Practical help for Japan & the environment is developing (Courtesy Lloyd Helferty Biochar Consulting (Canada):

Dear Physicians for Global Survival (PGS),

I was contacted today by Julia Morton-Marr, the founder of the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre [IHTEC] and Vice President Education for the The Council on Global Issues (Science for Peace).
www.ihtec.org

Julia recommended that I contact someone at PGS since your organization works on “Nuclear Issues” and is also “concerned about global energy sustainability and climate change issues” along with health and security.

In consideration of the ongoing Nuclear disaster in Japan –  the ongoing multiple Nuclear MELTDOWNS that are now underway (as I write this) — , I noted yesterday that the Japanese government has recently raised the maximum allowable exposure for nuclear workers to 250 millisieverts from 100 millisieverts.
It was described as “unavoidable due to circumstances“.  This was back in March:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3475306/Nuclear-nightmare-in-Japan-worsens.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

The damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant has already leaked dangerous radiation into the environment.
There are HUGE fears over food contamination in Japan right now and the entire Pacific food chain is likely to be affected**.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8394963/Japan-nuclear-crisis-fears-over-food-contamination.html

This disaster in Japan could even result in the gross radioactive contamination of the large urban populations of Japan.
If the wind blows the wrong way cities like like Tokyo could be the recipient of a massive cloud of deadly radioactive gasses.
It could become a really horrible crisis.  It is actually a wake-up call for nuclear energy.

Incredibly, I also just learned that the World Health Organization actually intends to double the “maximum allowable uranium in drinking water” worldwide and international regulators like the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP) continue to push allowable levels of radiation upwards, forcing the public toward chronic exposures of low levels of radiation. (No level of ionizing radiation is safe.)

Considering that the Japanese are some of the biggest Seafood eaters in the world — and in particular, raw seafood (Sushi and Sashimi) is a staple part of their diet, the fact thatRadioactive water from the Japanese nuclear plant is deliberately being dumped into the sea‎ is already beyond criminal!~
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/east-pacific/Japan-Nuclear-Plant-to-Release-Contaminated-Water-Into-Ocean-119169659.html
As well, they are already halting the sale of vegetables from several areas of Chiba prefecture, which borders Tokyo because they “have tested above the legal limit for radiation”.

I am a Steering Committee member of the Canadian Biochar Initiative (www.biochar.ca), am President and Co-founder of Biochar-Ontario (a not-for-profit organization) and an Advisory Committee Member of the IBI (International Biochar Initiative - http://www.biochar-international.org/).

We have recently learned that is likely that it may be possible to utilize Biochar — along with specialized natural fungi like the ones that have been growing prolifically around the Chernobyl plant in Russia, to soak up (and hopefully permanently “sequester” ~ if harvested and pyrolyzed), the ionizing radiation from radionuclides that are in the soil.

– In other words, we may be able to remove these contaminants directly out of the soil with the use of specialized inoculated Biochar (blends) that promote the growth of these particular strains of natural soil fungi — which will also (coincidentally) promote the regrowth of the coastal forests … which in turn should be able to help protect the Japanese people against future catastrophic events like the Tsunami.  (In a similar way to the protection that Mangroves provide to coastal cities against Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.)

I wished to bring this to your attention because we [certain members of the Canadian Biochar Initiative and Biochar Ontario, including myself], have been involved in an international Public Awareness Programme called “5ivePlanets“.
see: http://5iveplanets.org/ (Japan)

I have been attempting to head up an initiative called, “5ivePlanets Canada“, and one of our first tasks has been to assist with a project to bring the Tokyo Sinfonia[www.tokyosinfonia.com], a highly professional ensemble of 19 Japanese string players conducted by Robert Rÿker in Tokyo, into Canada from Sunday April 24 until Thursday April 28 (with scheduled Performances in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto).

This series of Charity Concerts in Canada is intended to be a Musical Fund-Raising Charity Concert Tour to raise money for the 5ivePlanets Japan initiative, whose mission is to leverage both education and technologies that work in balance with the natural cycles of the earth to increase our capacity to provide for our collective children on the one and only planet we actually have.

They will be establishing a 5ivePlanets Interpretive Center in an eco-restored house in Asahi Ward of Yokohama City and will provide education about managing resources wisely and demonstrating technologies to produce nourishing food without wasting water, depleting soil, or using petroleum based fertilizers.  These Biochar concepts can be applied in both urban and rural contexts and are geared toward developing platforms for sustainable communities.

