Japan Stockpiles Plutonium as Threat of Nuc. Escalation Spreads AcrossAsia

[Gloria]

From the New World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com



//The Independent, UK 31 July 2005

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article302724.ece



JAPAN STOCKPILES PLUTONIUM AS THREAT OF NUCLEAR ESCALATION SPREADS ACROSS ASIA



Hiroshima -- Sixty years after the dawn of the Atomic Age, survivors look back amid fears their nation's postwar pacifism is at risk

By David McNeill



As Japan prepares to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the dwindling band of survivors say they fear the country's long-standing taboo against developing nuclear weapons is finally ending.

Defence experts say much hinges on the outcome of the current six-party talks in Beijing on defusing the nuclear threat from North Korea, but among older residents in these once devastated cities there is pessimism that as other nations in Asia go nuclear, Japan will follow. They will express these fears over the next few days, when the significance of the anniversary is expected to draw much larger numbers than usual to the annual commemoration ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"I have never been more afraid about the future than I am now," said Michiko Yamaoka. "I don't trust the politicians in Tokyo to safeguard our anti-nuclear stance. They should all come here and experience what we did." Ms Yamaoka was 15 when the "Little Boy" bomb detonated as she walked from her house into Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, disfiguring her for life. Three days later, Nagasaki was obliterated by the "Fat Man".

That bomb contained 5kg of plutonium. Six decades on, however, Japan has amassed 45 tons of plutonium, and is getting set to open one of the world's largest nuclear reprocessing plants.

"On the 60th anniversary of the bombings, Japan is increasing the nuclear threat by accumulating unnecessary plutonium and opening this plant, which will be the largest producer of plutonium in the world," said Atsuko Nogawa of Greenpeace Japan. "Japan is about to become a country with a nuclear capability on a much bigger scale."

MORE

NOTE: story goes on to report that an official says they have enough stuff to build 3,000-4,000 warheads!

[oscar111]

1. Nuke power is only an excuse to get a bomb's fuel

Why else get a technology that has to have massive gov subsidies in order to charge customers competitive rates?

True cost of nuke power includes ==miner cancer... ninety percent get lung cancer..

== huge concrete pourings..

== expensive sensors,

== highly trained workers,

== extra safety measures...

==Costly fuel...

==costs of used fuel storage/transport...

== cost of tearing down or concretizing the used-up plant.
{pompously called "decommissioning", as if the wretched plant were a commissioned "officer and a gentleman".}

==Used fuel storage lasts 25O OOO years, last i heard. That cost mounts up! Has to be monitored/defended from terras.

Stop selling nukes to third world nations... only result will be many regional nuke wars.

Japan.. hmm wasnt there some attack called Pearl Harbor, a really dumb decision by Japan?
Could Japan make more dumb decisions?

Oh, and right here, nuke plants make wonderful targets for terras to dive a plane into. Wonderful from the terra point of view that is. A dirty bomb in your backyard already.

"ALL URANIUM BACK IN THE GROUND."

========================
"There's enough wind in the Dakotas and Texas to power the whole nation" Fuel is free, unlike uranium. Terras can do nothing diving a plane into a windmill. Repeat: the fuel of a windmill is free.

[Massacure]

3. You don't know what your talking about.

Lead, Arsenic, and Mercury remain dangerous forever. Forever is a lot longer than 250,000 years. Besides, it only lasts 250,000 years because the U.S. refuses to recycle it's nuclear waste. Do some research on the Integral Fast Reactor. It's 'waste' will only last for 300 years. And WE KNOW WHERE IT IS. You cannot say that about Lead, Arsenic, and Mercury.

Btw, the fossil fuel industries are getting $1.5 billion in direct subsidies next year, not counting the half a trillion we spend on a military to defend our fossil fuel supplies. When subsidies are taken out of the picture nuclear is cheaper than natural gas and oil but about the same price as coal.

[oscar111]

5. Masa.:talking about WIND not oil not coal

Esteemed correspondent, i try to set a tone of friendliness when i post here. So read this with my friendly attitude in mind. It isnt worth getting all hostile about. Try yoga.

What i am talking about.. well, it is wind, not coal.

You apparently thought , dear friend, that i was talking about coal.

I cant find any arsenic, lead etc in the wind.
"the answer is blowing in the wind" The coal coal north wind LOL.

My OP mentioned wind as the way to go, at the end of the post, dear friend.

as to military costs, consder zero for wind power, vs. the military cost of many regional nuclear wars, some of which drag us in.. ending the USA. That would cost every US dollar.

May the blessings of Buddha shower on you and your progeny unto the third generation, bringing a peaceful frame of mind and giving you an attitude of benevolence to all.
Peace to all beings,
oscar111

"ALL URANIUM BACK IN THE GROUND"

"ATOMIC POWER = ATOMIC WARS"

[Massacure]

6. What happens when the wind isn't blowing?

[goforit]

2. Holy cow!!!Outrageous!!...Thank you Bush /Cheney/Condi.

[Rainscents]

4. Well, Bush has caused everyone to go nuke...

He should real pround of himself!

[wli]

7. what do you think Valerie Plame was investigating?

My wild guess is that Cheney's dealing nukes on the side.