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March 30, Wednesday

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The American Red Cross

source : daniel john music.com

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Gabi reports:

Looking out of the window this morning, I see almost nothing. All is

shrouded in thick white fog after the strong rains from yesterday. I

can barely see the siluhettes of the pine trees further down.

It is a vista that reflects the situation of Japan right now ...

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Japan - after the BIG earthquake .

Starting from March 11, 2011 Gabi Greve Daruma Museum, World Kigo Database

of 21Japan - after the BIG earthquake: March 30, Wednesday

5/17/2011http://japan-afterthebigearthquake.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-30-wednesday.html

all is shrouded in deep insecurity, mis-information and

fear for the future.

the aftermath -

thick fog is hanging

over Japan

.................................................................................

Just a bit lower than yesterday :

. Daily Radiation Levels

More than 28.000 dead or missing.

In the afternoon, there were 11,232 confirmed deaths and 16,361

missing.

The high radiation levels in the plant are still hindering restoration

work.

(see below.)

The tsunami that hit the town of Ofunato has been measured to

have been about 30 meters high!

The beautiful rocky "Paradies beach" (Jodogahama ��ヶ�), which

I remember well from a visit long ago, has been swept by the

tsunami too, leaving debris and salt water on the trees on the high

top of the rocks ... hard to imagine.

. . . . .

Children suffer from the sudden changes of circumstances, just as

the adults.

But some make great efforts to help the elderly or entertain the

one's evacuated in their school rooms.

FUKUSHIMA ... timeline

wikipedia

Radioactivity in Tab Water

Charts - English

Radioactivity in Tab Water

Charts - Japanese

Daily Radiation Info. Tokyo

University

Recent Japan Earthquake

Activity

. My LINKS .

. General Information, LINKS

Fukushima Power Plant

Meltdown

. GABI on facebook .

Japanese Disaster Haiku

. World Kigo Database

. Happy Haiku Gallery .

. Daruma Museum .

Friday March 11, 2011

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A group of small ballet dancers had their final performance in the

evacuation hall.

A group of small musicians held a concert for the evacuees.

A group of small arms came forth to massage the old sitting on the

floor.

Tears roll down the cheeks of the onlookers as they enjoy a few

moments of joy.

An autistic boy, who was quite disturbed in the first few days at the

shelter, found a new vocation. He can play the music of the daily

NHK radio calisthenics program. Since there was no electricity for a

long time, no radio either. So he went to the piano in the hall and

started playing.

Many came in amazement, more came and then they started doing

the calisthenics to his music.

He now comes every morning and plays piano for the group to sway

their arms and do their up and down bendings for the calisthenics.

His mother said he became much more relaxed now, since all greet

him in a friendly way and praise his skills at playing the piano for

them.

. . . . .

Many countries have offered help, at least 134 are now here.

They even got robots from France to help navigate in the radioactive

parts of the power plant.

. . . . .

A new buzzword has come up :

Flyjin, the gaijin who leave Tokyo and Japan

. Flyjin Gaijin .

. . . . .

Many of the problems TEPCO is facing now with the reactor crisis

have their roots in the politics of the old LDP.

. Japan's crisis leadership

Japan after the earthquake

Diary starting from

March 11, 2011

by Gabi Greve,

Okayama prefecture, Japan

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Bulletins from NHK Online

source : www3.nhk.or.jp

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 20:52 (last night)

Radioactive water hampers restoration work

Work to remove highly radioactive water at buildings near 3 reactors

of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is

making little progress, delaying efforts to restore the plant's cooling

systems.

Shortly before noon on Tuesday, lighting was back on in the control

room of the plant's Number 4 reactor. Lighting in all control rooms

of reactors number 1 through 4 has now been restored, providing a

better environment for the restoration work. But highly radioactive

substances and strong radiation detected all over the plant are

hampering the efforts.

The most serious problem is puddles of highly radioactive water

found in the basements of turbine buildings of the number 1, 2 and 3

reactors.Radiation levels at the surface of water in the Number 2

unit are more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour. Work at the site is

currently suspended.

At the Number 1 reactor, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, or

TEPCO, has been working to put contaminated water into a turbine

condenser since Saturday. TEPCO says the water level has gone

down slightly, but that it has received no information on the exact

amount.

The utility says similar work started at the Number 3 unit on Monday

and the Number 2 unit on Tuesday, but that the source of leaks into

the basements of the units is unknown. TEPCO also says it is

unclear when the water will be removed.

