This email from a mailing list was forwarded to me and I thought I would share it with you. It provides a unique description of what life is like for quake and tsunami survivors in Japan on the ground now.
When tragedy strikes, it reminds us of what is really important in life and the little things we once felt we had lost, such as community solidarity and the sight of a carpetful of twinkling stars in the night sky.
Life Lessons from Japan
First email sent by Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist Master and founder of Plum Village, France, to friends in Japan. Thich Nhat Hanh is the author of the book “The Miracle of Mindfulness”, and promotes engaged Buddhism.
Now that election season is upon us, we can expect more trolls to crawl out from under the bridge and create mischief in the comments sections of various blogs and websites.
What is an internet troll? According to Wikipedia:
In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
So this is it. The Sarawak state election is likely to be held in April. And an announcement about the date could be made soon.
One contact in Sarawak told me last week that he heard the election could be held on the 9-10 April weekend. We shall see if he is right. Whatever the dates, these polls will be closely contested.
Philip White - Photo credit: metropolis.co.jpFormer Adelaide resident Philip White works for the Tokyo-based Citizens Nuclear Information Centre. This anti-nuclear group had consistently warned of an emergency like the one we are now witnessing in Japan.
Kamanaka Hitomi - Photo credit: cnic.jpHitomi Kamanaka, an indie film-maker, has produced documentaries about local residents’ opposition to nuclear power plants. Only a few weeks ago, clashes erupted between residents and construction workers in Iwai Island as attempts were made to build yet another nuclear power plant.
The mistakes, cover-ups and profit-maximisation/cost-cutting of the past in Japan have come back to haunt us.
A General Electric Co engineer said he resigned 35 years ago over concern about the safety of a nuclear reactor design used in the now crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Dale Bridenbaugh said the “Mark 1” design had “not yet been designed to withstand the loads” that could be experienced in a large-scale accident. Read the full Reuters report here.
Activists in Japan had warned about the risks posed by the country’s nuclear power plants – and they are now calling for more information on the ground and a larger evacuation zone. Aileen Mioko Smith of Green Action Japan - Photo credit: greenpeace.org
This interview from Democracy Now a couple of days ago:
SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: We go right now to Aileen Mioko Smith. She’s the director of Kyoto-based Green Action. She’s on the board of Greenpeace International. She’s joining us from San Francisco right now, one of Japan’s leading voices challenging nuclear power.
Here is an example of what’s possible when a community feels empowered. They can even build bridges – like this new suspension bridge for an Orang Asli community in Sungai Siput to replace the old rickety one.The People's Solidarity Suspension Bridge in Sungai Siput - Photo courtesy of Ipoh Echo
There are several things we can learn from this suspension bridge project:
The other day, I was at the ATM when I noticed a middle-aged couple in front of me in the queue. They tried a few times to withdraw funds. As I waited a few minutes, I overheard them saying they were trying to withdraw RM20, but the machine responded “insufficient funds”. They looked stressed and worried.
All is not well among Malaysians. The level of household debt has been rising over the years at the rate of 11.1 per cent annually.
If Fukushima is not enough of a warning, those in the Malaysian government adamant about bringing nuclear power plants here should take another look at what happened at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
Pakatan too needs to clearly state its stand on nuclear energy so voters know exactly what they are in for.
This year is the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl, which is still pouring out radioactive gases after its sarcophagus cracked last year. They are still clearing up tons of radioactive material there. The cost of resettlement, cleanup and medical expense? US$235bn. Meanwhile, Fukushima has already emitted more radiation than Three Mile Island.
And let’s not forget our own experience with radioactive material at Bukit Merah:
At first, it was just the whisperings of a few who could easily be dismissed as crazies, but now it has become too big to ignore. The United Nations has confirmed that honey-bee colonies are mysteriously disappearing across the globe.
After first being noticed in the US and Europe, the disappearance of managed bee colonies has spread to China, Japan and Egypt.
Why are bees important? They are pollinators and they are even more crucial now when there are mounting concerns about food sufficiency.
