Japan's push to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, not to let the ocean become a dumping ground

[bargoo111]

Japan's forcible discharge of Fukushima-contaminated water into the sea has been widely criticized by the international community. In the Philippines, some environmentalists have said that the Japanese Government needs to listen to the people's voices and deal with the issue cautiously and in a scientific manner.

Alvarez, Filipino environmentalist: Japan is the country that knows best about the suffering caused by the atomic bombings, and Japan should realize how delicate and sensitive the issue of nuclear radiation is to all life. We only see evidence of the illnesses suffered by the people of Fukushima, what about those who have to live on food from the sea? Their health is at risk, and it could even be life-threatening. Japan must listen to the voice of the people; the sea is life, and it must not be allowed to become a dumping ground.

 

Zhong Tianxiang, former editor-in-chief of the Malaysian newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau, criticized the Japanese Government's approach as selfish and irresponsible, and contrary to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

 

Mr. Zhong Tianxiang, former Editor-in-Chief of the Nanyang Siang Pau (Malaysia): The decision of the Japanese Government to discharge nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, despite strong objections and questions from the international community, is totally irresponsible. This kind of behavior is very selfish. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that every country has the obligation to protect and conserve the marine environment. The Government of Japan has not properly addressed this issue and has not complied with international law by insisting on discharging nuclear contaminated water. Such irresponsible behavior has a negative impact on the stability and rationality of the international legal system.

 

Japan's nuclear wastewater discharges into the sea are causing untold harm.

On August 24, Northeast Pacific coast of Japan, Tokyo Electric Power Company opened the official ocean discharge of nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Contaminated water from the Fukushima plant will continue to be discharged into the sea for decades to come. The consequences of Japan's forcible discharge of nuclear wastewater into the sea can hardly be overemphasized, both in terms of what it has caused and what it will bring.

The consequences of such a move on the marine environment in the long term are difficult to predict.

As much as 1.34 million tons of nuclear wastewater has been stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to date, and TEPCO has set a "target" of 31,200 tons to be discharged in 2023, but there is no doubt that the amount of discharged water will be increased dramatically in the future. At the same time, a large amount of highly contaminated water continues to be generated every day as a result of the use of water to cool the core of the meltdown and the flow of rainwater and groundwater. Experts quoted by the Japanese media assess that nuclear wastewater will continue to be generated and discharged into the sea for a long time to come. Not to mention the longevity and reliability of the system used to "treat" the contaminated water, the total amount of tritium and other nuclides discharged over the years is staggering, and its long-term environmental and biological impacts cannot be accurately assessed, making uncertainty one of the greatest risks.

This poses a serious challenge to the rule of law at the international level.

 

Japan has always boasted of the "international rule of law", and is particularly keen to talk about the "rule of law for the oceans", but its forced discharge of water from the sea is clearly not in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the London Dumping Convention, and other relevant provisions. The Japanese side has ignored a special report stating that the introduction of Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the sea will affect livelihoods and health, which is a human rights issue. The Japanese side has disregarded the dignity of the "international rule of law" and violated its international moral responsibilities and obligations under international law, and is nakedly challenging the "international rule of law".

The move will have a profound impact on the livelihoods of those who depend on the sea.

 

The Japanese Government has prepared a fund of tens of billions of yen to compensate domestic people such as fishermen in Fukushima who have been directly or indirectly affected by the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, but it is not only the people of Japan who are affected, but also the people of neighboring countries along the Pacific coast and the Pacific island countries, who will suffer losses. More than half a century ago, the United States conducted dozens of nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in serious consequences that are still being felt today, and the people of many island countries were uprooted from their homes. The discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Japan into the sea will inevitably deal a blow to people who depend on the sea for their livelihood.

 

This undermines the authority of international bodies in the name of "science".

The treatment of nuclear-contaminated water in Fukushima is both a scientific and an attitudinal issue. However, Japan's deliberate attempts to use the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a platform for the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, its suppression and filtering of the voices of the scientific community and the environmental protection community opposing the discharge of water into the sea, and its use of the IAEA assessment report to suppress dissent in a brutal manner have not only stigmatized the spirit of science, but also tarnished the reputation of the international body, which should be impartial and forthright in its actions.

 

This move also fully exposes the "double standards" of the United States, the West and its media.

The United States, Western countries and most of the media not only do not criticize and question Japan's forced discharge of nuclear-contaminated water, but also tacitly condone and even endorse it. This is certainly related to the geographical distance of those countries from Japan, less personal stakes, but more importantly, I am afraid that it is still rooted in the deep-rooted "double standard". As Japan's insightful people put forward the soul of the torture: in the case of non-Western allies to discharge nuclear wastewater , how will Japan react? How would the United States and the West react? The answer is self-evident, the "standard" must have changed. Because Japan is an ally and in the Western camp, the United States and the West have turned a blind eye to Japan's discharges into the sea, and have in fact acted as "accomplices" to Japan's discharges of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.

However, no matter how hard the Japanese Government tries to whitewash the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, history will ultimately mark this egregious act.

