Friday, December 9, 2011

Professor Hayakawa's Fukushima-Chernobyl Comparison Map, Updated (and Updated Again Already...)

and the radiation contour map version 5 have arrived. And after the reprimand, the professor seems more invigorated than ever.

From his blog, Fukushima-Chernobyl comparison map (which he has already revised it since the original posting):

(Here's the PDF file of the above map for printing.)

And the radiation contour map version 5:

Professor Yukio Hayakawa, irascible and irreverent (at least on twitter) volcanologist has been formally reprimanded by the president of his university (Gunma University) who happens to have a strong tie (the president is on the right side of the photo, at the link) with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), and the professor seems invigorated more than ever.

As if to send a message to the president of the university, small private donations from people who have followed Hayakawa are pouring in to the university's coffer specifically to support Hayakawa's work, to the surprise (and probably dismay) of the university and amusement of the administrative staff.

Hayakawa himself seems to consider the whole incident is such a great opportunity that has finally arrived - to reach people in Fukushima. For the first time, a Fukushima local newspaper reported on him as someone who is "insulting our farmers". Hayakawa, on learning about the newspaper coverage, wrote on his tweet: "Hurray! Finally! I'm reaching people in Fukushima!"

From what I have read, people in Fukushima, despite this Internet age, have been insulated from the reality thanks to the very selective coverage of the local media (newspapers, TV). It is only recently, it seems, that the reality is dawning at least on some of them that they are in deep trouble.

Hayakawa was telling the Fukushima farmers in March and April, "Don't grow vegetables, don't plant rice, because they will be so radioactive. Look at the radiation map I made." During summer, he was calling for mowing down the rice fields, and calling the farmers who grew rice in the highly contaminated areas in Fukushima "killers" who were growing "poison rice" (rice with radioactive materials) just so that they get compensated. On twitter and blog, unfortunately. But up until December 8, the media, both mainstream and alternative, completely ignored him.

Why? Probably because he is an "outsider". He is a geologist and volcanologist, not a radiation expert or nuclear scientist. He may know much, much more about how super-minute particles may behave and spread than the nuclear physicists who have been paraded on TV since March 11, but he doesn't know anything about radiation or nuclear reactor, does he? And where is he, at Gunma University? A national university for sure but with no name, like Tokyo U or Kyoto. Not even Tohoku or Nagasaki.

He does not fit in, and that's what irritates many people in Japan. Gunma University was so irritated, in fact, that it disallowed the use of electricity in his office during the press conference (link in Japanese) on December 8. The press conference was done without light and heat, in a dim light from outside. One reporter's camera ran out of battery.

20 comments:

Stock said...

He is willing to throw himself on the sword, and that is what we need to change the status quo.

no6ody said...

"...small private donations from people who have followed Hayakawa are pouring in to the university's coffer specifically to support Hayakawa's work..."

The people have spoken! Let there be Science in the Public Interest! I sincerely hope Dr. Hayakawa doesn't have any 'accidents.'

BTW, the pix don't show up on my ancient laptop. (Thanks for linking the PDF, AREVAMIRPAL.) Anyone else have this problem?

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

It looks like the professor has already updated the updated Fuku-Chernobyl map. I updated the links.

Anonymous said...

Pix not showing here either. PDF link works.

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

How's now?

Anonymous said...

Hayakawa-sensei forgot to add Sweden, Finland, Austria and the rest of countries that also had areas contaminated with more than 37,000 Bq/sq.m. of cesium-137:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#International_spread_of_radioactive_substances

STeVe the JeW said...

pdf link works.

clicking written links to maps doesn't work.

clicking on maps directly produces a popup screen with the image of the map selected. there is also a 2 image scroll (one of each map) below it.

Anonymous said...

Please spread around this link to a petition drive for California to shut down California's 2 nuclear power plants!

There's a wonderfully dynamic Asian population in California who may be interested in knowing about this initiative!

