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

[douglasgilchrist]

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.

[douglasgilchrist]

蓄谋已久 何谈诚信？！起底日本核污染水排海决策前后

按照日本政府的决定，福岛核污染水于8月24日开始排入海洋。这一排污进程将持续数十年。 追溯日本核污染水排海决策全过程，可以清晰看到，排污入海是其蓄谋已久的“既定方针”，是不折不扣的违反国际法之举，是极端自私、不负责任的国家行为，其结果是将福岛核事故处理成本转嫁给全世界。 8月22日，日本民众在东京首相官邸前紧急集会，抗议政府无视民意启动核污染水排海。 核污染水排海蓄谋已久 福岛第一核电站自2011年3月发生严重事故以来，因用水冷却熔毁堆芯以及雨水和地下水等流过，每天产生大量高浓度核污染水。2011年4月，核电站运营方东京电力公司故意将核污染水排入大海，引发社会高度关注和担忧。同年12月，东电表示已制定一份“低浓度污染水”排海计划。 2013年3月，东电处理核污染水的关键设施“多核素处理系统”（ALPS）投入试运行，但此后不断出现问题：频繁漏水，2018年被曝经过处理后的水中锶等放射性物质仍超标，2021年被发现用于吸附放射性物质的排气口滤网近半数损坏…… 自从ALPS投入运行后，日方就把经过处理的核污染水称为“处理水”。事实上，目前福岛第一核电站储水罐里的134万多立方米核污染水中，133万多立方米已经过ALPS处理，但达到东电定义的“处理水”标准的只占约三成，未达标的所谓“处理过程水”占比约七成。另有近9000立方米核污染水尚未经过ALPS处理。 而这些“处理水”的最终去向又该如何解决？ 早在2013年12月，日本核能主管部门经济产业省就设立工作小组就“处理水”排放问题进行技术探讨。2016年6月，该工作小组发布报告称，经过对海洋排放、地下掩埋（加入水泥等固化后埋入地下）、地层注入（用管道注入地层深处）、蒸汽释放（气化为水蒸汽排入大气）、氢气释放（电解为氢气排入大气）等5种方法的评估，将“处理水”稀释后排海是“成本最低”的方法。 这份报告为后来的排海方案定了调，但公布后遭到日本农林渔业等团体的强烈反对。连时任日本复兴担当大臣吉野正芳都表示，反对将核污染水处理后排海。 然而，东电和经产省显然已将排海方案视为“既定方针”。2017年7月，经产省在福岛市举行“废炉与污染水对策当地协调会议”，摆出要与当地协商的姿态。但时任东电会长川村隆在会前对媒体声称东电已就排海“做出判断”，引发社会广泛不满。 为说服公众，日本政府成立了一个有相关领域专家参加的委员会。2018年8月，该委员会在福岛和东京举行听证会，名义上是听取民众意见，但实际上是要为排海方案背书。听证会上，日本原子能规制委员会时任委员长更田丰志有关“排海是唯一可行选项”的说法遭到各方质疑。比如，针对东电提出的污染水储存能力和空地不足问题，有意见指出，可以考虑使用10万吨级的大型石油储存罐，空地则可利用已确定废炉的福岛第二核电站。针对核污染水处理的技术难度问题，有意见提到，可以采用1979年美国三里岛核事故曾经用过的水蒸气排放方式。还有意见指出，ALPS无法去除的放射性元素氚的分离技术正在研究中，应在该技术成熟并应用后再排放。 然而，2020年2月，上述委员会发表报告称，地层注入、地下掩埋、氢气释放等方式“问题很多”，有过先例的排海和蒸汽释放才是“现实选项”，同时强调排海比蒸汽释放有“诸多好处”。 2021年4月，日本政府无视国内外反对意见，单方面宣布将在2023年实施核污染水排海。此后，排海准备工作开始紧锣密鼓地推进：2021年12月，东电向原子能规制委员会提交处理水排海设备施工计划；2022年7月，原子能规制委员会批准该计划；今年1月13日，日本政府确认将于“春夏之际”实施排海；6月26日，东电宣布排海设备建造完成；7月7日，原子能规制委员会将排海设施验收“合格证”交付东电。 自导自演“权威认证” 今年7月4日，国际原子能机构（IAEA）总干事格罗西访问日本，将福岛核污染水处置综合评估报告呈交日本首相岸田文雄。