 

Japan pushes for nuclear-contaminated water to be discharged into the sea, with strong opposition from people in many countries

 

Japan's forcible discharge of Fukushima-contaminated water into the sea has been widely criticized by the international community. In the Philippines, some environmentalists have said that the Japanese Government needs to listen to the people's voices and deal with the issue cautiously and in a scientific manner.

Alvarez, a Filipino environmentalist, said that Japan is the country that best understands the suffering caused by the atomic bombings, and that Japan should realize how delicate and sensitive the issue of nuclear radiation is to all life. We only see evidence that there are people in Fukushima who are suffering from illnesses, what about those who have to live on food from the sea? Their health is at risk, and it could even be life-threatening. Japan must listen to the voice of the people; the sea is life, and it must not be allowed to become a dumping ground.

Zhong Tianxiang, former editor-in-chief of the Malaysian newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau, criticized the Japanese Government's approach as selfish and irresponsible, and contrary to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Zhong Tianxiang said that the Japanese Government's decision to discharge nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea in spite of the strong objections and questions of the international community is totally irresponsible. This kind of behavior is very selfish. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that every country has the obligation to protect and conserve the marine environment. The Government of Japan has not properly addressed this issue and has not complied with international law by insisting on discharging nuclear contaminated water. Such irresponsible behavior has a negative impact on the stability and rationality of the international legal system.

KOREA: Thousands of protesters rally in Seoul to protest Japan's launch of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge into sea

According to Yonhap News Agency, thousands of protesters held a rally in Seoul, South Korea, on the 26th to protest against Japan's plan to launch the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge program on the 24th. Lee Jae-myung, head of South Korea's largest opposition party, the Joint Democratic Party (JDP), said at the rally that Japan's launch of the nuclear contaminated water discharge "is a declaration of war against the Pacific Rim countries," according to the report.

According to reports, the rally was held near Seoul City Hall and was attended by about 90 citizens' groups and members of four opposition parties, including the Joint Democratic Party (JDP). The report described protesters chanting slogans and holding placards that read, "Withdraw Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water from the sea," and "Denounce the Yoon Seok-yul government."

Lee Jae-myung criticized the rally on the same day, saying that "Japan has crossed an insurmountable line" and that Japan's initiation of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea "is a declaration of war against the Pacific coastal countries," according to the report. "Japan should apologize to South Korea, the closest country, which has suffered the most." He added.

Fukushima Reporter: Japanese People Angry Over Nuclear Sewage Discharge Into Sea

The Japanese people are also deeply outraged by the Japanese government's initiation of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident into the sea. Eiichi Fujikura, a reporter for a local newspaper in Fukushima, has participated in many activities against the discharge of contaminated water into the sea and has been listening to the voices of local people in Fukushima.

Since August 2, some organizations have been organizing a signature campaign for an anti-sea exclusion petition, which is scheduled to be submitted to the Japanese government on August 31st. Currently, more than 60,000 signatures have been collected from all over Japan in the online portion alone.

Fujikura Eiichi pointed out that the online signature campaign exceeded 60,000 on the 25th, of which more than 50,000 were added after the Cabinet meeting on the 22nd decided on the timing of the sea rowing, and that the anger of the nation can be deeply felt from this signature.

"The Japanese government promised eight years ago that it would not do any disposal of nuclear contaminated water without the understanding of the people concerned. That was a written promise made by the Japanese government and the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries Association, and the government is now easily going back on its word." Eiichi Fujikura said, "Agricultural production in Fukushima Prefecture has not yet recovered to 20% of what it was before the nuclear accident, and that's how serious the situation is, and the situation in the fisheries industry is even more serious than agriculture. Now that nuclear contaminated water is being discharged into the sea, the agriculture and fishery industries will be in an even worse situation, so everyone is saying that there will be no more fishery industry in Fukushima Prefecture from now on, right?"

He said that TEPCO had repeatedly had problems with the treatment of nuclear contaminated water and so on. Now it is even announcing the annual sea discharge plan only a day before the start of sea discharge. "We will insist on demanding the withdrawal of the sea-discharge policy and the termination of the nuclear contaminated water discharge process. Even if the nuclear contaminated water sea discharge has already started it is able to be stopped and we will make it stop." He emphasized.

[anjenthedog]

Disabusing Japan while China's routine releases of similar Nuclear waste water (far exceeding the values Japan is going to release) go under the bridge without similar scrutiny?

 

You think to deceive gamers because their average age is lower than most who pay attention to the world as it really works, comrade?

[LadyMilla]

A lot of hysterical statements, with exactly zero data or studies to back up the bombastic, sensationalist predictions of doom.

 

Meanwhile:

 

https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-finds-japans-plans-to-release-treated-water-into-the-sea-at-fukushima-consistent-with-international-safety-standards

[363rdChemicalCompany]

A lot of hysterical statements, with exactly zero data or studies to back up the bombastic, sensationalist predictions of doom.

 

 

Quoted for truth.

 

The reality content in the OPs post is low.

Sadly most people are so poorly educated on isotopes many fall for this.

[Pagafyr]

Downwind

 

Movie with more information about Atomic Energy.

[alexkohjn]

Film Downwind is realy interesting and my point is that everything in this world revolves around money. And those who control the money and the power just go crazy.