Live from the New York Academy of Medicine. Watch the live stream of the symposium now If you use social media, the hash tag is #FukuNYC. Please spread the word. Follow @AkioMatsumura and @chrisjcote or like the Facebook page for updates. The full text of Akio’s speech is Continue reading
Event Announcement: The Medical and Ecological Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident
Symposium on
The Medical and Ecological Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident
at the New York Academy of Medicine
March 11-12, 2013
A unique, two-day symposium at which an international panel of leading medical and biological scientists, nuclear engineers, and policy experts will make presentations on, and discuss the bio-medical and ecological consequences of the Fukushima disaster, will be held at the New York Academy of Medicine on March 11-12, 2013 the second anniversary of the accident. The public is welcome.
Chaired by Donald Louria, MD, Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health of the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey, the symposium is a project of the Helen Caldicott Foundation and is open to the public.
Registration in advance is $60. This includes attendance and lunch for both days. Please fill out the on-line form and choose the secure PayPal option to pay.
The Presenters:
The event will be chaired by Donald Louria, MD: Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Dr. Tim Mousseau, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina – Chernobyl, Fukushima and Other Hot Places, Biological Consequences
- Ken Buesseler, Marine Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute –Consequences for the Ocean of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident
- David Lochbaum, The Union of Concerned Scientists – Another Unsurprising Surprise
- Dr. Wladimir Wertelecki, Former Chair of the Department of Medical Genetics and Birth Defects, University of South Alabama, 1974-2010 – Congenital Malformations in Rivne Polossia associated with the Chernobyl Accident
- Dr.
An Open Letter: Why I Support Akio Matsumura, and Why You Should Too / （公開書簡） 福島第一原発危機：松村昭雄氏への皆様からのご協力お願いとその理由
Last week I received this letter of appraisal from Ms. Michiko Kimura, whom I have known for many years. I publish it here with great humility and appreciation. Yours truly, Akio.
Read in Japanese and German.
I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Akio Matsumura when I was working as the Assistant in Charge of International Relations for the late Hon. Takashi Sato, MP, and as the Chief of the Secretariat of the Japan Parliamentarian’s Association on Population and Development which was headed by the late Former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda. I have cooperated with him since then because of my great respect for his outstanding ability to achieve his goals and for his concept toward achieving international peace.
Mr. Matsumura’s most remarkable talent is demonstrated when he establishes networks and connects on an individual level with eminent people. He has forged relationships with experts and leaders in fields including politics, economics, science, religion, and medicine, without being a member of an organization which could influence his work and principles. Furthermore, he has made it possible to bring together groups in conflict over ideologies and interests, in order to discuss issues and find solutions. To capitalize on his remarkable talent for developing peace internationally, the Board of The World Business Academy of the United States established a Chair Position for Mr. Matsumura in 2005.
The danger which has arisen from the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant is a matter of utmost significance, with the possibility of gravely affecting the destiny of the Japanese people and the global community.… Continue reading
UN Finally Urges Japan to Do More for Health
Read this article in German.
by Akio Matsumura and Chris Cote
Days after the World Health Organization downplayed the health crisis in Fukushima, UN Special Rapporteur for the right to health Anand Grover strongly recommended that the Japanese government be accountable for the health of its population and take more appropriate action. Finishing an 11-day tour of Fukushima prefecture and other affected areas, he urged that the government take a more cautious and active position on health issues related to the 2011 nuclear accident.
He concluded:
… Continue reading“Ladies and gentlemen, members of the press, during the visit I have also heard from the affected residents, and particularly heard from persons with disabilities, young mothers and pregnant women, children and older persons, that they’ve had no say in the decisions that affect them. The right to health framework requires the state to ensure the participation of all communities in decisions that affect them. This means that the affected people need to be part of the decision making process as well as of the implementation, monitoring and accountability processes. Participation would not only inform decisions holistically, but also build the confidence of the affected community in the government. This is also necessary in restoring normalcy after the disaster in an effective manner.
I urge the government to ensure that the affected people, particularly the vulnerable groups, are fully involved in all decision making processes. This should include their participation, among others, in the formulation of health management service, designing of evacuation shelters, and implementation of decontamination.
