Thailand Japanese vegetable contaminated: FDA

Radioactive contamination has been detected in udo - a type of Japanese vegetable -brought into Thailand by Japanese passengers. Thais are advised not to eat it, regardless of the source, the Food and Drugs Administration warned Thursday.

Although the contamination level is within safe limits, eating udo or bringing it back to Thailand is not advised, said FDA secretary-general Phiphat Yingseri.

"Those passengers carrying a few kilos of Japanese food may enjoy leniency… but those who carry them in large amounts should be ready for inspection and quarantine," he added.

Except for seafood, FDA officials are ready to inspect and quarantine Japanese food found to be contaminated at supermarkets and restaurants that sell imported food from Japan, he said.

Filipinos shouldn’t blame the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan if the plan to revive the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant fizzles out. Indeed, although events in Japan may have indefinitely postponed the nuclear ambitions of several South-east Asian nations, the  debate in the Philippines had been settled long ago.

The Philippines’ failure to generate electricity from the nuclear plant it constructed more than 30 years ago is the real reason why any new public discussion heralding the advantages of nuclear energy would be doomed from the start.

What happened to the Philippines’ nuclear program? During the first oil price shock in the early 1970s, the Philippine government decided to build a nuclear plant. The opposition claimed it was a knee-jerk reaction to the oil crisis, since there were cheaper sources of energy at that time, such as hydropower and geothermal energy. But others insisted the project proved the sincerity and vision of then-President Ferdinand Marcos, who had earlier vowed to make the country an industrial hub of the region.

The nuclear plant was the costliest venture in the Philippines, with more than $2 billion worth of foreign loans being spent on building the plant. But it didn’t generate a single watt of electricity and now stands as the biggest white elephant in the country’s history, a symbol of corruption and crony capitalism in the Philippines.

The undertaking was politicized from the beginning. Marcos awarded the project to a losing bidder; his cronies bagged several subcontracts for the project; and the plant easily exceeded the projected costs because of several ‘commissions’ (some might say bribes) given to high-ranking Filipino politicians.

It usually takes six years to study the safety of a nuclear plant. But back in 1978, the plant in question was visited by one expert, who stayed for only two weeks. In 1992, the government sent a three-man panel to inspect the site for one week. In both instances, the experts concluded that the nuclear plant was safe to operate.

But an independent inspection conducted by several experts disagreed with the findings of the government-commissioned reports. For example, scientists discovered that the reactor had 200 defects. Safety issues were also later raised by the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission about the damaged containment structure, unshielded electrical cables and a faulty steam generator. In 1990, another independent study pointed out the structural weaknesses of the plant, such as the deficiencies in the component cooling system, the quality assurance program, and the emergency power system.

The design of the nuclear plant also wasn’t applicable for the Philippines. The plant builder adopted Yugoslavia’s Krsko plant as the model for its project in the Philippines. But the two countries have different weather and geographical conditions—the same design for ventilation and cooling can’t be suitable for both sites.

In addition, the site of the Philippine nuclear plant wasn’t chosen wisely, being less than 10 miles from an active volcano. It was also within 25 miles of three geological faults—like Japan, the Philippines sits in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which means volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common in the country.

When Marcos was ousted from power in 1986, the nuclear plant still wasn’t finished and the succeeding government mothballed the plant because of strong local opposition. If it had been designed and constructed properly, the plant could have been used to avert a power blackout in the 1980s. The power crisis not only plunged the whole country into darkness, it crippled the economy, especially the manufacturing sector.

It will take a while—perhaps a significant amount of time—before debates on the use of nuclear power can proceed without mentioning the Philippines’ painful experience of building a nuclear plant three decades ago. That episode is worth remembering every time we hear and read reports that the Fukushima nuclear disaster is the reason why the planned revival of nuclear power in the country is no longer feasible. It should be clarified that corruption, not the feared nuclear meltdown in Japan, destroyed the nuclear industry in the Philippines.

World weather patterns will shield New Zealand from radiation spewed out of the stricken nuclear power station in Japan, experts here say.

Traces of radioactive material from Fukushima in northern Japan have reached most parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

But New Zealand scientists said yesterday that even in the event of a complete meltdown at the plant, the South Pacific was shielded from fallout by global weather patterns.

Radiation from the tsunami-damaged plant has been found in the United States, Canada, Iceland, Germany, China, and South Korea, but not in doses posing a health hazard.

Prevailing winds push microscopic particles east of Japan at about 80km/h. The material took about a week to cross the Pacific.