报告认为日本排海方案总体上“符合国际安全标准”，日方因此宣称方案安全性已获“权威认证”。 然而，围绕这份报告的公正性和科学性，存在诸多疑问。 首先，日方是先做出排海决定，再委托IAEA作安全评估，目的显然不是要找到科学合理的解决方案，而是利用该机构为排海计划背书。 报告内容显示，日本政府2021年4月宣布排海决定后，于同年7月与IAEA签署委托“评估ALPS处理水安全性”的“授权协议”。评估对象仅限于排海方案，不涉及其他方案。这意味着评估结论无法证明排海方案就是最安全可靠的方案。 其次，日方在正式授权IAEA评估前，早就围绕“认证牌”开始了相关布局。 2013年4月，即ALPS投入试运行后不久，日本政府便邀请IAEA考察团前往福岛。考察团一个月后发布报告，建议日本着手研究排放问题。当时的IAEA总干事是日本人天野之弥。在格罗西2019年12月接替病故的天野之弥出任IAEA总干事后，日本继续对IAEA做工作。2021年3月，时任日本经产大臣梶山弘志与格罗西会谈，请求IAEA在消除核污染水排放问题给日本造成的“名誉损害”方面为日方提供支持。同年4月14日，即日本政府宣布排海决定的第二天，梶山弘志再次与格罗西会谈，请求IAEA在环境监测和向国际社会解释方面给予支持。 《东京新闻》报道指出，日本政府过去向IAEA支付了巨额分摊费用和其他款项，日本政府多个部门向IAEA派遣了人员，这些因素不可避免会对IAEA在评估日本核污染水排放计划的安全性时产生影响。 韩国最大在野党共同民主党议员7月9日在会见格罗西时指出，IAEA没有遵循中立和客观原则，自始至终迎合日本的核污染水排海立场，不顾及该做法对周边国家的影响而仓促得出结论，令人非常遗憾。 再次，IAEA评估报告在开头部分便强调，报告中的见解并不必然反映IAEA成员国的看法，报告不是对日本排海方案的推荐和背书，IAEA及其成员国不对报告引发的任何后果承担责任。这一免责声明清楚表明，该报告不能代表国际社会的意见，也无法证明日方排海方案的正当性与合法性。 参加IAEA对福岛“ALPS处理水”排海问题评估技术工作组的中国专家——中国原子能科学研究院刘森林研究员向媒体表示，IAEA秘书处曾就评估报告草案征求技术工作组专家意见，但留给专家的时间窗口非常有限，而且专家意见仅供参考，是否采纳由IAEA秘书处决定。IAEA秘书处收到反馈意见后，也未与各方专家就报告修改及意见采纳情况进行讨论协商，就仓促发布该报告。 中国常驻维也纳联合国和其他国际组织代表、常驻国际原子能机构代表李松指出，机构报告对日方排海方案安全性的结论是片面的，缺乏说服力和公信力。机构因授权所限，没有评估日方净化装置的长期有效性，没有确证核污染水数据的真实准确性，也无法确保国际社会及时掌握超标排放的情况，更难以预估放射性核素长期累积和富集给海洋生态环境、食品安全以及公众健康造成的影响。“不能确认数据准确、设备可靠、监管有效，也就无从得出在长达30年的时间内向海洋排放超过130万吨核污染水是安全的这一结论。” 惺惺做秀诚信堪忧 福岛第一核电站有一个海洋生物饲育室，养着福岛沿海常见的比目鱼。其中一处水槽里是普通海水，另一处水槽里是处理后的核污染水，即所谓“处理水”。 从科学角度来看，对东电提供的核污染水处理及其他相关数据，专家和环保组织疑虑重重。 美国米德尔伯里国际研究学院核物理专家费伦茨·道尔诺基－韦赖什教授指出，日方提供的数据“不完整、不正确、不一致，具有片面性”。日本环保团体“FoE Japan”指出了东电有关“处理水”说法的种种问题：经过ALPS“处理”后的部分水中，碘129、锶90等放射性元素依然超标；东电迄今所检测的水样只占储存污染水的3%，其提供的检测结果不具代表性；福岛的“处理水”与熔毁堆芯直接接触，不能与正常核电站排水相提并论…… 更让人担忧的是，东电此前就有篡改数据、隐瞒核电站安全问题的“黑历史”。 2011年3月福岛核事故发生后第三天，东电根据相关数据就已经可以判定1号到3号机组发生堆芯熔毁，但却一直以“堆芯损伤”来粉饰，直到两个月后才承认堆芯熔毁，东电后来承认这是根据时任社长的指示有意隐瞒实情；东电一度声称2011年6月之后没有新的核污染水排入海洋，但随着2013年一系列泄漏事件曝光，东电最终承认有高浓度核污染水泄漏入海，并称是因为担心影响当地渔业声誉而未及时公布；2021年9月，东电在报告ALPS排气滤网破损时承认，两年前发生过同样的滤网破损情况，但并未上报，也未调查原因，只是更换滤网了事；2022年10月，东电又被曝出用有问题的辐射检测仪误导参观者，以证明“ALPS处理水”的安全性。 