Our Rubbish Piles
Yesterday was the day the city truck drives by and empties the huge black plastic bin that holds the rubbish that gets tossed out by this household. I did what I usually do; grab all the plastic bags from all the trash cans and carry them out to the end of the driveway and toss them inside.
Someone else takes over from there. Problem solved, right?
Rubbish is removed, not my problem anymore.
The rubbish heap is piling up ever higher from our mantra of the consumer lifestyle. Spend and buy.
Hold a yard sale to get rid of what you don’t want anymore..
I know exactly what I did, however.
I got that rubbish from my backyard and sent it directly into someone else’s.
Someone else can smell it rot, deal with the buzzing flies eating decayed leftovers. The leakage of rainwater mixing with the effluent and washing into the local waterways is not my problem now.
I delegated my responsibility over my problem to someone else.
Problem solved, or not…
Life is like that.
We turn our problems over to someone else.
We let them handle what we cannot.
I had a discussion with someone I thought of as informed and highly intelligent.
The discussion was of the ongoing spewing of radiation from the three melted reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ici Nuclear Power Plant #1.
She knew nothing about it and her first words spelled it out totally.
‘They would tell us if it was that bad. Where did you hear of this, the internet? You read that stuff too much. If it was that bad, they would be telling us what to do. And besides, those Japanese are smart techies. They can fix anything.
This sounds like them conspiracy theorists. They tell lies, every one of them. Why are you repeating their lies? I got better things to do that listen to trash like this. Nuclear power is good. All them plants do is make a little steam. I have seen them. They are good. We need power. The world runs on electricity now. We need it.’
And so it goes.
If the ‘breaking news’ on all the major TV channels this morning read: ‘Ongoing recritically at the Fukushima Dai-ici Nuclear Plant continues to spread radioactive hot particles in the upper atmosphere and contaminate the Pacific Ocean’, what would you do?
If instead, the ‘breaking news’ was: ‘Tokyo needs to be evacuated immediately. Extremely high rates of radiation are being found all over in and around this area. Women and children need to be the first to leave. 43 million people live in this area.
Would you listen?
Both of these statements are true.
But no one listens, it seems.
As the radioactive fallout continues to come to North America and beyond, carried by winds and deposited by rain on our houses, yards, and food supply, don’t expect any breaking news.
There is no safe level of radiation.
Do your homework.
Become informed.
Our children need us.
Future generations, if there are any, do too.
We only have one planet.
It’s a terrible thing to waste.
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Sirenita Lake
MirandaSnow (Tiny Dancer)
Safe_Bet's Amy
OS Readers' Picks
Stathi Stathi
older/exasperated
Salon.com
Comments
Or forever hold the peace.
But it has to come out in the open somewhere.
Or don't care if they perceive it won't affect them right now.
And I agree. As long as their backyard is safe.
Our tiny blue sphere is a horrible thing to waste, yes??
How many of Japan's powerful politicians and ultra-wealthy families have vacated their country because of the radiation? If none/few, wouldn't that suggest that they have a better handle on what's going on than others who want to pontificate in cyberspace?
I use the same type of argument against those who claim that cancer treatments are more deadly than the disease itself. How many physicians treat their own family members with radiation/chemotherapy if there's some supposed better/alternative treatments?
There's a lot of drama going on over stuff none of us are that well-educated about. Spread of misinformation is a disservice.
Many large corporations have moved their headquarters from Japan.
Many people have left Japan and evacuated by themselves.
Many people are losing hair. Children in the immediate area are testing positive for Thyroid Cancer.
Many want to leave and simply cannot due to lack of funding.
And where would 43 million Japanese evacuate to?
As for doctors, I recently read an article that quoted a majority of Oncologists that said they would not use the standard treatment for cancer on themselves.
I will go back and post these links in this comment line later.
I seek not to spread disinformation on this post.
That graphic of the spread of radiation plumes at the top of this post is straight from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dig up the rubbish for yourself.
And stay informed.
Yeah right.,
There is no safe level of radiation.
And it is invisible.