The detection of radiation in distant countries was largely due to the hyper-sensitivity of modern sensors, as opposed to large amounts of material being carried by the wind.

GNS Science senior scientist Bernard Barry said even if the partial breakdown of the reactors worsened, particles would not travel deep into the Southern Hemisphere.

Unlike Chernobyl, the Fukushima event did not have an explosion to propel the nuclear material into the stratosphere, where it could spread quickly.

Dr Barry said: "Chernobyl was a big block of graphite, like hundreds of tons of barbecue charcoal, which burned for 10 days, vaporizing stuff and sending it into the atmosphere. There's not that type of material in Japan, it's a completely different reactor."

Even if the nuclear particles were projected above the lower atmosphere, a "barrier" at the equator prevents the transfer of most northern weather into our territory.

In what is known as the Coriolis effect, a force generated by the rotation of the earth nudges wind into rotating anti-clockwise north of the equator and clockwise south of the equator.

Most wind is deflected at the equator, and there is minimal transfer of weather between the hemispheres.

Any radioactive particles which did creep into the South Pacific would be diluted and slow-moving.

"If [radiation] did ever get here, it would take months, maybe years, and only be in scientists' interest," said National Radiation Laboratory spokesman Peter Abernethy.

The NRL, an arm of the Ministry of Health, has radiation monitoring stations at Kaitaia and the Chatham Islands.

It can also collect readings from stations around the Pacific, many of which were developed to measure fallout from testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific in the 1960s and 70s.

The monitoring stations can detect a tiny fraction of a millisievert (mSv), a radiation unit. A dose of about 1000 mSv, which the workers at Fukushima could be exposed to, will make someone sick. Everyone is exposed to 2 mSv a year through naturally occurring radiation.

Japanese authorities yesterday said small amounts of plutonium - a byproduct of atomic reactions - had seeped into soil at the tsunami-damaged plant in northern Japan.

Radiation which has seeped into the sea is unlikely to reach New Zealand, because it is dispersed widely by ocean currents.

China and Japan, whose historical ties can be described as shaky at best, have drawn closer in the face of Japan's recent 9.0-magnitude quake and ensuing tsunami.

The massive quake and tsunami, which devastated northeastern Japan on March 11, left over at least 11,400 people dead and over 16,200 others unaccounted for by Thursday morning.

In recent years, the China-Japan relationship was soured by senior Japanese officials' controversial visits to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honors some 2.5 million Japanese war casualties, including 14 top war criminals.

The ties reached another historic low after a Chinese trawler collided with two Japanese Coast Guard vessels and Japanese authorities arrested the trawler's captain in waters off the Diaoyu Islands last September.

However, after the recent quake and tsunami, China immediately expressed its deep sympathies and offered aid to Japan, while Japan helped some Chinese nationals escape the deadly quake and evacuate from the disaster zone.

As China and Japan are neighboring countries separated only by a narrow strip of water, the Chinese people deeply feel the pain the Japanese people are suffering.

On March 14, Chinese President Hu Jintao offered condolences to Japanese Emperor Akihito over the disasters and pledged to help. Four days later, President Hu paid a visit to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing to again express his condolences.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also twice expressed condolences to Japan and promised to help.

After the quake, China swiftly provided 30 million Yuan (4.5 million U.S. dollars) in aid to Japan and sent an international rescue team to the quake-hit zone. Later, China offered 10,000 tons of gasoline, 10,000 tons of diesel and more material aid to Japan.

Many Chinese people, particularly netizens, have expressed their condolences and encouragement to the Japanese people.

Meanwhile, some Chinese nationals in the quake-hit region were being rescued or helped by Japanese.

For example, just after the quake, a 59-year-old Japanese man called Mitsuru Sato helped evacuate 20 Chinese trainees to a shrine on higher ground in Japan's Miyagi prefecture shortly before a tsunami engulfed the place where they had stayed. Sato himself was later swallowed by the tsunami when he returned to a dormitory to alert other quake survivors.

Moreover, Japan's local governments and some Japanese people helped the Chinese embassy evacuate about 7,200 Chinese nationals from the quake zone to Tokyo and Niigata.

Meanwhile, memories of Japan's swift aid to China after the Wenchuan quake which struck southwestern China in May 2008 emerged. During that disaster, the Japanese rescue team was the first international one to reach the quake zone.

Facts show that China and Japan, despite the ups and downs in their relations in recent years, have joined hands to support each other during the latest quake and tsunami disasters, the common enemies of mankind.

