Fukushima: UncontainableStephen Lendman At issue is by far the worst environmental disaster in history. Its multiples worse than Chernobyl. Its an unprecedented catastrophe. Its reason enough to abolish nuclear power. According to Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, about 300 tons of radioactive groundwater flow into the Pacific daily. Its done so since Japans March earthquake and tsunami triggered Fukushimas meltdown. Tokyo Electric (TEPCO) says waters getting over and around chemical walls. It cant be stopped. Three Fukushima reactors suffered meltdowns. A fourth was badly damaged. The worst fear remains. Unit Fours structural integrity was seriously undermined. It contains hundreds of tons of highly radioactive water.If an earthquake or other natural disaster occurs, its fuel rods almost certainly will catch fire. Radioactive emissions will follow. Theyll compound whats already disastrous.Emissions will continue longterm. Theyll circle the planet. They cause catastrophic harm. Since March 2011, Tepco estimates around 20 to 40 trillion radioactive tritium becquerels leaked into the Pacific. So have large cesium and strontium discharges. They continue. Theyre much more dangerous. According to nuclear expert Arnie Gunderson, (t)he horse is already out of the barn. Leakage continues since earthquake and tsunami struck. Japanese officials proposed erecting a barrier. At issue is preventing water from reaching the Pacific. Whatevers done is two years too late and will be too late by the time constructions finished, said Gunderson. A barriers not the solution. It causes another problem. If the water cant go anywhere into the Pacific Ocean, it is going to build up onsite, which means that the nuclear reactors themselves will become unstable. Gunderson believes contaminated water will keep discharging for at least 20 to 30 years. Its the most radioactive water he ever experienced. Cost is another issue. Cleanup involves around half a trillion dollars, says Gunderson. Most important is human health. Epidemic cancer levels are certain. And not just in Japan. In early July, Fukushimas former chief operator, Masao Yoshida, died of esophogeal cancer. He was 58. Tepco lied saying his death was unrelated to radiation exposure. Japanese children are experiencing a shocking 40% rise in thyroid irregularities. Experts expect much higher numbers ahead. Fukushimas an ongoing disaster. It persists. Its not ending. Itll continue for decades. According to Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) president Arjun Makhijani: Its much more dangerous than cesium 137 and 134. Its at levels 30 times higher. The effect on human healths expected to be devastating. Its already bad. Its getting progressively worse. The genies out of the bottle. No end in sight looms. Strontium-90 and cesium are both perilous. (S)ince strontium-90 is more mobile and also more dangerous biologically, (it) behaves like calcium, so it goes to the bone. If pregnant women ingest contaminated water, fish or other food, the outcomes could be worse than cancer because then youre talking about a much more compromised child in the sense of having a compromised immune system it makes you more vulnerable to all kinds of diseases. Makhijani doesnt know how Tepco can handle the problem. Its uncontrollable. This is an accident thats shockingly not stopping. Its certain to worsen. Its unchartered territory. It affects the region. Its humanitys worst environmental nightmare. Nuclear rain affects North America and Europe. Obamas an unabashed nuclear power promoter. He wants more reactors built. He wants licenses for aging poorly maintained plants with poor safety records extended. He wants them operating unregulated. Hes recklessly endangering Americans. He talks clean energy alternatives. Policy measures spurn them. He fronts for corporate favorites. Hes captive to a destructive industry. He risks a Fukushima-type disaster on US soil. He risks millions of American lives. Hes mindless of potential dangers. Nuclear powers inherently unsafe. Einstein called it a hellova way to boil water. It does so through massive heat. It turns it into steam. It powers an electricity generating turbine. According to anti-nuclear activist Karl Grossman: Avoiding potentially catastrophic accidents requires perfection and no acts of God. Humans and technology arent perfect. Natural and other disasters happen. We cant eliminate them. But we can and must eliminate atomic energy. Otherwise itll eliminate us. Nuclear expert Helen Caldicotts clear and unequivocal, saying: It doesnt get any clearer than that. A Final Comment Cover up and denial followed Chernobyls disaster. Helen Caldicott called doing so the most monstrous cover up in the history of medicine. The death toll was many multiples greater than reported. Estimates range up to a million or more. TheNew York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) translated thousands of Russian articles and papers. It added revised and updated contributions. Written by leading authorities from Eastern Europe, the volume outlines the history of the health and environmental consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, NYAS said. Fukushima far exceeds Chernobyl. Millions of lives are threatened. Perhaps future independent studies will explain. Theyll be too little to late to help victims. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War.Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. 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