The firm says there has been no major change in levels of highly

radioactive water found on Monday in a tunnel called a trench

outside the Number 2 turbine building. TEPCO is continuing to

monitor the trench to prevent radiation from leaking outside.

. . . . .

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 06:25

Radiation levels falling in waters off Fukushima

The science ministry says levels of radiation in seawater near the

crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant are on the decline.

The ministry has been collecting seawater samples at 4 locations 30



kilometers off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture since March 23rd.

The locations were at intervals of 20 kilometers from north to south.

The ministry started the research after waters near the plant's drain

outlets were found to be contaminated with a high density of

radioactive substances.

The ministry said 1.5 to 3.9 becquerels of radioactive cesium-137

per liter were found in seawater samples taken on Sunday. The

amounts represent 1,000 to 2,600 times the levels measured in the

same area 2 years ago.

But the current levels are only one-fifth to one-tenth of those

detected on March 23rd.

The density of radioactive iodine-131 is also decreasing. It now

stands at 5.4 to 15 becquerels per liter.

The ministry said radiation density in the seawater is higher than

normal, but it is declining.

Cesium-137 is said to remain in the environment for a longer time

than other substances as it takes roughly 30 years to lose half of its

radioactive intensity.

The Marine Ecology Research Institute says cesium-137 will not be

directly absorbed into fish through gills but some species can

accumulate the element by eating plankton and smaller fish.

It's believed that through this process, the density of cesium in fish

can increase 10 to 100 times the level in the seawater.

It usually takes some time for radioactive material to be detected in

fish after it flows into the sea. In many cases, such substances are

found in flatfish and Japanese seaperch 2 to 3 months after a

confirmed leak into the sea.

However, unlike mercury, such elements are eliminated from fish in

several weeks.


22,726 seek job advice in quake-hit areas

More than 22,000 people have contacted public employment offices

in the 3 northeastern prefectures hit hardest by the March 11th

earthquake and tsunami.

The labor ministry has set up consultation counters for survivors at

job placement centers and labor bureaus in Miyagi, Iwate, and

Fukushima prefectures.

22,726 people have asked about wages, unemployment benefits

and finding new jobs.

In Miyagi, 18,201 people have been given advice.

3,282 contacted officials in Iwate and 1,243 sought help in

Fukushima.



One person asked if wages will continue to be paid if workers are

told to stay at home. A company owner said he will have to lay off

staff as he doesn't know when his business can be restarted.

The ministry predicts that the employment situation will further

deteriorate in the disaster-hit areas, and it is urging company owners

to claim temporary wage subsidies for their workers.


French experts to help remove radioactive water

France says it will send 3 more nuclear experts to Japan to help with

efforts to remove highly radioactive water from the troubled

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Two other French experts are already in Japan and holding talks

with the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company. The 5 are

from French-based AREVA, one of the world's biggest nuclear

energy firms. ...


Keidanren to ask for 25% electricity use cut

Japan's leading business lobby is set to ask its member firms to

drastically cut their electricity use. This would prevent temporary

blackouts from affecting production activities this summer.

Tokyo Electric Power Company predicts that it will be able to end

the ongoing rotating power outages in early May. But the firm says it

will have to re-implement the blackouts this summer, when air

conditioner use increases.

The utility is carrying out the planned blackouts after the March 11th

earthquake and tsunami brought some of its power plants to a halt.

In a bid to avoid blackouts this summer, the Japan Business

Federation, or Nippon Keidanren, plans to call on its member firms

to cut their electricity use by 25 percent.

The companies will also be asked to draw up power conserving

plans such as suspending production lines and introducing power

generators.


Radioactive water delays restoration work

Radioactive water found in and outside reactor buildings is delaying

work to restore the cooling functions of the crippled Fukushima

Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Lighting was switched on again in the control room of the No.4



reactor on Tuesday. Workers also connected an external power

source to the display panel of the first reactor's control room,

allowing it to show the status of some equipment.

The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, believes it is

highly likely that the water in an underground tunnnel next to the

No.2 reactor's turbine building has the same source as a puddle in

the basement.

The firm says the radioactive levels on the surface of the tunnel

water are almost as high as those for the water in the basement.

The utility says water in the No.1 reactor's trench may have been

brought in by tsunami waves. The firm says it is almost unthinkable

that the water in the basement of the turbine building leaked into the

trench because the tunnel is connected to the first floor.

The company says it will consider releasing the water in the No.1

reactor's trench into the sea if the ongoing analysis shows that the

water is safe.