Cesium 134 and Cesium 137 are some of my main concerns right now. Cesium is taken up in the body like potassium. 75% of it goes to the heart muscle.
And are becoming very widespread since this has been going on over 14 months now.
Swept under the rug, just like rubbish.
I look forward to links supporting your assertions. Please remember, however, that I am not stating that all 43 million Japanese would evacuate, just the powerful/rich ones with the resources to do so. If they are staying on the island and with the connections & information they have/can-buy, that suggests to me that those "in-the-know" aren't too worried.
And if you have the time and interest, I'd like to see the Onc's study that you cite as well. I work in pharma. market research and that statement about cancer treatments doesn't sound right, but I'm willing to view a contrary study. Thanks.
Bits of information are coming out in drips and drabs since so many are filing Freedom of Information Requests to get to the reactions of the engineers and experts to find out exactly what was going on.
I will however, post those links.
I suggest you read them and make up your own mind.
If I do some research (assuming the information sought is available/accessible) demonstrating that __% of Japan's powerful and wealthy still reside on the island, what number would be convincing that perhaps there is an unfounded alarm about the radioactivity levels?
Meaning, if 99% ... 95% ... 75% ... more than half ... any(?) of Japan's most powerful/rich still live in Japan, would you consider that convincing argument (that things can't be that bad)?
If so, at what level?
If not, then there's really nothing else to do/research/cite/discuss because it won't change your mind.
I wouldn't want anyone to waste time. Thanks.
There are those foods -- many sites list.
If you live in the Pac. NW especially, right in the jet stream trail from Japan, well actually, if you live anywhere as 3/4 of our nuclear plants are leaking, all our electronics, Xrays.....you might want to change your diet to include many more of these helpful foods....
HHmmm, would anyone who has done simple fact checks of the corporate media come to this conclusion?
Me thinks not.
Sorry, early-ish here.
Everything comes 'wrapped' except for fresh produce..which is shipped in containers or cargo ships or planes that use fuel. Home gardens are not the answer. There are too many of us. Anyway the government would create the department of home garden watchers.
Animals and people create waste. We develop one energy source to replace another.
Maybe life was better when we had to walk to the doctor or he had to ride to the farm. It is a perplexing problem. Then we died earlier. Another problem solved.
Nuclear power was supposed to stave off our oil consumption. Plastic bags were popular as a way to save trees. Grocery stores now sell re-usable shopping bags but all of the product that goes into them is carefully wrapped in sealed containers. We fool ourselves into thinking that we are going to save the planet. The planet will be here in one form or another until there is the final bang.
We can use moderation and clean up after ourselves....that is about the best we can do. Here. We cannot regulate the world.
Since you are the acclaimed sholar here, perhaps you do that digging yourself, since I don't have the time today to use a shovel today. I have found much defection is going on already in this world today and must tend to that burning issue.
Defection in public should be banned from your eyes.
doesn't it Jon?
Digging for news of ongoing radiation plumes is a bit tougher these days.
But it does exist.
Yup Trig, sadly enough. Started out as a pitch for 'cheap energy, too cheap to meter', and guess the crap what??
We are all going to be downwind of the gates of hell for years to come. Dragon's Breath that burns inside our bodies in little tiny invisible bits of burning coals, lodged in our lungs from a gash for fresh air, or swallowed one day in a glass of water, or simply eaten on or in produce.
But there are remedies for removing heavy metals form the body like Just Thinking has mentioned in the comment below.
**waves at JT**
I'LL DO THE WORK if you just answer the question "Would proving that none/very-few of Japan's most powerful/rich still reside on the island give credence to the there being only a minimally-higher risk than normal?"
The assumption being that the powerful/rich with resources to
1) get/pay-for accurate information
2) evaculate if there was a clear danger
wouldn't still be residing in Japan if they were convinced it was unsafe.
So, is it worthwhile for me to do the work/research to determine the % of powerful/rich still in Japan or will you not consider that a convincing argument?
They report truth, don't they??
Corporate news is getting to be a new version of a reality show, an altered reality show.
Geez..
Greed is a leveler for humanity.
It all boils down to the dollar.
Who has it and who don't.