Their Projects will include proof of concept demos of aquaponics systems, biochar humanitarian stoves and urban agricultural techniques, along with explorations of method of utilizing Biochar for the decontamination of radioactive soil using “specialized natural fungi” (with Biochar).

The use of Biochar to prevent radionuclides from entering growing plants and entering the food chain as well as preventing these highly toxic contaminants from entering run-off water from farms and forests and getting into the water supply system will be one of the priority research projects of the emerging Global 5iveplanets Research Network, the founding members of which are Canada and Japan.  (With some assistance from our friends at the University of Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley Biochar Initiative at UMass.)

I was hoping that you might be able to forward this message, along with the attached documents to your members and contacts in order that we might begin to raise awareness about the ongoing critical situation in Japan and our efforts at informing people about one of the possibly critically important technologies that could be utilized in Japan — and elsewhere around there world wherever soil contamination is affecting food security — to begin the long process of “restoration” of the natural ecosystems that have been affected by these (multiple) natural disasters.

See also

“Prescription for Survival”: A Debate on the Future of Nuclear Energy Between Anti-Coal Advocate George Monbiot and Anti-Nuclear Activist Dr. Helen Caldicott

Urgent petition

Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan

Katsumata Tsunehisa, Board chairperson, Tokyo Electric Power Company,

Accept the request made by the Mayor of Koriyama city and decide to decommission the Fukushima nuclear power plants!

Appeal:

Immediately decide to decommission all of the 10 reactors of the first and second Fukushima nuclear power plants.

Background of the appeal:

Masao Hara, the Mayor of Koriyama city, at the press conference in the afternoon on March 19, 2011, said, it was the outrageous mistake that the Japanese government turned down the support offered by the United States which suggested decommissioning the nuclear plants. He announced that he made a request to the Tokyo Electric Power Company and Mr. Kaieda, the Minister of economy, trade and industry to immediately take measures to control the nuclear accidents towards decommissioning the plants.

We urge the State and the Tokyo Electric Power Company to accept the request made by the Mayor of Koriyama city and decide to decommission the Fukushima nuclear power plants.

We are worried about the workers who have been courageously engaging in the operations day and night to suppress the reactors and avert the worst-case scenario at their peril of being exposed to the radiation at the Fukushima nuclear power plants which were affected by the recent and continuing earth quakes.

It has become clear to everyone that as long as the nuclear plants run, people are affected by the radiation. So many nuclear plant workers have been exposed to the radiation and some died from the radiation exposure even when the plants were running “safe”. The people are little known who died after a long suffering, when the causal link between the death and the radiation exposure became difficult to establish.

We must now stop our practice: enjoying the “safe” electricity from the nuclear power plants at the expense of the people exposed to the radiation.

Voluntary group calling for decommissioning the Fukushima nuclear plants (Japan)

***********

To sign on this petition, please send your name and address to fukushima.hairo@gmail.com

Please put “endorsement” on the title of your email.

1^st deadline: end of March 2011; 2^nd deadline: end of April 2011

เรียนทุกท่าน

Marty Bergoffen
will give a presentation entitled

“The Mekong River:

Protecting Biodiversity and Livelihoods”

Marty is a lawyer specialized in environmental issues. He has been advocating for a free-flowing Mekong River for over 5 years. Current plans by Thailand, Lao and Cambodia call for up to 12 dams on the lower Mekong. These dams will clog the river, preventing migrations by native fish, reduce downstream sediment and water flows that local farmers depend upon, and eliminate an essential food source and travel corridor for millions of people. Marty will talk about the Mekong River, proposals for dams, and impacts if they are built. He will also present ways to confront the dam developers, funders and enabling government agencies.

When: Sunday, April 10th, 2011, at 15.00.

Where: Dokmai Garden.

Driving information: http://www.dokmaigarden.co.th/howtoget.php

Cost: 100 Baht, includes coffee, tea or Jiaogulan tea (Gynostemma pentaphyllum f. pentaphyllum (Cucurbitaceae)).

Registration: To get a ticket for 100 Baht, please send an e-mail at least one day in advance to info@dokmaigarden.co.th

VIP card holders and lifetime members have free access to the garden.

Our sales nursery will be open.

Most welcome!

Ketsanee Seehamongkol & Eric Danell

Solidarity March for Japan – Chiang Mai  Tapae Gate 7.00 am Sunday 20 March 2011 – Walk & bike to US & Japan Consulates.

Dear Chiang Mai Friends

I wish you well for your Solidarity march this Sunday but as I am in Viet Nam I regret I cannot join you.

