About Social Media Today
TEPCO has detected radiation of up to 4,000 millisieverts per hour in the air at the building housing reactor unit 1 at the Fukushima nuclear facility. Readings were collected from a robot sent into reactor unit 1 on June 3rd. Heavy steam has also been observed rising from the floor of reactor unit 1.
Record Radiation Levels at Fukushima - June 5 - Reuters.com VIDEO
With heavy rains predicted this week there are increasing concerns that contaminated water being stored in holding tanks, could over flow. 370 new water storage tanks will be arriving through August, to manage and avert the overflow of contaminated water. TEPCO, with pressure from the Japanese Government, has cooperatively developed plans with Areva to begin processing radioactive water in June, at the rate of 1200 tons a day.
In response to a request from TEPCO, Areva - a french company involved in nuclear safety and low carbon/renewable energy/environmental work, is assisting the Japanese with water decontamination. Areva is one of many companies and organizations that were on the ground in Japan providing assistance to residents and emergency workers directly after the disaster. Workers at Fukushima are presently setting up the water decontamination facility which is expected to lower radiation levels of the contaminated water to about one ten-thousandth. Learn more about Areva
To understand the scale of just the water decontamination project catch this quick video.
It's important to note that the Japanese have been working tirelessly and in cooperation with other agencies to manage the nuclear crisis, although dramatic data seems to catch the headlines more frequently. That doesn't understate or lessen remaining questions on conflicting information regarding radioactivity indicators.
This silent VIDEO released by TEPCO June 5th, captures workers spraying dust inhibitors on the unit 2 reactor at Fukushima. It gives reason to pause and reflect on how the lives of the workers at Fukushima and thousands of Japanese people are linked, without choice, to this ongoing nuclear crisis.
Current Related News
Plutonium detected in soil outside Fukushima nuclear plant - June 6 Japan Times Online
No.1 Plant's Air Radiation Highest Measured so Far - June 5 - Japan Times Online
Exclusive Interview with Arnie Gundersen - June 3 - ChrisMartenson.com
We Came Close to Losing Northern Japan (Michio Kaku) June 1 - CNN Youtube VIDEO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside Story - The Future of Nuclear Power
"We want the energy of the future to be safer" Angela Merkel, May 2011
Angela Merkel has received a lot of flack lately for her governments strong position to phase out nuclear energy for Germany by 2022. Germany by example has trail-blazed renewable energy development, feed in tariff policies and dialogue on energy ethics. The German government, with contributing work from member of parliament and renewable energy advocate, the late Dr. Hermann Scheer, spear-headed the creation of the International Renewable Energy Agency, which was officially established in January of 2009 in Bonn, Germany. IRENA's mandate is to facilitate rapid development and deployment of renewable energies worldwide, and they are presently based in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
This in-depth VIDEO covers Germany's energy plans for phasing out nuclear. source: Al Jazeera, aired on May 30, 2011. Runtime 25 minutes
**image courtesy of IAEA showing inspectors at Fukushima