White smoke is being emitted from reactor no. 3 of the Fukushima I nuclear power plant. This is a ‘live’ news reel from Japan.Green Action of Japan provides a transcript of the live coverage earlier this morning:
Sattelite live: TEPCO reports about the various fire trucks arrived at the front gate (around 8am)
We cannot see from which building the flames are rising up.
Is Muhyiddin for real? With an unfolding nuclear nightmare sparking fear in Japan and nervousness across the region, the Deputy PM says that the BN-led administration is capable of handling the government’s nuclear energy ambitions.
You just have to throw your hands up in despair. Here’s another poll to express what you think. The previous poll on this blog on 28 May 2010 saw 85 per cent saying ‘No’ to the plants:
[poll id=”64″]
Well before the present Fukushima nuclear power plant emergency, the Tokyo-based Citizens Nuclear Information Centre had reported about a history of “cover-ups” in the Japanese nuclear energy industry.
The cover-ups included data falsification during voluntary site inspections and attempts to camouflage damage. “There have been a growing number of damage cover-ups and data falsifications around 1994 when electric companies had started shortening the time for a periodical inspection having learned from the ‘success’ experience in the US,” said the CNIC.
Japan is battling to avoid a wider nuclear catastrophe after fresh explosions today at the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant may have damaged the suppression (pressure control) chamber in reactor no 2. View Larger MapGreen Action of Japan reports:
Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2
http://kinkyu.nisa.go.jp/kinkyu/2011/03/post-94.html
Updated 2011/03/15 08:09
NISA is reporting the status of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2
At 6:10 am this morning, TEPCO reported that there was an explosive sound from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2. This explosion might have caused damage in the suppression chamber (pressure control chamber)(*).
An independent reading of radiation levels near the Fukushima plant by a Japanese magazine editor and a group of journalists reveals a completely different picture from what is being reported in the mainstream media.
The Green Action group reports that yesterday five members of the Japan Visual Journalists Association (JVJA) and Ryuichi Hirokawa, editor-in-chief of the Days Japan magazine, arrived at Futaba Town where the Fukushima Daiichi reactors are located (the plants are located in both Okuma Town and Futaba Town) to undertake independent monitoring measurements.
There is no truth behind an sms message making the rounds that radiation has hit the Philippines and may affect other Asian countries.
Meanwhile, Japanese officials have played down health concerns after a third reactor at Fukushima lost its cooling system. But the US military has moved away from the area after one of its aircraft carriers detected low-level radiation 160km offshore, reports the BBC.
According to ABS-CBN:
MANILA, Philippines – There is no truth to text rumors that radiation from a nuclear plant in Japan has reached the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Monday.
Moaz Yusuf Ahmad raises important questions about the RM50 billion MRT project, which is being rushed through hastily.
In one month, what have we learned about the Klang Valley MRT?
It has been approximately 1 year since MMC-Gamuda presented their unsolicited MRT proposal to the cabinet. More importantly, it has been one month since the public display for the Sg. Buloh – Kajang line of the Klang Valley MRT project began. In this past month, we have learned a great deal about the plans for the MRT – including the proposed route, station locations (including detailed drawings), station & train designs, and even the feeder bus system.
A second explosion has struck the Fukushima nuclear plant, raising fresh fears of emissions of radioactive gas.
Such radioactive releases could last months, according to The New York Times:
As the scale of Japan’s nuclear crisis begins to come to light, experts in Japan and the United States say the country is now facing a cascade of accumulating problems that suggest that radioactive releases of steam from the crippled plants could go on for weeks or even months.
Lee Chong Wei has triumphed at the All-England badminton tournament edging past his nemesis Lin Dan 21-17, 21-17 in an explosive final, one of the most absorbing in recent times.Lee Chong Wei - Photo credit: BWF This was a different Chong Wei, who in the past had invariably capitulated to Lin Dan in major finals. This time he displayed a rare tenacity that surprised his opponent.