fuel inside cool.
Hat tip: Enenews: http://enenews.com/kyodo-sharp-drop-in-water-at-fukushima-reactors-no-1-3-below-level-regarded-as-necessary-to-keep-fuel-inside-cool


Majia here: Although Tepco is reporting that water levels are now back at a "safe" level, the sheer volume of radioactive steam emissions indicate that keeping pieces of melted corium still in the building cool is an ongoing challenge.

Many observers have suggested that much of the steam is coming from parts of melted corium that have melted below the plant into the ground water.

See Enenews: Japan Nuclear Expert: Melted fuel may have gone through cement floor and into ground under Fukushima reactors — I don’t believe Tepco’s claim for one second — Where in the world is it? (VIDEO)
http://enenews.com/japan-nuclear-expert-melted-fuel-gone-cement-floor-leaked-ground-fukushima-reactors-dont-believe-tepcos-calculations-one-second-world-video
"The problem right now is not figuring out what the cause of the explosion [at Unit 3] is, but where in the world is the melted nuclear material that is in the plant right now?"

Atmospheric, ocean and ground-water contamination are ONGOING and there appears to be no resolution in site.

The ongoing nature of atmospheric, ocean, and ground-water contamination have led some to ask whether Fukushima constitutes an ELE. I've addressed this question here:
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/is-fukushima-and-ele.html






Nuclear Plants Operating on Earthquake Faults in Japan Magically Immune from ALL Harm


Utilities say 2 nuke plants can withstand quakes triggered by multiple active faults August 29 Mainichi http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120829p2a00m0na006000c.html

[Excerpted] Shikoku Electric Power Co. and Hokuriku Electric Power Co. told the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) on Aug. 28 that the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant in Ehime Prefecture and the Shika Nuclear Power Plant in Ishikawa Prefecture can withstand earthquakes triggered by multiple active faults moving closely together.

The two power companies reported to a NISA expert panel that nuclear reactors and other key facilities at the two nuclear power stations would have no safety problems even if they are struck by earthquakes triggered by multiple active faults moving together. There was no objection to their arguments at the meeting, and therefore NISA is expected to endorse the reports.

At the expert panel meeting, Chugoku Electric Power Co. and Hokkaido Electric Power Co. also reported that the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant in Shimane Prefecture and the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant in Hokkaido would have "no problems" if they were struck by earthquakes under similar conditions. NISA is set to discuss whether their reports are credible.

[end excerpt]

Majia here: Apparently TEPCO is now evaluating potential impact of active faults on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture.

Blogger Ex-SKF reported on this yesterday:


[Excerpted] Totally, absolutely in line with Prime Minister Noda's intention of seeking the "fourth way" for the future energy policy on reliance on nuclear power, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (which is still the one and only regulatory agency over the nuclear industry in Japan) is now considering installing a new safety standard:

You can continue to operate a nuclear reactor even if the reactor happens to sit on top of an active fault, as long as the expected size of dislocation is small enough.

Majia here: I think a good antidote to this upsetting development is the following polemic:

The Nuclear Mafia Derails Democracy in Japan August 28, 2012
http://theintelhub.com/2012/08/28/the-nuclear-mafia-derails-democracy-in-japan/ 



Wednesday, August 29, 2012

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ANCIENT RIGHTS VIOLATED


Majia here: We are seeing the breakdown of liberal rights of personhood, the foundation for western democracy. 

The most recent assault comes in the form of "administrative subpoenas" threatening 4th Amendment protections. This follows closely assaults by the National Defense Authorization Act infringements on due process, habeas corpus, free speech and freedom of association. 

What follows are excerpts addressing the most recent assault on the 4th Amendment and a follow up on efforts to block the National Defense Authorization Act:

We Don’t Need No Stinking Warrant: The Disturbing, Unchecked Rise of the Administrative Subpoena in Wired by David Kravets http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/administrative-subpoenas/

[Excerpted] By law, utilities must hand over customer records — which include any billing and payment information, phone numbers and power consumption data — to the DEA without court warrants if drug agents believe the data is “relevant” to an investigation. So the utility eventually complied, after losing a legal fight earlier this month.