Here's the link:

http://sanonofresafety.org/print-petition/

Thank you!

Mauibrad said...

Nice maps.

rtega said...

Let's hope that his nail that sticks out doesn't get hammered back in!

Darth3/11 said...

WHO exactly was responsible for the nitpicking action of turning off Prof. Hayakaya's heat and electricity during his news conference? Doesn't that just look as silly and reminiscent of dictatorial regimes the world over? What next? Arrested, sent to Black Camps, Guantanamo for highly informed people going against the almighty Status Quo?

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

@Darth3/11, who was responsible ->Head of the department. What's next -> Professor Hayakawa is being accused of "hate speech". LOL. Japanese have been copying the US and Europe so diligently.

Instead of taking the meaning, they latch onto the superficial words and phrases and call them "hate speech", discriminating against people of Fukushima. Or whatever. It was never a country like that when I was growing up.

I'm very close to giving up hope on the people there in general, but just like Hayakawa, I don't quite care about the welfare of the general public. I only care for people I care.

CrisisMaven said...

"WHO exactly was responsible for the nitpicking action of turning off Prof. Hayakaya's heat and electricity during his news conference?" That's very simple: Prof. Hayakawa is a nuclear critic, right? And he wanted to light his office with nuclear energy to hold an anti-nuclear press conference? Nah, we don't give energy to enemies!

CaptD said...

Professor Hayakawa has been awarded a METAL by the Japanese Irregulars on HuffingtonPost for his work in helping spread the truth about what is still going on in Fukushima!
Salute!

We are behind you 100%
+
Seen this about the IAEA

CaptD said...

Like Professor Hayakawa now the head of the NRC (US) Gregory Jaczko is being hounded for "causing serious damage" to the commission and creating a "chilled work environment at the NRC."
http://is.gd/QcQBSU

Those that speak out are Hero's, N☢T lapdogs for the Nuclear Fascists...

CaptD said...

JUST IN: Congressma­n releases blockbuste­r report detailing NRC conspiracy in wake of Fukushima
http://ene­news.com/j­ust-in-con­gressman-r­eleases-bl­ockbuster-­report-det­ailing-nrc­-conspirac­y-in-wake-­of-fukushi­ma

CaptD said...

TEPCO & NRC = Industry "Lapdogs N☢T Guard Dogs"...

Anonymous said...

Head in the sand will NOT work for this problem. Wake up Japan "leaders"!!!!!!!!!!

CaptD said...

From weMustDoBetter:
In Mozyr, the woman is saying that the medical director at a hospital there said that out of 600 babies born, 230 are in intensive care, due to health problems and birth defects. But, she says, the doctors say that this is NOT a result of Chernobyl radiation.­. They say it is the women’s fault, because they all have ‘infection­s’ or ‘weak immune systems’.

Nope, it definitely cannot be radiation causing this, cause young healthy women all normally have ‘infection­s’ and ‘weak immune systems’.

“Long term incorporat­ed radionucul­ides syndrome – a totally new syndrome is REAL!!”
http://vid­eo.google.­com/videop­lay?docid=­8746168177­815160826&­hl=en

Long Term Incorporat­­ed Radionucul­­ides Syndrome

LTIRS will be happening in Japan too!

SHAME on the Nuclear Industry for saying everything is ☢K... N☢T

CaptD said...

From another site:
The main trade group for the nuclear power industry, the Nuclear Energy Institute, spent $540,000 in the third quarter lobbying federal officials about financial support for new reactors, safety regulations and other issues, according to a disclosure report.

In the July through September period, NEI lobbied Congress, the Commerce Department, the Defense Department, the Executive Office of the President, the Departments of Transportation, Energy, State and Homeland Security Department, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Management and Budget, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to the report the NEI filed October 19 with the House clerk’s office.

That’s 30 percent more than the $415,000 the trade group spent in the third quarter of last year and 7 percent less than the $580,000 it spent in the second quarter of 2011.
http://wp.me/p21p6a-5mM

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