Fukushima?? What's a Fukushima???

 

 

The Road Away From Hell is Paved With Action AND Intention...

Now...to take my own advice...& throw my energy into the more pressing matters at hand.

I was browsing through some of the latest data on Fukushima, & one of the heroes of this whole dirty affair is Dr. Helen Caldicott. 

As you know, she has campaigned tirelessly here and in Japan for something concrete to be done about the unfolding global crises. 

She posted the following article. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/19/world/asia/steam-detected-at-damaged-fukushima-reactor.html?_r=0

Read at your leisure, but if you don't have any leisure...I will let Dr. Caldicott sum up in her own words. 

'They cannot keep saying "there is no problem" and expect to see improvement at this fragile site. Why is TEPCO allowed control over something that impacts the entire world when their actions clearly indicate they are more concerned about their stock prices and image than the obvious dangers of not doing everything humanly possible to get this terrible situation under better command.'

& it was while I was reading this...something dawned on regarding my own efforts to act in response to the crises. 

I realised, in pursuing my own idea for a rock concert in aid of Fukushima...I was about the make a mistake IDENTICAL to one I made ten years ago. 

10?  maybe more years ago, I organised a 'Walk Against Youth Suicide' (WAYS) in the little country centre I lived and worked in as a cop.  

(at that time, I had just been involved in the discovery of the body of a teenager, who had blown his brains out in the forest because he felt he had failed his HSC.)

This situation moved me...& prompted me to do something.  

So I organised a walk to bring the issue out into the spotlight. 

Anyway...it was a success, we got hundreds of participants, hundreds more came to an open air concert on the beach...

we raised something like $20,000.

& more importantly we got people talking more openly about the issue of youth suicide.


I should say at this point...the event was not an ongoing one, because I realised...the reason I was so passionate about the underlying issues pertaining to youth suicide...

Was that I myself knew first hand about the kind of depression that can lead a person to desperate measures. 

After the event...I had a breakdown. 


& it took me years to recover.

Anyway...this is all in the past. 

A long way back in the past.


The only reason I raise it now...is because of a mistake I made then...& am about to make again. 


There is nothing wrong with my intentions. 

I seem to be drawn to doing good, productive things.

With regard to the charity walk against youth suicide...I knew- at the very least, as fucked up as I was- I believed in the importance of TRYING to make a difference.

& that hasn't really changed. 

I still try...or am at least always thinking about or plotting my next productive move.


But good intentions are not enough. 

As the man said...'the road to hell is paved with good intentions.'

Luckily I am very self critical.
 

The way I see it- if you are putting on a charity event??

You need to be CHRYSTAL CLEAR about two things. 

Number One; Why you are doing the event.  What you want to say.  The nature of the message/cause.

Number two; Where any monies raised will be going.  And how do these monies best serve the the heart and soul of Number one.  
 

With my own event, all those years ago...I addressed number one.  The event.  the fun stuff.

I failed to address number two.  Where the money should go. 

Eventually the money was raised, administered and directed appropriately by the committee in my absence.  But I have learned from my mistakes.   


Not falling for that one again, buddy! 
 

As I read the above article...It occurred to me...

With regard to my own proposed charity event...'FUKUSHIMA ROCK'...

WHERE WOULD THE MONEY GO?


To TEPCO??

The money hungry bastards who MADE THIS HORRIFIC MESS in the first place?

I should say not bloody likely. 


But I think it would be criminal to do nothing. 

With this in mind...

I went back to the original reasoning for the event in the first place. 


This should be- first and foremost a HUMANITARIAN PROJECT.

I think aside from all the obvious reasons for the event...like SAVING THE PLANET...

This should be an event to affirm our solidarity with the Japanese people.

This should be a message to them- that even though their own government has placed a blackout on the truth of the extent of this disaster...


We ARE hearing them.

As fellow human beings...we hear their plight. 


And we DO understand it is NOT ONLY THEM WHO WILL BE AFFECTED!!

In the long term.


So...in line with the already mentioned aims of any charity event...

I think this should be primarily a humanitarian event. To send a message of support for the people of Japan. Let them know THEY ARE NOT ALONE at the behest and whims of their government and corporations. 

The purpose of the event should further be a genuine, searching, fearless inventory of the FACTS of the disaster.

I propose a disciplined, organised repository of information about the disaster. 

