Von Rothbart comments

basroil

With luck, they will restart Onagawa and provide cheap, clean, safe energy to the Tohoku region

Yes, let's keep our fingers crossed. However, there is nothing cheap about nuclear power.

*

So the rightists upped the sounds from their vechicles. It was like ... the noise was going straight through the body. And those policemen must face that noise head-on. * Having lived on Meji Dori right behind the Meji shrine I have a lot of sympathy for this comment. The Black Vans always have something to announce.

If anything we should donate decent speakers to these rightists in black vans. The sound quality is horrible and grating. I'd rather hear clear messages of semi-literate racism than feedback and muffled babble.

zichi,

Amen. Why are people not in the streets demanding Amano's head (head of the IAEA)?

There is clear evidence that Oi and many of the other reactors just approved by NISA are directly over active faults.

Yet, the IAEA goes to Onagawa for a promotional campaign instead of addressing the serious issues. I hope other countries are noting what kind of international watchdog the IAEA is. Disgraceful corruption. Name one useful thing the IAEA has done in the wake of Fukushima.

Hopefully after the next nuclear accident we will learn to demand more of our regulators.

issa1, why doesn't the Japanese government just give up a few rock islands as a sincere apology for calling women forced into prostitution "comfort women"? It seems like the least they could do. History would remember the apology, and we could, perhaps, stop reading dull nationalistic banter.

Obama turned into a Republican and sold out most liberal causes (Goldman apologist, drone-striker, nuclear power advocate). Why not vote for Romney/Ryan, keep the same policies, and give a voice back to the left?

basroil

Over 70% of Japanese people are in favor of 0% nuclear by 2030. The protesters represent them, and former Prime Minister Hatoyama, political kingmaker Ozawa, and a number of other leading Japanese politicians are now running on the antinuke platform. I am sure their research is fairly accurate.

basroil

Pretty sure that IAEA has hit Monju with a solid smack every time it starts up. Nobody likes that thing, it's expensive, dangerous, and serves no real purpose other than to make weapons grade plutonium, which IAEA hates even more than minor accidents.

We may wish that were the case, but read through the IAEA's website, they do more in the way of praise of Monju than anything else.

http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/Main/IAEA-NEWS/articles/Visit_to_Japan_DDG.html

International Workshop on Prevention and Mitigation of Severe Accidents in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFR)

At the International SFR Workshop, organized by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in cooperation with the IAEA in Tsuruga on 11–13 June 2012, DDG Bychkov delivered a keynote address (pptx) on ‘Fast Reactors and Closed Fuel Cycle: Safe Technologies and Sustainability’ and highlighted IAEA activities in this field.

“Fast reactors in a closed fuel cycle are recognized as an efficient and effective energy resource. In particular, sodium-cooled fast reactors play an important role in the sustainability of nuclear energy systems”, Mr Bychkov stated.

“If we consider the general framework of safety of fast reactors, current and future fast neutron reactors have to take into account the main lessons learned from the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station”, he observed and noted that “advanced technologies and the closing of the fuel cycle through a transition from thermal to fast reactors will remain a priority for the Agency”.

I just pray for the average Iranian and their well-being. As earthquake-prone Iran continues to develop its "peaceful" nuclear program with compromised technology and inferior engineering standards, it won't only be the Iranians who suffer from large-scale releases of radioactivity when Iran has its own Fukushima.

黙祷 silent prayers for the Iranian people.

Considering all of the killing and horror that comes from white power groups in the US, and the way they are armed, it is hard to understand why they aren't considered terrorists.

The proud history of white America.

The IAEA continues their work as a promotional agency with Onagawa inspections. Sadly, we do not have a nuclear regulatory agency that will protect us against Monju, a plant full of plutonium sitting over active faults.

Until honesty and integrity become a part of the nuclear industry, the roles of promotion and inspection should not be within the same bureau.

The question of American military being needed in Japan -- it is only a matter of time. Japan ranks about 5th in the world for military expenditure, Japan has enough separated plutonium (45 tons thanks to its peaceful nuclear power program (none of the separated plutonium used for energy production by the way)).

The US should let Japan defend itself and think about its relationship with China, Korea, and other Asian countries.

Japan is not an easy country to file a sexual assault charge. I commend the woman for her bravery. More people need to stand up against barbarians and hold them accountable for our sisters not only in Japan.

Basroil, I am glad to see that you have joined the commentary about nuclear power in Japan. It is unfortunate that people are using the example of Fukushima as an example of instability rather than our industry's calculations about nuclear safety. And, as you point out, the IAEA has no real function regarding nuclear inspections. But, as we know, we can rely on the integrity of people who work in the nuclear industry to provide reliable and accurate information.

Paul Ryan and Romney, seriously? Our forefathers would roll over in their graves. It is not only that the separation of church and state will continue to perverted, but even more nauseating, one candidate ascribes to a sad version of science fiction (Mormonism) and the other comes from a state of semi-literate, gun-totting, overweight . . . yea, I remember why Japan is a nice place to live.

Japanese politicians go to Yaskuni every year, and every year we hear the same idle talk about what an offense it is. Japan, you are talking about Japan. Have you not bothered to read through their MEXT approved history books or visit their historical museums littered throughout Tokyo? Fictional hitory some say, but every country has that.

The Asahi quoted the police as 9,000 last Friday. Claiming only hundreds is grossly inaccurate.

Basroil, thank you for standing up for the IAEA when nobody else does. I also want to commend the courage of their choice of Onagawa as a nuclear plant to study in the wake of Fukushima. Currently, leading Japanese scientists have pointed to evidence of active nuclear faults under the Oi, Monju, Mihama, and Shika nuclear plants. Instead of focusing their efforts on these nuclear plants, the IAEA has chosen Onagawa. And the IAEA makes an insightful point if you read their report, there may be a margin of error in the ability of reactors to withstand a major quake.