Little progress has been made in removing the radioactive water

from the basements of the turbine buildings of the first three

reactors.

The water is thought to have come from the reactors' containment

vessels. The amount may increase until workers determine the

source of the leak.

The company is studying where to store the polluted water and how

to remove the radioactive substances. But the firm says it is not sure

if conventional methods can effectively treat the highly contaminated

water.


Aerial photos reveal Fukushima plant damage

Aerial photographs of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant show the

scope of the devastation caused by tsunami and hydrogen

explosions.

NHK obtained the high resolution photos taken from an unmanned

plane on March 20th and 24th. An aerial survey firm in Niigata

Prefecture, Air Photo Service, took them at the request of the plant's

operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company.

One photo shows a large hole on the roof of the turbine building of

the No.3 reactor. It was apparently created when debris hit the roof

in a hydrogen explosion.

Part of a pipe is missing between the reactor building and an

exhaust stack.

Heavy oil tanks were swept away from the pier by the tsunami and

drifted 150 meters westward, blocking a road for vehicles needed for



restoration work.

Containers and passenger cars are piled up at the foot of a hill to the

west of the No.4 reactor.

Another photo shows pump trucks connected by hoses in a line that

stretches from the pier to the first four reactors.


Certifying food exports to EU

Japan will certify the safety of its food exports to the European

Union in response to a request to do so.

The EU had announced that it would ban all food imports from 12

prefectures in north and central Japan unless accompanied by

safety guarantee.

The Japanese agriculture ministry asked the relevant prefectures to

test their food products for contamination, and issue safety

certificates if the results clear EU standards.

The ministry says it may handle this process for the quake-hit areas

on their behalf.

Japan's food shipments to the EU amounted to nearly 300 million

dollars in 2009, accounting for about 5 percent of all exports.


Red Cross donates millions

The Japanese and American Red Cross organizations say they

have raised millions of dollars in donations to support the survivors

of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

The Japanese Red Cross Society says it collected nearly 490 million

dollars in the first 2 weeks after the disaster.

It says many of the donors are individuals such as elementary

school pupils and homemakers who came to the society's Tokyo

headquarters on Tuesday.

The society says people are apparently so overwhelmed by the

scope of the disaster that they want to make personal contributions.

The American Red Cross says the US public has donated more than

120 million dollars to help Japan.

American Red Cross Chairperson Bonnie McElveen-Hunter visited

the Japanese Embassy in Washington on Tuesday.

She said she wants to tell the Japanese people that they will not

face the difficulties alone, and that the American Red Cross will offer

humanitarian and medical aid, as well as counseling and other

support.

Japan's Ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki, thanked



the donors, saying the devastation is far too great for Japan to deal

with on its own.


High radiation levels in waters off Fukushima

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says radioactive iodine in

excess of 3,300 times the national limit was found in seawater near

the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Tuesday afternoon.

This was the highest measured in waters off the plant.

The level of radioactive iodine-131 found 330 meters south of a

water outlet of the plant was 3,355 times regulated standards at 1:55

PM on Tuesday.

The outlet is used to drain water from the plant's No. 1 to No. 4

reactors.

Radioactive iodine-131 measured 50 meters north of the water

outlet of the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors was 1,262 times the regulated

standards at 2:10 PM on Tuesday.

This was also the highest reading at this location.

An agency official told reporters on Wednesday morning that people

in a 20-kilometer radius area from the troubled plant have been

ordered to evacuate and the radioactive substance will be

significantly diluted in the ocean by the time people consume marine

products. The official added that efforts need to be made to prevent

the contaminated water from flowing into the sea.

Airborne radiation levels continue to decline in most prefectures,

including Fukushima and nearby Ibaraki.

Municipalities measured the radiation levels between 00:00 AM and

9:00 AM on Wednesday.


Draining efforts continue

Tokyo Electric Power Company is struggling to drain off highly

radioactive water that is thought to have leaked from 3 reactors at

the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The vital work to cool down and stabilize the troubled reactors is

being hampered by the leakage.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed that the level of water filling the

basement of the turbine building near the No.1 reactor was almost

half the initial level, after efforts to drain it began last Thursday.

Contaminated water was detected in the basements of the turbine

buildings near the 3 reactors. Radiation readings of the water were

about 100,000 times the normal level near the No.2 reactor and

10,000 times near the No.1 and No.3 reactors.



At the turbine building of the No.1 reactor, workers are pumping the

water into the turbine condenser, which has a capacity of 1,600

tons.

