Does Humanity Deserve These Natural Disasters and Is 2012 Involved?

As we face another tragedy after the recent disaster in New Zealand people are coming out of the woodwork and subtly and not-so-subtly suggesting that this happens because of the damage humanity has done to the earth.
I know that our track record isn't good and that our inventions and achievements haven't helped the planet, but by the same token the natural disasters are exactly that - natural disasters. They've happened since the dawn of the planet and they will continue to happen. It's just tragic that people and animals live in these areas and that we have an infrastructure that collapses when these awful things happen killing even more people.
Remove the living beings and the planet is just doing what it's always done.
My heart goes out to people everywhere when they suffer these terrible tragedies, but it is our material society full of the inventions we have made that helps to find and save those who can be saved, treat those who are injured, and re-build and re-home those in need.
I feel frustrated when people start suggesting that humanity deserves this kind of disaster because that is appallingly disrespectful to the societies that suffer in this way and as far as I can discover earthquakes and tsunamis are about the natural movement of the earth.
For some reason there is a mindset out there that sees humanity as a bad thing that does little more than damage and desecrate the planet and cares nothing about anyone other than the individual. That just isn't true.
There are millions of people working out there to improve our societies, to help others in need, to do away with harmful types of power and bring in safe power. They work to replant rain forests, help with disease in third world countries, show people how to farm and fish so that they won't starve.
We have aid workers and charity workers in the midst of some of the most desolate, hard hit areas in the world doing everything they can to help, and the rich countries fund a great deal of that charitable work. Where would they be without the countries with the money and technology to help?
Instead of wittering away that humanity is wrecking everything and if 2012 is an ending it will be because we deserve it, look instead at the vast amount of good humanity does.
We are aware that we are damaging the earth and we're trying to do something about it. When there is a natural disaster people all over the world send money to help, and countries send teams to help out. There is so much good that goes on, some much humanity and universal love that we cannot be a race that deserves to be wiped out.
So the next time there is a natural disaster please, please let's spend more time sending money and less time trying to apportion blame or understand what is a force of nature and therefore outside our comprehension.
Let's face it, the dinosaurs hadn't built a nuclear power station, driven a car or used up any oil. Nor have we evidence that they were warlike or hankered after their neighbour's ass and they got wiped out by a meteorite. I don't think it was thrown at them by a vengeful God.
If 2012, which always gets mentioned somewhere at these times, is the end of time for us it will be because something natural happens. Think about your own children, they may not be perfect but you love them anyway - do you think God (or insert your preferred term here) is any different?
Wishing you happy days and peaceful nights, and the people of Japan all the help they need to recover from this
Deb

Beyond the Ansari X PRIZE

It's just passed the thirtieth anniversary of the last man even to visit the moon and in an attempt to get a flagging space travel sector going the Ansari X PRIZE has been awarded to SpaceShipOne for matching and then slightly exceed the performance of the old X-15 spaceplane of nearly fifty years ago.
Is this then end? Will space travel taper off into a few high altitude fun rides to give pleasure to the rich and slightly famous? Maybe not - here looks at a different way that brings us back to the expectations of the 1930s not the let downs of the 1980s.
The popular media and fantasy fiction surround us with a lot of talk about exotic spaceship propulsion systems - talking about them gives the impression of progress - they sound cool and impressive without having to run the risk of anyone ever being expected to deliver on them. Let's look at what we are going to discount here. There's Anti-matter, Catapult Launchers, Laser Propulsion, Microwaves Propulsion (actually first postulated in the 1930's by E.E.Doc Smith), Magnetic Sails, Space Sails, Nuclear Fusion, Space elevators, Zero-point energy. The problem is we don't have the technology to hand for any of these- so they are all pretty much pie-in-the sky - certainly no-one reading this article now is going to be using them personally in their own lifetime.
So what is the answer? Is there a technology that would allow cheap, reliable reusable spaceships today? Surprisingly the answer is YES! Are we going to get them? Very possibility.
So what are they? Well its called the Nuclear thermal rocket, the prototypes were made thirty years ago and work just fine - and the time to get them might be just in the next ten years.
So how do they work?
In a nuclear thermal rocket a working fluid, which can be plain ordinary water, is heated in a high temperature nuclear reactor, and then expands through a rocket nozzle to create thrust. The nuclear reactor's energy replaces the chemical energy of the reactive chemicals in a traditional rocket engine. Due to the high energy of the nuclear reactions compared to chemical ones, over 100 times, the resulting efficiency of the engine is at least twice as good as chemical engines even considering the weight of the reactor. The ship doesn't have to very anything fancy - all the super lightweight materials and astronomical costs, and the need for multiple stage rockets - having to throw most of your spaceship away every time - all comes from the low thrust of chemical rockets. So the bottom line is that a a nuclear thermal rocket like the Timberwind 75 put into a tried and tested load carrier like the old German A4 (over three thousand were made as V2s - and back again in the Ansari X PRIZE entrant - Canadian Arrow) would make a simple reusable vehicle that could with refuelling travel anywhere in the solar system with an effective payload and capacity about the same as a VW Combi van or Landrover.
The Timberwind 75 is a design that uses a conventional (albeit light-weight) nuclear reactor running at high temperatures to heat the working fluid that is moving through the reactor core. This is known as the solid-core design, is simple to construct and are the only nuclear thermal rocket ever built. Development of such engines started under the aegis of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1956 as Project Rover, with work on a suitable reactor starting at LANL. Two basic designs came from this project, Kiwi and NRX in the late '50s.
More recently an advanced engine design was studied under Project Timberwind, under the aegis of the Strategic Defence Initiative ("Star Wars"), which was later expanded into a larger design in the Space Thermal Nuclear Propulsion (STNP) program. Advances in high-temperature metals, computer modelling and nuclear engineering in general resulted in dramatically improved performance. It used to be thought that solid-core engines would only really be useful for upper-stage uses where the vehicle is already in orbit, or close to it, or launching from a lower gravity planet, moon or minor planet where the required thrust is lower, and that to be a useful Earth launch engine, the system would have to be either much lighter, or provide even higher specific impulse. However using 1990s technology instead of 1950s technology means that Timberwind 75 would be a great "drop-in" powerplant for an A4 with a virtually identical mass and size. Although the thrust is reduced to just 13 tonnes (165347 lbf or 735.5 kN) the increased burn time allows for achieving not just low earth orbit but actually escape velocity making this a true reusable space vehicle. With orbital refueling the range and capability would be greatly enhanced and of course by coming down tail first under power the thermal risks that destroyed the shuttle Columbia.
And what of the risks? With modern fear of technological failure - where enough stress is caused seeing something going wrong on a screen rather than real life - is this something that anyone can bear to face! Well, atmospheric or orbital rocket failure could result in fallout. However given that oxide reactor elements are designed to withstand high temperatures (up to 3500 K) and high pressures (up to 200 atm normal operating pressures) it's highly unlikely a reactor's fuel elements would be reduced to powder and spread over a wide-area. More likely highly radioactive fuel elements would be dispersed intact over a much smaller area, and the overall hazard from the elements would be confined and much lower than the many open-air nuclear weapons tests that have been carried out.
So how is it going to happen? Where is the will to explore and colonize space today? US development of the project was end due to pressure from anti-nuclear lobby in the United States in the early 1970s, but elsewhere Hu Jintao seems to have a taste for serious space development and together with their strong interest in pebble bed modular reactors (PBMR) and the commitment to Project 921-2 - the Chinese Station Station - this may be where the next generation of development might come from. So we might not see the first generations of cheap, reuseable spaceships launching from but perhaps from Xichang.
------
The Engine: Timberwind 75 Specifications

• Vacuum thrust: 165347 lbf (735.5 kN) * Sea level thrust: 147160 lbf (654.6 kN)
• * Vacuum specific impulse: 1000 s
• * Sea level specific impulse: 890 s
• * Engine mass: 5500 lb (2500 kg)
• * Thrust to Weight Ratio: 30
• * Burn time: 357 s
• * Propellants: Nuclear/LH2

