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Scientists bend gamma rays, could neuter radioactive waste
posted May 10th 2012 5:54AM
Bending most light is easy; bending it in gamma ray form, however, has often been deemed impossible given how hard it is for electrons to react to the extreme frequencies. University of Munich scientist Dietrich Habs and his Institut Laue-Langevin teammate Michael Jentschel have proven that assumption wrong: an experiment in blasting a silicon prism has shown that gamma rays will refract just slightly through the right material. If a lens is made out of a large-atom substance like gold to bend the rays further, the researchers envision focused beams of energy that could either detect radioactive material or even make it inert by wiping off neutrons and protons. In theory, it could turn a nuclear power plant’s waste harmless. A practical use of the technology is still some distance off — but that it’s even within sight at all just feels like a breakthrough.
Japan Bails Out Plant That Caused Worst-Ever Nuclear Accident
Thursday, 10 May 2012
‘Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), the company at the centre of Japan’s worst-ever nuclear accident, has been saved from collapse after the government in effect nationalised the firm by agreeing to inject 1 trillion yen ($12.5bn) in fresh capital.
Japan’s biggest utility has received at least 3.5tn yen in state support since three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant went into meltdown after being hit by a powerful tsunami on 11 March last year.
The trade and industry minister, Yukio Edano, said the capital injection was needed to ensure the utility company could continue to supply electricity to 45 million people, including residents of Tokyo.’
Read more: Japan Bails Out Plant That Caused Worst-Ever Nuclear Accident
Radiation poisoning? Homeopathic and other natural remedies provide protection and treatment
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by: JB Bardot
(NaturalNews) Radioactive waste from Fukushima is approaching the west coast of North America at a frightening rate. Hundreds of seals off the coast of Alaska are dead and dying from symptoms that look ominously like radiation disease; and most people wonder what and who is next. Alternative medicine offers a wide variety of treatments to protect and treat radiation sickness. Certain homeopathic medicines and other natural substances may provide relief from radiation disease symptoms or boost the body’s natural vital force to protect itself from the severity of radiation exposure.
Symptoms of Radiation Sickness
Early signs of radiation illness include headache, nausea, vomiting and fever. Additional symptoms may appear later, including weakness, dizziness, mental confusion, hair loss, skin lesions, bloody vomit and stools, low blood pressure, wounds that are slow to heal, bone marrow deterioration, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular shut down, and cancerous tumors. Many of these symptoms also appear in animals, as evidenced by the seals in Alaska.
Protection
Homeopathic Fucus vesiculosus is a tincture made from a form of sea kelp that can be used to protect the thyroid from radioactive contamination. Like potassium iodide, it acts to block the thyroid receptors, preventing absorption of radiation; however, the dose is easier to control. It is milder and better tolerated by people with thyroid disease and other sensitivities.
Topical Treatments
Raw, organic honey possesses antibacterial properties and can reduce the severity of skin burns and lesions as well as lesson inflammation and ulcerations of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract.
Calendula extract is a healing, soothing liquid that can be mixed with water and applied to relieve burns, sores, itching, peeling and other skin ailments resulting from exposure to radiation.
Echinacea extract is rich in anti-inflammatory agents and acts as an antibiotic when applied to infected areas of the skin. It can be used in any skin ailment, especially those that become infected and septic.
Cleanse
Baking soda baths provide an excellent cleanse for removing radiation from body cells. Baking soda is highly alkaline and helps restore the body’s pH, reducing the incidence of acidosis — a state that fosters weakness and disease. Drinking baking soda mixed with water may help reduce inflammation and heal mouth sores resulting from exposure to radiation.
Homeopathy
Clinical experience has shown the efficacy of several homeopathic remedies for the treatment of radiation disease symptoms.
Cadmium sulphuratum may relieve itching, gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea aggravated by the slightest movement, and severe flu-like aches and pains in the muscles. The person needing this remedy may feel chilled even in a warm room.
Phosphorus is often the first remedy needed after exposure to radiation. It can help reduce the pain and intensity of burns to the skin as well as lessen vomiting and other stomach upsets. A dose of Phosphorus may help center someone after being exposed, enable them to cope. People needing Phosphorus are often very thirsty for ice-cold water, which is vomited when becoming warm in the stomach.
Radium Bromatum may help people with severe aching, arthritic pains that are made better from movement. It’s also been found effective in the treatment of skin sores, ulcers and acne-like pustules as well as sores that are slow to heal.
Many other homeopathic remedies can offer relief for symptoms of radiation disease; however, no one should self-treat in the event of exposure. Seek the advice of a competent homeopathic practitioner. Remedies can be purchased from online homeopathic pharmacies and stored in the event of emergencies.
