Thursday, July 5, 2012

Report: Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was “Manmade” | World | TIME.com

Report: Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was “Manmade” | World | TIME.com 

Infuriating.
Not sustainable.
Add in human idiocy, not only in planning, but execution, cost-cutting, etc.
Too many risks, too widespread, too dangerous.
Already caused too much damage.

Clean-energy.
Sustainable.

"A scathing Japanese parliamentary report investigating the circumstances of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant disaster blamed the dangerous incident on collusion between government agencies and Japan's leading energy company."

Here are a few other noteworthy conclusions from the report’s executive summary:
  • On ignoring the very real possibility of a large tsunami: “Since 2006, the regulators and TEPCO were aware of the risk that a total outage of electricity at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant might occur if the tsunami were to reach the level of the site.”
  • On the lack of a good evacuation plan: “Only 20 percent of the residents of the town hosting the plant knew about the accident when evacuation from the 3km zone was ordered at 21:23 on the evening of March 11
  • On incomplete and poorly disseminated information about radiation after the event: “[The government] failed to explain… the risks of radiation exposure to different segments of the population, such as infants and youths, expecting mothers, or people particularly susceptible to the risks of radiation.”
  • On the insularity of Japan’s nuclear industry: “The regulators also had a negative attitude toward the importation of new advances in knowledge and technology from overseas. If NISA [Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency] had passed on to TEPCO measures that were included in the B.5.b subsection of the U.S. security order that followed the 9/11 terrorist action, and if TEPCO had put the measures in place, the accident may have been preventable.”

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Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012

Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012
I've been thinking some about the Winter Solstice, the Mayan end of the 30,000-year-cycle on 12/21/12.

What if in fact the world did end? Even though this probably will not happen, to live consciously it is honest for us to take a bit of an inventory.

Am I happy with how I've lived my life? (Yesterday, I thought mostly yes, with some areas for improvement, as below.) Are there changes I would make?
Would I have tried to forgive those that were hostile or disappointing to me?
Would I spend more time with those I loved the most, telling them that, feeling that more?
Would I be happier, grateful for what I have, what I've experienced, the joy, the beauty in this world?

Maybe the answer is yes to all of the above.
So this time can serve as a point of rebirth for all of us. If we think about it.

Because somewhere along the line I realized I think maybe mankind deserves it. !
The way we are killing each other, killing the planet.
How selfish we are, and snotty to those around us. Petty, competitive. Why is this? Do we have to behave this way? (I say no, it greatly detracts and misdirects energy from the full-time celebration in which we could engage, the great multi-cultural, multi-rhythmic dance we can sustain here.)

Maybe God or the Great Universe is fed up, and will pull the rug out from under us.
Don't think I can say we could blame Him/Her/It.

But it probably won't happen. (Probably not! This time.)

Still we are finite on this ride.

It is a time to think, am I happy with how I've lived my life?
Hopefully most of us can say yes.

For the part of us that have a little worry, a little sadness....
This is the time to be present.
This is the time to be the person you want to be, that can die at peace, that can hope to every day be able to look yourself and the Universe in the eye and say, how beautiful, smiling, and thank you. Let's do that.

Antidotes to Violence, a.k.a., Take Charge of Where Your Head's At - here

Tell Congress to Strengthen Gun Control Laws NOW - here

Good News & Brain Food News -
Christians & Muslims Gather, for Peace here
Good News - Top RIO+20 Summit Posts here
The 'Busy' Trap - NYTimes.com
here