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/438007

NFC Technology Drives The Development Mobile Wallet

To implement the mobile wallet by the Near Field Communication has been studied theoretically for many years, but it has not been implemented on a global scale. It also has the successful case, for example, the mobile wallet has found a foothold in Japan, especially in the public transportation field. However, the prospect of the mobile phone is still uncertain in most areas. The complicated system should be modified if we want to make the mobile wallet popular. The technology should be mature, namely, the technique of the NFC should be qualified. What is more, it must gain the supports from operators, manufacturers, bank, retailers and customers.
The plan of mobile wallet has not been applied widely, because it does not gain the support. However, the year of 2011 will be a turning point. Almost all the operators had accepted the NFC technology, and some operators even form the vanguard. In America, AT&T, T-Mobile and VerizON had formed the Isis to help the deployment of NFC. This technology may create a commercial tide in the middle of 2012. In Europe, Orange support to use the NFC on the cell phone, and it aims to sell 500 thousand cell phones with NFC functions.
This kind of cell phones is not so popular in the other places; however, this situation transits. Nokia and Samsung has release the mobile phone with NFC function, and the other manufacturers all want to try. The phone wallet can not be implemented without the support of bank. The operators must sign agreement with the credit card issue. Currently, the operator and Barclays are negotiating with this matter.
The cooperation from the retailers and customers can not be ignored. Is there enough driving force to male the retailer and customers accept this new kind of payment. Besides, the retailers need a large sum of money to install the new sale terminal of NFC. Whether they are willing to transit in this gloomy economic condition is uncertain. All in all, there are so many problems need to be considered by the operators. The related integrated circuit is TDA2616Q_N1.

Seventies Eccentrics

There was an abundance of eccentric personalities in the late Seventies, and Olga Deterding, the Shell oil heiress was one of them. She wasn't as wild as the characters in "Frantic", my nostalgic novel about the early '70's ('A lion coat clad white girl, with waist length black Japanese hair, was leaning against the stage, mouthing excruciating obscenities from her exquisitely shaped lips. .... every time this creature from a lost planet opened her shaggy lion coat, she was totally nude underneath'), but she came pretty close. Olga was an enthusiastic socialite, and at the opening party of Wedgies nightclub in Kings Road, was so sloshed like she regularly was, that she spent most of her time crawling around on the floor underneath the tables. This anti-social behaviour was regarded as the norm in those days, so nobody cared if she made a fool of herself. One person who did was a German girlfriend, who was staying with me at the time. She thought it was shocking that this middle-aged woman was making a spectacle of herself. Maybe members of café society were hesitant to reprimand an heiress, but my girlfriend had no idea who anybody was and even if she did, she wouldn't have cared less. 'Get up immediately! You are making an idiot of yourself. Can't you see that everyone is laughing at you,' my Teutonic friend barked. Olga Deterding might have been inebriated, but she actually listened and managed to pick herself up from the floor, and plonk herself down on a chair where she promptly fell of again.
She entertained lavishly in her multi-storey penthouse in Piccadilly, opposite the Ritz hotel, which was ideal for parties. She once gave an after show party for her equally eccentric crony, Quentin Crisp after his sell-out, one-man show at the Duke of York. If I recall correctly, the penthouse walls were painted a glossy white and the décor, consisting of realistic sheep sculptures nibbling at the grass coloured carpet was a topic of conversation. Olga was single (her exes included Alan Whittaker), and similar to women of 'a certain age' was regularly escorted by members of the gay community, which included Quentin Crisp. Olga was a louche socialite, from whom everyone ran away from when she was peaking in a fit of drunken exhibitionism. But, she possessed a heart of gold, unlike a lot of 'ladies who lunched' in those days. The majority of them lionised their hairdressers and fashion designers, and were committed to the art of looking fabulous. Olga was past caring what she looked like while she lurched from one party to another. At least she was dressed for dinner when she choked to death on on a piece of meat, while dining out in a club. Her premature exit made the headlines.
Copyright: Frances Lynn, 2006

It Finally Happened! The Cold War is Back-With a Twist

By Maurice Ramirez

Article Word Count: 450 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Russian officials today announced that the arrest of a man attempting to sell weapons grade uranium. That's right, the type of uranium used in a nuclear bomb. In reply, American officials attempted to reassure the public by stating that the amount of uranium offered for sale was less than that required to create a nuclear warhead. It is of note that they did not deny that this was in fact weapons grade uranium.
Intelligence officials, terrorist and response experts, and those of us in the disaster medicine community have long feared the verification that weapons grade uranium is available on the terrorist market.
While government officials attempt to placate appropriately concerned citizens with the platitude "it's too little to make a nuclear bomb", anybody who has put together a Thanksgiving dinner knows that if you can't get enough sweet potatoes at one store you just go to another. The terrorists are not stupid and little bit of weapons grade uranium here, a little bit more there and soon they have the critical mass to actually achieve critical mass. Then there is the claim of the seller that the sample in his possession represented a much larger quantity.
Nuclear events come in two forms known as criticality and non-criticality.
A non-criticality event is when radiation is released without a fission or fusion detonation. In short, the event is local. Dirty bombs fall into this category. Most of the radiation comes from direct contact or direct exposure to the source. There have been some very large non-criticality events around the world usually a result of improperly discarded radiation sources from medicine or industry.
Criticality events have always been the result of the action of large governments. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were criticality events. The recent nuclear testing in North Korea was a criticality event. The great fears of the Cold War were not a fear of non-criticality radiation but a criticality event and its associated gamma radiation and fallout.
The intelligence community has proven that the terrorists have the ability to get weapons grade uranium. Now we must add criticality events and the hazards that come from them to our list of concerns both for national security as well as disaster medical response.
The lessons of the Cold War, at least those that deal with preparing for the hazards of criticalities must now be dusted off and added to the 2007 standards of care.
Will there be a criticality event within the United States?
Will somebody set off a nuclear or thermonuclear device as a terrorist statement?
As we prepare for this possibility let us all hope that those charged with our security will continue to have the success that they announced today.

Nuclear update: Leak stopped. Why is Japan injecting nitrogen into ...

Workers plugged a leak of highly radioactive water into the ocean from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant Wednesday, ...

How to Stay Updated With the Happenings in the World?

By Steven Kenneth

Article Word Count: 448 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Things around us are changing rapidly. Each day the fashion trends, technologies and the entire world changes. You will be well aware of the fact that change is inevitable. Staying updated with the changes in the world is very much important in both the personal life and the career life of a human being. Thankfully there is no scarcity for the news source. In fact you have lots of mediums to know the latest news around the Planet. Comparing all the mediums such as the television, newspapers and the Internet, the internet can be considered as the best medium for getting the updated news because of many reasons. Unlike the news updates in the newspapers and TV the Internet medium for the news sources are updated every second. Though there is no scarcity for the online sources for news there are only a few sources which you can trust. Identifying the genuine online news sources is a very difficult task. However, there are a few types of websites which supply only the authentic news sources from around the planet.
The User Rated News
This is the primary online news source which will be greatly authentic. Unlike the common updated news sources these kinds of websites publish the news based on the user rating. These sources will have all kinds of news and cool stories happening around the planet. The availability of the cool stories makes them great entertainment sources too. The authenticity of the news published in these websites can be understood with the degree of user rating. This is the main benefit of using the user rated news sites as a source. Some of the very best user rated news sources also provide cool images that will be free to download.
The Official Websites Of Leading News Providers
Almost every leading news source such as CNBC, BBC, NDTV etc have official websites where the most updated news will be published. These news websites will be genuine and authentic as they are published by the leading team of journalists. However, due to the entry of the political parties in the news sources have made some of the sources leveraged for their own political use. And so the reliability of some of the biggest news sources is slowly degrading (Not mentioning the exact names).
Bottom Line
Comparing all the options that are available for getting the latest news online, the user rated news sources seem to be the best. Though there will be some news which are not genuine, they can be easily identified with the user ratings. With the addition of the great entertainment and cool free pictures these user rated news sites are no doubt the best.

UPDATE 1-KEY POINTS-Official update on Japan nuclear crisis | Reuters

TOKYO, March 15 (Reuters) - The following are key pointsfrom the latest briefings given on Tuesday by the Japanesegovernment and nuclear ...