Sources for this article include:
Materia Medica and Repertory; William Boericke, MD; 1998
Homeopathy Home: U.S.A. Homeopathic Pharmacies
http://www.homeopathyhome.com/direct…armacies.shtml
Natural Society: Is Fukushima Radiation Responsible for Mysterious Alaskan Seal Deaths?
http://naturalsociety.com/is-fukushi…n-seal-deaths/
Healing Cancer Naturally: Combatting radiation poisoning tips
http://www.healingcancernaturally.co…radiation.html
Homeopathy Plus: Radiation Sickness and Poisoning: Guidelines for Homeopathic Prevention and Treatment
http://homeopathyplus.com.au/radiati…and-poisoning/
CDC: Acute Radiation Syndrome: A Fact Sheet for Physicians
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/arsp…nfactsheet.asp
Mayo Clinic: Radiation Sickness
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rad…CTION=symptoms
About the author:
JB Bardot is trained in herbal medicine and homeopathy, and has a post graduate degree in holistic nutrition. Bardot cares for both people and animals, using alternative approaches to health care and lifestyle. You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?…08&ref=tn_tnmn or on Twitter at jbbardot23
Fukushima Reactor No. 4 Vulnerable to Catastrophic Collapse; Could Unleash 85 Times Cesium-137 Radiation of Chernobyl; Human Civilization on the Brink
Monday, 07 May 2012 08:05
‘The news you are about to read puts everything else in the category of “insignificant” by comparison. Concerned about the 2012 U.S. presidential election? Worried about GMOs? Fluoride? Vaccines? Secret prisons? None of that even matters if we don’t solve the problem of Fukushima reactor No. 4, which is on the verge of a catastrophic failure that could unleash enough radiation to end human civilization on our planet. (See the numbers below.)
The resulting releasing of radiation would turn North America into a “dead zone” for humans… mutated (and failed) crops, radioactive groundwater, skyrocketing infant mortality, an explosion in cancer and infertility… this is what could be unleashed at any moment from an earthquake in Japan. Such an event could result in the release of 85 times the Cesium-137 released by the Chernobyl catastrophe, say experts (see below). And the Chernobyl catastrophe made its surrounding regions uninhabitable by humans for centuries.’
Widespread GMO Contamination: Did Monsanto Plant GMOs Before USDA Approval?
Friday, 04 May 2012 08:09
‘Did Monsanto actually plant genetically modified alfalfa before it was deregulated by the USDA?
There is some shocking evidence that, until recently, was withheld from the public showing that Monsanto’s genetically altered alfalfa may have been set free in 2003 — a full two years or more before it was deregulated in 2005. In a letter, obtained by NaturalSociety with permission to post for public viewing, it becomes clear that the USDA may have turned a blind eye to the entire situation, allowing widespread GMO contamination of GMO-free crops.’
Read more: Widespread GMO Contamination: Did Monsanto Plant GMOs Before USDA Approval?
Fukushima Still Spewing Massive Radiation Plumes; America in ‘Huge Trouble,’ Says Nuclear Expert
Tuesday, 01 May 2012 12:08
‘During a recent Congressional delegation trip to Japan, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden witnessed with his own eyes the horrific aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which we have heard very little about from the media in recent months. The damage situation was apparently so severe, according to his account, that he has now written a letter to Ichiro Fujisaki, Ambassador of Japan, petitioning for more to be done, and offering any additional support and assistance that might help contain and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
The letter, which many experts see as the ominous writing on the wall for the grave severity of the circumstances, offers a disturbing glimpse into what is really going on across the Pacific Ocean that the mainstream media is apparently ignoring. While referencing the fact that all four of the affected reactors are still “badly damaged,” Sen. Wyden seems to hint in his letter that Reactor 4, which has reportedly been on the verge of collapse for many months now, could be nearing catastrophic implosion.’
http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/
A Visual Tour of the Fuel Pools of Fukushima
Do You Know What the Fuel Pools Actually Look Like?
You already know that Fukushima’s fuel pool number 4 may be the single greatest threat, but that pool number 3 is very dangerous as well.
You’ve heard that unit 3′s fuel pool contains less radioactive material than unit 4 … but still a tremendous amount of radiation. Scientific American reported last year:
The pools at each reactor are thought to have contained the following amounts of spent fuel, according to The Mainichi Daily News:
• Reactor No. 1: 50 tons of nuclear fuel
• Reactor No. 2: 81 tons
• Reactor No. 3: 88 tons
• Reactor No. 4: 135 tons
• Reactor No. 5: 142 tons
• Reactor No. 6: 151 tons
• Also, a separate ground-level fuel pool contains 1,097 tons of fuel; and some 70 tons of nuclear materials are kept on the grounds in dry storage.
You’ve learned that unit 3′s reactor was the only one at Fukushima which burned plutonium. As Japan Times notes:
Reactor 3 … uses highly dangerous mixed oxide fuel, Tokyo Electric has reported.
***
No. 3 reactor is the only one at the crippled power station that was powered by the plutonium-uranium MOX
You’ve gotten the fact that – if the water drains out for any reason – it will cause a fire in the fuel rods, as the zirconium metal jacket on the outside of the fuel rods could very well catch fire within hours or days after being exposed to air. See this, this, this and this. (And that even a large solar flare could knock out the water-circulation systemsfor the pools.)
You’ve listened to experts say that – unless the rods are removed from the fuel pools before a major earthquake strikes (using special equipment which keeps the rods submerged in water the whole time) – they will likely catch fire and release huge amounts of radioactivity. See this and this – starting at 4 minutes into the video.