The mutual understanding, support and cooperation demonstrated during the process have strengthened the ties between the two countries, brought the two peoples closer, and perhaps even helped close old wounds.

It is reasonable to believe China and Japan, if they continue to interact in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation, can solve their disputes better in the future and steadily improve their ties.

On 30 March, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua voiced criticism over Japan for its perceived failure in following international conventions in requesting aid from China. Cheng also said that Japan should reflect on its recent dispatch of a Maritime Self Defense Force destroyer to the disputed gas field known by China as Chunxiao and by Japan as Shirakaba.

According to Sany Group, Tokyo Electric Company has indicated its intent to acquire 30 concrete pump trucks from the Chinese Sany Group. A Sany Group concrete pump truck is being used to inject water into a pool of spent fuel rods at Fukushima Number One Nuclear Power Plant.

Xinhua News Agency, China (3/31/2011)

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) told Xinhua that the third batch of humanitarian aid to Japan was sent on Thursday to support the country's disaster relief work.

This last batch of relief materials included 10,000 pairs of thick rubber gloves, 60 portable toilets and 25,000 pairs of sports shoes.

The MOC said that all relief materials sent so far came to a total of 30 million Yuan (4.58 million U.S. dollars).

Japan has refused proposed assistance from South Korean nuclear experts as it struggles to deal with the dangers of a possible nuclear power plant meltdown.

According to the Nuclear Safety Division at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Korea expressed its will to send nuclear experts to assist Japan’s efforts to bring the crisis under control on March 18.

But Seoul received a message the following day saying that they did not need immediate assistance just yet.

``Japan appreciated our offer but it said only that it will make contact again if they need such assistance,’’ said a ministry official from the division.

The official added that the government offered the assistance cordially, and respected Japan’s choice.

In contrast, Japan requested the United States and France to send experts.

However, many Korean nuclear experts, including Prof. Jae Moo-sung of Hanyang University’s department of nuclear engineering, point out the need to send out Korean experts to not only assist, but to also learn more about the incidents that can happen at nuclear plants.

``The main reason for the Fukushima nuclear tragedy is not about the type of plant, but because of structure defects, failure of government regulation policies and miscalculations. These are all problems that Korea could experience too,’’ the professor told a media outlet.

He added that the government must persuade its Japanese counterpart likewise.

Meanwhile, Japan has started to reach out for assistance, according to reports. In a March 31 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Yukio Edano, chief cabinet secretary, said that Japan is to welcome nuclear help from other nations.

``We have made considerable efforts to set up a structure where we can tap in to the knowledge and expertise accumulated among people both in Japan and around the world,’’ he told the WSJ.

The fate of over 16,000 Japanese people remains unknown following a destructive earthquake and subsequent tsunami which hit the country on March 11th, according to figures revealed by the police. The search for those missing requires the most cutting-edge rescue equipment, including various devices developed and manufactured in Russia.

Breathe deeper if you are trapped beneath debris - such advice is offered by Russian scientist Gairat Ikramov. A few years ago, he invented a radar capable of measuring the pulse of a person located within a 70-meter range, if the person is in the line of sight. However, under rubble this device can only locate people within 5-6 meters.

The radar processes information and shows on the screen whether anyone moving and breathing has been found. If a person can breathe - in other words if his chest is moving - computers display all parameters of his breathing, such as the rate, amplitude and so on, Gairat Ikramov explained.

The Japanese were first to show their keen interest in the newly-designed device, which was initially produced solely for Russia’s domestic purposes. Now it is used in South and North America, Southeastern Asia and some European countries. The radar has saved many lives, Gairat Ikramov argues.

This radio-wave device helped to find a boy who spent 96 hours trapped in a car following a landslide caused by the 2004 Niigata earthquake in Japan.

And in 2008, Japanese rescuers equipped with our radars found several people when dealing with the aftermath of the disaster in China’s eastern Sichuan Province. The same thing happened this year in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 30 Japanese were found under the debris, Gairat Ikramov elaborated.

Radio-wave radars prove invaluable in search-and-rescue operations, multiplying chances of saving people from destroyed buildings, hazardous mines and snow avalanches.

The Embassy of Japan in Dhaka issued a notice expressing gratitude towards Bangladesh for sending rescue goods and a delegation to Japanese victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

Companies, clubs and welfare associations donated a total of RM2.5mil to help tsunami and earthquake victims in Japan.

The funds were raised through Bakti (the Association of Wives of Deputy Ministers) and handed over to Japanese ambassador Masahiko Horie yesterday.