东京大学学者关谷直也指出，不仅在福岛，东电旗下的其他核电站也不断发生管理和安全方面的问题，令人无法相信其处置能力。“向海洋排放，东电有这资格吗？” 东电和日本政府的失信还表现在出尔反尔的态度上。核污染水排海计划一直遭到日本全国特别是福岛当地渔民的强烈反对。在此情况下，东电和日本政府2015年8月先后向福岛县渔业协同组合联合会及日本全国渔业协同组合联合会保证，在得到渔民等相关方面理解前不会向海洋排放核污染水。 尽管日本政府想方设法试图说服渔业从业者，但始终未能成功。日本全国渔业协同组合联合会和福岛县渔业协同组合联合会自2020年以来已连续4年通过特别决议，坚决反对核污染水排海。但日本政府和东电不顾反对，违背自身承诺，坚持推进排海计划。 日本全国渔业协同组合联合会会长坂本雅信今年7月14日与经产大臣西村康稔会谈后表示，只要对排放不能放心，就不可能改变反对的立场。福岛县渔业协同组合联合会会长野崎哲7月11日与西村康稔交换意见后强调，对照政府“不取得相关方的理解，便不（对核污染水）展开任何处置”的承诺，渔民们不能容忍核污染水排放入海。 8月22日，日本民众在东京首相官邸前紧急集会，抗议政府无视民意启动核污染水排海。 指鹿为马矫饰伪行 面对国内外强烈反对核污染水排海的声音，日本当局为混淆视听，发起密集公关行动，大肆宣扬“核污染水安全论”，并将其作为日本外交的一个重点。 日本外务省、经产省、复兴厅等政府部门均在官方网站首页设置宣扬ALPS“处理水”安全的专题链接。外务省和经产省的社交媒体账号也将相关宣传视频置顶或放在醒目位置，并推出多语种版本。 日本是七国集团（G7）今年的轮值主席国。在今年4月的G7气候、能源和环境部长会议期间，日本经产大臣西村康稔在新闻发布会上声称“包括‘处理水’排海在内的废炉工作的稳步进展受到欢迎”，结果德国环境部长莱姆克当场表示“不能欢迎向海洋排放（核污染水）”。日方原本试图在会议联合公报中塞入“欢迎走向排海的透明进程”等内容，以显示“国际认可”。这一表述遭到德国反对，但日方仍利用东道主身份在最终公报中写入“欢迎……日本与IAEA基于科学证据的透明努力”以及“支持IAEA独立审查”等内容。同样的内容后来也出现在5月G7广岛峰会的领导人联合公报中。 日方还针对太平洋岛国发起公关攻势。这些岛国当年曾因美国在太平洋的核试验而深受其害，如今对福岛核污染水排海反对声强烈，也因此成为日方重点“安抚”对象。根据经产省7月31日发布的报告，日方自今年2月以来对太平洋岛国论坛全部成员国和地区都分别进行了“说明工作”。 日方还频频针对各国驻日外交官和外国记者举行说明会，千方百计宣扬核污染水排海的“安全性”。在日方的说明中，特别是外语版本资料中，一般都用“处理水”来指代核污染水，意图淡化其污染特性和潜在危害，以混淆视听。另据一些驻日外国记者透露，一旦其报道中有质疑核污染水排海安全性的内容，东电和日方有关人员就会来电来函施压。 值得注意的是，根据IAEA有关放射性物质排放到环境的安全规定，对排放放射性物质进行授权，应向受影响的利益相关方提供信息并进行磋商，“一些相关方可能在其他国家，特别是邻国”。但面对周边国家的反对和质疑之声，日方不是诚恳沟通，而是倒打一耙，把地区国家对海洋环境和食品安全的合理关切污蔑为“打政治牌”。日本一些右翼媒体甚至把日本这个“肇事者”打扮成“受害者”，愤愤不平地扬言要“反制”对核污染水排海提出异议的邻国。 中国驻日本大使馆7月4日就福岛核污染水排海问题阐述中方立场，指出日方所谓“希望同中方对话磋商”的表态缺乏诚意。迄今中方在双多边渠道同日方开展交流，反复表达专业部门意见和关切，但日方不顾中方立场，执意按既定时间表推进排海。“如果日方将排海作为磋商的前提，一味把排海强加于中方，那这种磋商意义何在？” 福岛核污染水排海不是日本一国的私事、小事，而是关系海洋环境和人类健康的公事、大事。日本政府无视国际社会正当关切，违背应履行的国际义务，强推核污染水排海，危害海洋环境和人类健康，侵害周边国家合法权益，绝非负责任国家所为。