You’ve read that – after reviewing photos from several different angles – the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s initial impressions were that spent fuel pool number 3 might not be there at all, and that nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen said a couple of days ago:
Unit 3 is worse [than No. 4]. It’s mechanically its rubble, the pool is rubble. It’s got less fuel in it. It faces the same problem. Structurally the pool has been dramatically weakened. And, god nobody has even gotten near it yet.
And you may caught the recent headline that a 35-ton machine fell into spent fuel pool 3. As Kyodo News reports:
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Friday found that a 35-ton machine had dropped inside the spent fuel pool of the No. 3 unit, possibly because of a hydrogen explosion that occurred in the early stage of plant’s nuclear accident last year.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., commonly known as TEPCO, reported the finding after placing a camera inside the water-filled pool the same day to prepare for removing, as part of the decommissioning process, the nuclear fuel stored there.
One photo showed part of the machine, originally located above the pool and used to insert and remove fuel, appeared to have dropped onto the nuclear fuel storage racks.
But – until you see pictures – it is hard to get a sense of what all this means.
Here’s a picture just released by Tepco of the giant machine in the fuel pool :
And another new Tepco photo showing other tangled wreckage inside the pool:
The following graphics from Ashai news show how the crane is normally used to move spent fuel rods in and out of the pool. Here’s the crane bringing in a special container to hold the rods:
Loading spent fuel rods into the container:
The crane then lifts the rod-carrying container up:
And then away from the pool:
Keep in mind that the machine which fell into pool number 3 was part of the crane “used to insert and remove fuel”, and so now there is no easy way to remove the fuel from the fuel pool. And the crane at unit 4 is also broken:
Still confused?
Let’s look at some more pictures …
Before the Quake
Here is where the fuel pools are located in the Fukushima reactors:
Here are pictures Unit 3′s fuel pool before the earthquake, and the fuel pool crane:
This shot is during repairs at reactor 4 before the earthquake – but gives a sense of scale:
After the Quake
Here is the green fuel pool crane at unit 4 after the earthquake:
The view from above the crane at fuel pool 4:
(“SFP” in these photos refers to the spent fuel pool.)
Former fuel pool nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen notes that – for at least some period after the earthquake – the fuel pool had insufficient water, and the nuclear rods were sticking out into the air:
Here is water later being poured into fuel pool 4:
Reactor 3 is a mess:
HouseofOust notes of this picture:
Oval is the reactor well location. Lines on the left side of the image outline the crane that seems to have fallen over or been crushed. Spent fuel pool outlined in the foreground.
And of this picture:
Perspective lines are drawn to show where the deck should be and how much is gone. A circle shows the beam apex to appoximate the reactor well. Spent fuel pool is again seen off to the right and outlined. Marked structure in the foreground is the end of the refueling crane.
Now can you see what’s going on?
Contaminated Fukushima Fish Recycled as Food Aid: Canned Fish from Tohoku sent to Developing Countries, With Help of WFP
Monday, 02 April 2012 06:18
‘Another “win” for Britain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who operates the ODA (Official Development Assistance). They have managed to obtain support from the United Nations on this one.
I first wrote about this particular ODA in June last year, with the follow-up post in September when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally requested the appropriation for the 3rd supplementary budget.
Now it’s official, with the help of the UN. Canned fish from Tohoku will be given to people in developing countries in the world so that the fisheries in the disaster-affected areas can recover and “baseless rumors” disappear. The fish cans will go to Cambodia and 4 other countries and will be used in school lunches to feed school children.’
EU Halts Imports of US-Based Corn Gluten Feed Due to GMO Contamination
Tuesday, 10 January 2012 07:48
‘The European Union (EU) has rejected roughly one million tons of US-based corn gluten feed, a leftover byproduct of corn processing that is commonly fed to conventional livestock, over concerns that it might be tainted with illegal genetically-modified organisms (GMO). Unlike the US, the EU still has at least some standards when it comes to GMOs, and has typically been much slower to adopt them compared to countries in North and South America.
Reuters Africa reports that corn gluten shipments into the EU have basically stopped as a result of contamination concerns, and that many traders are now trying to figure out a solution. However, the report slants the issue and blames EU restrictions, rather than the US tainted food supply, for the ordeal, and suggests that the EU needs to loosen its standards to keep the supplies going.’
Read more: EU Halts Imports of US-Based Corn Gluten Feed Due to GMO Contamination
Fukushima Disaster Contaminated Ocean with 50 Million Times Normal Radiation
Wednesday, 14 December 2011 09:40
‘Things are suddenly heating up again with Fukushima. As we reported yesterday, the southern wall of Fukushima reactor #4 apparently collapsed over the past few days, calling into question the structural integrity of the remainder of the containment building.
The mainstream media has said absolutely nothing about this development, continuing its pattern of downplaying news involving Fukushima, radiation or the flawed structure of nuclear power plants. This is hardly surprising, given that many of the largest media outlets (such as NBC and MSNBC) are owned by corporations such as General Electric, the designer of many of the world’s nuclear power plants.’
Read more: Fukushima Disaster Contaminated Ocean with 50 Million Times Normal Radiation
Believe nothing 