September 30, 2014
Last weekend, a major volcanic eruption shocked Western Japan. Mount Ontake erupted and killed at least 48 sight-seeing mountain climbers, and injured more than 40 others. It was the first deadly volcanic eruption in Japan since 1991. The world’s hearts go out to the friends and families of those who died. It’s a terrible tragedy.
What makes me spitting-mad is that it took virtually no time at all for the antinuclear demographic of Japan, some of Japan’s nuclear-critical Press, and a few uncaring specimens of the international news media to exploit this tragedy in the attempt to promote antinuclearism and keep Japan from restarting their much-needed nukes. Why? Because a non-erupting volcano, Sakurajima, is about 50 kilometers from the Sendai nuke station.
Huh?
That’s the main reason, folks. Here’s how the inconsiderate antinukes of Japan try make a rhetorical connection; Fukushima was caused by a tsunami beyond anything Japan had never before experienced, so it is possible for a volcanic eruption many times greater than ever experienced in Japan. This could possibly cause another Fukushima-like accident. Whether or not the scenario is realistic makes no diffetrence.
I can’t make up stuff like this!
On Sunday, a major antinuke demonstration was held in Kagoshima City to protest the impending restarts of the two Sendai nuke units. This was one day after the Ontake tragedy struck with terrible suddenness. Wall Street Journal’s Asia office says that more than half of the 20 antinuke speakers spoke of the volcanic eruption, arguing that nukes are not protected against super-massive eruptions, thus Sendai should not be restarted until a 30-kilometer evacuation plan was approved by all parties. (1)
The very next day! Don’t these people have any sense of decorum? Obviously, they don’t!
What’s worse is the fact that the some of the world’s news media has chimed right in with coverage of this undignified effrontery, including Japan Today and Reuters. (2,3) At least Reuters had their antinuclear piece of the pie buried near the end of their article. But, Japan Today and WSJ-Asia used the nuclear critic’s disgusting lack of propriety as a headline and story focus!
It should be noted that articles about earthquakes threatening nukes with the impending possibility of doom have subsided since last year, after the Nuclear Regulatory Agency found there was no evidence for temblor damage causing the Fukushima accident. Japan’s nukes were completely unscathed by the worst quake to ever strike Japan. The antinuclear demographic can no longer bang that drum because nukes clearly demonstrated they can take the worst quake nature can produce and survive unscathed. It is certain and beyond rational doubt that Japan’s nukes are virtually temblor-proof, which 3/11/11 showed conclusively.
But, the potential for volcanic harm to nukes is an area that fits right into the unspoken, but undeniable antinuclear mantra; stoke the fires of fear by creating rhetorical worst-case scenarios that feed on uncertainty and doubt (FUD). But, this time, the antinukes have gone way too far, way too soon. The bodies of the dead from the Ontake volcano tragedy were still warm when Japan’s antinukes used them for their indecorous, repugnant purpose. Japan’s antinukes could not wait to make their new scare-topic heard. Only out-of-control fanatics with stone-cold hearts beating in their chests would ever do such a thing.
May those who died on Mount Ontake rest in peace. May those who desecrated their memory…the very next day…rot in Hell!
References –
2 – http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/28/japan-volcano-idUSL3N0RT08Q20140928
