The truth only a court jester can utter

[kristopher]

The truth only a court jester can utter
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of the vernacular Asahi Shimbun.
2011/07/17

The trials and tribulations of Fukushima Prefecture farmers are endless. The latest bad news concerns straw that was fed to beef cattle at a farm in the town of Asakawa. The straw was found to have been contaminated with radioactive cesium at a concentration far beyond safe levels. Yet by the time this was discovered, beef from 42 cattle that had been fed the straw had already been sold and distributed.

This was the second case of radiation-contaminated beef turning up on the market. In the first case, the beef came from Minami-Soma.

But Asakawa is a good distance from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, which makes this case more ominous. I cannot help but wonder if there are other uninspected cattle elsewhere that have been internally exposed to radiation from their fodder.

Toxic radiation from a crippled nuclear plant can spread far and wide and affect many generations to come. Once it happens, it is "beyond control," as Prime Minister Naoto Kan put it.

People with small children are especially worried about food safety...

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201107160344.html

[ananda]

1. This is one of the sad stories of our increasingly sad generation.

nt

[DCKit]

2. Um, who feeds "straw" to cattle?

In my neck of the woods, we feed 'em hay.

[emmadoggy]

3. LOL, that struck me too. nt

[kristopher]

4. Makes sense when it is straw from the rice harvest.

Rice is, of course, a staple and therefore the largest crop in this country with limited arable land. Japanese policy is to maintain food self-sufficiency particularly in regard to rice.

That doesn't leave much room for hay.

[kristopher]

5. "there is blatant propaganda aimed at protecting the interests of the nuclear industry"

The public is becoming acutely aware of the need to become involved in the decision about the energy future of Japan. More than almost anything else this line from the Editorial in the OP tells me that a consensus is almost ripe, "Concealed beneath the guise of legitimate concerns about higher utility bills and blackouts inconveniencing the public at large, there is blatant propaganda aimed at protecting the interests of the nuclear industry and monopoly by power companies."

While I can't say how long it will take to effect leaving nuclear power behind in Japan, I believe its time is over. The presence of a Japan and Germany actively pushing the establishment of a global green energy infrastructure is a natural outgrowth of the domestic policy choices and is set to have a profoundly positive effect on the transition away from fossil fuels. The world energy picture 5 years from now is going to be significantly different than I would have forecast just 6 months ago.