We all know the answer to that.
It's an election year...
Ande, thanks for the long response.,
We can change things,
everything within reach.
You decide your fate.
Make it what you wish.
And sometimes achieving that is hard enough.
Please inform me.
I cannot find any bias of mine showing in this post.
Else wise, take your rubbish pile elsewhere.
let the next guy deal with it, for he is guiltier than we.
japan? that thing was on the news,
i recall. something about a meltdown,
and radiation spewing in the air.
i choose to ignore that. i mean, i know we got one planet only.
but my personal piece of it is so damn tiny. and the air is
ok here, and i got no kids so i dont gotta worry about em.
i will bemoan the japanese situation when someone tells me
how it might affect me.
no that is utter nonsense. irony.
but
what can we do?
what ?
japan is an economic powerhouse. our prez cannot tell them
what to do.
who can?
oh just say it...
(sorry)
Godzilla!
Your inability to answer a simple, direct question that may support a contrary position is response enough that you have your mind made up on this issue, regardless of the possibility of opposing data.
I won't comment any further and appreciate the attempt you made to debate civilly through to this point.
Links to your citations would be still be appreciated.
Sadly for North America, we are getting hammered coast to coast.
There are no easy answers to this.
None.
This site of the nuclear power plant is extremely contaminated. Workers are going in very short shifts, similar to Chernobyl.
Radiation kills in high enough exposure. For the rest of us, we can only hope we have no inhaled, or ingested a hot particle of radiation, for the problem of cancer comes into play.
Let me repeat that.
I aim to frighten no one.
Let us be informed.
And make up our own minds.
I see now your point of view.
You divine and perceive my bias towards the rich from previous comments somewhere else and project that into this thread??
forget dude and be gone.
Links will have to wait much later today for your satisfaction.
Time is short dear. Sheesh...
There's probably a large percentage of our population that could easily be murdered by a friendly, well groomed woman who pulled up in a mini-van and came in and slaughtered them all because they think everyone who looks and sounds right cares about their well being. Many are aware and feel as helpless as we truly have become in our quest for easy lives. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching the different types in a sci-fi movie but there is no band of heroes and there is no way to know how the movie will end.
There will be change when there are so many suffering they'll feel courage or energy to demand it. I don't know the Japanese, perhaps they will tolerate more. I know Americans, they're impatient and emotion-driven not logic-driven, I suspect it will be violent here. No one ever knows the tipping point until it comes.
I'm fascinated by Michelle Coulter's comment and want to learn more about learned helplessness. One of small changes I've seen is that people are no longer resourceful or good at figuring things out.
They wait for someone else to do the dirty work.
Then they cry like babies when they find out.
Or not...
Sometimes they get by telling others they can divine others by perceiving things..
They would rather be 'entertained'.
Mainstream media is reality TV at its finest.
News they want to whisper, 24/7.
And continue the dog and pony shows.
And keep us all wage slaves from cradle to grave.
And silent, of course.
The thing I find most disturbing about the nuclear disaster in Japan is that I was reading, several years ago, that the Japanese were recycling plutonium from Russian nukes, to use as fuel in atomic energy plants. I haven't found anything in the news about that lately. Plutonium may have a half life of 24,100 years or more, depending on the isotope. And they say you can never get the truth from the Atomic Energy Commission. I, for one, probably couldn't handle the truth, if that was involved in this particular disaster.
Learned helplessness, indeed, as Michelle Coulter described.
Gotta hand it to humans. They're winners when it comes to polluting the cosmos.
I know companies are making soy- and corn-based disposable cutlery, cups and plates. Why can't they come up with a bio-based solution for shopping bags? Until then, I'll keep using my granny reusable bags, I guess. ...
Now, I see no evidence that I was wrong. The effects are just now being felt and I am afraid it will only get worse.
Plutonium was ejected when reactor 3 blew up in a hydrogen explosion. It used nano particles of Plutonium MOX fuel.
Tons of Plutonium where blown skywards.
Whether any Plutonium is present on the debris is for someone to work on and publish the results for the general public.
So far, no such luck. They did destroy a floating ship as target practice. I guess it was boarded first....