The Search for Action among Japan’s Ruling Classes
Read this article in Japanese and German.
By Akio Matsumura
On Monday the United Nations announced they will send Special Rapporteur Anand Grover to assess and report on the public health situation in Japan in the context of last year’s earthquake. I returned from a long visit to Japan last week and, after participating in several panel discussions and conversing with political leaders, I have a good idea what Special Rapporteur will find.
The debate right now in Japan centers not on the continuing issues with the Fukushima-Daiichi site, but whether to close down Japan’s nuclear power plants. While politicians are focusing on national nuclear policy there are growing concerns that the children of Fukushima require greater medical attention and assistance. After the Fukushima accident, concerns grew in the region as to whether higher rates of cancer, especially in the thyroid gland, would be found in children due to exposure to radioactive iodine.
The eminent physician Helen Caldicott wrote that the response by Japanese politicians to the Fukushima disaster has been “ludicrously irresponsible,” not just because of their fundamental ignorance but because of their political ties with TEPCO and the nuclear industry, which tends to orchestrate a large part of the Japanese political agenda. Dr. Caldicott’s article was picked up by major media in Japan and began to focus the public’s attention on the medical issue during my time there. Despite this single success, the media has largely underperformed since the earthquake, allowing TEPCO’s influence to prevent the true story from being told.… Continue reading
The Nuclear Sacrifice of Our Children: 14 recommendations to help radiation contaminated Japan
Read this article in Japanese, French, and German.
By Helen Caldicott, M.D.
When I visited Cuba in 1979, I was struck by the number of roadside billboards that declared ”Our children are our national treasure.”
This resonated with me as a pediatrician, and of course it is true. But as Akio Matsumura said in his article, our children are presently being sacrificed for the political and nuclear agenda of the United Nations, for the political survival of politicians who are mostly male, and for “national security.”
The problem with the world today is that scientists have left the average person way behind in their level of understanding of science, and specifically how the misapplication of science, in particular nuclear science, has and will destroy much of the ecosphere and also human health.
The truth is that most politicians, businessmen, engineers and nuclear physicists have no innate understanding of radiobiology and the way radiation induces cancer, congenital malformations and genetic diseases which are passed generation to generation. Nor do they recognize that children are 20 times more radiosensitive than adults, girls twice as vulnerable as little boys and fetuses much more so.
Hence the response of Japanese politicians to the Fukushima disaster has been ludicrously irresponsible, not just because of their fundamental ignorance but because of their political ties with TEPCO and the nuclear industry which tends to orchestrate a large part of the Japanese political agenda.
Because the Fukushima accident released 2.5 to 3 times more radiation than Chernobyl and because Japan is far more densely populated than the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, and because one million people have died within 25 years as a result of Chernobyl, we expect to see more than one million Japanese casualties over the next 25 years. … Continue reading
Fukushima Needs a Hero: Responsibility and Democracy in Japan
Read this article in Japanese.
By Akio Matsumura
Yastel Yamada is 73 years old. He seems a little tired after weeks on the road in the United States. He is trying to save Japan.
One of the first people I have met who can tell the inside story of the Fukushima accident, Yamada is concerned that work is not being done on the three nuclear reactors that melted down last year because the high radiation levels are still keeping TEPCO workers away. The crippled buildings are unstable, still contain nuclear assemblies, and present a long term threat to the people in the area. The cooling systems especially are a cause for concern. Mr. Yamada, founder and president of the Skilled Veterans Corps for Fukushima (Fukushima Genpatsu Kodotai), along with 700 members, want to help clean up the site.
The rationale behind the Skilled Veterans Corps is that even if the workers get cancer from the radiation, it may take 20 years to develop, wherein average life expectancy only gives them 12 to 15 years to live anyway. He doesn’t believe they should risk young lives to do work that his group can happily and capably handle. On his current tour of the United States he is gaining support for Americans to pressure the Japanese government into taking a more responsible route with the disaster: his group, as well as an international assessment team, should be let in.
