Going bananas about Fukushima

[turboman]

I am a regular reader of articles and comments on scmp. Lately the website seems to have gone on fire with articles about the release of the Fukushima water.

There is a lot of scaremongering and hypocrisy going around in my opinion.
Let me explain. Following is an article that shows that the Swiss release tritiated water from their nuclear power plants in the same amount as is planned from Fukushima (use a web translator):
https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wie-ge...kuehlwasser-ins-meer-einzuleiten-775215618336

All the tritiated water from 5 nuclear reactors is released in rivers that eventually reach Basel. And then people swim in it:
https://myswissstory.com/swimming-in-the-rhine-all-you-need-to-know/

I do not consider the Swiss to be stupid. So I must conclude that there is a lot of scaremongering going around in East Asia.

Now about the hypocrisy part. China has 50 times (in GW) the nuclear power stations (incl planned) compared to Switzerland. Then I would conclude that they will release 50 times the amount of Tritium compared to Fukushima. Roughly speaking.

I can understand that some people, with all due respect, are critical about the use of nuclear power, for many reasons. But the fire storm now about Fukushima seems to me to be blown out of proportion. Because of lack of knowledge and because of politics.

 

[Alice]

Yeah, I would just say not to swim in the Rhine, but except for that, nothing to be concerned about imo.

I thought this thread was gonna be about how you can’t get service from fuuzoku establishments in Fukushima, lol.

 

[Sudsy]

blown out of proportion.

Yep. Not only is it a relatively harmless substance, it’s literally the equivalent of a droplet of water into fifty Olympic sized swimming pools. Even homeopaths don’t dilute their stuff that much.

 

[corgiesiao]

Not surprised most of the scaremongering propaganda comes from China.

 

[Ddddd]

Countries that are on the WTO cannot arbitrarily forbid imports. One exception is when there's a suspicion of danger to the consumers' health.

Chinese officials know that this tritium story is bullshit and does not pose any measurable risk. On the other hand, they have the perfect excuse to help their local fishing industry, and they have taken it.

Normal citizens tend to get passionate and pull their hair over geopolitical issues, mainly because of how the media treats them. For government officials, it's just a game of chess. All countries do it.

In any case, this may grant us some months of cheap fish and seafood in Japan. Let's enjoy it.

 

[SquidCity]

In any case, this may grant us some months of cheap fish and seafood in Japan. Let's enjoy it.

Would be great if I can grab shrimps on the cheap thanks to this

 

[AghostAghast]

Now about the hypocrisy part. China has 50 times (in GW) the nuclear power stations (incl planned) compared to Switzerland. Then I would conclude that they will release 50 times the amount of Tritium compared to Fukushima. Roughly speaking.

50 times? WELL. Let's have FUN with SCIENCE and MATH!

A Becquerel is a measurement unit of radioactivity.

The diluted water has enough tritium to have 43-63 becquerels per liter. They're releasing 7,800 tons of water (7,800,000 liters)

So let's math with the average radioactivity, 53 Bq: the total radioactivity they are releasing from the plant is 413,400,000 Bqs.

China's Fuqing power plant released 52 terabecquerels in 2020.

413,400,000 Bqs is 0.0004134 terabecquerels.

China released five orders of magnitude (100,000 times!) MORE radioactive material from ONE PLANT, into THE SEA, in 2020.

Calling it hypocrisy doesn't even begin to describe it.

 

[Sawako]

If you ignore the scaremongering part (I was born in Ishinomaki - my grandparents home destroyed by the tsunami) - local tourist sector in Fukushima and fishing sector worry about the media and how for years they have hindered Fukushima prefecture economically (Bandai area and so on 磐梯山,). Kishida is annoying, all the same. He cares nothing about the region - just ruling LDP family elite money chain. That is enough politics for me... wink!