And now we know.
Many simply do not.
After staring at hours of YouTube Belinda, I am a believer.
That plant is totally wrecked. And if the site has to be abandoned, who knows what is next? I sure don't.
And now we know.
Many simply do not.
After staring at hours of YouTube Belinda, I am a believer.
That plant is totally wrecked. And if the site has to be abandoned, who knows what is next? I sure don't.
So do fish and sea birds.
Granny bags sounds good to me!!
Forever and ever will this fallout affect millions of us.
This is not the time to run away afraid.
This is a time we must hold together and be safe.
There are remedies. They just need to be used by all.
I remember consciously deciding that I would wait until I heard what my favorite anchorperson had to say about something. That would totally frame my opinion of it. A nagging thought coexisted that I should maybe explore for myself and not just always get it second hand, like someone chewing your food for you, but I didn't listen. I was naive and lazy and did not see the danger of it all.
I read in a book about sociopaths is that the more outrageous the lie a sociopath tells the more likely it will get by, because people will rationalize that no one would presume to tell such a whopper. How could it possibly not be true. The greater the dimensions the more likely the myopia.
Arthur Miller wrote a play All My Sons about how a father is willing to for economic profit let a dysfunctionally designed airplane be mass produced. His son ends up being killed flying such a plane in the war. Only then does he consider what he has done.
The cover-ups for impression management and profiteering are staggering. I read once a quote from Mark Twain about how a parent frets more about a rip in one's trousers than the illness of a child. How priorities get skewed and we deny that they are. Denial. Minimization. We have an image of our idealized selves but when push comes to shove our lower selves go the paths of lease resistance too often.
Gotta go for now but thanks for sharing this! best, libby
I read that Walter Cronkite was the most rusted American in recent history. Strange, we trust a newscaster more than our leaders in government.
And therein lies the problem.
We have a government to control the things in life cannot control ourselves.
A herd of sheep will elect a government of wolves.
Buddha.
Just turn their iPod up louder.
Well done..
HUGGGGGGGG
When will we learn?
Never, I'm afraid.
I feel like it's all fated. Humanity will keep being recycled until we get it right.
Reuse and recycle are good goals.
Humans are reuse and recycle in my book.
Some times the scrum float to the top tho'.
Like now as we what another version of the crash of 2008 ongoing in down on Fraud Street.
None what so ever.
That droning goes on and I see the whispers have moved to somewhere else. Yes, we still have the effects coming ashore of Corexit here.
I ponder what the coming generations will say about us?
Or how this generation damaged the planet while so few seemed to care?
It's gotten that bad here in our country.
A lie is a lie no matter who tries to ignore it.
Nice post.
R
For some of us, it's more real than others.
Also, levels of radioactivity in tuna have risen sharply since the disaster. I won't go near a can of tuna for a while, particularly not albacore.(They swim in deeper waters, where contaminants drift and settle)
And yes, there is a huge area of plastic floating in the Pacific.
PW, the problem is now North America's problem. For we are downwind from the ongoing and continuing radiation plumes coming across the Pacific Ocean from Japan. Some have suggested the west coast may have to be evacuated west of the Rocky mountains. Fallout is steadily occurring even today from the rain and wind, and don't forget it only takes 40 days to circle around the entire planet.
Think of what it will be. Cars, houses, broken things of all humanity from Japan swept away by the huge waves coming in and retreating.
Who knows what is in it or what those property values are going to be afterwards??
I certainly do not dear.
Mission writes
"I don't mind direct questions at all Redux.
"Many large corporations have moved their headquarters from Japan.
"Many people have left Japan and evacuated by themselves.
" ... I recently read an article that quoted a majority of Oncologists that said they would not use the standard treatment for cancer on themselves.
"I will go back and post these links in this comment line later."
When possible, would love to see these links.
Also, I looked-up the 10 richest Japanese citizens. It seems all of them are continuing to live in Japan. Again, with their billions of dollars in wealth and the ability to "buy" accurate information, don't you think this (non-)action on their part suggests only a nominal-increase in radiation exposure and danger?