Japan Nuclear Disaster Update - CleanEnergy Footprints

By Mark Etinger

Article Word Count: 439 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Charitable giving has been part of the business culture ever since businesses have begun making huge amounts of money. But these days all businesses are incorporating elements of social responsibility into their corporate culture. In fact, recently Google announced that the employee bonus program at their company will tie 25% of employee bonuses to social activity. But they're not the only one giving.
A women from Shelbyville, TN has been organizing a drive to get fleece blankets to the victims of Japan's recent earthquake. In a recent interview she said, "It's just a small thing we can do. We receive thousands of letters and thank you notes every year from children. Over and over they express how touched they are that a stranger would take the time to make something for them. They really know the difference. Purchased blankets are nice, but handmade blankets are from the heart."
And many companies are joining this idea as they send fleece blankets and sheet sets to disaster stricken areas. Some companies have even taken the idea further and are becoming a "Buy 1 Give 1" business. This means that for every fleece blanket that a customer buys for themselves, the company donates the exact same blanket to a person in need. Though most recipients are children, they are definitely not the only ones that are benefiting from the new form of corporate giving. Many people of all ages and all around the world are becoming more and more connected to these initiatives.
Though some may be skeptical of this new found interest of giving by corporate interests, the facts on the ground currently suggest that this is a trend that is worth developing. As long as companies are being held accountable for the amount of donations they are supposed to give, then this new form of corporate sponsored charity should benefit everyone.
With the success of corporate giving tests like the laptop buy 1 give 1 idea from 2008, many companies are now offering many products that could benefit those in need - from shoes to fleece blankets and sheet sets. All the basic necessities are now being consumed by the giving spree. And despite the cautionary outlook that many customers feel, it seems to be making a big difference, much bigger than anyone could have imagined. It will be very interesting to see where corporations and smaller businesses will take this idea. What can the next step of charitable giving be? We will have to wait and see. But for the meantime, it is a blessed change from the corporate behavior we were used to seeing in the past decades.

AFP: New water leaks at Japan nuclear plant

The update by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) came as emergency ... TEPCO is the operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant damaged by ...

School Uniform of Japan

By Ko Lucy

Article Word Count: 376 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

As we all know, school uniform has long history. They were first dressed in Japan. Students of Japan love these clothes very much. Do you know why? Now let me tell you something about that. Firstly, culture makes people of Japan attach the importance to school uniforms. They pay more attention to social identity which is brought by uniforms. People take them seriously in daily life. Besides, they are willing to make them well as well. This cultural background lets student of Japan love these unified but individual clothes. School uniform of Japan become a significant part of cultural cultivation.
Secondly, fashionable design is the superiority of school uniforms. In Japan, middle and primary schools require students to wear uniforms when they are in schools. If they have PE class, they have to change uniforms to sports clothes. The success of Japan uniform is the style and design. Boys' are masculine and handsome while girls' are elegant and lovely. That can establish the healthy awareness of sex. In the meanwhile, because the design and style are fashionable, school uniforms satisfy people to pursue beauty. With the development of fashion and society, school uniforms transform constantly.
Thirdly, because of the diversification of sales and well sales condition, related products bring economic benefit to society. Uniforms are designed and made by specialized manufacturers. Once the design is finalized, then uniforms will not change for many years. The symbiosis between schools and manufactures are stable.
Therefore, to manufacturers, these uniforms are one of the main sources of income. In recent years, school uniforms became favorite dress. Many girls will wear uniforms after school or in weekend. A shop which is famous for selling fashionable products catches this opportunity. It begins to sell silk ribbons which are suitable to match uniforms. That will bring economic benefit to this shop. What is more, because a set of uniform generally consist of tie, shirt, skirt or trousers and coat, so these products can also bring economic benefit to related manufacturers as well.
These are the three main reasons that why uniforms are popular with students in Japan. Except for these reasons, there are many other social factors, such as the fashionable tendency. Now after my introduction, do you know more about them?

CleanEnergy Footprints » Archive » April 28: Japan Nuclear Update

Much is being made of the corruption of nuclear regulators in Japan, with the New York Times reporting the existence of a culture of ...

The Korean Wave in China: A Filter for Western values

y Hoa Thuan Vo

Article Word Count: 559 [View Summary] Comments (0)

Ads by Google

I just read an interesting article about the influence of Korean media on Chinese Youth culture on NY Times:
China's Youth Look to Seoul for Inspiration
I've read about the Korean wave since I saw my first Korean movie in 2000 (SHIRI). It wasn't until last year when I went to Japan that realized the impact of Korean culture on other Asian countries. Going to a bookstore I would see a separate section for Korean magazines, Korean photobooks (on actors, movies or TV-series) and Korean learning material (I found more Korean textbooks than German textbooks). Going to a department store I would see commcercials and posters with Korean celebrities, at the cinema I would see posters promoting the latest Korean blockbuster. The first artist to sell more than one million CDs was BOA, a Korean singer (who's under contract with Avex Traxx, a Japanese record company). I couldn't even go to the ice rink to escape the Korean wave. They were constantly playing the songs from 'Winter Sonata', a Korean TV drama that could be described as the Korean 'Titanic'.
It was really interesting to observe this phenomenon in Japan. Historically Japan felt little connection to other Asian countries. After WWII Japan's main cultural influence came from America and that hasn't really changed till today. Japan is the most important market for American movies. 'The Last Samurai' made more money in Japan than in America. Japan is the most important export market for Hip Hop music.
For half a century Japanese youth culture was following American trends (and developed these further into something uniquely Japanese like 'Visual Kei' or post-WWII animes and mangas). Within a short period of time Korea - Japan's enemy from WWII and an ethnicity openly discriminated against in Japan - has established itself as a trendsetter in Japan. And all this happened with three or four years (some people that it's been even less).
The success of the Korean wave reminds me of the rise of Japan to world power in the 70s. Having been influenced by countries like America, Japan and Hong Kong for decades Korea now finds itself in the role of the exporter. Korean lifestyle, Korean media and Korean products (cellphones, TVs, cars) are finding its way into households across Asia. And Koreans have a self-confidence that I couldn't find among Japanese (Most Koreans that I met are very nationalistic). Several companies have targeted the American market. The Korean singer and actor Rain (a superstar in Asia) is planning to become the first Asian singer to achieve a breakthrough in the American market. The first Korean movie theatres are built in America with an American audience in sight.
How will things work out? Will the Korean wave spread to the West? Will there be a backlash against all these generic churned out mass products?
I've heard people telling me that Japanese audience are beginning to be fed up with Korean movies and TV dramas. And And some countries like China are beginning to feel threatened by the invasion by Korean culture. Nevertheless, Korea (and its cultural products) going to be an interesting country to observe in the years to come. I've never been to Korea, and it's one of my goals to go to Korea this year. It will be interesting to see and experience Korea with my own eyes on site.

Update On Japan's Nuclear Reactors : NPR

As continued attempts are made to cool the reactors and spent fuel rod pools at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility, host Ira Flatow ...

 

Famous Japanese People

By Kum Martin

Article Word Count: 361 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Japan is a well known country for its advancement in the field of technology. It is considered one of the most economically advanced nations globally. A country becomes famous because of its people. Japan has produced few famous people whose invaluable participation in building this nation will always be remembered. People from diverse fields such as business, politics, sports, science and art have made long lasting impressions in the respective areas. Few most renowned Japanese people are Sakichi Toyoda, Emperor Akihitio, Fujita Den, Anno Hideaki, Abe Kobo and Sugiyama Ai.
Sakichi Toyoda was born on 14 February 1867. He belonged to a Carpenter family. He later turned out to be a famous inventor and an industrialist. His renowned invention was the automatic power loom. He was the founder of the Toyota Industries Co. Ltd. He suffered from pneumonia and breathed last on 30 October 1930.
Akihito became the emperor of Japan in the year 1989. He was born on 23 December 1933. He is a famous marine biologist. He has written many famous books on ancient Japanese science.
Fujita Den was born on 3 March 1926. He is the person who made hamburger as a Japanese symbol. In the year 1971, he pioneered in establishing McDonalds in Japan. The McDonald in Japan today has an earning of $4 billion each year. He died of a hear failure in 21 April, 2004.
Born on May 22, 1960, Anno Hideaki is one of the most renowned animation and film directors in the world. He is the cofounder of the famous animation studio called Gainax. He has been the chief animator in many famous animated movies.
One of the most renowned writers of Japan is Abe Kobo. He was born on 7 March 1924. His famous works include 'Kangaroo Notebook', 'Women In Dunes', Inter Ice Age 4', 'Secret Rendezvous' and the 'The Ruined Map'. He breathed his last on 22 January 1993.

