The “Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation” newsletter — Part II of the “Let’s Walk Together” Project, the Japan Anglican-Episcopal Church’s efforts to aid victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
“Let’s Walk Together” Project Living Water Volume 6, March 2015
http://www.nskk.org/province/genpatsugroup/English.html (Linked to the Provincial Office’s website)
— Our determination — To live in a world free from nuclear power
Most Reverend Nathanael Makoto Uematsu, Primate of the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan and the Bishop of the Hokkaido Diocese
Today, four years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, victims of the disaster are still suffering from mental traumas that have yet healed. Although we are witnessing various reconstruction works in attempts to ‘rebuild’ after the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami, radioactive contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant meltdown however, remains widespread and we have no solution in sight.
When I had the chance to visit Minami-soma in Fukushima Prefecture the other day, I also went to the perimeters of the exclusion zone whose proximity is the closest to the nuclear plant. I saw numerous debris and damage from the tsunami. Houses collapsed, cars turned upside down and they were all left unattended as they were from the day of the disaster, in communities now completely abandoned. According to authorities, radioactivity is so high that anyone entering it would be exposed to danger. In more distant cities like Koriyama and Fukushima (City), there are still many places with high radiation levels. True, some decontamination work is done. Regardless in many ‘decontaminated’ areas radiation is on the rise once more, according to some. Contaminated soil packed in countless bags now simply piled up outdoors, exposed to the weather. I saw some torn apart and its contents spilling out. On the other hand, victims are still living as refugees, distant from their hometown. Families are living apart or even broken down. In Fukushima City, a taxi driver laments, saying “Just look at all these tragedies, and no one in the right mind would dare say we should restart the nuclear plants.”
Currently there are many pretenses to restart the nation’s existing nuclear plants: claiming more electricity is required to hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a necessity to bolster economic growth. But the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan are repentant that we once believed the ‘nuclear safety myth,’ widespread under the ‘Atoms for Peace’ propaganda. Atomic power can never truly be safe. Once a major accident hits a nuclear plant the deadly hazards are inevitable. A crucial problem has since been aggravating matters: What to do with radioactive waste from nuclear plants and for that there is no panacea.
We have adopted a resolution denouncing nuclear power in our 59th General Synod of 2012. I certainly hope this will truly reflect the determination of each and every church as well as its members.
| To donate to us: ◆ Postal transfer account with Japan Post: 00120-0-78536 Account holder: Nippon Sei Ko Kai (NSKK) Please clearly state in the transfer slip “Donation to the Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation” Or: ◆ Account Name；NIPPON SEI KO KAI ◆ Address；65 Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo 162-0805 JAPAN ◆ Account Number；4515547 ◆ Bank Name；The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, LTD. Branch Name；Iidabashi Bank Address；3-7 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo 162-0825 JAPAN |
Message from the Support Team – Accounting Report
Rev. Kenzo Koshiyama, Executive Member of the Support Team, the Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation
The Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation hereby expresses its sincere gratitude to all those that have provided us their kind assistance. Time flies and during the interval there have been much help and encouragement from those in and out of Japan. Their prayers gave us great comfort. Also thanks to your support, many activities were carried out and it has cheered up many children who live here. For most victims, norm they used to enjoy has yet return. Nonetheless they are determined to lead a new life in where they are today. In face of a cruel reality, they are striving hard for safety. Your continued prayers and support are definitely needed.
Furthermore, donations we received have totaled JPY4,045,998. Your generosity has made it possible for children to go on recuperation programs and much more. All of us at the Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation are very thankful indeed.
Accounting Report for the fiscal year of 2014
(January 1st, 2014 through December 31st, 2014)
How do mothers of Fukushima feel?
More than four years, or 1450 days have passed since reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant exploded therefore releasing huge quantities of radioactive substances. How do mothers of Fukushima feel, as they continue raising their children?Our team conducted a survey in January, targeted at parents of children attending a kindergarten in the prefecture called “S” for short. 40 of them responded. Because of space limitations the results are only partially published here.
Q1: Are you worried over radiation? 10% of the respondents said “Very concerned,” while the latter 52.5% simply replied “Yes.” In conclusion, 62.5% in all were worried. While negative responses such as “Not much” and “Not at all,” were chosen by 32.5% and 5% respectively; a staff engaged in conducting the questionnaire remarked: “Many [mothers] who chose ‘Not much’ revealed their anxieties and worries through the questions that followed after; implying that they ‘try not to’ worry about radiation.”
Q2: Are you worried over anything recently? The respondents’ answers included, among others: “Thoughtless remarks by those who don’t know what is happening here, by those who have never came here, by those who believe only what they choose to believe, hurting our kids or making them worry.” “We still have ‘hotspots’ –areas with significantly greater radioactivity than in neighboring regions– in parks and other places. I am anxious over children going close to such places without knowing it.” “I do worry over what effects of low level radiation [exposure] can do to kids in the years to come. Many children here are forbidden to play outside. I am uneasy as this might hinder their physical abilities.” “I try not to fret because once I start there is no stopping it. I just pray that we see no increase in cancer rates among our children.” “My kids often want to play with snow dumps. I have to berate them because I think it is highly radioactive.”
