This Week's Update — What happened in Chernobyl accident? - Facts revealed from the latest Russian government's report (23th January, 2012)
This week's column
Japanese people continue discussion and review of energy policy. One of the issues is the separation between electric power generation and power transmission. Electric power companies in Japan have operated both roles in its region.
Mr. Akihiro Sawa, Research Head of The 21st Century Public Policy Institute, analyze this issue in his column. "The Danger of Rushing the Separation between Power Generation and Power Transmission"
Mr. Sawa questions whether there is a need to hastily change energy policy which has so far functioned properly, when Japan is facing electric power shortages after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear accident.
Articles and Reports
1)The latest report by the Russian government in 2011 is “25 Years from the Chernobyl Accident: Summary and Overview of its Impact and Overcoming the After-effect, 1986-2011". We will provide soon from this report "Conclusion" in English.
According to this report, the direct death caused by this accident is 50 people who attended recovery operation. The number of deaths caused by the accident, was very small than expected.
The Russian government analyzes that damages caused by social confusion, economic loss, and psychological stress is greater than the direct loss caused by the accident. Although the possibility of health hazard in Fukushima is very small, damages caused by social disruption is spreading. The situation is similar to Chernobyl. Japanese should not repeat the same mistakes in the process of dealing with the Fukushima accident.
GEPR introduce again, the reports about Chernobyl. IEA et al "Legacy of Chernobyl" (2006) http://www.gepr.org/ja/, UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) report (2008). http://www.gepr.org/ja/contents/20120101-04
2) Association of Japanese Agricultural Scientific Societies "Toward the reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake - the technical recommendation for recovery" (In Japanese only)
This article is a technical proposal, and an analysis of current agriculture in Japan.
The report identifies important problems.
"The shared feelings of agricultural officials from the areas affected by radioactive contamination, is the fear of damage caused by harmful rumors or misinformation. This leads to an extreme voice, such as an impossible desire to decontaminate, 'Restoring back where there is absolutely no radioactivity in the village.' As a result, decontamination has not progressed at all."
"The consumer, at the time of the accident, did not know what exactly had happened, therefore, it was a reasonable risk aversion to avoid agricultural products from the affected areas. That is appropriate action. However, currently, after contamination has been identified and understood, and the safety of the products are checked by inspections at collecting and distribution stage, taking same action can damage the fairness of agricultural markets. “
"Unfortunately, sometimes the local authorities and residents of other regions, becomes the victimizer of harmful rumors and damage the affected area. Some points out that radioactive contamination are also contaminating heart of Japanese people, in a manner like discrimination.
3) 【VIDEO】We added following program (Japanese only)
Special seminar presented by Globis "Radiation and radioactivity facts; Dealing correctly with radiation exposure"; Dr. Keiichi Nakagawa, M.D., Ph.D.
