Radiation in Japan: Chernobyl-Affected Trees from Europe Sold in Japan?
Ignorance can be deadly. Literally.
An enlightening article about how some European countries have been disposing of the trees that were contaminated by the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident 25 years ago...in Japan!
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/08/radiation-in-japan-chernobyl-affected...
Posted by: Gardening Gal
Newest "Twist" On Radioactive Lumber in Japan
Potentially Radioactive Lumber to Be Promoted with "Eco-Point" Incentive?
"Seiji Maehara, who lost his bid to become the party leader and the prime minister of Japan, has nonetheless landed on a very powerful party position as the chairman of the DPJ's policy bureau."
"He went to Fukushima, and after visiting with the evacuees from Iitate-mura, he disclosed his party's plan to use the "eco-point" system for residential housing to promote timber from the disaster-affected area."
Aggghhhhh.
"What is the "eco-point" for houses? Well, if you build or renovate your house with energy saving features and alternative energy features (eg. solar panels) the government will give you "eco-points". Then you can use the points at participating stores and buy whatever you want to buy with the points."
"Maehara is saying the government may entice builders to use the lumber from the disaster-affected area with "eco-points", even if the potentially radioactive lumber has nothing to do with energy saving."
"Iitate-mura's major industry is forestry. Iitate-mura's mountains and forests have been contaminated with whatever fell on them - radioactive cesium, plutonium, strontium. No one has tested them (if someone did, he's not saying anything), but the contamination should be an order of magnitude bigger than the radioactive firewood from Rikuzen Takata City in Iwate Prefecture."
"If Mr. Maehara has his way, the contaminated trees are to be cut from the contaminated mountains and hauled out of the mountains, disturbing the contaminated soil and dead leaves, and made into lumber in a village with high air radiation level and sold all over Japan with "eco-points", in order for the rest of the Japanese to help the villagers."
"This is "socializing the cost" to the extreme."
"Oh it's just outside of the trees that is radioactive. In lumber, there will be no radiation, it's safe" will be the mantra. "Don't you want to help the victims of the accident?" will be another."
Read the full story here:
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/09/potentially-radioactive-lumber-to-be....
For years Japan was buying
For years Japan was buying up fir trees from the U.S. northwest and submerging them to keep for later use, presumably after the world's forests were stripped bare. They have probably done the same with trees logged from areas around Chernobyl. Now, all those trees will be contaminated with radioactivity from Fukushima. Double dose for the "Chernobyl" trees.
Japan Buying US Trees
Japan has been buying US coastal redwood trees, shipping them to Japan, milling them into lumber...and re-selling the lumber back to the US.
I wasn't aware of their "saltwater storage" of fir trees. I'm assuming it is saltwater storage???? I understand saltwater is good for preserving certain types of woods.