I suggest the terrible tragedy still unfolding in Japan will prompt the Japanese people to seriously consider the defects in their society which have made the consequenses of predictable natural event so very dire. It should also be a lesson to the rest of the World on how not to develop. The challenge for all countries will then be how we can restructure our societies to lessen the likelyhood of more simlar disasters.

I remember in the 1970′s meeting Japanese activists visiting Australia when the office of FoE (Friends of the Earth) was in a tiny house in Melbourne’s inner suburb of Carlton. They brought with them pictures of the horrors of Mercury & Cadmium poisoning from Mimimata in Japan and together we campaigned to prevent the mining of Australian Uranium for export. Then we predicted the nuclear disaster which we are now living through.

I also recall some years ago a radio program which described the Tokyo region, with its megapolis covering a huge area as the first place on Earth likely to undergo catastrophic collapse. The next great quake in the Tokyo region has the potential to be far more destructive in terms of life and property than what we witness now. Far worse than the Atom bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

So why has Japan found it self in this situation? There appear to be two reasons.

Firstly the population has grown far greater than the fragile environment can safely support. When natural disaters strike they need not be human calamaties if people occupy sturdy homes and work places far from land which will sweep them away in landslides and out of flood zones. But building communities to accomodate large populations in such a manner requires massive amounts of energy hungry steel and concrete.

This leads to the second factor. Japan is a high energy use society which uses and produces great quantities of consumer goods. Despite the fact that the country has excellent public transport networks and bicycle use is very high, as can be seen from the wake of the tsunami, the private motor car is widely used and Japanese aviation (according to last nights news report) accounts for around 10% of World aviation.

So how can folk in other countries best help the Japanese, or for that matter Pakistan where 6 million people were made homeless in last year’s floods? Is not the rest of the World building societies like Japan with too many people and excessive energy use? To make life in Japan sustainable does not the country have to say goodbye to the motor car and to flying? To help Japan do we not have to do the same.

In Chiang Mai is it not time we turned from the car and motor bike to the bicycle? Is it not time to cease building concrete and steel apartment buildings and houses, stopped concreting and widening roads? Doing these things is the best way we can help Japan rebuild but there is more to be done.

We need to make Chiang Mai safe for the eventuality of an earthquake here. Four hundred years ago a quake rent asunder the Chedi Luang. We need to survey all the city’s buildings to ensure they do not suffer collapse. For example I live atop a twelve storey apartment house which has a large empty swimming pool on the roof. Were it to be full of water I am told the building would be more stable in a quake. Should the owners not be required to maintain the pool? And what about the neighbours? Next door a new eight storey block is under construction. The building itself is earthquake proof as it has a huge thick solid steel and concrete foundation, but could my building topple and bring about its destruction?

And my last suggestion is about how to help the many Japanese residents of ChiangMai. Perhaps some would benefit from being given an extended period of refuge here as their homeland struggles to re-house the people who have lost their all. Please use the solidarity march to ask our Japanese friends here how best we can help them.  …  Best Wishes, Ricky Ward

That time of the year is upon us once again, the time where Chiang Mai and the surrounding provinces become a dangerous place to live and breathe.

For the lucky few, it’s time to pack up your bags and leave Chiang Mai for a few months, for most it’s the time where breathing becomes difficult, the smog becomes unbearable and the air quality in Chiang Mai reaches hazardous levels.

To help keep you up-to-date and to plan your days, we have added a new page for users to check the latest official air quality figures from Chiang Mai and selected locations across Thailand – Air Pollution in Chiang Mai, Thailand in a quick and simple way. An example of what you can expect to find can be seen here.

Current Air Pollution Levels in Chiang Mai

Find out more: Air Pollution in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Levels Explained

The above colour zones; Green, Yellow and Red zones have been calculated as follows.

PM10

The World Health Organization (WHO) 2005 air quality guidelines were used. This report sets a recommended limit of 50 µg/m3 in a 24-hour period and this has been presented in green. In order to help countries like Thailand to reduce their PM10 levels, the WHO published interim levels for which they have 3. The yellow area therefore represents interim level 3 which sets a limit of 75 µg/m3 in a 24-hour period. Anything above this is displayed in red which indicates a unhealthy air quality level.

Air Quality Index (AQI)

Each country around the world has it’s own ‘Air Quality Index’ or AQI guidelines and terminology can differ for example some countries call this measurement the ‘Air Pollution Index’ API (see Wikipedia entry). This monitors a number of components including sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), suspended particulates (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3). Thailand too has it’s own formula for calculating their AQI level (see PCD explanation), which has been used here.

What can we do to help?

