Nuclear Boy Cartoon

I am beginning to dread my daily ritual of reading some of the international headlines on the news sites I read. Between the crisis in Japan, the invasion of Libya, and the other political issues in Yemen and Syria, it's a time of great conflict around the world these last few months.

There is some encouraging news about the nuclear crisis in Japan. An article today on the Huffington Post provided insight as to the possibility of mandatory safety standards being implemented for nuclear energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that there are some improvements in the serious situation in Japan, in particular the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear sites. Reports have surfaced as to the weaknesses of the current emergency responses to nuclear disasters, especially in light of the events in Japan and the safety records of Japanese nuclear plants are being closely examined. This has prompted discussion as to whether making safety standards mandatory is a good idea. Currently, the safety standards outlined by the IAEA are voluntary and there has been discussion as to whether it should be made mandatory. The IAEA is limited in its role as an advisor and each country is ultimately responsible for the safety measures taken.

My reflexive opinion is that yes, safety standards for nuclear energy should be made mandatory due to the potential dangers when equipment malfunctions or when a natural disaster compromises a nuclear facility. Nuclear energy can be potentially dangerous and efforts to promote safety measures should be encouraged. As I continued to read the article my opinions changed. Yukiya Amano (the head of the IAEA), suggests that not all board-members were on board with the proposal for mandatory safety measures. A great point was made that in order to create a consensus of all members, changes will be slow and almost certainly less than optimally effective. This seems to be a common theme in many development issues. Thinking back to my experiences in Model United Nations conferences in high school, any draft resolutions about issues like health or human rights (you name it), had to be scaled back from what would be ideal in order to create consensus among different country representatives. It is difficult to create consensus or even the support of the majority in international affairs.

On a slightly lighter note, I found this cartoon developed and broadcast on Japanese television to explain to children the series of events that have taken place over the last 10 days at the Fukushima nuclear plants. It is interesting and somewhat insightful however I have to wonder how much of the information presented in the cartoon children will actually be able to understand. I have included the video below, it is also available on Youtube.

Dubstep Music... & the Latest in Japan, Egypt, Libya, and Haiti

In response to requests to blog about dubstep music, I will say that dubstep is amazing music and I am excited to learn about the music culture in Ghana next year. (Perhaps they will have something similar to dubstep? who knows!)

Elsewhere around the world this weekend, the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan continues to unfold with continuing problems cooling nuclear reactors, food with higher than normal levels of radiation, and on a happier note, rescuers have found a grandmother and a young child in the rubble nine days after the disaster. Today was a landmark day in Egypt as the public was invited to vote on constitutional changes with  41% of 45 million eligible voters voting and 77.2% of those voters voted in favour of the changes. The conflict in Libya is continuing to escalate as the international community has become involved, with troops from the United States and Europe moving in to protect citizens. This military action, unlike the invasion of Iraq, was backed by the United Nations. Haiti is back in the headlines as the presidential elections take place today and some conflicting reports of Wyclef Jean (former member of the Fugees), and if he has been shot or has cut his hand on some glass.

Japan
Immediately following last Friday's earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese government has remained relatively unconcerned about the potential nuclear meltdown at several reactors. Cooling systems have failed and operators are taking drastic measures to try to cool the reactors including using salt water which has never been tried before. Toronto Star reporters in Japan suggested that while the Japanese people have been pleased with the quick responses from the government following the disaster, they might not be as happy with the government once the nuclear issues come to light. There are some clear discrepancies between Japanese media reports and those of Western journalists. For the mostpart, Japanese reports of the nuclear crisis downplayed the severity of the overheating reactors and maintained that operators had the situation under control. Outside reports painted a very different picture of the situation which is cause for alarm.
There are clear radiation leaks, tainted milk has been discovered 30km from the power plant and tainted spinach has been found up to 100km away. While the excess radiation is very slight (less than 1/5 of the radiation a person receives during a CAT scan), Japanese officials have banned the sale and export of foodstuffs and produce near the power plant sites.
Continued conflicting reports as to the current status of the nuclear plants in Japan are abundant with some claiming that the situation is under control, others claiming that the situation is worsening. Some cheerful news also from Japan this weekend as a grandmother and child were discovered in the rubble 9 days after the earthquake.

Egypt
Today marked the beginning of a new Egypt and has set the groundwork for presidential and parliamentary elections in the coming months. The constitutional amendments are supposed to facilitate the election process. This is an exciting time as for many Egyptians, this is the first free vote of their lives (really in 50 years). There are concerns about potential clashes between Christians and Muslims as violent confrontations between the two groups have continued to occur since Mubarak was forced out of office. Despite these concerns, 41% of the 45 million eligible voters cast a vote with an overwhelming 77.2%voting in favour of the proposed changes.

Libya
The situation in Libya continues to escalate as forces have entered the country in a United Nations- backed operation. Their objective is to protect the citizens of Libya. In response to the foreign forces attacking his army, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war" as foreign forces continue to move in. Rebels lost considerable ground in recent weeks as they were unable to compete against Gadhafi's overwhelming military power. The Pope has issued a statement regarding the crisis in Libya. Pope Benedict XVI has urged for those in a position of power to provide access to humanitarian aid and to protect Libyan civilians.

Haiti
The presidential elections are underway in Haiti today. Wyclef Jean was seen casting a ballot in the election despite suffering an injury to his hand.

It has been a busy weekend around the world. Hopefully the unrest in the Middle East will be nearer conclusion