A while back I signed a petition that was delivered to Ban Ki-Moon’s office at the United Nations. At the end of this post is a copy of an e-mail I received today as a result of being a signatory of this document. It is not too late to sign. Go to : SIGN THE PETITION TEPCO has proven themselves to be liars and sneaks. They must be removed from this project and an international team of the best installed. This is critical for the survival of our planet. I want to put this crisis in perspective a little with some details of a couple other tragedies. The world has not yet seen anything that even comes close to this tragedy in Fukushima. Even Chernobyl is beginning to pale in comparison.
EXXON VALDEZ--When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound Alaska armies of volunteers showed up with Dawn dish-washing liquid to wash sea birds. Oil booms were strung across the harbor and average fisherman helped with the clean up. I was in college at the time and as a project wrote an extensive research piece on this monumental tragedy. Here are some of the basic facts about that spill taken from the Oceana website:
- The amount of oil spilled could fill 125 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- As many as 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 900 bald eagles and 250,000 seabirds died in the days following the disaster.
- 1,300 miles of coastline were hit by the oil spill.
- 1,000 harlequin ducks were killed by the oil spill, in addition to many chronic injuries that occurred as a result of the long term effects of the spill.
- The cleanup required about 10,000 workers, 1,000 boats and roughly 100 airplanes and helicopters.
- Four deaths were directly associated with cleanup efforts.
- The spill caused over $300 million of economic harm to more than 32 thousand people whose livelihoods depended on commercial fishing.
- Tourism spending decreased by eight percent in south central Alaska and by 35 percent in southwest Alaska in the year after the spill.
- There was a loss of 9,400 visitors and $5.5 million in state spending.
- Many fish populations were harmed during the spill. For example, sand lance populations went down in 1989 and 1990, herring returns were significantly fewer in 1992 and 1994 and adult fish had high rates of viral infections.
- Pink salmon embryos continued to be harmed and killed by oil that remained on stones and gravel of stream banks through at least 1993. As a result, the southwestern part of Prince William Sound lost 1.9 million or 28 percent of its potential stock of wild pink salmon. By 1992, this part of the sound still had 6 percent less of the wild pink salmon stock than was estimated to have existed if the spill had not occurred.
- Two years following the Exxon Valdez spill, the economic losses to recreational fishing were estimated to be $31 million.
- Twelve years after the spill, oil could still be found on half of the 91 randomly selected beaches surveyed.
- Three species of cormorant, the common loon, the harbor seal, the harlequin duck, the pacific herring and the pigeon guillemot still have not fully recovered.
Gulf Coast BP--In the Gulf Coast BP lost control of an oil well spilling oil into the gulf. Common fisherman and volunteers showed up on the scene to clean seabids and other animals with Dawn dishwashing liquid and spread (toxic) dispersant on the waters. Here are some facts about that spill taken from the "the daily green" website:
127,000 barrels: Amount of oil BP's containment cap has collected since its installation on June 5. (Source: Press Association)
60,000 barrels: The amount of oil believed to be gushing from the spill. That's twelve times more than the original estimate of 5,000 barrels a day. In all, 60,000 barrels a day means an estimated 2.5 million gallons a day is leaking into the Gulf. (Source: Business Week)
11,300 miles: The distance around the world the current amount of leaked oil would stretch if it was placed in milk jugs lined up side by side. To quantify, that's farther than New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and back. (Source: New York Times)
102: The number of school gymnasiums that could theoretically be filled floor-to-ceiling with oil from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. (Source:New York Times)
130 miles long and 70 miles wide: Size of the oil slick as of May 17. The slick continues to grow and move. (Source:New Orleans Times Picayune)
11: Number of workers missing and presumed dead following the BP rig explosion. (Source: Huffington Post)
Less than 4: The number of hours the millions of barrels of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico would have powered the U.S. Economy. (Source: NPR)
The Clean Up
436,000 gallons: Number of gallons of dispersant sprayed on the oil spill to break it up. Thus far, around 4 million gallons of oily water have been recovered. (Source: AP)
50,000 barrels of "heavy mud": Amount of mud used in BP's "top kill" method of stopping the flow of leaking oil. The mud is to be forced into the leaking well in order to overcome the oil and stop its flow. This method has been used before but never at the depths of the Gulf of Mexico oil leak. (Source: Guardian)
The Cost
12,000: Number of Louisiana residents who have filed for unemployment since the spill, most of which have come from the southern part of the state most closely impacted by the spill. (Source: Daily Finance)
$1.6 billion: The confirmed cost of the Gulf oil spill to BP, as of June 14, 2010. (Source: Press Association)
$5 to $42 million: Range of BP's estimated fines, per day. On the low end, is the cost based on BP's conservative estimate of 1,000 barrels a day being lost. On the high end, an estimate of 14,000 barrels a day, which is generally considered a more accurate estimate of the leak. As of May 26, this means that BP could be fined anywhere between $37 million to $1.5 billion. (Source: House of Representatives)
$75 million: The government-mandated cap on oil company liability. Some representatives are calling for the cap to be lifted and a new $10 billion dollar cap be put in place. (Source: Los Angeles Times)
