fukushima followup

Earlier this month, it was announced that TEPCO (the nuclear plant operator at Fukushima) had failed to winterize the cooling system, leading to more radioactive leaks.

Perhaps you noticed this information did not get broad media exposure.

No surprise here.

John Ritch, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, a nuclear energy "expert" decreed nuclear power to be historically safe... at the same time referencing minor blips at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and now Fukushima as anomalies to a "stellar safe record" that began in the 1950s. According to Ritch, enormous changes have taken place during the fifty-some-odd years that nuclear plants have been operating, making this the safest form of energy creation. He then went on to suggest there were no atmospheric emissions from the latest problem at Fukushima, but failed to note those atmospheric "radioactive emissions" circling the globe. Nor did he include the waste products from spent fuel rods that currently, cannot be safely stored.

Now I don't want to alarm anyone, but in early February, there was another "small" leak at the nuclear plant in San Onofre (north of San Diego county in California). While authorities suggested the amount was "barely measurable," the facts remain... this is cause for alarm for anyone concerned with safety in the nuclear industry because we are not being given all the facts.

(For those who might be interested, I've commented on the industry and lack of information in earlier blogs... japan hit by 8.9 earthquake and tsunami, a followup to the earthquake and later blogs include, let's all go boom! and mining for uranium).

I know, this may be somewhat depressing. but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

When we begin to  think outside the box, we discover there are reasonable alternatives to those touted by the oil and nuclear industries... like wind, solar and water-generated power.

But, these potential industries need financing in order to move forward and between the oil, and nuclear industries, that financing is currently in short supply.