A worldwide attempt to ascertain the truth about Fukushima...

Short and long term projections...

A think tank for dissemination and processing of known data from the scientific community in order to make educated decisions about not only the Japanese solution...

But the solution for the world.


Again...this is not just Japan's problem.

In the long run...we will all suffer.

If we wait for TEPCO- indeed any corporation- to get their shit together...

Well...it'll be a very cold day in Hell. 

Nuclear winter.


Fuck THAT for a joke. 

Dear Bono...

Good day to you. 

 

I note that you are one of many possible contact points for Bono.

 

I realise one does not just 'write to Bono'...only children do that. 

 

I am 48 years old.

 

It's a bit like writing to the President.

 

However...these are desperate times; and suddenly- things I would not ordinarily do at any other time- do not seem so absurd.  

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

Who cares as much as Bono?  Probably many people.

 

Who has the resources, power, and commitment to humanity to save the planet?

 

Who better than Bono.   

 

I shall try to keep this short, because I don't think we have much time left. 

 

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Helen Caldicott, noted physician and activist against nuclear energy, is on record as saying Fukushima is a 'global crises unfolding.'

 

A disturbing number of people in the street think the reactor disaster is over. 

 

Far from it. 

 

I will not condescend to tutor Bono and his team in the potential ongoing dangers of the Fukushima meltdown. 

 

Of course you know what is going on.

 

So I will cut directly to the chase. 

 

this is NOT Japan's problem. 
It is OUR problem.  

Frankly...the Japanese have NO idea what to do about it.  

Tepco have admitted as much, as recently as last week almost pleading...'if you can think of anything else, we would love to hear it.' 

 

Hardly words to inspire much confidence.

 

Can ANYONE do anything?

 

Who can say.  

 

But I'm not keen on the idea of sitting plucking nose-hairs as I watch the disaster unfold on my television.   

The Japanese have a saying; 'O kinodoku sama de gozaimasu.'  Essentially- it means 'I am sorry for the poison on your soul'.

I am truly sorry for the poison not only on our soul...but in our food and water. 

& the poisoning of our children's future.

 to do NOTHING would be a poison on OUR soul...

I propose a rock and roll concert in aid of Fukushima. 

I have no idea how one organises one of these things;  I'm no Bob Geldof.  

I'm not even a rock and roller.  

I'm an ordinary Australian man.   

 

But I LOVE live music.  

And I want to LIVE to continue to enjoy it.  

And pass the gift of rock and roll on to subsequent generations.  

What better way to lend a hand??

Who's in?? 
 

My very best wishes to you and my thanks for all your good work.

 

John Warwick Arden 

福島 ロックンロール Rokkunrōru "A Rock Concert in Aid of Fukushima'

福島 

Let's face it; Fukushima is, as Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Helen Caldicott described it, a global disaster unfolding.  

I believe the problem can be understood in these terms; the radioactive meltdown has been contained by cooling the reactor rods.  This is fine...but the water used to keep the rods cool has to go somewhere; and the storage capacity is limited.

This contaminated water is also currently seeping into the ground around the site- & even more importantly, is being dumped into the Pacific ocean.

My understanding is that already, significant spikes in radiation contamination have been detected in Tuna over the last two years; this is being noticed in the food supply in California, for example. 

A new study by the Radiation and Public Health Project found that babies born in the western United States as well as other Pacific countries shortly after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011 may be at greater risk for congenital hypothyroidism.

In other words- this is NOT Japan's problem. 

It is OUR problem.  

Frankly...the Japanese have NO idea what to do about it.  

And neither, it would seem, does anyone else.  But I'm not keen on the idea of sitting plucking nose-hairs as I watch the disaster unfold on my television.   

The Japanese have a saying; 'O kinodoku sama de gozaimasu.'  Essentially- it means 'I am sorry for the poison on your soul'.

I am truly sorry for the poison not only on our soul...but in our food and water. 

& the poisoning of our children's future.

& to do NOTHING would be a poison on OUR soul...

I propose a rock and roll concert in aid of Fukushima. 

I have no idea how one organises one of these things;  I'm no Bob Geldof.  

I'm not even a rock and roller.  

But I LOVE live music.  

And I want to LIVE to continue to enjoy it.  

And pass the gift of rock and roll on to subsequent generations.  

What better way to lend a hand??

Who's in??