Calculated Risk: Japan Nuclear Update

IAEA Update on Japan Earthquake. Japanese authorities have reported concerns about the condition of the spent nuclear fuel pool at Fukushima ...

The Status of Forces Agreement - Japan and Why You Should Learn to Speak Japanese

By Jason Conley

Article Word Count: 615 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

A Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between the United States and a country where U.S. military personnel are stationed. The SOFA with Japan was signed in 1960 and is formally known as "Agreement Under Article VI of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States of America and Japan, Regarding Facilities and Areas and the Status of United States Armed Forces in Japan"
The SOFA explains in great detail how every situation concerning members of the armed forces, civilian equivalents and their dependents will be handled. The fact that the agreement has remained unchanged since 1960 shows the amount of thought that went into the original agreement. There are however people in both countries who feel there should be changes. The people most unhappy with the current situation are Japanese living in Okinawa, where there have been several incidents regarding American service members in recent years.
The part of the SOFA most important to services members PCSing to Japan is Article XVII. This Article details who has jurisdiction when a crime is committed by a service member in Japan. Of particular importance is paragraph 3.
Briefly, Article XVII Paragraph 3 says that if you, as a service member, commit a crime against another service member, the U.S. has jurisdiction. The U.S. also has jurisdiction if you commit a crime during the performance of your duties. In all other cases, Japan has jurisdiction.
If you are accused of a crime in Japan and are currently in U.S. custody, the agreement says that you will remain in U.S. custody until you are charged with the crime. However, once you are charged, do not expect any assistance from the military or the U.S. Government.
Although the SOFA says a defendant is "to have legal representation of his own choice for his defense or to have free or assisted legal representation under the conditions prevailing for the time being in Japan;" a 2001 case shows the Japanese courts do not always follow this. In that case, the defendant requested an American lawyer be allowed to join his defense team. The court rejected his request without explanation.
That same paragraph agrees that a defendant "if he considers it necessary, to have the services of a competent interpreter," but this stipulation only applies once you have been charged. If you are being questioned, you have no right to an interpreter and neither government is likely to provide one. I personally know of a case in which someone was questioned concerning an accident in which he was accused of reckless driving resulting in injury. He was questioned by the Japanese in a Japanese police station. The extent of the advice provided by the base's legal office was "Don't sign anything in Japanese." He was specifically told that the military would not provide an interpreter. During questioning, he was told that the charges would be dismissed, but he had to sign some paperwork, in Japanese. He had little choice but to sign. His case turned out alright, but it was not because he was assisted by the military.
As you head off on your PCS to Japan, keep in mind that just because you are an American and a member of the United States Military, you do not have special protection. You are still subject to Japanese law, and you will be held accountable if you break those laws. Take the time to become familiar with the laws and customs of Japan, and try to learn to speak Japanese either before you PCS, or while you are stationed in Japan. You can have a wonderful time, just stay out of trouble.

Update on Japan's Nuclear Crisis at Fukushima I

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan attends a meeting on crisis of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Tokyo, Japan, March 15, 2011.

Stopping a Hurricane with Acoustic Transducers

By Lance Winslow

Article Word Count: 605 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Ocean spray from white caps and high seas during Hurricanes helps propel the Hurricanes. If ocean spray is eliminated the Hurricane Force winds would be able to reach the severe categories we have recently seen. This is based on a study done recently at University of California at Berkeley and assisted by two-well known mathematicians. The water droplets being kicked up were about help lubricate the winds, which allowed speeds of up to 200 mph in subsequent additional cyclones or tornadoes which accompany Hurricanes and Typhoons. Indeed this is an interesting discovery and these studies further indicate that winds would be less than 25 miles per hour if no water droplets were available.
In our study of turbulent winds scientists have discovered many mathematical equations, which can be used to describe turbulent fluids, these equations can be used in many practical applications. Everything from predicting weather, making weather or even preventing it. Indeed there are also applications in aerodynamics and laminar airflows as per my theories of such. One of the most intriguing possibilities of course would be controlling fluid dynamics inside pipelines.
Some scientists are already looking at the role in keeping airships aloft, aircraft performance, slowing ships and taming rivers or flood waters. Turbulence can often be a good thing for making hydroelectric power by controlling it or slowing of waters to save coastlines. Vortex generation, wind tunnels and aircraft carrier launching can all benefit from this knowledge.
In the mathematical study and equations set forth it appears that the clouds of water droplets or mist from the ocean spray when compressed between flowing water and air, show that large water droplets are cast up during the cresting of waves as you often see during white capped waves in the midst of storms. This slows the air over the oceans and thus allows better formation of the Hurricane. If we can eliminate this tendency of the fluid dynamics mixed with the normal airflows we can prevent the Hurricanes formation or possible make it go away? Absent the normal airflow near sea surface turbulence the Hurricanes have free reign on the forces allowing it to reach a large category storm. When we reduce the friction between the air and water, by allowing in the normal turbulence it is possible to reduce the high category named storms powerful winds by a factor of one thousand. Also the white cap waves generate mist less than 8 ten-thousandths of an inch they greatly inhibit the localized turbulent winds and normal airflows. One scientist said:
"If you could develop a detergent to reduce the size of the droplets, you might be able to stop a hurricane," he said. "That's not as far fetched as it sounds. In ancient times, sailors carried oil to pour out on the water to calm storms. Pouring oil on choppy waters was not a superstition."
Since we are interested in reducing the size of the droplets, I propose we use acoustic transducers under high power on barges plugged into the power of a nuclear submarine or nuclear aircraft carrier and point them right at or above the cresting waves to cause the water droplets to break apart into smaller droplets, by scrambling their molecular structure once airborne. This does two things, it robs the Hurricane of its barrier between the wind it creates and the relative wind from the local region and it reduces the droplets size and assists in taking the rain away. I propose we fund research in the killing of Hurricanes, rather than paying out 155 Billion Dollars in the aftermath to rebuild after Hurricanes like Katrina. Think on that.

blogs.forbes.com/.../japan-nuclear-update-evacuation-zone-expands-new-photos-of-tsunami-hitting-plant/

The 20-kilometer (12.5 miles) evacuation zone surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi (FDI) nuclear power plant will be expanded, Japanese ...

Iran is Funding Cloning

By Lance Winslow

Article Word Count: 236 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Is it true that Iran is working on the cloning of humans, yet at the same time attempting to have us believe that they are following the true doctrines of Islam? Is this indeed rather hypocritical. Is this rumor true is Iran really working on Human Cloning?
We know they are very high tech and working on high-speed underwater torpedoes, which can travel underwater at 400-mph and they claim to have buzzed the USS Ronald Reagan with a Stealthy UAV. They also have shot off and tested a new stealth missile. Additionally they are as we know enriching Uranium from Chinese Stock and perhaps have considered building an atomic bomb or nuclear warhead to put on top of the ICBM 39-foot missiles that they have bought from China.
You see at first I did not believe the secret intelligence rumor about the cloning of humans in Iran. But when you consider the interesting in their buying of Russian Anti-Aircraft war toys, Chinese missiles and developing high tech weapons of war the rumor actually sound just about right, as such an attempt at advancement would in fact be right up their alley.
And since they know that they need more International Terrorists, rather than recruiting them, why not simply grow them through human cloning. Is Iran funding human cloning, Hitler had an interest in that remember? Lots of similarities there it appears. Consider all this in 2006.

Update on Japan's Nuclear Crisis at Fukushima

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan attends a meeting on crisis of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Tokyo, Japan, March 15, 2011.