Meet the administrative subpoena (.pdf): With a federal official’s signature, banks, hospitals, bookstores, telecommunications companies and even utilities and internet service providers — virtually all businesses — are required to hand over sensitive data on individuals or corporations, as long as a government agent declares the information is relevant to an investigation. Via a wide range of laws, Congress has authorized the government to bypass the Fourth Amendment — the constitutional guard against unreasonable searches and seizures that requires a probable-cause warrant signed by a judge.

In fact, there are roughly 335 federal statutes on the books (.pdf) passed by Congress giving dozens upon dozens of federal agencies the power of the administrative subpoena, according to interviews and government reports. (.pdf)

MAJIA HERE: NOW LET'S TURN TO THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT.

THIS ACT WAS FLAGGED IMMEDIATELY BY THE ACLU.



ACLU LETTER to Patrick Leahy Chairman of the Commission on the Judiciary Regarding Sections 1031, 1032, 1036 (A Must Read)
http://www.aclu.org/files/assets/aclu_letter_to_sjc_on_ndaa.pdf

Here is a brief excerpt from the letter which explains what the sections enable:

(1) authorize the federal government to indefinitely imprison without charge or trial civilians—including American citizens—apprehended both inside and outside the United States, including individuals who had no role in the 9/11 attacks or any actual hostilities (the bill would mark the first time since 1950 that Congress explicitly authorizes the indefinite detention without charge or trial of American citizens);

(2) mandate military detention of some civilians who would otherwise be outside of military control, including civilian suspects apprehended within the United States itself; and

(3) transfer to the Department of Defense core prosecutorial, investigative, law enforcement, penal, and custodial authority and....

MAJIA HERE: THERE GOES HABEAS CORUPS AND DUE PROCESS

MAY 2011 CHRIS HEDGES AND OTHER PLAINTIFFS ATTEMPT TO BLOCK THE ACT

May 17, 2012 Journalist, Plaintiff Chris Hedges Hails "Monumental" Ruling Blocking NDAA Indefinite Detention
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/5/17/journalist_plaintiff_chris_hedges_hails_monumental

[Excerpted] In a rare move, a federal judge has struck down part of a controversial law signed by President Obama that gave the government the power to indefinitely detain anyone it considers a terrorism suspect anywhere in the world without charge or trial — including U.S. citizens. Judge Katherine Forrest of the Southern District of New York ruled the indefinite detention provision of the National Defense Authorization Act likely violates the First and Fifth Amendments of U.S. citizens. 

We speak with Chris Hedges, a journalist who filed the suit challenging the NDAA along with six others, and Bruce Afran, the group’s attorney. "This is another window into ... the steady assault against civil liberties," Hedges says. "What makes [the ruling] so monumental is that, finally, we have a federal judge who stands up for the rule of law."


EXPLANATION OF THE INJUNCTION

Nick Pinto NDAA Suit Argued In Federal Court Yesterday" Village Voice Aug 8 2012 http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/08/ndaa_suit_argue.php


[Excerpted] In his complaint, Hedges argued that the law violated First Amendment protections of speech and association, constitutional guarantees for citizens' access to a civil court system, and Fifth-Amendment due process guarantees.

Judge Katherine Forrest agreed. In a 68-page May ruling, Forrest granted a preliminary injunction blocking the challenged provisions of the act.

"There is a strong public interest in protecting rights guaranteed by the First Amendment," Forrest wrote in granting the temporary injunction. "There is also a strong public interest in ensuring that due process rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment are protected by ensuring that ordinary citizens are able to understand the scope of conduct that could subject them to indefinite military detention."

....Forrest closed the hearing with a promise that she had not yet made her mind up, Hedges and his lawyers said her earlier ruling on the temporary injunction and her close questioning of Torrance gave them cause for optimism.