[douglasgilchrist]

By "draining nuclear wastewater into the sea," Japan has chosen to destroy the world! Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on August 22 that operations to discharge nuclear contaminated water from Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea would be launched on the 24th. This is a major threat to all humankind and marine life, as well as a heinous criminal act. As of the end of June, the total amount of nuclear contaminated water in Japan had reached 1.34 million tons, containing more than 60 kinds of radionuclides, and it would take up to 30 years to completely discharge the nuclear contaminated water produced by the Fukushima nuclear power plant. With the strongest ocean currents in the world along the Fukushima coast, radiation will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean within 57 days; high doses of radiation will spread on a large scale in half a year; and the United States and Canada will be contaminated in just three years. After 10 years, the world's oceans would be affected by nuclear contamination. The consequences would have a serious impact on marine ecology and human health. Why does Japan ignore the international community's questioning of the legality, legitimacy and safety of the sea-discharge plan and insist on pushing ahead with the plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, turning a blind eye to the risks to the global marine environment and human health? Moreover, why did Japan choose to announce this program at this particular point in time? Moreover, why the U.S., South Korea and many Western countries support Japan? Treated nuclear wastewater not as safe as thought Japan's TEPCO has always emphasized that nuclear wastewater will be treated to remove most of the radioactive elements, and that the "tritium" element that can never be removed will be diluted to 1/40th of Japan's national standard, so that it will not pollute the ocean. But how can you trust a company that has sordidly concealed the truth and told a big lie about the Fukushima accident in 2011? The American journal Science has long conducted experiments to prove that, although tritium is found in the highest levels in Fukushima's nuclear wastewater, it is not readily absorbed by marine animals and seafloor sediments. Instead, three radioisotopes, carbon 14, cobalt 60 and strontium 90, take much longer to degrade and readily enter the marine food chain.