$1.5 billion: Amount in insurance claims experts believe the BP spill will cost insurers. (Source: Business Week)
$62 million: Amount paid out in claims to 26,500 Gulf residents, as of June 14, 2010. (Source: Press Association)
The Threat to Life
400: Number of wildlife species threatened by the spill. Threatened species include sea life such as whales, tuna and shrimp; dozens of species of birds; land animals such as the gray fox and white-tailed deer; and amphibians such as the alligator and the snapping turtle. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune)
At least 30: Species of birds the Audubon Society says are potentially threatened by the oil spill. These include marsh birds, ocean-dwelling birds and migratory songbirds. All reside in "Important Bird Areas," according to Audubon, designated because of their "essential habitat value." Among the most vulnerable species is the brown pelican -- the state bird of Louisiana -- which was only recently removed from the endangered species list. The spill is especially devastating for bird populations because it coincides with the beginning of breeding season. (Source:Audubon Society)
25 million: Number of birds that traverse the Gulf Coast per day, and which are potentially at risk from the oil spill. According to the LA Times Greenspace Blog, "Late spring is the peak time for neo-tropical songbirds moving from the Yucatan Peninsula to make their first landfall in Louisiana," and "more than 70% of the country's waterfowl frequent the gulf's waters." (Source: LA Times Greenspace Blog)
11 million: Number of gallons of oil leaked into Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989 by the Exxon Valdez oil leak. It is widely considered the worst oil spill in U.S. history, although a number of larger spills have happened around the world, most notably the 2002 Prestige spill off Spain. (Source: CBS News)
400: Number of oil projects illegally approved for operation in the Gulf of Mexico under Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the oil surveys and drilling operations threaten marine mammal life in the region. (Source: Center for Biological Diversity)
Background on the Gulf Oil Spill
27: Number of offshore gulf drilling operations approved since the BP spill. Two of those were awarded to BP. (Source: Center for Biological Diversity)
30 percent: Percent of the nation's oil production derived from the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: E2 Wire)
1 billion: Number of gallons of oil spilled into the oceans each year, Gulf of Mexico spill notwithstanding. (Source:Union of Concerned Scientists)
137.8 billion gallons: Amount of gasoline Americans consumed in 2008, down 3% from 2007. (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration)
19.5 million barrels: Amount of oil consumed in the United States per day. (Source: CIA Country Handbook 2008)
2,300 square miles: Number of miles of historic Louisiana coastal marsh and cypress forest (out of 7,000) that have been compromised due to oil drilling. (Source: Environmental Defense Fund)
CHERNOBYL FACTS from Chernobyl International:
CHERNOBYL FACTS from Chernobyl International:
Children
- Today in Ukraine, 6,000 children are born every year with genetic heart defects. More than 3,000 will die for lack of medical attention.
- Children born since 1986 are affected by a 200 percent increase in birth defects and a 250 percent increase in congenital birth deformities.
- 85 percent of Belarusian children are deemed to be Chernobyl victims: they carry “genetic markers” that could affect their health at any time and can be passed on to the next generation.
- UNICEF found increases in children’s disease rates, including 38 percent increase in malignant tumours, 43 percent in blood circulatory illnesses and 63 percent in disorders of the bone, muscle and connective tissue system.
- Each child living in an institution, such as an orphanage or mental asylum, is allocated just €1 per day to live.
- In 2004 nearly 26 percent of children under 17 lived below the poverty line.
- More than one million children continue to live in contaminated zones.
Health
- Seven million people living in the affected areas received the highest known exposure to radiation in the history of the atomic age.
- Belarusian doctors have identified increases in a number of cancers, including: a 200 percent increase in breast cancer, a 100 percent increase in the incidence of cancer and leukemia, and a 2,400 percent increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer.
- The mortality rates among the population already outstrip their birth rates.
Environment
- 99 percent of the land of Belarus has been contaminated to varying degrees above internationally accepted levels.
- 2,000 towns and villages were evacuated, and more than 400,000 people have been relocated from their homes since 1986. Decades later, another 70,000 are still waiting to evacuate.
- The exclusion zone, known as “Death Valley,” has been increased from 30 to 70 square kilometres. No humans will ever be able to live in it again.
- Some of the contaminants infecting the soil and air, such as plutonium, have a half-life of 24,400 years.
Economy
- The cost of the Chernobyl blast and its consequences is being carried by the survivors and will be handed down to their children for generations.
- The Chernobyl disaster costs Belarus 20 percent of its annual national budget.
- It is estimated that the fallout from the disaster will cost Belarus $235 billion.
- Five percent of Belarusian adults live on less than €2.50 a day.
- 1.7 million live in poverty, and 178,000 of these live in 'extreme poverty' (less than half of the minimum subsistence levels)
- Children are the poorest sector of the population, facing 1.5 times greater risk of poverty than the average level across the country.
Chernobyl meltdown
- The accident released radiation 200 times greater than that released by both atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- 100 million curies of radiation were originally believed to have been released, although many scientists now believe it was closer to 250 million curies.
