Experts: “Source of contamination for Pacific” — “Levels too high for them to get more precise look at situation” — Reporter: Plutonium leaked out after fuel rods damaged (VIDEO)

Published: April 18th, 2014 at 1:36 pm ET
By ENENews



NHK’s Newsline FOCUS: Inside Fukushima Daiichi, Mar. 29, 2014 (at 18:15 in): A network of trenches runs between the reactor buildings and the shore. They are flooded with extremely radioactive water that’s been trapped** there since the triple meltdown. Tepco data shows concentrations of cesium up to 4 million times above the government safety limit. Engineers estimate that the trenches hold about 15,000 tons of toxic water but radiation levels are too high for them to get a more precise look at the situation. Some experts point out these trenches are a source of contamination for the Pacific Ocean. Tepco says there’s no evidence of that yet, but it recognizes the need to act quickly.

**Yomiuri Shimbun, Mar. 6, 2014: “It appears that high-level radioactive contaminated water from tunnels {trenches} extending from the No. 1 to No. 4 reactor building is flowing into the sea.”

Extreme contamination in the trenches was first reported exactly 3 years before NHK’s special above — NHK, Mar. 28, 2011 (h/t MsMilkytheclown):

• At 0:30 – Tepco: “Now we have found water in the section between the underground area of the building and the sea in the area called the trench.” Workers detected contamination in the trench on Sunday {Mar. 27}. They recorded more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour on the water’s surface.{…} Tepco says it’s unlikely the water is leaking into the ocean {…} Tepco had no intention of hiding it.

• At 4:15 — Yoshiyuki Yamazaki, NHK: Of the Reactors 1-3, one, or more, or all, have likely sustained damage to their nuclear fuel rods. Which is why iodine, cesium, and plutonium are leaking out. […] Tepco mentioned they don’t think the current level will affect human health {…} We have to be very careful. Compared to iodine and cesium, plutonium would have a substantially larger adverse effect on health if taken into the human body.

Watch the NHK Newsline FOCUS special here

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RT · Published on Apr 19, 2014

Gun enthusiasts in New York have lost their latest bid to repeal the state's gun control laws. Stringent measures were passed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. Gun manufacturers have again, found a way around them...

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RT ·Published on Apr 15, 2014

In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss how ignorance could, indeed, be bliss for all of us if the ignorant would just STFU. From geopolitics to cryptocurrencies, those who know least are the most likely to seek the use of force. In the second half, Max interviews crypto whale, Karl Gray, about the future of crypto and his plans to crowdfund the $300 million Statue of Responsibility, a companion to the Statue of Liberty to be built off the West coast of America.

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http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=... (E1-E200)
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=... (E201-E400)
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=... (E401-current)

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GRITtv·Published on Apr 15, 2014

The Laura Flanders show streams from www.grittv.org. Public banking has been proven to be better for the economy and is the norm in several countries, yet there is only one state-owned public bank in the United States. Why is this? Gwen Hallsmith of the Public Banking Institute joins us to discuss the fight for public banking in Vermont and the United States.

NTDTV·Published on Apr 14, 2014

Myanmar activists launch a flower campaign aiming to stop hate-speeches believed to have played a role in triggering sectarian violence in Myanmar.

Full Story:

Youth activists joined water festivities in Yangon on Monday, distributing flowers and urging fellow citizens to restrain from using hate speech.

The Panzagar activists, also known as the Flower Speech Movement, hope to stop the use of abusive and insulting language recently spreading in online forums and public discussions.

Blogger and development worker Nay Phone Latt, who spent nearly four years in jail for writing about the 2007 protests that sparked a bloody crackdown, started the Flower Speech Movement. He said he fears that hate speech is dangerous for society.

Myanmar has been grappling with hate speech since religious tensions erupted in June 2012, killing at least 240 people and displacing more than 140,000, mostly Muslims. Vitriolic and inflammatory comments about Muslims, who make up a small fraction of the population, have become common on blogs, web forums and Facebook pages, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported.

Buddhist nationalists and some monks, driven by fear that Muslims will take over Myanmar, have urged people to boycott Muslim-owned businesses and successfully lobbied the government to draft controversial laws, including one that would force Buddhist women wanting to marry non-Buddhist men to get permission from their parents and local government officials. No such restrictions are planned for Buddhist men, the report said.

Nay Phone Latt told local media that a Buddhist monk, U Wirathu, has been giving speeches inciting hatred against Rohingyas, Muslims who live in western Rakhine state and not recognised as one of Myanmar's official ethnic groups. They have been described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

Such hatred, he says, has led to violent attacks against Rohingyas, the latest being in Hlegu township outside Yangon earlier this month, when a mob threw stones at Muslim residents and destroyed their property.

"I think there's a relation between violence and hate speeches which are spreading in our community and on the internet. If we can reduce this hatred, I believe that we can expect love in our society, and not hate among each other," Nay Phone Latt said.

Despite limited internet access in Myanmar, young people and the Burmese diaspora worldwide are using social media to share information and opinion on the country's issues.