Perhaps sensing which way the wind is blowing with Judge Forrest, the Obama administration has already filed an appeal in higher court. [end excerpt]

AUGUST 2012 OBAMA ADMINISTRATION APPEALS TEMPORARY INJUNCTION OF ACT 

Chris Hedges Criminalizing Dissent: August 2012 http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/criminalizing_dissent_20120813/


[Excerpted] Barack Obama’s administration has appealed Judge Forrest’s temporary injunction and would certainly appeal a permanent injunction. It is a stunning admission by this president that he will do nothing to protect our constitutional rights. The administration’s added failure to restore habeas corpus, its use of the Espionage Act six times to silence government whistle-blowers, its support of the FISA Amendment Act—which permits warrantless wiretapping, monitoring and eavesdropping on U.S. citizens—and its ordering of the assassination of U.S. citizens under the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force, or AUMF, is a signal that for all his rhetoric, Obama, like his Republican rivals, is determined to remove every impediment to the unchecked power of the security and surveillance state. I and the six other plaintiffs, who include reporters, professors and activists, will most likely have to continue this fight in an appellate court and perhaps the Supreme Court.


MAJIA HERE: SEE A PATTERN? Our CIVIL LIBERTIES are being ERODED.

See my post "A Perfect Storm Brewing" for why I think this is happening http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/perfect-storm-brewing.html




Wikipedia is a good source of background on the act:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2012 

More Emissions

Fukushima Radiation Emissions and Disturbances August 29 2012


Series of Disturbing Images from Fukushima Dated 8/29/2012

These links were posted by individuals at Enenews including Wotcha, Wideawake, and ChasAha

Wideawake:
These surreal screenshots from last 30 mins from tbs/jnn cam (approx 18.30jst) …hoping its just a cam freak.. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/77637499/aug29%2018.27%20cam%20fuk.PNG https://dl.dropbox.com/u/77637499/aug29%2018.30jst%20camf.PNG https://dl.dropbox.com/u/77637499/aug29%2018.33jst%20cam%20f.PNG

Just paused and captured.. after blue screen shot I missed what was showing until at 21.30 then caught this shot https://dl.dropbox.com/u/77637499/aug29%2021.30jst%20cam%20fr.PNG ..taken just before what we are seeing now.


ChasAha
Seeing Rainbow Cloud Emissions (?) at the base of R3.
at :07 seconds in and a big one at :57 seconds in.
fuku1long (2x)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBF5Mvw4yls&feature=BFa&list=UUuoE4ixZbEN75entP-kHtiQ



Wotcha
Yep, lots of flashing at base of R3 – looking very 'feisty'.:
2012.08.29 20:00-21:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i294cheGVFA&feature=plcp




Bank Earnings Up But Remain Troubled



Banks’ earnings up as more borrowers repay loans. Aug 28, 2012 The Washington Post by D. Douglas http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/banks-earnings-up-as-more-borrowers-repay-loans/2012/08/28/6758cfa8-f125-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines_nonlocal

[Excerpted] "the volume of problem loans remains well above normal levels...

Most of the profits seen in the second quarter came from reducing emergency funds set aside for loan losses, not from increased revenues. Banks set aside 26 percent less money to cover future losses on loans....

...Credit card balances rose by $14.7 billion, while residential mortgages grew by $16.6 billion — less than 1 percent from the same period a year ago.

...“Levels of troubled assets and troubled institutions remain high, but they are continuing to improve,” FDIC Acting Chairman Martin Gruenberg said at a news conference on the report....

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Alert: Fukushima Rice Is Going to Be Checked With Radiation Detectors


Fukushima prefecture plans on checking for radiation contamination in their rice with radiation detectors. However, food and water require laboratory analysis to detect radioisotopes.