Beyond cleanup of the site, Mr.… Continue reading
Fading Memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
By Akio Matsumura
That indelible black and white image of an ever-expanding mushroom cloud still sits in many homes and offices and still haunts many minds. It conveys a sense of awe in the face of tremendous power. There are fewer iconic images that depict the sometimes barely tangible fallout of this power: the vanquished bodies of loved ones, the slow onset of cancer, the terror of the unknown. The true effects of nuclear weapons. For that, we have to rely on memory and story, the recollections of a generation now old and fading away. The survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki–not just Japanese but of many nationalities– are the sole witnesses and survivors of nuclear weapons used as an act of war. Their stories of initial pain and eventual strength must be a constant reminder for the nuclear-armed. If used properly, these memories remain a powerful deterrent against nuclear war.
Hiroshima commemorated the 67th anniversary of the city’s atomic bombing earlier this week on Monday, August 6. Yesterday, August 9, Nagasaki marked theirs at Nagasaki Peace Park with a ceremony attended by representatives from over 40 countries, including the U.S. Ambassador.
Reading a Peace Declaration, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged the international community to conclude the Nuclear Weapons Convention. Prime Minister Noda said that Japan has a responsibility to encourage countries to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.
Each year as both cities mark these anniversaries, I am more concerned with the average age of the survivors.… Continue reading
Sacrificing Our Children: Nuclear Accidents Challenge Priorities of United Nations
by Akio Matsumura
This article is now available in German.
Japan’s Lack of Concern for Fukushima’s Children
The children of Fukushima need greater medical attention and assistance. After the Chernobyl accident, concerns grew in that region as to whether higher rates of cancer, especially in the thyroid gland, would be found in children due to exposure to radioactive iodine. With this in mind, to alleviate concern after TEPCO’s nuclear accident, the Fukushima prefecture has been conducting a “Prefecture Health Management Survey.” According to the survey (as translated by Fukushima Voice), there is a high rate of thyroid cysts appearing in the children tested. The appearance of cysts, fluid-filled sacs, does not translate to cancer, but something extraordinary is happening in cell development. Their abnormally high prevalence shows that they were caused by environmental factors and are cause for concern. In the same vein, worries exist about decreased pulmonary function and bone marrow abnormalities.
The study concludes that “There is a strong concern that waiting for further analysis of above data and the completion of follow-up examinations will lead to irreversible health damages in these children. Consequently, it is strongly desired that small children living in Nakadori (adjacent to the coastal region) and Hamadori (the coastal region) in Fukushima receive immediate implementation of preventive measures such as evacuation and more frequent screening examinations.” Shunichi Yamashita, vice president of Fukushima University Medical School, has urged thyroid specialists across Japan to not give second opinions to concerned families. The survey denounces his “repressive conduct” and considers it a violation of human rights for the affected children and their families. … Continue reading
The Hydrangea Revolution and Japan’s Unheard Voices
This article is now available in German.
“The splitting of the atom has changed everything, except man’s way of thinking, and so we drift towards unparalleled catastrophe.” – Albert Einstein
By Akio Matsumura
Who is leading us toward nuclear catastrophe? Government and political leaders, profit-minded business leaders, and paid nuclear scientists. Yes, it is difficult to change their thinking.
However, those of us in Japan and the United States live in democracies. Government derives its power from the people through laws that guarantee our freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. And our history shows that people under oppression will eventually stand up. In recent memory, the Arab Spring shook the Middle East free from the grip of several dictators, and although much of the movement erupted in violence, real change has come. This past Friday Mohammed Mursi became Egypt’s first civilian, democratically elected president.
Since the Fukushima accident a popular movement has grown in Japan as well. Also on Friday, tens of thousands of people protested the government’s decision to restart two reactors this month at the Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture. People chanted “No More Fukushima,” and called for nuclear energy to remain off in Japan. They want accountability and responsibility by the Japanese government and TEPCO. (It is notable that many young mothers joined the demonstration to call for their children’s safety).
These tens of thousands are the Hydrangea Revolution. Hydrangea flowers are composed of many small flowers and are resilient in the face of strong winds and storms.… Continue reading