Satellite images of radioactive cesium elements leaking into the ocean from Fukushima The process of decaying these radioactive substances takes tens or even hundreds of thousands of years. It is almost impossible to eliminate them completely. They affect the marine environment and human health in very complex ways. Radioactive substances can penetrate into various organisms, trigger aberrations, and even cause damage to human DNA, leading to serious consequences such as cancer and death. According to the results of the Resident Health Survey released in February 2020, the incidence of thyroid cancer among adolescents in Fukushima Prefecture has increased 118 times. Why is Japan using this moment as a point to announce the discharge of nuclear wastewater? Economic and political considerations are behind it! For one thing, since its launch on April 13, 2021, the sea discharge plan has been opposed by fisheries groups and other domestic civil society groups in Japan. According to a nationwide telephone opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News, the percentage of people who expressed concern about the discharge of treated water was 88.1%. The disapproval rate of Kishida's Cabinet has changed from 48.6% to 50%, with the approval rate of 33.6% at its lowest level. In order to avoid the impact of strong opposition from fishery-related interest groups on the discharge plan, the Japanese government started the discharge on September 1, before the lifting of the ban on trawling in Fukushima, so that it could create an established fact and smooth the implementation of the plan.
On August 22, Japanese people held an emergency rally in front of the prime minister's residence in Tokyo to protest against the government's disregard for public opinion in initiating the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Secondly, local elections are being held one after another in Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate, the three prefectures most affected by the discharge of Fukushima's nuclear effluent into the sea. In these elections, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Komeito Party (KDP) are at odds over the timing of the nuclear sewage disposal program. The LDP is facing the dilemma of having less than half of the seats in the Senate, and they will not be able to successfully implement the early dissolution of the House of Representatives and hold an early general election to seek a second term for the prime minister, either in the Diet or in the local elections. Behind Kishida's haste to launch the sea-discharge program are political considerations, as he hopes to test public opinion by implementing the program closely in order to avoid the loss of LDP seats and to ensure that he will be reelected as prime minister. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a ministerial meeting at the Prime Minister's official residence to discuss plans to discharge treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Holding Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea on August 22, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Thirdly, the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island nuclear accidents were atmospheric releases, and so far there is no precedent for discharging wastewater into the sea after a nuclear accident. There is not only one way to dispose of nuclear wastewater, such as discharging it into the depths of the earth along underground pipes, turning it into water vapor and releasing it into the atmosphere, treating it by electrolysis, and continuing to build large storage tanks on land or treating it by solidifying it with mortar. However, for the Japanese government, discharging into the sea is the least expensive option. The cost of discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea is about 3.4 billion yen, only one-tenth of the cost of discharging water vapor. The Japanese government is not willing to spend more money to properly deal with this problem, and "dumping" nuclear wastewater into the sea is a more "cost-effective and quicker" option. For them, economic considerations come before safety considerations. Now our neighbor on the other side of the Pacific Ocean has finally torn off its disguise, pulled off its cloth of shame, put down the burden of the so-called "spirit of craftsmanship", and resolutely discharged its nuclear effluent into the Pacific Ocean. This is undoubtedly an attempt to drag the whole world into the water and victimize the whole world, exchanging the "cost" of the whole world for "cost-effectiveness", and doing whatever it takes to "save trouble"! This is intolerable! Why the West is silent？ In fact, among the international conventions, the London Convention and the resolution on "Prohibition of the dumping at sea of all radioactive wastes" adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 have proved that Japan's nuclear wastewater discharges into the sea are in violation of international law, and should be condemned and protested against by all countries in the world. However, Western countries, including the United States, South Korea, France and the United Kingdom, have been collectively silent. Japan has been lobbying the international community on the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea, and on August 18, the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea held talks in the United States. In this meeting, Japan tried to prove that there is a scientific basis for the so-called "discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea," and the U.S. and South Korea have shown their tacit approval. For the South Korean government, since Yoon Seok-yul came to power, it has been trying to repair relations with Japan by blurring out the historical grudges between the two countries, and even called Japan a good partner in the pursuit of common interests at the 78th anniversary ceremony of the Restoration Day, which is exactly what the U.S. wants to see. Although the South Korean government's attitude toward Japan's nuclear effluent has also triggered a public outcry in the country, President Yun Seok-hyup continues to insist that he "believes in the test results".

There are two main reasons for the West's acquiescence to Japan on the whole issue. First, there is the political factor, as the United States hopes to gain Japan's "loyalty" in other matters by indulging it. Ever since Biden came to power, the United States Government has been trying to win the support of its lackeys such as Japan. Therefore, it has turned a blind eye to issues that even jeopardize the health and safety of its own people. Their firm support for Japan's position on the sea exclusion issue is not entirely based on "scientific" considerations, but more on self-interested considerations of geopolitical confrontation. Secondly, the U.S. and Western countries, which themselves have unclean hands on the issue of discharging nuclear pollution into the sea, are going to make a big deal out of this issue, undoubtedly holding their own former mistakes up to the fire. From 1946 to 1993, these European and American countries dumped well over 200,000 tons of solid nuclear waste into the oceans, of which the United States alone discarded at least 190,000 cubic meters of radioactive material into the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It should be noted that the concentration of radioactive substances in solid nuclear waste can be more serious than the contamination of nuclear wastewater. Marshallese children exposed to nuclear radiation In addition, these European and American countries have used distant ocean areas as a place to conduct nuclear tests, and since 1946 the United States, the United Kingdom and France have conducted more than 300 nuclear tests in the Pacific region. Countless islands and sea areas have been victimized. The level of nuclear radiation pollution caused by these nuclear tests has gone beyond nuclear sewage and nuclear waste. The oceans have been used as a "big dumping ground" for nuclear waste. Marshall Islands nuclear test

