Contaminated Rice, Radiation Problems Continue for Japan (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Radiation is an ongoing problem for Japan with recent reports focusing on contaminated rice. The lasting impact of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami continues to affect the country. However, I am forced to question why the rice was being grown in areas contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Officials were aware of the nuclear plants releasing iodine 131 and cesium 137 into the air in March, yet they seem to have allowed food production to continue.

Lasting Tragedy

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami led to the damage of several Japanese nuclear power plants. The release of radioactive materials including iodine 131 and cesium 137 forced officials to caution residents about drinking milk and eating contaminated food. However, they also assured residents that the land surrounding the nuclear plants would be free from the effects of radiation within a few weeks. This was misleading information because cesium 137's half-life, the time necessary for half of it to decay, is 30 years.

Problems

Scientists warned Japan that the effects of radiation would not disappear quickly. Soil and water contamination would continue to be hurdles for many years. Although Japan made a commitment to continue testing food for radiation levels, it has allowed crops to grow in contaminated areas. The impact of eating food contaminated with radioactive particles may be difficult to measure initially. However, there is a strong link to cancer.

Rice and Tea

Japan's contaminated rice may have grabbed more headlines, but it is not the first time that the issue of radiation and food has come to the surface. In June, the Japanese government attempted to stop tea shipments because high levels of cesium 137 were found. The tea contained 3,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium. Compared to Japan's regulations of not exceeding 500 becquerels of cesium per kilogram, this was an extremely high amount.

The most disturbing aspect of the tea story is that it questions the officials' ability to stop shipments. The governor of the area with the contaminated product was defiant and blatantly announced his refusal to follow the government's instructions. How safe is Japan's food supply and how is this affecting other nations who receive the imports? Although it is obvious the country is making a strong effort to test food and shipments, are they able to control all of the situations and how many products go untested? Japan must face these uncomfortable questions as the country continues to deal with the aftermath of March 11.

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Political churn in Japan does not solve problems - The Seattle Times

GLUM American voters can only imagine the funk that envelops Japanese politics. The governing Democratic Party of Japan meets Monday to select the nation's seventh prime minister in six years.

In office only 15 months, Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced Friday he would resign after his party picks a new leader. Kan was supposed to be the creative outsider who could combine strong public approval ratings and the DPJ's decisive parliamentary advantage to overhaul the economy. Then came the twin disasters in March.

The tsunami and flooding that took out the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant triggered a national tragedy and it created a political opportunity Kan failed to exploit. The public wanted leadership in the wake of the natural and nuclear calamities, but he was not perceived as having delivered. He championed a move away from nuclear power — embraced by the public and loathed by the political establishment — but Kan's intentions became muddled.

Internal party politics and scandal complicate even the guessing about a successor for Kan. If events proceed on course, the DPJ's choice on Monday would be endorsed Tuesday by the lower house of parliament, which the party controls. If names are in short supply, desirable traits are not. Key among them, communication skills.

Expect the next prime minister to be a chatterbox. A willingness to meet and greet the public and media is a must. Kan's reluctance to engage anxious Japanese citizens cost him dearly.

Japan's economy, the envy of the planet in the 1980s, has been dormant for two decades. Government debt is the largest among developed nations. Japan's economic and political systems spent years avoiding tough decisions.

The nuclear disaster adds a basic concern about how to safely keep the lights on.

Survey results find frustrated Americans eager to throw the bums out and start fresh. Japan's experience is that experience counts. They crave continuity.

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