Radiation detectors are insufficient for checking food or water for their safety. See this article in Bloomberg dated 4/2011

Geiger Counters Unlikely to Detect Radiation in Food, Water http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-12/geiger-counters-to-find-radiation-in-meals-may-be-meaningless-.html

[Excerpted] Geiger counters are probably ineffective for consumers in detecting hazardous levels of radiation in food and water at home, scientists, professors and device makers said.
Large samples should be tested in laboratory-like settings to obtain results, said Joseph Rotunda, who heads the radiation measurement division at toolmaker Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Determining whether food, water or milk is safe also requires expert knowledge and more sophisticated equipment than the typical devices sold online, said Atsushi Katayama, a member of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.


Majia here: Radiation detectors may detect very, very highly contaminated food, but are insufficient for detecting most levels of contamination likely to occur.

So why is Fukushima Prefecture planning on checking the safety of Fukushima rice with radiation detectors?

Fukushima rice put on sale after radiation test. NHK 8/28/2012 http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120828_26.html

[Excerpted] This year's first rice harvest from Fukushima Prefecture has gone on sale after clearing radiation checks.

Radioactivity levels exceeding the government standard were detected in rice harvested in the prefecture last year following the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

The prefecture is conducting mandatory tests on all rice before shipment this year....

...Fukushima prefecture plans to use 192 radiation detectors to check all 360,000 tons of rice that will be harvested this season....



Bee Colony Collapse and Dangerous Pesticides Approved by the EPA


Below find two stories about a type of pesticide now known to cause harm to bees. 

The first story was published recently in the wake of scientific research clearly linking the pesticide at issue with health effects for mammals and bees.

The second story was published in 2010 and concerned a Wikileaks release of an EPA report documenting the EPA knew the pesticide class at issue had risks for bees and other beings.

What is frustrating here is that two years later NOTHING has been done in the US to get this dangerous chemical class off the market. Meanwhile bee colony collapse continues unabated.

Our government is corrupt and will not look out for the common good so long as we are apathetic.

It's Time to Ban Dangerous Neonicotinoid Pesticides By Shelley Stonebrook, Mother Earth News 28 August 12

[excerpted] Germany, France and Italy have banned a class of potent pesticides called "neonicotinoids." This class of pesticides includes imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Evidence linking these neonicotinoid pesticides to the honeybee decline known as colony collapse disorder has been mounting. Now, new research suggests residues could be harmful to humans, yet these poisons are still in widespread use across the United States.


Named for their chemical structure, which is similar to that of nicotine, neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides, meaning they're in every part of a plant. Generally, seeds are coated in the pesticide before they're planted, and, as a plant develops, the chemicals move into the leaves, roots, pollen, nectar, and even the food products eventually made from the crop. If insects feed on any part of the plant - even water droplets released by plant leaves - the pesticide, a neurotoxin, kills them. In the case of honeybees, if the amount of pesticide ingested isn't strong enough to kill them, it can still cause impaired communication, disorientation, decreased life span, suppressed immunity and disruption of brood cycles.
 

Not only are neonicotinoid pesticides systemic, they're also extraordinarily persistent. Research shows these pesticides can persist in the soil for more than a decade! Neonicotinoids are widely used on corn, soy, canola, sugar beets, wheat, ornamentals and more. Some sources note that it's difficult for farmers to find corn seed that hasn't been treated with one of these insecticides. As industrial farmers use these potent pesticides year after year on the same land, it's creating an ever more toxic environment.  

Neonicotinoid pesticides, produced by chemical giant Bayer, should have never been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One of the most commonly used neonicotinoids, clothianidin, went on the market in 2003 after being granted a "conditional registration" from the EPA. 

This is code for saying the EPA will allow the pesticide's use even though there's not enough evidence to show that it passes safety standards - a practice that, shockingly, occurs for about 70 percent of the active ingredients in pesticides that go through the review process. Leaked memos written by EPA scientists stated that what studies Bayer did submit were poorly run, and the scientists openly admitted that neonicotinoids pose harm to honeybees.  

A new study from Harvard University scientists concludes that neonicotinoids are likely the primary cause of colony collapse disorder. According to lead researcher Chensheng Lu, "It apparently doesn't take much of the pesticide to affect the bees. Our experiment included pesticide amounts below what is normally present in the environment."