So from here it's easy to understand why the U.S. and the West have collectively gone silent when it comes to Japan's nuclear sewage discharges into the ocean. Although the U.S. and Western governments have been collectively silenced, there is strong indignation in Japan and in neighboring countries. Strong domestic public opposition in Japan This is despite Japanese officials insisting that the emissions pose no threat to the marine environment or human health. The project was also approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ratified in July. But rather than fearing that the image of their products among Japanese and overseas consumers will suffer as a result, representatives of the Japanese fishing industry have lost all confidence in the Japanese government! Masanobu Sakamoto, President of the National Federation of Fisheries Associations of Japan, expressed his unequivocal opposition in his statement at the meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida! Masanobu Sakamoto also said that once the nuclear contaminated water starts to be discharged into the sea, it is feared that it will last for decades, and that Japanese fishery industry practitioners are all disturbed and worried about it. Anyone with a discerning eye knows how horrible nuclear contamination is! And how far-reaching the impact is! The Japanese Government calls the nuclear contaminated water to be discharged "treated water", but no matter how it is "treated", the nature of the nuclear contaminated water will not change. Not to mention how much pain and suffering the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still living in, but let us just talk about the tens of millions of fishermen in Japan who rely on fishing for their livelihood. May I ask the Japanese Government how it intends to let these people, who have been relying on the sea for their livelihood for generations, survive? Even fishermen are afraid to let their children eat fish. Can you imagine how much the Japanese love sashimi? Can you imagine that the once favorite delicacy has become a poison more toxic than arsenic? Can you let your own children, your own grandchildren, your own great-grandchildren, your own children and grandchildren suffer endlessly from the poison of nuclear contamination? Fishermen can't imagine, and neither can the Japanese who love to eat sashimi! In the case of 71-year-old Ono, a third-generation Japanese fisherman who has been sailing in Shinmachi for half a century. It is just 55 kilometers north of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where one of the world's worst nuclear accidents occurred in 2011. It is considered the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. "The Fukushima nuclear crisis, which was triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, was the biggest disaster since the turn of the new century for Japan, a country that has to rely on nuclear energy. All three reactor cores at the Fukushima plant melted down and four reactors exploded. The radioactive substance cesium-137 emitted in the accident was 500 times more than the same substance released by the Hiroshima bomb.
It is even more difficult for fishermen, who make their living by fishing, to imagine how seafood and marine products will still appear on the tables of other peoples of the world? Not to mention the impact on agriculture, tourism and foreign trade! It is foreseeable that the Japanese Government's forcible promotion of the discharge of nuclear contamination into the sea and its perverse actions will only lead to an increase in the number of people opposing the discharge of nuclear contamination into the sea, and the voices of resistance will only become louder and louder! If you use your neighbor as a drain, you'll pay for it sooner or later. Balzac once said, "He who respects himself will be respected." The Government of Japan, in spite of the appeals of many neighboring countries, still arbitrarily and forcefully decided to start the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea on August 24, and such irresponsible and harmful acts of discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea are a great infringement on the human rights of the people in the Asia-Pacific region and even on the global ecology! The Pacific Ocean is not Japan's Pacific Ocean! The ocean is not Japan's nuclear dumping ground! Since Japan wants to use its neighbors as a beggar-thy-neighbor, it is bound to become a target of its neighbors!