Every year there is much talk about this major air quality issue, which usually includes many complaining about those who clear land through burning, the large increase in cars and trucks on the reads and the continuing development of green areas turning into concerete jungles.

In the past, lots of pressure has been put on local government and some positive action has been taken, for example the setup of a helpline to report illegal burning saw residents call in their masses.

Unfortunately the measures are only having a mild effect and as soon as levels return to “normal”, it’s all but forgotten for another year. More needs to be done, but what?

You can help

This website is lucky enough to receive a good number of visitors everyday, each of whom cares for Chiang Mai and is concerned for it’s welfare, especially when it comes to the rise in air pollution levels. We each have different skills and experience that enable us to suggest real ways to improve the situation.

We’d like to call on all of you now to get your thoughts on air quality in Chiang Mai:

• What do you think should be done?
• What measures should be put in place?
• What should local and national government be doing?
• How should local communities help?
• What can the expat community do to help?
• As a growing Chiang Mai community ourselves, what can we/should we do to help?

Please go to our forum now, take part in the discussion and lets work together to make a difference:

Forum Post: Air Pollution: What can we do about it?

นายกเทศมนตรีนครเชียงใหม่ขอเรียนเชิญท่านเข้าร่วมประชุมในวันพฤหัสบดีที่ 24 กุมภาพันธ์ 2554 เวลา 16.30 น.
ณ ห้องประชุม 1 เกี่ยวกับการพัฒนาพื้นที่สีเขียว กรุณาแจ้งตอบรับให้ด้วยค่ะ ธมณวรรณ์ สมณะ
Please come along and share your ideas below:

รัฐธรรมนูญแห่งราชอาณาจักรไทย

_______________
หมวด ๓

สิทธิและเสรีภาพของชนชาวไทย
ส่วนที่ ๑ บททั่วไป
มาตรา ๒๖ (การใช้อำนาจโดยองค์กรของรัฐ)

การใช้อำนาจโดยองค์กรของรัฐทุกองค์กร ต้องคำนึงถึงศักดิ์ศรีความเป็นมนุษย์ สิทธิและเสรีภาพ ตามบทบัญญัติแห่งรัฐธรรมนูญนี้

CHAPTER III
Rights and Liberties of Thai People

Part 1

General Provisions
Section 26. In exercising powers of all State authorities, regard shall be had to human dignity, rights and liberties in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

ส่วนที่ ๑๐ สิทธิในข้อมูลข่าวสารและการร้องเรียน
มาตรา ๕๗ (สิทธิได้รับข้อมูล คำชี้แจง และเหตุผลจากหน่วยงานของรัฐ)
บุคคลย่อมมีสิทธิได้รับข้อมูล คำชี้แจง และเหตุผลจากหน่วยราชการ หน่วยงานของรัฐ รัฐวิสาหกิจ หรือราชการส่วนท้องถิ่น ก่อนการอนุญาตหรือการดำเนินโครงการหรือกิจกรรมใดที่อาจมีผลกระทบต่อคุณภาพสิ่งแวดล้อม สุขภาพอนามัย คุณภาพชีวิต หรือส่วนได้เสียสำคัญอื่นใดที่เกี่ยวกับตนหรือชุมชนท้องถิ่น และมีสิทธิแสดงความคิดเห็นของตนต่อหน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้องเพื่อนำไปประกอบการพิจารณาในเรื่องดังกล่าว
การวางแผนพัฒนาสังคม เศรษฐกิจ การเมือง และวัฒนธรรม การเวนคืนอสังหาริมทรัพย์ การวางผังเมือง การกำหนดเขตการใช้ประโยชน์ในที่ดิน และการออกกฎที่อาจมีผลกระทบต่อส่วนได้เสียสำคัญของประชาชน ให้รัฐจัดให้มีกระบวนการรับฟังความคิดเห็นของประชาชนอย่างทั่วถึงก่อนดำเนินการ

Part 10
Rights to Information and Petition
Section 57. A person shall have the right to receive information, explanation and justification from a government agency, State agency, State enterprise or local government organisation before permission is given for the operation of any project or activity which may affect the quality of the environment, health and sanitary conditions, the quality of life or any other material interest concerning him or a local community and shall have the right to express his opinions on such matters to the concerned agencies for their consideration. The State shall organise public consultation thoroughly before the making of social, economic, politic and cultural development plan, the expropriation of immovable property, the making of town and country planning, the determination of land use, and the enactment of rule which may affect material interest of the public.