Numerous studies have shown that these pesticides are killing bees and many other non-target insects, and research now suggests danger for us, too. A 2004 German study tested samples of fruits and vegetables and found that 12 percent contained neonicotinoid residues. A 2012 Japanese study was the first to show that neonicotinoids affect brain development in mammals. The researchers warn that "detailed investigation of the neonicotinoids is needed to protect the health of human children."


A lot is at stake here. Bayer will lose billions if the EPA does the right thing and bans neonicotinoids. However, bee populations are vital to agriculture and farmers will lose billions if honeybee populations continue to plummet. And then there are our children ...

Beekeepers have teamed with the Pesticide Action Network to petition the EPA to suspend registration of neonicotinoids. Please join us in demanding that the EPA finally put a stop to the use of these potent chemicals in the United States. Go to
Beekeepers Ask EPA to Remove Pesticide Linked to Colony Collapse Disorder, Citing Leaked Agency Memo to learn more about the issues surrounding neonicotinoid pesticides. It's time for the government to stand up and protect us, not the chemical companies.

 Majia here: Until the Harvard study mentioned above, the mainstream media was for the most part denying that pesticides were causing bee colony collapse. 

In 2010 Wikileaks revealed that the EPA had allowed a Bayer pesticide known as dangerous for bees. 

Here is an excerpt from the story found at fast.company.com: 

Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Document Shows It Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees BY Ariel Schwartz Fri Dec 10, 2010http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide

[Excerpted] "Now a leaked EPA document reveals that the agency allowed the widespread use of a bee-toxic pesticide, despite warnings from EPA scientists.

The document, which was leaked to a Colorado beekeeper, shows that the EPA has ignored warnings about the use of clothianidin, a pesticide produced by Bayer that mainly is used to pre-treat corn seeds. The pesticide scooped up $262 million in sales in 2009 by farmers, who also use the substance on canola, soy, sugar beets, sunflowers, and wheat, according to Grist.

The leaked document (PDF) was put out in response to Bayer's request to approve use of the pesticide on cotton and mustard. The document invalidates a prior Bayer study that justified the registration of clothianidin on the basis of its safety to honeybees:

Clothianidin’s major risk concern is to nontarget insects (that is, honey bees). Clothianidin is a neonicotinoid insecticide that is both persistent and systemic. Acute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis. Although EFED does not conduct RQ based risk assessments on non-target insects, information from standard tests and field studies, as well as incident reports involving other neonicotinoids insecticides (e.g., imidacloprid) suggest the potential for long-term toxic risk to honey bees and other beneficial insects.
The entire 101-page memo is damning (and worth a read).


Majia here: Here is the link to the EPA document:
http://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/Memo_Nov2010_Clothianidin.pdf

 

Below you will see some of my previous posts about the issue:

April 2012: Controversy Deepens Over Pesticides and Bee Collapse http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/wired-controversy-deepens-over.html

2010 Bias in Bee Study http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/bias-in-bee-study.html 

2010 http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/epa-allows-bee-massacre.html

2012 http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/chemical-warfare-bees-and-babies-are.html



Schools in Fukushima Town Reopen


This is NOT protecting Fukushima children. It is sacrificing them to the forces of death, destruction and turmoil:

Schools in Fukushima town reopen after 1 1/2 years

[Excerpted] HIRONO, Fukushima -- Public elementary and junior high schools here reopened Aug. 27, a year and a half after the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami triggered a crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant and the town fell under the government-designated emergency evacuation preparation zone.

The town held a joint reopening ceremony at Hirono Elementary School in a bid to encourage former town residents to come home nearly one year after the town's evacuation zone designation was lifted. Attending the ceremony were kindergartners and students and their parents.
But the number of students is now only around 20 percent of pre-disaster enrollment levels due to prolonged life at evacuation centers and lingering fears of radiation...