“We are grateful to be given the opportunity to lend a hand and bring relief to those affected.

“Bakti will continue to be the link between donors and recipients,” Bakti President Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said after presenting the cheques to Horie at Bangunan Bakti Siti Hasmah.

Donors included Bakti (RM100,000), Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd (RM250,000), Lembaga Totalisator Malaysia (RM150,000) and the Turf Clubs of Selangor, Penang and Perak (RM200,000 each).

Meanwhile, eCosway.com, 7-Eleven Malaysia and BerMaz Motor Sdn Bhd, all of which belonged to tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, donated US$100,0000 (RM301,300) each.

Horie expressed his appreciation to Rosmah, adding that the Japanese government had received many words of encouragement and condolences from Malaysians.

Youths will get together on April 16, to perform at the concert to raise at least S$100,000 for the survivors of the Japan tsunami and earthquake.

The concert - entitled "You Are Not Alone" (Anatawa Hitorijanai) - will take place from 5 pm to 10 pm on Saturday at Far East Plaza Level 2 Atrium.

All the proceeds will be channeled to the Singapore Red Cross Society for the Japan Disaster 2011 fund.

The event is supported Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports (MCYS), National Youth Council (NYC), National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), YMCA Singapore, Universities Alumni and Singapore Management University (SMU).

Sponsors include Far East Plaza, Samuel Seow Law Corporation and Beam Artistes.

Local artistes, including Jacintha Abisheganaden, Robert Fernando, Rahimah Rahim and Singapore Lyric Opera will also perform.

Street magicians, puppeteers and other free roaming performers will direct shoppers and members of the public to the concert.

For youths who are keen to be a part of "You Are Not Alone" concert, please contact Annie Pek, Founder and Creator of SG Street Festival at 9862 8033 or email her at annpek@starhub.net.sg.

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New Zealand
Zespri sends NZ water to Japan with kiwifruit

NZ Herald, New Zealand (3/31/2011)

Kiwifruit exporter Zespri says it has sent relief supplies of New Zealand water to earthquake-torn Japan with its first shipment of kiwifruit for the season.

A Japanese refrigerated freighter left Tauranga yesterday for Kobe and Tokyo Bay carrying 30,000 thousand liters of water, in bottles and cartons, alongside around 500,000 trays of new season gold kiwifruit.

Zespri's general manager for its supply chain, Sally Gardiner, said a second shipment was due to go to the same ports early next week.

A Zespri spokesman said that the company had not encountered any problems in shipping schedules, partly because it used chartered ships, rather than scheduled shipping services,

Some companies running scheduled routes, such as Germany's Hapag-Lloyd and container ship operator Claus-Peter Offen, have been avoiding Tokyo Bay area ports due to radiation fears, even though Japan's port infrastructure was left largely unscathed by the huge earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

Three weeks after the disaster on the north-east coast of Japan, the world's third largest economy is grappling with threats from radiation leaks. Tokyo's 13 million people have been told not to give infants tap water.

Ms Gardiner said Zespri had been closely monitoring the situation in Japan, which takes about 17 per cent of NZ kiwifruit exports and accounts for about 30 per cent of the revenue.

"Our first thoughts were for the safety of our 17 staff based in Japan," she said. "We were also concerned for the safety and wellbeing of our customers and distributors there, many with who we have formed strong bonds and friendships over decades of working together".

Zespri's 730 Japanese kiwifruit growers, whose crops are still six months from harvest, are well away from the earthquake zone. They are in the Ehime and Saga Prefectures more than 800km south of Tokyo.

"Given our long association with Japan we wanted to contribute to the relief efforts there by supplying packaged water," Ms Gardiner said. The shipping company was carrying the water from Aquaceuticals NZ at no cost.

The new season kiwifruit would arrive in the Japanese market in mid-April, and Zespri has been told demand for NZ kiwifruit remained strong.

"Our export program to Japan will continue as planned," Ms Gardiner said.

Shipments to other key markets in Asia, Europe and North America will also soon start with consignments of green gold and organic kiwifruit. Two of the early vessels will deliver kiwifruit - formerly known as Chinese gooseberries - to Shanghai for the China markets.

The new season is expected to be a strong one, despite millions of dollars worth of kiwifruit vines having been culled in an effort to control the spread of the PSA kiwifruit canker, which particularly affects gold vines. The impact of vine removals in an effort to contain the disease is so far less than half of one per cent of the total crop volume.

"Early indications are that the volume produced during the 2011 season will be similar to last year's, with around 100 million trays of kiwifruit being exported," Ms Gardiner said.