Surprise! Yet more bad news from Japan

Or rather, no surprise, sadly:

Japan Finds More Foods Tainted By Radioactive Material

As more radioactive material from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant finds its way into the environment, Japan's health ministry is compiling a growing list of foods that have been contaminated.

First came reports of tainted milk, spinach and other leafy greens. Then on Sunday, the health ministry released a new list with a total of 99 different products that had tested positive for radioactive iodine-131 and cesium-137 in Tokyo and five other prefectures. Some of those foods might surprise you.

--Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)

--Cucumbers

--Chrysanthemum (Shungiku)

--Mustard greens (Mizuna)

--Green onions

Unfortunately, that's not the only bad news for and from Japan today, either:

Japan in 'Maximum Alert' as It Struggles to Contain Nuclear Crisis

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his government was "in a state of maximum alert" as the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant continues to spread, with radioactive contamination in the air, soil and water near the plant. Crews used sandbags to prevent radioactive water from the plant from leaking into the Pacific Ocean, and plutonium found in some soil indicates a possible melting of one of the plant's reactors. If a reactor were to completely melt down, massive amounts of radioactive material would be released.

The "ultimate takeaway", for me, from this Japan Fukushima reactor meltdown, due to the earthquake and tsunami?

I bet we learn very little from this multi-level tragedy but end up pressing on, blindly, with nuclear energy.  (With the exception of Germany, who already said they were wisely, singularly, apparently going to bail on the technology).

Wanna' bet?

Link:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/03/29/134930199/japan-finds-more-foods-tainted-by-radioactive-material?ps=sh_sthdl
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/03/japan-in-maximum-alert-as-it-struggles-to-contain-nuclear-crisis.html

Waiting for no other shoe to drop

News out today says Iran is injecting fuel into their first nuclear reactor:

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran began loading fuel into the core of its first atomic power plant on Tuesday, moving closer to the start up of a facility that leaders have touted as defying of international efforts to curtail the country's nuclear ambitions.


Hopefully Israel's calmer heads are prevailing and there's no plan to attack Iran because of this.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not on Iran's side or an Iranian supporter of any kind but a war between nations in the Middle East is the last thing the world needs, now or at any time, certainly.


Cross your fingers, folks.  Here's hoping there's no bombing of any kind.


Link to original post:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iran_nuclear