The Effect of the Cold War on the World

By Lance Winslow

Article Word Count: 269 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Many folks these days are worried about Nuclear Power Plants being attacked by International Terrorists. But they are protected with barricades from truck bombs and such. Some believe that OBL and his Talley Band will try to hijack an airliner and fly it into a Nuclear Power Plant? Fat chance? You have been reading too many Tom Clancy books indeed.
You see Osama bin Laden, cannot fly an airliner and even if he could those nuclear power plants are much stronger than you think. What I found interesting is that the Reactor Domes themselves were not as big an issue as many had thought due to their significant amount of concrete. What was perhaps more critical was on-site radioactive material stored in storage sheds on some of the properties. Still most of this was taken care of as well after the GAO, OMD and FERC identified lax policy controls, which may not have been proper BMPs.
Personally I am pro-Nuclear Power to some degree. What I fear worse would be a country like France, which is vulnerable and cannot take care of its own civilian populations. With rioters and looters and torching of cars and buildings. We should not worry about International Terrorists trying to take out a Nuclear Power Plant. The plant would shut down and the systems would put out the fires and first responders are ready even if a large airliner like a 727 or 737 tried. In our country we are safe. We should probably be more concerned with our allies and their nuclear power plants than here at home. Think on this in 2006.

Calculated Risk: Japan Nuclear Update

IAEA Update on Japan Earthquake. Japanese authorities have reported concerns about the condition of the spent nuclear fuel pool at Fukushima ...

Sexual Nuclear Meltdown

By Mike Courtney

Article Word Count: 2618 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

At a quarter to 6:00 on March 11, 2011 an earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 45 miles from the Oshika peninsula in northern Japan. The earthquake reported 9.0 on the rector scale and sent shock waves that were felt as far away as the Pacific Coast of North America. The Tohoku Earthquake triggered a 30 foot full tsunami wave that within minutes barreled into the northeastern coast of Japan. Cities like Ishinomaki, Miyagi and Onagawa were literally swept from the face of the earth. The latest count in confirmed deaths is more than 11,000 and nearly 18,000 people are still unaccounted for. The earthquake and tsunami did severe damage to several nuclear reactors including the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Explosions occurred, electrical power that ran crucial cooling pumps was knocked out. And within days a nuclear meltdown started to occur.
We have lived through some life changing events, Sept. 11, 2001, the economic crash of 2008. But it remains to be seen if this cataclysmic event will change our world in a way that not one of us can predict or anticipate. I submit to you that this kind of sweeping 3-fold, iconic transformation is not without precedent. You, in many ways are living in the radiation aftermath of another unprecedented societal earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.
In the late 1940's a wave of soldiers returned home to America from WWII. They found wives that had of necessity left the comforts of home to enter the work force and did not want to return. Those repatriated husbands and emancipated wives began to have babies in record numbers. Baby boomers they were called and I am one of them, the largest single generation in the history of the world. Twenty years later, that wave of baby-boomers began to place their stamp of influence on the culture of America. They were put off by the work ethic of their depression era parents. They were moved to liberation by the same radical thinking that produced the civil rights movement and women's lib. And they were delivered from the fear of unwanted pregnancy by the newly approved birth control pill. Some time in the 1960's an earthquake hit the world that we call "the sexual revolution". The hippies of history that are almost a caricature today really did introduce free love, sex without consequences, and a morality of self-gratification.
By 1962, 1.2 million women were using the pill. The number of young people that were having sex outside of marriage had skyrocketed and the epicenter of the Great Society (as Lyndon Johnson called it) became a conglomerate of social acceptance and sexual promiscuity - - the earth quake. Not long after the sexual earth quake of the 60's came the tsunami of the 70's, 80's and 90's; an openly sexual culture that not only condoned but propagated sexuality as separate from marriage or religious mores. Beginning as a gentle swell the tsunami ballooned through TV, advertising, and print media to literally overwhelm our culture and our world with images and expressions of sex and sexual connectedness. At the height of that wave was a confluence of pornographic material and the easy access of the internet. This porn tsunami continues to drown our world in a morass of sexual debris. Today it looks something like this: - In the US, we spend $3,075 dollars every second on pornographic material - There is a porn video produced every 39 minutes in the U.S. - World-wide $98 billion dollars in revenue is earned by the porn industry per year. (More than MLB, MBA, and NFL combined). - In the US, more people view porn each evening than ABC, CBS and NBC combined. There are 4.2 million pornographic websites (12% of the internet). - Last week 53% of American men viewed at least one pornographic website and 94 million women (that is a 17% increase since 2007). - Last year Hollywood released about 200 first-run movies. In 2008, the US produced 13,588 pornographic films. Tsunami is a mild word for the sweeping destruction that has overtaken our society as a result of the earthquake of the sexual revolution. But that is not what I want to talk about. I want to talk to you about living in the nuclear radioactive fall-out of the meltdown that has occurred.
First, there is a loss of intimacy. Genesis 2:24 says "For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and they will become one flesh." We are created for intimate relationships. God created male and female to be united sexually face to face, different from all other created beings. This one flesh intimacy is the design of God to bring completeness and wholeness to His most beloved creation. Let's talk about the brain. The limbic system or mammalian brain such areas in the human being as emotions, desires, drives and impulses. This includes sexual impulses. When we experience sexual attraction the neurotransmitter dopamine floods the brain and triggers feelings of pleasure, and reward. It neuro-chemically activates your feel good, whether it's sex, eating, exercising or chocolate. Dopamine is the craving or the "I've got to have it" neurotransmitter. The more dopamine you release positive reinforcement you experience. It is called the cocaine of the brain. So whether it's viewing pornography, or an intimate sexual relationship, the brain begins to crave the adrenal rush. Three other things happen. There is a lower serotonin level. Serotonin is the flexibility chemical that enables me to change my mind, reconsider, back-up. So I become stuck or obsessed with this sexual thinking. Second, the pre-frontal cortex disengages. This is the judgment system or safety system of the brain so that my ability to make good choices is hampered. Finally, oxytocin is released in the brain. Oxytocin is the bonding chemical. One of the times when oxytocin is most present is during childbirth. At childbirth a mother's oxytocin level is 500 times its normal level. So, it's no wonder when that little baby is placed in the mother's arms, she bonds immediately. When these chemical interactions are repeatedly taking place without the subsequent object of affection upon which to attach they become watered down and weakened. The ability to connect is in danger and we lose our healthy facility for intimacy.
I saw a young father a few years ago. I'll call him Jamie. Jamie was a good guy. He had a wife and a couple of kids. He was involved in his church. He also was a chronic, addicted pornography user. One day he just walked out on his family. He left his wife, left his kids, left his life. When I met with him he said, "I just don't care anymore. I don't feel like I have it in me to love any of them." Repeated sexual connectedness to images on a computer screen took from him his ability to be intimate.
The second tragedy that comes as a result of this nuclear meltdown is a loss of identity. In Genesis 1:26 God says "Let us make man in our image. In the image of God He made them, male and female, created He them." Here I want to talk about the heart. Psychologists for sixty years have understood the importance and value of self-differentiation. I am born into a family and my identity, my personhood begins there. I have my father's eyes. I talk like my mother. You and your brother act just alike. Athletically, intellectually, and socially, all my identity is given me by my family of origin. At some point around 11 or 12 I begin to differentiate, to stand on my own and find my own identity. Then the characteristics of the other becomes, not my identity, but a reflection, an image. Like a mirror I reflect the other's image in my own. So God says, "Let us make man in our image". We are not God but we reflect the image of God. It's who we are. Now, as we begin to connect sexually, we give a piece of ourselves, our identity to the other and we take their reflection into our own identity. I exchange a part of who I am with who my sexual partner is. We begin to reflect each other. Whether human sexual contact or pornography use, each time we connect we exchange some of our identity with the other. That's why two old people who have been married for a long time begin to look alike or why a room full of addicts have a similar appearance. The more I exchange myself with another, the more my own God-given image is diluted until I become a complex reflection of all the others but not of myself. I lose who I am.
I'll call her Sally. She came to Branches about 3 years ago to seek spiritual guidance and to deal with depression. Over the next two years I met with her on a regular basis and began to understand the depth of her struggle. Sally had been viscously and repeatedly sexually abused from her earliest childhood until well into adulthood. After that her life was a series of dozens of sexual partners and encounters, sometimes several sex partners at once. As I began to hear her it became apparent that she had given away her identity. So much so that we discover at least 15 separate personalities living in her. We call that DID, or Dissociative Identity Disorder. And in fact the real true self, Sally, was dead. The primary presenting identity only spoke for her and assumed her place in society but announced finally that Sally was dead. I know this is an extreme illustration but it speaks to the loss of identity that we face as a result of surrendering to the radioactive fallout of our sexual culture.
Finally, there is a loss of influence. This has to do with the soul. I Cor. 6:19 says "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God?" We are born, every one of us, with a spark of the Divine in us, the presence of God. When we invite Christ into our lives and become Christ followers, we receive not only forgiveness and His righteousness, we receive the full blown spirit of God living inside us. Galatians 2:20 says "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me." The God of the universe, the Triune Godhead dwells fully in you. In part He dwells in you for the sake of influence. We're called to be world changers. We're called and empowered to change the universe, maybe not the entire created universe, maybe not the 8 billion people on the planet, but the world in which we live, our part, our circle of influence. There are some people I believe that God has planned for you to reach and He dwells in you for that very purpose - influence. Paul says that every time we give ourselves to this radioactive fallout of sexual permissiveness the God influence in us is diminished. I Cor. 6: 13-17 says "The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. By His power God raised the Lord from the dead and He will raise us also.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said 'the two will become one flesh'. But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit." The great fear of the radioactive contagion in Japan is its potential to spread geographically and genealogically. Lettuce and milk from the Miyagi prefect around the Fukushima plant is showing up in other regions of Japan. Wind above the nuclear reactor is drifting toward North America. And the children and grandchildren yet to be born from those affects will potentially bear the deformities of this destructive force. The loss of intimacy and identity is tragic and painful for you. If I could somehow keep you from that pain, I would. But a far greater tragedy is the loss of influence when you leave this campus, when you leave this room. There are friends and families that are desperate for the spirit of God in you and the loss of influence over them and over your children, and over your children's children is unimaginable.
One more story, I'll call him Mike. Actually his name is Mike. He is me. I was privileged to be the pastor of two great churches. I would preach every Sunday to hundreds of people and influence them, their families, and their communities for good and for God. I was in a place and a position to change a pretty big part of the world. But radioactive sickness got the best of me. I succumbed to the sexual fallout from the earthquake of the 60's and the tsunami of the next 3 decades. I gave into sexual sin and I lost my identity. Now don't get me wrong, God has healed me. He has restored my family, my walk with Him, and in many ways, my purity. I am so grateful for Branches and am amazed at the number of lives that are changed daily by that ministry. But the influence I had as a pastor and preacher is gone. I will never occupy the pulpit in the same way. I lost that influence because of my moral failure. I do not want you to lose your intimacy. I am warning you about the loss of identity. But the most devastating thing of all is to lose your ability to influence your kids, your friends, your family, the people you work with. Don't you dare lose that. Don't you put that at risk. My kids, my grandkids need you and your influence. Don't you let them down. The earthquake has come and gone and we are beginning to rebuild in its aftermath. The tsunami has passed. We have buried the dead and cleared away the debris. But the nuclear fallout is with us in every breath we take. We have got to be aware of it, stand against it, and overcome it. And you can do that. You must do that.
Here are 5 steps to help you: 1. Make a moral commitment now to sexual purity. 2. Decide right now your sexual boundaries. 3. Establish accountability partners to support your purity. 4. Ask for and accept God's offer of secondary virginity. 5. Keep the faces of those you may influence ever before you.
Paul says, "We are new creatures in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away. All things are made new." I don't know all there is to know about the tragedies and disasters in Japan. I do know that if history is a reference and if God gives us grace, the world will overcome these things and life will go on. The question will be whether or not we go on better or we revert to our old ways of living. In the same way, we can survive the sexual fallout in our world. We can be new creatures in Christ. The question for you is will you be better or simply live life like you always have. I encourage you to strive for better.