มาตรา ๕๙ (สิทธิเสนอเรื่องราวร้องทุกข์)
บุคคลย่อมมีสิทธิเสนอเรื่องราวร้องทุกข์และได้รับแจ้งผลการพิจารณาภายในเวลาอันรวดเร็ว

Section 59. A person shall have the right to present a petition and to be informed of the result of its consideration within the appropriate time.

ส่วนที่ ๑๒ สิทธิชุมชน
มาตรา ๖๖ (สิทธิอนุรักษ์หรือฟื้นฟูภูมิปัญญาท้องถิ่นและทรัพยากรธรรมชาติสิ่งแวดล้อม)

บุคคลซึ่งรวมกันเป็นชุมชน ชุมชนท้องถิ่น หรือชุมชนท้องถิ่นดั้งเดิมย่อมมีสิทธิอนุรักษ์หรือฟื้นฟูจารีตประเพณี ภูมิปัญญาท้องถิ่น ศิลปวัฒนธรรมอันดีของท้องถิ่นและของชาติ และมีส่วนร่วมในการจัดการ การบำรุงรักษา และการใช้ประโยชน์จากทรัพยากรธรรมชาติสิ่งแวดล้อม รวมทั้งความหลากหลายทางชีวภาพอย่างสมดุลและยั่งยืน
มาตรา ๖๗ (สิทธิอนุรักษ์ บำรุงรักษา และได้ประโยชน์จากทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ)

สิทธิของบุคคลที่จะมีส่วนร่วมกับรัฐและชุมชนในการอนุรักษ์ บำรุงรักษา และการได้ประโยชน์จากทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและความหลากหลายทางชีวภาพ และในการคุ้มครอง ส่งเสริม และรักษาคุณภาพสิ่งแวดล้อม เพื่อให้ดำรงชีพอยู่ได้อย่างปกติและต่อเนื่องในสิ่งแวดล้อมที่จะไม่ก่อให้เกิดอันตรายต่อสุขภาพอนามัย สวัสดิภาพ หรือคุณภาพชีวิตของตน ย่อมได้รับความคุ้มครองตามความเหมาะสม
การดำเนินโครงการหรือกิจกรรมที่อาจก่อให้เกิดผลกระทบต่อชุมชนอย่างรุนแรงทั้งทางด้านคุณภาพสิ่งแวดล้อม ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ และสุขภาพ จะกระทำมิได้ เว้นแต่จะได้ศึกษาและประเมินผลกระทบต่อคุณภาพสิ่งแวดล้อมและสุขภาพของประชาชนในชุมชน และจัดให้มีกระบวนการรับฟังความคิดเห็นของประชาชนและผู้มีส่วนได้เสียก่อน รวมทั้งได้ให้องค์การอิสระซึ่งประกอบด้วยผู้แทนองค์การเอกชนด้านสิ่งแวดล้อมและสุขภาพ และผู้แทนสถาบันอุดมศึกษาที่จัดการการศึกษาด้านสิ่งแวดล้อมหรือทรัพยากรธรรมชาติหรือด้านสุขภาพ ให้ความเห็นประกอบก่อนมีการดำเนินการดังกล่าว
สิทธิของชุมชนที่จะฟ้องหน่วยราชการ หน่วยงานของรัฐ รัฐวิสาหกิจ ราชการส่วนท้องถิ่นหรือองค์กรอื่นของรัฐที่เป็นนิติบุคคล เพื่อให้ปฏิบัติหน้าที่ตามบทบัญญัตินี้ ย่อมได้รับความคุ้มครอง

Part 12
Community Rights
Section 66. Persons assembling as to be a community, local community or traditional local community shall have the right to conserve or restore their customs, local wisdom, arts or good culture of their community and of the nation and participate in the management, maintenance and exploitation of natural resources, the environment and biological diversity in a balanced and sustainable fashion.
Section 67. The right of a person to participate with State and communities in the preservation and exploitation of natural resources and biological diversity and in the protection, promotion and conservation of the quality of the environment for usual and consistent survival in the environment which is not hazardous to his health and sanitary condition, welfare or quality of life, shall be protected appropriately. Any project or activity which may seriously affect the quality of the environment, natural resources and biological diversity shall not be permitted, unless its impacts on the quality of the environment and on health of the people in the communities have been studied and evaluated and consultation with the public and interested parties have been organised, and opinions of an independent organisation, consisting of representatives from private environmental and health organisations and from higher education institutions providing studies in the field of environment, natural resources or health, have been obtained prior to the operation of such project or activity.

The right of a community to sue a government agency, State agency, State enterprise, local government organisation or other State authority which is a juristic person to perform the duties under this section shall be protected.