- 70 percent of the radiation fell onto the population of Belarus, affecting seven million people.
- Scientists feared that a further explosion could occur, producing a force of three to five megatons, and exposing the whole of Europe to enormous radioactive contamination.
- 800,000 men risked their lives and exposed themselves to dangerous levels of radiation to contain the situation.
- At least 25,000 of these men have died and a further 70,000 are disabled. Twenty percent of these deaths were suicides.
FUKUSHIMA DAICHI: Here are JUST a few facts about the Fukushima disaster (or at least the part we know so far):
Three reactors are still in full melt down status and are close to reaching "China Syndrome" status where the cores melt their way into the earth and reach groundwater. This could cause "nuclear volcanoes" which will spew radiation for decades with no way to stop it. This radiation will travel endlessly around the Northern Hemisphere eventually destroying the oceans and food supply. One of these reactors (#3) is so hot even robots are not able to enter. All three of these have been spewing deadly radiation into the atmosphere and ocean for nearly three years with no end in sight. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has been lying about this for nearly that same amount of time. One reactor was in shutdown status and tons of nuclear fuel rods now hang in the balance one-hundred feet above the earth. The building is sinking. One good earthquake will bring it down and the equivalent of thousands of Hiroshimas will be released into the atmosphere. One mistake by TEPCO could cause a catastrophe so large the radioactive cloud would pass completely around the Northern Hemisphere and millions would likely die of cancer or other ailments caused by weakened immune systems. Our food and water would be forever contaminated. Plutonium has a half life of 24,100 years. In 24,100 years it will be half as deadly. Then in another 24,100 years it will be half as deadly again. For us and our generations long into the distant future this is FOREVER!
Approximately thee-hundred TONS of highly radioactive water is flowing into the Pacific Ocean EVERY DAY and there is NO WAY TO STOP IT. The tanks that are to hold this water are flawed, leaking and are so poorly constructed the are in danger of bursting. We are assured the fish are OK but the evidence is just now presenting itself this is not so.
There are no volunteers at Fukushima to clean sea birds with Dawn. There are no fisherman spreading nets to contain the radiation. Only the brightest, minds and bravest souls will ever be able to clean this up. Until then the entire world is at the mercy of this radioactive spill which will go on for decades and spread around the entire globe. The death toll cannot be measured for another ten to forty years, perhaps more. The number of people GLOBALLY! who will go under the knife and be maimed for cancer is not yet known. I have seen an estimate in the millions. The number of people permanently displaced is not yet known because the situation is not under control. Is this really what we want to leave our descendants? Here is the e-mail:
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Hello all you wonderful Fukushima petition signers.
Thanks to you, we have successfully delivered the first round of more than 150,000 individual and group signatures asking for a global takeover at Fukushima.
For photos and more, see:
As the crisis there deepens, we must build on this, with more & more concerned citizens signing these petitions and creating an ever greater grassroots safe energy movement.
On Thursday, November 7, the rain held off at the United Nations just long enough for us to celebrate this amazing initial response and to confirm our further commitment to organizing toward what needs to be done to solve this terrible crisis.
The petitions were taken straight into the UN and up to Ban Ki-Moon’s office...and then the skies opened!
This happened right in synch with the scheduled beginning of the operation to take fuel rods down from the damaged pool at Fukushima Unit Four. Then “technical difficulties” forced Tokyo Electric Power to delay the operation for “additional testing.”
So now, in the interim, the nations of the world will have some time to evaluate our request for a global takeover of this life-and-death process.
Meanwhile we continue with this and many other actions, petitions, and organizing....whatever we can do to build global awareness and help muster the scientific, engineering and financial resources to deal with this horrific nuclear nightmare.
On Monday, November 11, some of us will do our first monthly “Eleventh Day Fast for Fukushima.” To commemorate the 3/11/11 beginning of the disaster, some of us we will not eat from dawn to dusk in solidarity with Fukushima’s victims, and to help focus our attention on doing whatever we can do to help get the site under control.
We will do this on the 11th of every month from now on, until the crisis is over...which we expect no time soon. Please join us in this or whatever other action makes sense to you.
As a postscript, we note that the absurd pro-nuclear propaganda piece “Pandora’s Promise” aired on CNN as we gathered. I’ll send a link to a review in a short while.
But within hours of the showing of this unbalanced, profoundly inaccurate radioactive screed, there came a powerful response from where it really counts---in the actual head-count of atomic construction. Just after CNN sold itself to all the pro-nuke hype, the Dallas-based Luminant power company announced it was canceling work on two giant new reactors proposed for nearby Comanche Peak.
This latest cancellation brings Pandora’s Box Score for 2013 to 5 announced shut-downs of operating reactors, 9 cancelled proposed new reactors and 6 scratched proposed uprates.
Now if only Pandora will reverse her curse at Fukushima.....
Thank you all again so much.
As we work together to mitigate the horrors at Fukushima over the coming months and years, we will do all we can to help our planet heal from the deepening plague of the errant atom.....
And then we”ll see you in Solartopia!!!
HarveyW