The nuclear safety agency says the water in the basement is now 20

centimeters deep, compared to 40 centimeters at first. It says that

while it's too early to be optimistic, the draining appears to be

successful.

Tokyo Electric is also planning to move the water filling an

underground tunnel outside the turbine building of the No.1 reactor

to a waste disposal facility within the compound. The water level

was only 10 centimeters below the outlet of the tunnel, and was

close to overflowing.

The facility has a capacity of more than 25,000 tons, and the nuclear

safety agency hopes to reduce the tunnel's water level by one meter

by draining the water into the facility.

The power company is also trying to drain water from the basements

of buildings near the No.2 and No.3 reactors to the turbine

condensers, which each have a capacity of 3,000 tons.

But because the condensers are already full of water, the plant

operator is first moving the water to other tanks in the system to

allow the condensers to take the contaminated water.

It says the work to empty the condensers may take at least 3 days,

leading to fears that cooling operations could be delayed further.

(comment from Gabi:

some commentators speculated about putting the radioactive water

into a large bargue ship which could be stationed in front of the

plant.)


Edano: Cover may be used to stop radiation

Japan's top government spokesman says the government and

experts are considering whether to cover the reactor buildings at the

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant with a special material, to stop the

spread of radioactive substances.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters on Wednesday

the experts are also examining the use of a tanker to collect

irradiated water at the plant.

Edano said a variety of options are being studied to minimize

radioactive contamination in areas around the plant, and to prevent

health hazards.

He said working-level discussions are underway on the new

measures and a political decision will probably be sought at some

stage.



He said the whole situation is not at a point where he can

responsibly say when the reactors will be brought under control. He

said it will likely take a considerable amount of time before the fuel

rods in the reactors and spent fuel pools cool down and stabilize.

Edano said monitoring for plutonium contamination may be

extended to areas outside the plant compound since trace amounts

of the element were found in soil on the plant grounds.

Edano said consumption and shipping restrictions on farm products

will be lifted once their safety is consistently confirmed.


Radioactive elements in No.1 reactor tunnel

Japanese nuclear safety officials say radioactive iodine and cesium

have been found in water at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant

coming from a tunnel outside the turbine building of the No.1

reactor.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the levels of

radioactive substances detected are low, at one-to-ten percent of

those occurring in an operating nuclear reactor.

The agency says the type of radioactive substances found in the

water in the tunnel indicates some relation to the contaminated

water in the basement of the No.1 reactor turbine building. It says

the water in the tunnel will not be released into the sea.


Air may be leaking from reactors No. 2 and 3

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says air may be

leaking from the No 2 and No 3 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi

power plant.

The agency was responding at a news conference on Wednesday to

speculation that low pressure inside the 2 reactors was due to

possible damage to the reactors' container vessels.

It said some of their data show pressure is low, but there is no



indication of large cracks or holes in the reactor vessels.

The agency said fluctuations in temperature and pressure are highly

likely to have weakened valves, pipes and openings under the

reactors where the control rods are inserted.


TEPCO halts work to remove radioactive water

The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

has suspended work to move highly radioactive water from the

basement of the turbine building into the turbine condenser at the

No. 1 reactor.

Tokyo Electric Power Company suspended the operation on

Tuesday morning after the condenser became full of water.

The work began on Thursday after water in the basement of the

turbine building was found to contain radiation about 10,000 times

higher than would normally be found inside an operating nuclear

reactor.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the water is now

about 20 centimeters deep, half the initial level.

TEPCO is studying a plan to move water from a tunnel outside the

turbine building into an on-site waste disposal facility with a capacity

of more than 25,000 tons.

The water contains radioactive substances, and its level is only 10

centimeters below the top of the tunnel.

TEPCO also planned to move highly radioactive water from the

basements of the turbine buildings of the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors

into turbine condensers with a capacity of 3,000 tons each. But both

condensers turned out to be full.

Plant workers are now using pumps that can draw 10 to 25 tons of

water per hour to move water from the condensers' storage tanks

into other tanks. They then hope to move water inside the

condensers into the storage tanks and fill the condensers with the

highly radioactive water from the basements.


TEPCO chairman apologizes



The chairman of the Tokyo Electric Power Company has apologized

for trouble and anxiety caused by radiation leaks from the

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Tsunehisa Katsumata on Wednesday was speaking to reporters in

Tokyo for the first time since problems at the plant surfaced. The

firm's president, Masataka Shimizu, was hospitalized for

hypertension and dizziness on Tuesday night.

