Let's face it; with the lack of information that is coming from the Japanese authorities and so much going on behind the scenes we are like prisoners in a proverbial Plato's cave where we only see shadows of things from a real life that is above the ground. Writing this volume is like putting a puzzle together. A puzzle with many bits missing because it is a disaster in the making. Those notes maybe as chaotic as the days when they were written.
As I saw videos of the explosions on the atomic power station in Japan I knew immediately it is a great catastrophe, and that information is being withheld on an unimaginable scale. An accident of such magnitude must mean we should start shifting away from nuclear power to sustainable and renewable sources, but once again truth is being stolen from us. How many more square kms of uninhabitable land, cancer cases and deaths does it take to realise that this is not the best way to produce energy?
It is hard to derive a comparison with Chernobyl as this is a disaster in its own right. At Chernobyl you had a single explosion, which did spew radioactive contaminants but also effectively ended any possibility of ongoing fission-related releases of radiation. We can say in Chernobyl the peak of the crisis passed at the moment when the reactor exploded. Radioactive waste had been scattered all around the area, nuclear fission stopped and in two weeks time there was neither fire, nor smoke. The first weeks were a nightmare, but then things started getting better. Once they entombed the reactor, no more significant releases of radiation were seen. Whereas in Fukushima there are six hot reactor vessels and many tons of hot spent fuel rods that will potentially stay hot for months and continue to spew dangerous levels of isotopes into the area. Quite possibly half of the destroyed reactors are in a state of meltdown. The radiation released by the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant already rivals Chernobyl and in future has the potential to become far worse than Chernobyl.
Although corporate and government controlled media ignores astronomical Fukushima radiation levels we still can find bits of interesting information even in the official reports…like this one from few days ago "Radiation 1,600 times normal level is detected 12 miles from Fukushima plant" IAEA reports—Kyodo News. Well, beyond 12 miles is a safe zone and the level of radiation is 160 milliroentgen per hour! People in such places were told to stay indoors. I wish the authorities would save these people, but instead the Japanese government save only the markets.
March, 2011
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Look at the photo of reactor #3. It is destroyed, looks like a bomb went off with nothing but rubble showing and what do authorities say? Two weeks after the explosion they were still saying that reactors containment vessel wasn't damaged. It's so funny that the authorities think "words" can override what your eyes are looking at.
They say every cloud has a silver lining and a few days after the accident mass media reporters have been trying to find this silver lining in a mushroom cloud of ruined reactors. They were telling about electric cable and it's important role. People were fed with the news about electrical power cable progress, but what good is electric cable to ruined reactor? It is pretty much the same as a fully charged battery in a car where pistons are clogged up with seawater and all your electronics are burned and also wet with seawater. Now add to that fact that your motor blew up and half of it is missing and finally if you spend more then three minutes working on your car you might die.
Let me say to all who are concerned about the cable, while you have a destroyed reactor in your hands. I will do it with words of Chamfort—Before adding ruffs to shirt sleeves, you must first have a shirt.
March, 2011
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Two and half weeks after the disaster the news channels were telling us that Plutonium had been found outside of the atomic plant but what is really interesting is that all three plutonium 238, 239 and 240 were discovered in one day. I'd better say uncovered because all elements have been there from the beginning and they knew it. They just give us information in small homoeopathic doses.
First they were telling about iodine-131, as if no other elements had been released.., always mentioning that the half-life of iodine-131 is only eight days. They did it to win a little time because the general public believe that half life is the time for chemicals to vanish away and disappear. Next step is to introduce us to Caesium, Ruthenium. Strontium...all marching one by one like on a parade with Plutonium at the end. Place of honour on this parade of isotopes is solidly reserved for a king. Half life of Plutonium-239 is over 24,000 years. Unfortunately this information become available to the general public when story is not longer on the news.
From interview to "IT-TORCA" newspaper (Malta)
Questions for Elena:
In your opinion, how do you compare Chernobyl disaster with Fukushima? Do you think Fukushima is more serious?
Comparing Chernobyl and Fukushima is like comparing gangrene with cancer. For us Chernobyl is a lost limb. Ukrainians, Belorussian and Russians have large territories and have withdrawn from Chernobyl, but Japanese appear to be in a cage with a tiger. They are completely surrounded by ocean. No place to go.. Fukushima affects more people, it eats like a cancer. I can see already the huge spots of metastizing rot japanese officials busily bent on whitewashing.
The similarity of Japan's bureaucrats to those of the Soviet Union is so obvious. I think it is worse. The Japanese people appear to have an almost DNA programmed obeisant desire to adhere to authority. This desire of Japanese people appears to be stronger than the instinct of self preservation. They adhere to authority no matter how unsafe the actions of those in charge have been.
I am very sorry to say that, but in a short few years, as a nation remarkable for longevity Japan will turn into a sick nation with many birth defects, cripples and funeral processions.
Japanese officials are hiding the truth and are keeping people in their radioactive homes for the sake of saving stock markets. Well, I doubt they will save stocks of TEPCO power company, I don't know how things will stand with cars and electronics manufacturing companies, but I know for sure that pharmacological companies in future Japan will do very well.
Now 25 years later, what are the effects of that disaster?
If we are talking about effects of Chernobyl on larger scale then let's look at statistics. In 1986 the population of Ukraine was 52 millions now twenty five years later our population is less than 46 millions.
On smaller scale let me tell you that in my family there have been deaths only from cancer and leukaemia. Our family live 130 kms from reactor. Many dying of cancer in families of friends and neighbours and we have no true statistics. All official statistics is written by nuclear industry and should not be taken seriously.
For those still living in the chernobyl area, what are the difficulties that they face today? (i mean is it possible for them to work in agriculture, do they have enough food, do they have job opportunities)
For those who live away from main road absence of electricity is the main difficulty. They only grow some vegetables in their gardens for themselves. Businesses moved out of contaminated areas. Investors run from radiation. Every time investors try to bring project to contaminated land they fail.
Government can stage a show though. For instance on road Kiev-Chernobyl, road where official delegations travel they pay extra to people whose houses are situated along the road dozen of families will stay. Government gives them electricity. This impresses passers by and makes them believe that village is alive and life is normal, but if you turn around the corner you will see a total devastation. To answer your question if people there have work.. well, it is the closest thing to work I have seen in Chernobyl area. I mean their mission is something like to be "façade de Tshernobyl".
What is your message today, regarding this tragedy?
In Fukushima example we all saw how quickly reactors run away when the cooling system is disrupted then follows the hydrogen explosion and land around reactor is poisoned for centuries. (In Chernobyl we had the same kind of explosion that was in Fukushima) Now we can put into perspective situation when nuclear reactors get under bombardment.
We live in twilight of the oil age. The cheap oil party we've been enjoying for the last 50 years is coming to an end. Resources become scarce and there will be major wars for the remaining resources and in these future wars nuclear power stations will be main targets. I don't know how much time we have left before hell will break loose... Now we must demand closure of nuclear installations around big cities. The nuclear reactors are nothing but implanted time bombs.