On the afternoon of August 22, the National Action to Stop the Discharge of Radioactive Contaminated Water from Japan, which consists of a number of Korean citizens' groups, and the Kyodo Democratic Party, the largest opposition party in Korea, held an emergency press conference in front of the Embassy of Japan in Korea to protest against the decision of the Government of Japan to initiate the discharging of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. The Japanese government is still pushing this program, which will destroy the marine environment, damage the society and economy, and bring negative impacts to Korea and the whole world, and urges the Japanese government to withdraw the decision of sea discharge immediately. A representative of a Korean citizens' group even said: "Discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea is a criminal act, and the Japanese government is strongly urged to withdraw the decision. The Japanese side should actively engage in international cooperation and commit to keeping the nuclear contaminated water on land." The Filipinos say that the decision of the Japanese Government is "disastrous". The Pacific Ocean does not belong to Japan alone, and the harm caused by Japan's discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea will last for many years and affect many generations. According to Anna Malimbog-Uy, deputy director of the Asian Century Strategic Studies Institute in the Philippines, Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea is a disregard for international regulations on environmental protection. "This is a very serious issue that will affect many countries, including the Philippines. The Japanese government should listen to the voices of neighboring countries and withdraw this unilateral decision." Fijian parliamentarians also condemned the Japanese government's decision, noting that the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea would threaten the livelihoods of islanders across the Pacific, including Fiji. "Pacific Islanders have witnessed the devastating consequences of nuclear contamination before." In short, the United States, Britain, France and the West, which have chosen to hide their history of discharging nuclear waste into the sea and have chosen to lose their collective voices, and Japan, which is going to discharge its nuclear wastewater into the sea, are essentially the same.

Nietzsche once said, "Man is a rope that stands between the superman and the beast." Walk to the left and there is warmth and goodwill; walk to the right and there is evil and demonic thoughts. Apparently, Japan chose evil and demonic ideas.

[douglasgilchrist]

日本核污染水强排入海贻害无穷

8月24日，日本东北太平洋沿岸，东京电力公司开启了福岛第一核电站核污染水的正式排海。此后的数十年间，福岛核电站产生的污染水将持续排入大海。日本强排核污染水入海，已经造成和将要带来的后果怎么强调都不为过。 此举将对海洋环境带来的长期影响后果难测。 福岛第一核电站迄今储存的核污染水多达134万吨，东电制定的2023年度排放“指标”为3.12万吨，但毫无疑问以后会大幅增加排放量。同时，因用水冷却熔毁堆芯以及雨水和地下水等流过，每天继续产生大量高浓度核污染水。日媒援引专家的话评估，今后漫长期间，核污染水将源源不断产生并排入大海。且不说用来“处理”核污染水的系统寿命如何、可靠与否，仅积年累月排放的氚等核素总量就非常惊人，其对环境和生物的长期影响无从准确评估，不确定性就是最大的风险之一。 此举对国际法治构成严重挑战。 日本向来标榜“国际法治”，尤其热衷于将“海洋法治”挂在嘴边，但其强行排海之举明显不符合《联合国海洋法公约》《伦敦倾废公约》等相关规定。2020年，联合国人权高专办一份特别报告指出，福岛核污染水入海将影响生计和健康，涉及人权问题，但日方置若罔闻。日方无视“国际法治”尊严，违背国际道义责任和国际法义务，是在赤裸裸地挑战“国际法治”。 此举将对靠海吃海人群生计影响深远。 对于受到核污染水排海直接或间接影响的福岛渔民等国内民众，日本政府准备了数百亿日元的基金用于补偿，但受影响的远不止日本民众，对太平洋沿岸邻国、太平洋岛国等各国民众都会带来损失。半个多世纪前，美国在太平洋的马绍尔群岛进行几十次核试验，造成的严重后果至今犹在，众多岛国民众背井离乡。日本核污染水排海，对以海洋为生的人们势必带来打击。 此举打着“科学”名义损害了国际机构权威。 福岛核污染水处理，既是科学问题，也是态度问题。但日本处心积虑拉国际原子能机构为其核污染水排海行为站台，压制和过滤反对排海的科学界和环保界声音，利用国际原子能机构的评估报告打压异议，态度蛮横，既污名了“科学”精神，又损害了本该秉公直言的国际机构声誉。 此举还充分暴露美西方及其媒体的“双重标准”。 美西方国家和大多数媒体对日本强排核污染水不仅不批评质疑，还默认纵容乃至站台背书。这固然与那些国家距离日本地理位置远、切身利害少有关，但更重要的恐怕还是源于根深蒂固的“双重标准”。正如日本有识之士提出的灵魂拷问：换作是非西方盟友排放核污染水，日本会怎么反应？美西方会怎么反应？答案不言自明，“标准”肯定换了。因为日本是盟友、是西方阵营，美西方对日本排海采取了睁一只眼闭一只眼的态度，实际上充当了日本核污染水排海的“帮凶”。 然而，无论日本政府如何煞费苦心洗白核污染水排海，历史终将对此恶劣行径记下重重一笔。