Katsumata said he feels particularly sorry for local residents who've

had to evacuate or refrain from going outside while coping with the

impact of the quake and aftershocks.

Katsumata admitted that the company has not been able to cool the

reactors, and pledged maximum efforts to stabilize them. He added

that the No.1 through 4 reactors would eventually have to be shut

down for good.

Katsumata also said his company is preparing to compensate in

accordance with the law for damage caused by the radiation leaks.

The chairman apologized for the inconvenience caused by the

company's rolling blackouts to cope with chronic power shortages

since the March 11th quake and tsunami.

He said the company will do its best and work closely with the

government to minimize or even avoid rolling blackouts this summer.


Soil checked for radiation before rice planting

Japan's agriculture ministry is to check soil around the Fukushima

Daiichi nuclear plant for radiation, before the start of rice planting

next month.

Levels of radioactive cesium-137 as high as 2,200 times the normal

figure have been detected in soil about 40 kilometers northwest of

the plant.

Cesium-137 stays in the environment for a long time, as it has a half

-life of 30 years.

The agriculture ministry is preparing to check soil of 150 paddies



located more than 30 kilometers from the plant.

Inspectors are to examine samples of soil 15 centimeters

underground for radioactive cesium.

The ministry plans to study how much cesium rice plants would take

in from contaminated soil, draw up guidelines on the level of

contamination allowed for rice growing, and release the results by

mid-April.


Kaieda urges safety steps at other nuclear plants

Japan's industry minister has urged power companies across the

country to secure emergency energy sources for their nuclear power

stations.

Banri Kaieda told reporters on Wednesday that the accident at the

Fukushima Daiichi plant was due to a failure to secure emergency

electricity and a loss of cooling systems at the reactors.

Kaieda urged utility companies to secure mobile generators as a

source of emergency power that can safely cool nuclear reactors,

and to ensure water-supply routes for fire engines.

He demanded that the companies confirm emergency steps and

conduct drills within a month, or stop operating their nuclear power

plants.

Kaieda added that putting an immediate end to operations at nuclear

power plants is out of the question, because Japan relies on them

for about 30 percent of its electricity.

NHK has learned that 90 percent of the 15 nuclear power stations

nationwide, excluding the 2 quake-hit plants in Fukushima, have

decided to introduce new emergency power generators, including

mobile generators.

Some utilities have already conducted simulations for cooling

procedures based on a scenario in which emergency generators

have failed to work at their nuclear reactors.


Greenpeace urges evacuation from outside 30km zone

The environmental group Greenpeace is urging the Japanese

government to evacuate children and pregnant women from areas

farther away than 30 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi

nuclear plant.

Greenpeace sent an international team of experts to measure

radiation levels in the air at 7 locations in Fukushima Prefecture over

the weekend.



The team told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday that radiation levels

as high as 8 to 10 microsieverts per hour were detected near the

Iitate village office, 40 kilometers northwest of the plant, on Sunday.

More than 40 microsieverts per hour were detected in the same area

by Japanese authorities on March 15th.

Radiation expert Jan van de Putte said that anyone exposed to a

level of just 8 to 10 microsieverts per hour would exceed the annual

allowable amount of radiation exposure in just 100 hours.

He said the government should not draw the line at 30 kilometers,

and remove children and pregnant women from highly contaminated

areas outside that zone.


TEPCO chief shows no road map to end nuke accident

The chief of the Tokyo Electric Power Company says he cannot now

present a road map for resolving the serious accident at the firm's

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, as many factors remain

unclear.

TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata made the remark at a

news conference on Wednesday.

He said a large volume of underground water with a high

concentration of radioactive substances beneath the facility is

hampering his firm's all-out efforts to cool reactors of the plant. He

stressed the need to quickly restore the plant's cooling system.

Katsumata added that salt residue from seawater used to cool the

reactors should be removed from the plant to prevent corrosion.

He said TEPCO faces the challenge of preventing radioactive

substances from leaking out of buildings and nuclear reactor

vessels.

He referred to containment of radiation by covering reactors with

concrete walls that would serve as a shield, as was done for the

Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine.

Katsumata also said the firm is jointly examining all available

technologies with officials and experts of the Japanese, US and

French governments.

later

Smoke from Fukushima Daini nuclear plant

Tokyo Electric Power Company says smoke was seen coming out of

electrical equipment in the turbine building at the No.1 reactor of the

Fukushima Daini nuclear plant.

