California’s Diablo Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Shut Down For Pump Repair

The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo, California has shut down one of its two nuclear reactors because of a problem with a pump that supplies water to the steam generators on the non-nuclear side.

 Diable Canyon Nuclear Power Plant

This plant has been the subject of much discussion because it is located near the San Andrea fault located in California. This is an example of the heightened level of attention given to something that never would have made headline if not for the ongoing nuclear power plant disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

An article titled “Diablo nuke plant reactor shuts down to fix pump” by the Associated Press March 29, 2011 and published in SFGate details the issue. Sensitivity to everything nuclear is at a high in the United States not seen since the Three Mile Island incident in Pennsylvania.

Over time, interest in this issue will decrease and routine maintenance issues will not be news, but some of that depends on how the situation in Japan is eventually resolved.

Germany Will End Use Of Nuclear Power For Renewable Energy

Atomkraftwerk Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Neckar

Neckarwestheim Nuclear Power Plant

In the wake of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster, Germany has decided it will move away from nuclear power. Germany is no small player in nuclear power with 17 reactors providing 23 percent of it power needs.

Germany plans to transition completely away from nuclear power and replace that need with renewable energy sources. While Germany obtains less than one quarter of its energy needs from nuclear, France relies on nuclear power for 70 percent of its energy. It would not be easy for France to replace nuclear and it has no intention of doing so. The United States gets 20 percent of it power from nuclear from 104 nuclear reactors located in plants around the country.,

To be honest this is a bold decision as nuclear power has a laudable safety record, but those instances of crisis have been grand. An article by the Associated Press titled “Germany set to abandon nuclear power for good” details Germany’s planned migration. The article even quotes how much easier the switch would be if Germany had some of the advantages of certain areas of the United States with sun and wind.

Nuclear power has not been very popular in Germany after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster spread radioactive material over Germany. This is an example of how politics are affected by events around the world and managed to push a nation in a new direction.

Radioactive Iodine Levels In Tokyo, Japan Water Supply Not Safe For Babies

Tap Water

Tokyo, Japan is the world’s most populous metropolitan area with over 12 million people in the metropolis of Tokyo. Tokyo is called a metropolis instead of a prefecture. The metropolis includes the wards formerly known as the city of Tokyo.

The distance from Fukushima Dai-ichi where the damaged nuclear power plant is located to Tokyo is 242 kilometers, approximately 150 miles, should send a message of how far this radioactive material travels. Obviously the question that must be asked is if and how much additional radioactive iodine is still entering the drinking water supply. An article titled “Tokyo Officials Say Radiation In Tap Water Twice Recommended Limit For Infants” describes the details.

Radioactive iodine is one of the more dangerous elements from nuclear contamination because it is something the body can’t distinguish from it nonradioactive version. The human body needs iodine for healthy functioning of the thyroid. The thyroid regulates growth in the human body. The thyroid will absorb iodine whether it is radioactive or not.

Radioactive iodine-131 is the reason potassium iodide is used to protect the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine. Potassium iodide is absorbed by the thyroid and since it will be full, the thyroid will not absorb the radioactive iodine. Infants and young children are particularly sensitive to radioactive iodine because they are still growing and their thyroids will respond to lower levels of radioactive iodine. High levels of radioactive iodine can cause thyroid cancer.

Chernobyl Cleanup Survivor Advises Japanese To Run Away, Now!

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

A woman that was dispatched to help clean up the aftermath of the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history, Chernobyl, has a word of advice to the Japanese anywhere near the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. Run!

An article titled “Chernobyl Cleanup Survivor's Message for Japan: 'Run Away as Quickly as Possible'” by Dana Kennedy March 22, 2011 and posted on AOL News tells the story of Natalia Manzurova. Manzorova was dispatched as part of a cleanup team after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster to clean up a town near the plants.

Manzurova is basically saying that everyone inside the radiation zone of the plant should protect themselves in spite of the official position coming from the government and other authorities. Her message lines up with the old adage of believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.

She may have a point if you consider how the Fukushima Dai-ichi nclear power plant disaster has slow walked itself into an ever more serious situation daily. Recall the 10-mile evacuation zone and radiation was found in food and milk 65 miles away. The United States Navy moved the aircraft carrier USS George Washington away from its base south of Tokyo to lessen radiation exposure risk. The U.S. has passed out potassium iodide pills to its personnel and family member in the area. Radioactive contamination has been found in sea water. Recently food imports into the U.S. from the affected areas have been banned. The latest is a report that levels of radioactive iodine has been measured in the tap water in Tokyo at twice the levels recommended for infants.

Manzurova speaks from a position of knowledge. She is still alive after her team coworkers died from various ailments, but wears the scar of having her thyroid removed by surgery to avoid cancer.

Japan Earthquake Caused Tsunami Damage In The United States Of America

Tsunami Damage In The United States

The United States is a long way from the power and destruction of the 8.9 earthquake and resulting tsunami that devastated Japan. We all send the Japanese people good wishes and prayers for a full recovery. Even with thousands of miles of ocean to cross the power of the tsunami still made an impact on the United States.

Initial reports said that the tsunami wave went around the Hawaii Islands, but video evidence show that a glancing blow was struck on the big island of Hawaii in the town of Kona over 3,850 miles from Japan. Unbelievably, cities in California were affected over 5,478 miles away.

Although the scale of damage in the United States can’t begin to compare with that in Japan, the tsunami managed to claim a life over 5,000 miles away from where it started. An article titled “NorCal man drowns trying to photograph tsunami ” by the Fox 5 San Diego Staff and CNN Wire and published on the Fox 5 San Diego website tells of a California man that was swept out to sea and drowned while trying to photograph the incoming tsunami waves.

Although the magnitude of suffering was vastly different from Japan to the United States, they were both touched by death and destruction from the same event that demonstrated the awesome power of nature. Man still lives with forces greater than himself.

U S Gives Out Potassium Iodide Pills In Japan And Workers Flee Smoking Nuclear Power Plant

Potassium Iodide

In a real life saga that seems to never end, workers fled from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power Monday March 21, 2011 as smoke rose from two reactors. In a separate action the United States made Potassium Iodide pills available to U.S. personnel and dependents in Japan.

These two events while separate certainly have an intersection. The intersection is the radiation coming from the damaged nuclear power plant and the potential harmful effects it could have on those exposed to it. An article titled “Workers flee Japan nuclear plant as smoke rises” by Eric Talmadge and Mari Yamaguchi March 21, 2011 and published on Yahoo.com details a setback in efforts to brink the nuclear reactors under control as workers fled the Fukushima Dia-ichi nuclear power plant as smoke rose from two reactors.

Another separate article titled “U.S. makes potassium iodide available in Japan” by Arshad Mohammed and published on the Reuter website details the U.S. decision to make potassium iodide available to its personnel and dependents in certain parts of Japan.

One of the radioactive elements released into the environment from the nuclear power plant in Japan is radioactive iodine. Radioactive iodine has been detected in the environment in Japan. The human thyroid, that regulates growth, will absorb iodine and can’t tell the difference between radioactive iodine and nonradioactive iodine. Iodine is needed in order for the thyroid to function properly. When you see the label of “iodized” on table salt it means that small amounts of iodine containing salts have been mixed with regular salt to help prevent iodine deficiency. The thyroid will absorb radioactive iodine and that is where potassium iodide comes in as a blocker. The thyroid will absorb the potassium iodide and become full. If the thyroid is full it will not absorb radioactive iodine.

Radioactive iodine absorbed by the thyroid can cause thyroid cancer. There are many issues taking place in Japan and the longer it goes on, it seems the more serious things become.