The campaign is trying to reach all extremist groups using hate speech that touch on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

"I hope people will adopt the attitude when they see flower speech, which means they will talk by not using insulting words to others, or talk without using hate speech," Latt said.

The Panzagar movement launched on April 4, handing out banners and pamphlets. Their signature banner shows a cartoon of a man and a woman holding a bullhorn that spews out flowers.

The anti-hate speech campaigners took the opportunity to reach as many people during the Thingyan Water Festival, celebrating the Buddhist New Year, when streets are crowded with revelers. They plan on visiting other towns in the future.

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RT ·Published on Apr 14, 2014

A crematorium in Stockholm is helping people in the city keep warm - by burning dead residents. Environmentalists hail it as a progressive way of generating energy. And as RT's Paul Scott reports, the idea is catching on.

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The Young Turks ·Published on Apr 13, 2014

"A lawyer from America's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched a broadside against his bosses during a leaving speech, accusing them of being too soft on wayward Wall Street chiefs in the wake of the 2008 credit crisis.

James Kidney, who retired from the SEC this month after 24 years with the organisation, said in his leaving speech that his bosses had been too 'tentative and fearful' when tackling the behaviour of banking giants.

As around 70 SEC lawyers and alumni looked on, Mr Kidney bemoaned the SEC's focus on being polite."* Steve Oh, Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show), Malcolm Fleschner (Executive Producer, The Point) and Jackie Koppell break it down.

*Read more here from Ted Thornhill / Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2600475/Too-tentative-fearful-SEC-attorney-blasts-OWN-bosses-accusing-failing-rein-Wall-Street-leaders-financial-crisis.html

By R. Scott Rappold
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

April 2, 2014 -- A majority of doctors say that medical marijuana should be legalized nationally and that it can deliver real benefits to patients, a new survey by WebMD/Medscape finds. WebMD’s web site for health professionals surveyed 1,544 doctors as more than 10 states consider bills to legalize medical marijuana. It is already legal in 21 states and Washington, DC.

The survey found solid support for those legalization efforts, with most doctors saying medical marijuana should be legal in their states. They agreed that medical marijuana should be an option for patients. The survey included doctors from more than 12 specialties and 48 states.

Marijuana's Perceived Health Benefits
Solid data on marijuana’s health benefits are lacking. Research has been limited because the federal government has designated marijuana as a “Schedule I” substance, a designation used for the most dangerous drugs having “no accepted medicinal use and a high potential for abuse.”

But as state after state legalizes marijuana, doctors have gained nearly 2 decades of anecdotal evidence about its effects. Dramatic stories about families moving to Colorado for a special strain of marijuana to treat their children’s seizure disorders have led to stronger calls for research.

*snip*

Doctors' Responses
Here’s a look at the survey numbers for doctors asked about medical marijuana:

• 69% say it can help with certain treatments and conditions.
• 67% say it should be a medical option for patients.
• 56% support making it legal nationwide.
• 50% of doctors in states where it is not legal say it should be legal in their states.
• 52% of doctors in states considering new laws say it should be legal in their states.

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vlogbrothers · Published on Mar 4, 2014

In which John discusses the crisis in Ukraine, and how the influence of Russia and Europe have shaped Ukrainian politics for centuries. REMINDER: Educational videos are allowed to be more than four minutes long.

Thanks to Rosianna for image-gathering: http://www.youtube.com/rosianna

The BBC's Ukraine hub: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26270866
CIA Factbook on Ukraine: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html
The wikipedia article about the Crimean War is quite good, especially in contemporary context: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War

[center]The First Civil War Reenactment.
BY Colin Nissan
- - - -
Friday, May 9, 1865

Men! I welcome you all to the town of Appomattox in the state of Virginia. We have gathered at this site for one sole purpose—to express our shared love of history and profound concern for its preservation. The final battle of the Civil War was waged here where we stand. On this hallowed ground, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate forces to the North, exactly one month ago, today.

Some of you may be asking yourselves, is it too soon? Should we give it more time before performing a theatrical reenactment of the events that occurred here? To that I say it’s never too soon to seek a meaningful perspective on history. And also, to be fair, it’s not like it was last weekend.

As I look out into the crowd, I see excitement in your eyes. I also see that many of you are still nursing some rather fresh-looking injuries from the actual Civil War. This, I contend, is merely further provocation to grab hold of history now before the wounds are healed and the memories, forgotten.

Yes, our “battlefield” is still smoldering and not yet fully cleared of casualties, but this will only add to the authenticity that necessitates a fruitful reenactment. During our two-day “battle,” as you stand amongst your fellow “soldiers,” the residual smell of gunpowder wafting through the air, the echo of distant cannons ringing in your ears, be prepared, at times, to feel as if you’ve been transported back in time to a bit earlier in the spring.

A bit of housekeeping: Remember that all hand-to-hand “combat” is to be scripted. I think you’ll find this to be a fun way to learn what was actually said during the heat of battle. Scripts will be provided in your reenactment kits. In those kits, you’ll also find all the gear you will require. What you won’t find are any of the creature comforts of today. Remember, this is April. And we will LIVE like it’s April!

Okay! Let’s all suit up and have some fun out there! And above all, be safe![/center]

Cont'd