The Daini plant is located about 10 kilometers south of the crippled



Daiichi plant.

The Japanese and US governments are working together to tackle

trouble at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The Japanese government has set up 4 working groups led by

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama and prime

ministerial advisor Goshi Hosono.

The groups are discussing measures to prevent radiation from

leaking outside the plant and ways to handle damaged fuel rods.

They're also studying the possible use of remote-controlled

unmanned equipment to prevent radiation exposure among plant

workers, and the use of a US unmanned robot for measuring

radiation levels.

The groups have already made arrangements for transporting fresh

water to the plant by US vessels.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Voices from around

. The Daily Reading List .

Lessons of the nuclear crisis

. Japan Times, March 30 .

. . . . .

quote

How dangerous is nuclear power?

Three lessons from Japan

By Joao Costa

. . . . . 2. Fire, floods, and earthquakes

"We've known for a long time that earthquakes cause fires," says

Mr. Lochbaum. Yet for more than 30 years, many utilities have failed

to meet fire regulations set up after a 1975 fire at the Browns Ferry

nuclear power plant in Alabama heavily damaged a reactor's control

cables.

In 2004, the NRC rewrote fire-protection regulations, which so far

only two plants adhere to — though owners of another 40 plants say

they intend to comply. Their intent may be genuine, Lochbaum says,



"But that doesn't provide any protection until it's done."

"We don't have a problem with either set of regulations," he adds,

"except that people don't meet them."

As part of the NRC safety review, the agency is looking at the

earthquake hazards facing some 27 nuclear plants. No fault near a

US plant is of a type capable of generating an earthquake as

powerful as the one that hit Japan on March 11, specialists say. But

in recent decades, geophysicists have identified previously unknown

faults that have required reevaluating the risk facing nearby plants.

While utilities and governments may be ready to handle an isolated

nuclear accident, they need to plan for cascading disasters as well,

in which local, state, and even national resources could be stretched

thin. Northwestern's Dr. Lewis says such planning could ensure that

generators and other supplies could be flown in on short notice.

Lochbaum adds that more batteries on-site would help with station

blackouts that last longer than current requirements envision — a

problem Japan encountered.

3. How safe is 'safe enough'?

. . . . . and

Traces of Japanese radiation detected in 13 US states

Meltdown 101: What is a nuclear reactor meltdown?

Japan nuclear mystery: Where are pools of radioactive water

coming from?

source : news.yahoo.com

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A thousand kimonos

under the waves

... tsunami evening

apricot blossoms

my thoughts with friends

far away

The disasters in Japan and the unrest in Yemen ...

and yet spring is here.



What to do?

the axe bites

into one dead tree ...

clear blue sky

To be compassionate for the daily realities of

others ... that is always a challenge.

on my desk

a vase of spring roses

... Miyagi's dead

a blood-red

March moon ...

large and full

Ella Wagemakers, Holland

.................................................................................

PRAYER FOR A JAPANESE

Bubbling laughter

rips out of me

into words

humming

white scent of incense

I can’t help speaking

I see through petals

centuries old

and my hands claps

in a prayer for a Japanese.

Then something wizened

something blackened

turns to smoke

starts shifting

rips out the heart of laughter

stamps pain on my forehead

with a spring wind



ties my hands

and so dries up

my prayer for a Japanese

Tatjana Debeljacki

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Posted by Gabi Greve at 3/30/2011

Labels: diary, third

7 comments:

facebook said...

strength and spirit are proved in such moments...true love and

friendship also...when we are happy we are like children...think fairy

tale never ends...

3/30/2011

facebook said...

flyjin . . .

Yeah... it would have worried my family if I was visiting Japan, but, I

would have tried to stay and help if I could. Many gaijin did, if I



understand it.

What do you call the gaijin that stayed to help, I wonder?

Ch.

3/30/2011

Anonymous said...

Thanks Gabi for all your hard work - we appreciate it!

Sending Dharma hugs,

a friend from australia

3/30/2011

Anonymous said...

we need strong leadership in Japan,

but we don't want to have a dictator....

Nob

3/30/2011

Anonymous said...

Grüße in das katastrophengebeutelte Japan, dessen Bewohnern

unser aller Mitgefühl gilt.

3/30/2011

Anonymous said...

yeh, Gabi, you were right ...

"and fear", that's what you've initially put in your haiku. It's 1"22 A.M.

here in OH and I can't sleep.

3/30/2011

facebook said...

clear , clear skies in my nook of Japan though...

3/30/2011

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