Japan Nuclear Update - By Iain Murray - The Corner - National ...

Iain Murray writes on NRO: There is a lot of confusion and conflicting information coming out of Japan right now, but I'm glad to say that ...

Japan in News: The Latest Earthquake Brings a Tsunami of Troubles

By Swati Sinha

Article Word Count: 516 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Last Friday, Japan was unraveled by, what may be termed as possibly one of the most horrible earthquakes ever. The subsequent 10-meter high tsunami trampled the whole of the Pacific coast of the country, sweeping away ships, vehicles, people, and homes alike. Though the early warning systems did reduce the chances of some loss of life, the death toll has now crossed 10,000, many are still missing, and thousands have lost their homes. The earthquake, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, has shifted the island by approximately 8 feet and is thought to have affected the earth's axis.
The Japanese Government is battling at so many fronts simultaneously that it is not really able to assess the exact level of destruction. The estimate, on the basis of the specifics received so far, is currently being pegged at an overwhelming $35 billion. The reconstruction efforts after this catastrophe are anticipated to be the greatest ever attempted in the world. The tsunami in Japan has been particularly responsible for cutting all the communication lines and power supplies in the earthquake-stricken areas. This, in turn, has resulted in even bigger concerns about the alleged nuclear radiations from the Fukushima Daiichii atomic plant. In addition to the irreversible damage to reactors No. 1 and 3, fresh fire at reactor No. 4 and an alarming rise in temperature at reactors 5 and 6 have given rise to worries over a probable meltdown of the fuel rods and the discharge of large-level radiations in the environment! Japan has total 54 nuclear setups that constitute 30% of its total electricity supplies. Eleven out of these, including the Fukushima reactor, are situated in the affected north-eastern belt and have been closed. Restoring these power sources is not likely to happen for some extended periods of time and this implies additional cost of moving over to oil-based electricity generation. The Japanese authorities are drawing criticism from the world community, due to mismanagement and suppression of actual information. The nuclear emergency in Japan is being rated 5, next only to the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, and currently, it is impossible to evaluate the costs on this account.
Japan is already full of a number of economic challenges and the latest events have been a major setback to its economic recovery process. All of the affected areas have been rendered totally non-functional, where trading of daily essentials is also suffering from a shortage of supplies. Though the commercial zones in Japan have not been directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami, production is now at halt in many parts. The transport industry is among the worst hit by the tsunami and there have been huge opportunity costs of lost production. Foreign employees are being evacuated, while auto majors, such as Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have stopped operations. There have been over 110 aftershocks to the Friday's earthquake until now, with the latest, 6.0 on Richter scale, to hit Tokyo on Wednesday. It is yet to be seen whether the current troubles subside or a fresh round of events throw Japan further out of gear.

Live updates: Disaster-struck Japan in nuclear crisis

ALL the latest updates on the nuclear and humanitarian crises in Japan will be posted here as they come to hand.

Pulse Oximeter Aids Japan Disaster

By Jackson Roger

Article Word Count: 409 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

The world is watching in horror the events that are undertaking in Japan. A magnitude 9.0, earthquake struck the region, which then triggered a tsunami that attacked the eastern shore of the country. Thousands of people have already been confirmed, but thousands are still missing. Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, but one of this magnitude is the strongest ever recorded in the recorded history of the nation. The unfortunate events also triggered a nuclear emergency, which has turned out to be a third blow to the people of Japan. The tidal wave from the tsunami destroyed the diesel generators of costal nuclear power plants. These generators were critical to cool down reactors in the event the power to the plant was lost. Since the reactors cannot be cooled efficiently, a nuclear meltdown could be the result. As always, the people of the world are not standing by and just watching. Many nations of the world responded quickly by offering help in all forms. They offered food, supplies, money, and even knowledge.
The United States was first in line to offer its help. One device that people might not think about first during a disaster, a pulse oximeter. A pulse oximeter, also known as a pulse ox by some medical professionals, is a medical device used to measure the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of an individual. Why is this important? In the recent events in Japan, the air people are breathing can be dangerous since it is full of dirt and debris. For this reason, it is important to constantly check how efficient the lungs are working, and this is done with the use of a pulse oximeter. The Japanese government has handed out thousands of finger pulse oximeters to its community centers to be handed out amongst survivors. On site doctors are also using a pulse oximeter on patients for both oxygen saturation and their pulse rates. A finger pulse oximeter runs on standard batteries, which makes it easier to all over the world for replacement.

Japan nuclear update: Possible reactor breach, evacuation zone ...

Three workers waded Thursday through water with critically elevated radiation levels. They are now being monitored, and officials are ...

