Friday, February 24, 2012

Lessons From Fukushima Conference


here is the link to the conference
http://www.willamette.edu/events/fukushima/stream/index.html


Willamette is a beautiful university and everyone who works here has been very gracious.

The conference has been very interesting so far.

However, I want to reflect upon a disturbing presentation.

Today there was a speaker from Mercy Corps who discussed how her NGO is helping residents in Northern Japan resume their economy, especially by helping them resume their fishing activities and resume bringing their agricultural goods to market.

She spoke for approximately 25 minutes. No mention was made of radiation, Fukushima fallout, or any contamination.

The disaster, by definition, was limited to the earthquake and the tsunami. 

No nuclear disaster that has contaminated most of Northern Japan existed in her world.

I have no doubt Mercy Corp does good work in many areas of the world. 

However, how can the organization ignore the problems radiation contamination poses to resuming "normal" economic activity when fish are already bio-accumulating radiation in Japan?

When I asked about this incredible absence in the delivery of her message about Japan's "recovery," she replied that was not her NGO's "responsibility."

Everyone should watch her presentation (Carol Skowron) and decide for themselves whether this model of disaster relief is appropriate in radiation contaminated areas.

I believe that anyone who participates willingly in the denial/cover-up of one of, if not the, worst nuclear disaster in human history is complicit.

here are some maps of contamination produced by Japanese citizens and others
 http://www.radiationdefense.jp/infomations/srkensa/ 


3 comments:

  1. Just curious...did you wear a mask on the plane?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Majia and readers of your blog,

    I just posted about events in Chicago, IL USA regarding "Remembering Fukushima". One is a two day symposium at the University of Chicago that you may be intersted in.

    http://enenews.com/upcoming-meetings-gatherings-demonstrations/comment-page-3#comment-211116

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey MJ, just wanted to say, keep up the good work.

    stock

    ReplyDelete

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