Q3: Are you worried with regard to your children’s physical and mental health? Some replies were: “I heard cancer can be discovered during the second thyroid check-up in some kids. My son is scheduled to undergo the procedure this March and I’m worried over the results.” “I am worried over my children’s health. Though we have decided to settle down in the city of K (initialized to protect privacy), there are many uncertainties about future health effects on children, making me worry constantly. Though experts and politicians claim the remaining radiation does no harm, are they really sure?” “My kids are extremely afraid of the emergency [earthquake] alarms. Every time they hear such a sound, they dash to me, shaken and frightened.”
Many parents are now living with worries about their kids’ health and living surroundings, often “agonized by situations that could never have arisen if it were not for the nuclear accident.” An excerpt of the kindergarten’s comment on the questionnaire results: “We see that most parents are still in deep agony and will live with anxieties for many more years to come. Though most TV stations and papers no longer report their stories anymore, we do hope many outside Fukushima will keep a close eye on those living in the Prefecture and try understanding how they feel.”
| Project on Nuclear Power and Radiation This project is run by a steering committee founded for the “Let’s Walk Together” Project and the 2012 General Synod resolution, “For a World without Nuclear Power Plants,” of the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan (NSKK). Steering committee members: Revd. Kiyoshi Nomura (Chair), Revd. Akira Iwaki, Revd. Kenzo Koshiyama, Revd. Makito Aizawa, Revd. Tazuru Sasamori, Ms. Hiroko Miyawaki Secretary General: Ms. Kay Ikezumi 2-9-23, Hayama, Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture Phone: +81-249-53-5987 Fax: 050-3411-7085 |
Germany’s Energy Situations
Back in 2011, Germany’s Chancellor Merkel led her country to move away from nuclear energy and the nation’s Bundestag adopted the 13th Act amending the Atomic Energy Act, only four months after the Fukushima disaster. There are some who claim Germany made the wrong choice. On November 20th 2014, the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation published data on its website to disprove three myths:
1) Although Germany did import some electric power generated by France’s nuclear plants [with exception in 2011]; its overall export of power has always exceeded its power import.
2) Breaking down Germany’s power generation by energy source: power from nuclear energy diminished by 43.3TWh from 2010 to 2013, while that from renewables expanded by 47.3TWh over the same period. Hence, power generation decline by the withdrawal from nuclear energy was more than offset.
3) Though some claims that some businesses were leaving Germany hating its hefty electricity bills, it actually involved many other factors than just electricity rates. The German government said it was hard to quantitatively identify why some businesses left Germany.
Europe’s largest private power supplier, E.ON with an estimated 18 trillion yen in annual revenue launched a new business venture named ‘E.ON Future’ on November 30th 2014; its objective to specialize in power generation from renewable sources such as wind, solar, etc., its power transmission and distribution, and distributed supply of energy. Though those on the frontline of renewable energy implementation do have their concerns, Germany’s citizens are heartily supporting renewable energy, since they are the ones who lobbied for a transition towards renewables. It is undeniable that their efforts have moved even Europe’s energy giant. (Margaret)
Sign of the Times
– Column on Current Issues
“5 years after…”
Plans to build public housing for refugees from the nuclear disaster have been met with setbacks by authorities concerned. Till today, many live in temporary housing or privately-owned residences rented using tax money, unable to settle down permanently. Stress and health deterioration related to the disaster is still behind the death of many refugees. As of March 1st, 2015, 1,862 lives have been lost – an increase of nearly 200 over the last year. Statistics as of January 2015 show there are 118,882 refugees; of 73,077 are still in the prefecture and the other 45,735 are elsewhere.
Rebuilding homes is crucial to create a stable environment where refugees can settle down. Refugees who are still in Fukushima live in 12,000 temporary housing scattered across 22 municipalities, which more than half were devastated by the nuclear catastrophe, mainly the coastal region of the prefecture. More people are choosing to settle down in their current location, especially in Iwaki City.
“M” is a refugee from Namie currently living in temporary housing located in Fukushima City. While her 99-year old grandmother is bedridden, she is preserving in her hardships, hoping to return home in March 2029. She applied for public housing where she hoped she and her family would spend the years before their return to Namie. Alas, the applications outnumbered available housing and M was not eligible. Thus her living situation can linger on beyond ‘temporary.’ Location of these housing projects might also prove problematic in terms of convenience. In addition, construction work for the 2020 Olympics can take up much of the building materials and workers and again hinder much needed progress in rebuilding homes for disaster victims. Japan’s government already changed its objectives concerning refugees, from “all [refugees] to go home” to “assisting each refugee in accordance to his/her decision.” Still, the housing reality for refugees is a far cry from what they wish for. (M. N.)