Japan: Calm Amidst the Devastating Disaster

By Bonnie Moss

Article Word Count: 667 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

... Do not cry, Japan. A Japanese woman sheds tears on the street of Natori City, Myagi prefecture, where strong quake and tsunami overwhelmed on Sunday, March 13, 2011. However, Japanese showed their characteristic composure in coping with this unparalleled disaster. Reuters Yonhap News
Japan- a nation struck by a most disastrous calamity. The world stands in awe of their apparent calm in the midst of this. It follows that a national disaster creates a new disaster in terms of looting, rape, rage, hysteria, fear and other forms of heinous crimes committed amidst chaos. It also follows that the ones delegated in charge of distribution and management of relief aid are guilty of theft and making fortunes.
I call these crimes of opportunity in the midst of a calamity.
There is so much for the world to learn about the Japanese culture of calm and discipline. There are no looting and widespread hysteria. They form long lines, patiently awaiting their turn. They take the limited allocation of supplies quietly and move on. Some who take a bit more than what they need do express feelings of guilt.They are aware of the limited resources, and their culture promotes the virtue of sharing, courage and self-sacrifice. They look out after one another, not each man to his own.
This tragedy strikes Japan on many fronts- an earthquake of one the strongest magnitude in recorded history, a tsunami that followed, then a nuclear disaster. Basic human necessities were almost nil, add to this, winter decided to pay a visit. These can break a strong the human spirit.
It was a somber picture to see the survivors stand up, shoulder to shoulder in silence at exactly 2:46 PM, Japan time, a week later. It was awesome. There is a lot of noise from Japanese in Tokyo, particularly. The concern is over the slowness of response. But, it did not incite chaotic protests against the powers that be.
The world was quick to respond. But- the Japanese did not clamor for help, demand for help from other countries in a sense of entitlement. It is documented that Japan has an excellent disaster/ emergency plan. But the magnitude of the earthquake, the tsunami that followed and the nuclear disaster were paralyzing by any stretch of imagination. Typical of their culture, they carefully assess the offers of help from the world. It would have been easy to respond in panic when panic strikes. But, they took the time to assess the needs and steps to take before accepting outside help. They believed in their system.
There was no widespread hysteria from the Japanese while other nationals in the stricken area could not get out fast enough. Help from other countries are pouring in quietly and calmly. The nuclear disaster is a testament to the Japanese cautious handling of a situation. The workers in the nuclear plant did not rush to get out and save themselves. A week later, family members speak with pride at the bravery of their loved ones to do what they can, stay on in what seemed to the world as a suicide mission. They carried on even though it seemed like it was all an exercise in futility. These workers are truly unsung hereos.
Japan was in shambles after the Pacific War. But, it rose from the ravages of war, built a strong infrastructure and robust economy. You'd think this will change the heart, the pulse, the culture of a nation. In any culture, race or creed and social structure, there is the ever- present element of evil that is pervasive in some countries.
It is written that this disaster may have shaken the Japanese archipelago, but it has not destroyed the communities, the Japanese civil spirit that is built on consideration and generosity, which has proven to be far stronger than the earthquake. They have faith in their fellow citizens and the systems that constitutes Japan. She will rise again, above the pain, sadness and great loss, stronger.

Japan Nuclear Update

Japan Nuclear Update - breaking news on Japanese nuclear disaster.

Technologically Man is a Giant, Morally a Pygmy

By Ashley Wong

Article Word Count: 711 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Technologically man has made tremendous advancements. From humble beginnings last century with the Industrial Revolution we have come to the stage where we have invented and built so many gadgets that our very existence is threatened by them, like the atomic bomb.
We cannot deny that technology has improved the quality of our lives immeasurably. A journey to anywhere on the globe now takes merely a few hours by airplane, whereas it may have taken many years to do so before. We communicate with one another with increased ease and efficiency. All it takes is the pressing on a few buttons and we are able to talk to anyone almost anywhere in the world. A flick of the television switch gives us news, sports, and entertainment in glorious color. Modern methods of cooking do not leave dirty messes behind. For the even more lazy ones, fast-foods are always available, some twenty four hours a day.
Modern computers have infiltrated into all aspects of business, governments and even at home. City traffic is also computer-controlled. So it is too with many other things where computers are virtually indispensable. Computer breakdown means also the breakdown of whatever system it controls. The computer has become almost all-powerful. Such is our dependence on it.
In war, our technological expertise has given us super-efficient weapons. Instead of swords and spears, we now have machine-guns, heat seeking missiles, cruise missiles, jet-fighters and other tools of murder and mayhem. Our ability to kill and destroy is frightening. We have become so powerful that the possibility of killing ourselves completely is very real indeed.
It is in the light of this possibility of self-annihilation that we suddently find ourselves most vulnerable and wanting. While we go about creating for ourselves millions of gadgets to fulfill our fancies we have neglected our basic self. We can make machine guns that fire a thousand rounds a minute but we do not take responsibility for our creation. So these guns fall in the hands of terrorists and war-mongers. What is the result? Death and destruction on an unprecedented scale now ravage the people of this earth. Few are brave enough to stand up to oppose this scourge. Manufacturers make profits from weapons. Armies use them to destroy one another but hardly anybody does anything to stop it.
We let our creations run riot. In the name of class, creed and religion we plunder one another with the most powerful weapons available. We kill innocent people without batting an eyelid. Morally we are no better than dumb animals.
In the short span of the first eighty years of this century, we have had two world wars and innumerable other wars. Millions have died as a result. Yet the wars go on, unabated. Some men stood up against this madness but, like many others before them, were assassinated, pushed aside or simply forgotten. So the majority of us, including the so-called world leaders today, remain quiet and let the violence continue. Some even aggressively perpetuate it.
Industrialization has brought us many benefits. It has also brought about environmental tragedies. Air-pollution, sea-pollution, acid-rain and other forms of threats may one day overwhelm our very existence. Yet few of these polluters are willing to face up to reality and do something concrete to end the pollution. They are more interested in making a profit. They do not want to spend their 'hard-earned' money to clean up the environment. Let someone else do the dirty job. Such is their moral responsibility.
In other areas too there are crimes committed against ourselves and mother earth. We reclaim land from the sea, level mountains and blast each other to smithereens. We do not know how to live peacefully and harmoniously with one another. Nobody wants to be responsible for that. We have no moral courage. Einstein once said that we have 'a perfection of means, but a confusion of ends'. We are capable of great wonders, but we do not know how to wield such capabilities responsibility.

CleanEnergy Footprints » Archive » May 5: Japan Nuclear Disaster ...

It is hard to believe that two months have passed since the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. And though the ensuing nuclear ...

Problems in Atlanta Sewer Systems

By John Gentry

Article Word Count: 404 [View Summary] Comments (0)  

Currently, there is a $4 billion overhaul of Atlanta, Georgia's sewer system going underway. Of course, the city has several years to accomplish this task. The project began within this past decade, but there are many changes that still need to be made to update the archaic sewer system and improve the quality of water. In the meantime, South Georgia residents are experiencing more than their fair share of pollutants in the water. Still, Atlanta city officials say they have already added a great deal of new sewer development. This is a good amount of momentum that will hopefully keep up until all the necessary changes have been made.
The condition of Atlanta's current sewer system is clearly in need of updating when you realize that it is about a century old. It was designed to transport raw sewage, rainwater and pollution through underground pipes-this is not dissimilar from other large cities' sewer systems. The difference is that, at least until the mid-80s, any rain received into the system would send untreated waste, toilet paper, and other unsanitary materials to streams and eventually find their way to downstream cities. Even a decade later, Atlanta was responsible for $7 million per year in pollution-related fines. More recently, this number has generally landed below $100,000.
The only problem with the expensive project to fix the outdated sewer systems of Atlanta is exactly that-it is very expensive. The watershed department of the city is already seeing a dramatically low revenue projection. At the same time, $200 million a year are being spent to pay off debts. This is about 40% of the general budget. The costly changes must be funded from somewhere, and the thought is that without an extension to complete the project, citizens of Atlanta, a quarter of which live below the poverty line, will easily have the most expensive water and sewer bills in the country.
Everyone in the Atlanta area is aware of the problems, but that does not mean they can solve themselves. The mayor in 2002 suggested a 1% sales tax increase to help fund the sewer system's overhaul. Through all the efforts city officials have made, they were recognized as a leaders committed to making all necessary improvements to meet federal standards. Whatever methods are used to update the sewer systems of Atlanta, cities and counties downstream are eager for them to complete the project as quickly as possible.

Fukushima Japan nuclear power plant updates: get all the data ...

Japan is racing to gain control of the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Where does the most detailed data come from?

Today's World is a Most Dangerous Place

By Kh. Atiar Rahman

Article Word Count: 1646 [View Summary] Comments (1)  

There is no denying the fact that today's world is not doctrinaire, astute and cultured, rather it is full of hazards and alarming. Still nowadays, unconstrained social evils are widespread in the world. Not only in our country, but also in many parts of the world, sleaze, violence, dowry system, traffic congestion, pollutions and high rate of population survive terrifically. In earlier times, the people were peaceful in the sense that they did not know how to use weapons to mess up others. In modern world, the use of atomic energy has been impishly enhancing for which the safe and sound continued subsistence for humans are being meticulous day by day. If we look around the world, we will watch that the numbers of wars are increasing day by day for which the war against terrorism is a burning question right now. The history says, by a mammoth invasion of the terrorists, the world largest business centre situated in America has been crushed. It is a matter of great regret that the super power countries like USA, Germany, France, Russia and Great Britain failed to retaliate such attacks.
It is imperative to note that in Hiroshima and Nagashika of Japan during First World War, atom bomb had been unnerved on the soil of Japan, the first sun rising country. The end product of such atom bomb was so fatal that even today; such venomous influences are all-encompassing in the world on a large scale. Modern world is the world of threat, perils and painful and as such, the war of Vietnam was dangerous that unlimited people had been killed. The war of Iraq is most disparaging and scandalous because each and every day due to terror campaign attack, uncounted people are being killed irrespective of high or low. The peace loving forces are trying to control the country relating to law and order situation, but it is becoming difficult to control the country on the part of the alliance forces against the rebel forces. The rebel forces think that hey are fighting against the occupancy of foreign foes and according to them, they will fight till date until or unless Iraq is liberated. From the consequences of such war, we can decide that all wars cannot bring good harvest rather than the people of the world who do not find any ways to live with peace, society, friendship and love. In the midst of many arguments and debates, it seems that today's world is full of perils and dangerous place.
Due to the fact that corruption exists immensely for which we can articulate that where there is no accountability, there lies corruption and it occurs in case of dealing money in exchange of anything. In my opinion, it is the sum of total resources expressed in terms of current monetary units and the discretion power which is the authority and empowerment to spend and minus accountability. Moreover, Smoking emerge due to delay in healing of stomach ulcers; it trims down the senses of smell and taste; slows down reflexes which causes smokers more prone to accidents; and gives an unpleasant smell from the breath, clothes, and homes of smokers. Very current survey illustrates that smokers endanger the health of non-smokers. Pregnant women smokers tend to have smaller babies than non-smokers, and their babies are more likely to be born dead or die a few days after birth. Besides such tremendously adverse affects, the children of smoking parents have more lung infections in the first years of life than the children of non-smokers. During one hour in a smoky room, a non-smoker can inhale as much cancer-causing substances as some one smoking 15 filter-tip cigarettes. Illness related to smoking is very expensive. In U.K., France, Germany, China and USA, it results in the loss of about 60 millions working days a year, treatment costs several hundreds thousands dollar a day, and it causes the death of over a million people a week. However, those who give up smoking greatly reduce their chances of developing diseases.
There is no denying the fact that the profligate limits of social life in our country envisage the identity as a great threadbare for overall affluence and fiscal accuracy in our country. It is certitude that the sociable evils like teen labor, acid sadism, dowry system, strangling maids, raping, indoor pollutions; corruption and drug addiction are mammoth constraints as mixed with our blood and bone. Drug craving and Alcoholism are the causes of social disorder for which a society remains congested from all sorts of progression. In case of personage prospect, drug obsession is atrocious work, which mingles many other fatalities like cancer, coronary, and phthisis. Drug addict is such phenomena with which a person fails to accomplish his bright lot, being laden with superstitious and mentally being disrobed, he becomes then unable to get rid of such bottleneck. Drug addiction is not only bad habits but also an evil force that spoils the men's life. There is no suspicion that the young people are found more to be captivated as compared to other evil forces that tremendously affect people to go astray and miscarriage. They are somehow subjective to take drugs like heroine, chorus, phencidel, wine cigarettes, alcohol and many other addicted materials very harmful for health and hygiene. When a person somehow leaves hope of life, in due course he thinks that drug addiction is only the way for which he can survive on earth and as such in the next course, he takes drugs after drugs and become addicted. When in one time, he becomes obsessive; he cannot give up those addictions because he remains in the state of hallucinations and emotionally distortions. Hence Alcoholics do not drink simply for pleasure, but because they presume that they cannot face life's problems ingrained in blood and bone without alcohol. It is a significant fact that more road mishap results from unwieldy ingestion than from any other cause. This is due to the fact that alcohol slows down reflexes, interferes with concentration and distance judgment, and increases recklessness. It is a fact that heavy drinking can cause cancer of the mouth, gullet, stomach, and liver. It upsets the digestion and reduces blood cell formation, causing anemia.
Suffice it to say that alcohol causes shrinkage of the brain, reducing the powers of abstract reasoning, and it destroys liver cells causing this organ to store abnormally large amounts of fat. In severe cases, alcoholics suffer numbness and paralysis of the limbs. Some alcoholics suffer a disorder known as delirium tremens when forced to stop drinking and besides this, vomiting occurs and the whole body begins to shake and in due course, it is followed by hideous and often ghastly visions. A drug can be defined as a chemical material that affects the mind and only the so-called hard drugs are irresistible. These include the opiates: opium, morphine, and heroine. A drug addict comes to depend upon a drug so that life is no longer bearable without it. Addiction occurs because, like alcohol, more and more of the drug is required to produce its desired effects. Furthermore, if the drug supply is out of the blue cut off an addict suffers withdrawal symptoms and these can be drastically lethal. That is to say, they become dependant upon alcohol without realizing it and as such for the first time, pleasing effects are produced by one or two drinks, but soon larger and larger amounts are needed to yield these effects, until self control is unduly irrevocable. Morphine, heroine, and other drugs that are often injected involve the risk of infection from dirt hypodermic needles.
Suffice it to say; in most places of the world, without corruption and malpractices, nothing is possible to be performed. Due to lack of honesty, sincerity and simplicity, the world has become unsuitable for living. Terrorism is another threat against healthy life in society. We need to be dedicated to work sincerely and painstakingly to eliminate such hurdles. Besides this, price hike is a great bottleneck against peaceful survival on earth because; the prices of all sorts of commodities are beyond the buying capacity of the people. In Bangladesh, floods, draught, cyclone, earthquake and epidemic diseases are the common visitors to the people of this beautiful land with ever green beauties of nature. The people living beside the sea shore always face misfortunes of water surge and thus they are being victimized almost every year; even if, in a year, they may be infected with such misfortunes. Besides sides, due to smoking and addictions of drugs, unlimited problems are being created every times for which the whole nation wants to get rid of from such hurdles. There exists a remarkable extent of evidences that a variety of awful diseases emerge often in smokers than non-smokers and these diseases are: Lung cancer; emphysema causing thinning and weakening of lung tissue; cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, gullet, bladder, and pancreas; coronary thrombosis causing snarl-up of arteries to the heart; angina pectorals causing pain due to contraction of arteries to the heart; and chronic bronchitis with phlegm.
In view of the above it is significant that it is worth mentioning that the present world is the most dangerous place as it is full of hatred, jealousy, slothful, vindictiveness and competition of ill money which never support the features of a healthy society. Hence it is obvious that smoking has been unenthusiastic every times and as such, even in general advertisement to sell their product, the work of publication of product's brand name and packaging system to indicate the quality of the product has been banned. Not only smoking, every kind of evils need to be banished from this world to present the modern age a healthy society bedded on trustworthy, love, friendship and responsibility to serve the humanity in this hereinafter virtually.

Fukushima Nuclear Accident Update Log

Update Resources. Story Resources; Videos: Work of the IEC: A Briefing for Director ... Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) ...