The Fukushima Nuclear Plant Crisis

In all the publicity of the terrible earth quake and tsunami in Japan there is a huge amount of TV time devoted to the striken Fukushima Nuclear Plant. In China and Europe Governments are considering closing down existing nuclear plants until further studies show them to be safe.
Sadly many thousands have died in the Tsunami in Japan, but as yet no-one has died as a result of emissions from the Nuclear Plant.
Even though these reactors are 40 years old the safety engineering ( thick steel shield plus reinforced concrete shield) has done its job and has prevented major release of radiation into the surrounding area even with the biggest earthquake ever in Japan and the Tsunami that knocked out the standby generators. The effect here is much less than at Chernobyl in 1986.
The Chernobyl meltdown was hideous and traumatic. The plant there did not have the thick steel shield plus reinforced concrete shield. The official death toll so far appears to be 43 workers in the initial few months, then a further 15 civilians by 2005. Totally unacceptable, of course; but a tiny fraction of the deaths for which climate change is likely to be responsible, through its damage to the food supply, its contribution to the spread of infectious diseases and its degradation of the quality of life for many of the world's poorest people.
Coal is the primary driver of human-caused climate change. If its combustion is not curtailed, it could kill millions of times more people than nuclear power plants have done so far, see this:
Coal mining: Most deadly job in China
By Zhao Xiaohui & Jiang Xueli (Xinhua)
China produced 35 percent of the world's coal last year, but reported 80 percent of the total deaths in coal mine accidents, according to statistics with the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS). Coal mining has become the most deadly job in China. There is about one death every 7 days.

However people are very worried about radiation and this worry can feed on itself and the news people love this. Today a fake text message warning people that radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant has leaked beyond Japan has been panicking people across Asia including in here in Thailand. It is complete rubbish !!
FAKE E-MAIL (from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12745128).
BBC Flash news : Japan Government confirms radiation leak at Fukushima nuclear plants. Asian countries should take necessary precautions. If rain comes, remain indoors first 24, remain indoors first 24 hours. Close doors and windows. Swab neck skin with betadine where thyroid area is, radiation hits thyroid first. Take extra precautions. Radiation may hit Philippine at around 4 pm today. If it rains today or in the next few days in Hong Kong. Do not go under the rain. If you get caught out, use an umbrella or raincoat, even if it is only a drizzle. Radioactive particles, which may cause burns, alopecia or even cancer, may be in the rain.

Visit to Hospital

Visit to Hospital: "Photos by Anthony Margetts, Mar 1, 2011 - I bought a new knife and managed to cut my arm then a quick trip on a motor bike taxi to Bangkok hospital nearby"

Went to see Eric Clapton in Bangkok

Rocking chair with jet engines
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/02/18/life/images/30148984-06.jpg
I sat there watching an old man. There were several telling moments in the show, and one of them came during "Layla" - we got the acoustic version, alas. To me he looked for all the world like a grizzled old geezer on a park bench, oversize glasses halfway down his nose, squinting into the distance, challenging passers-by as if to say, "Do you know who I used to be?"
It comes to us all !!

Palm Oil Shortage

DSI launches probe on palm oil hoarding
The Thai Government have decreed that diesel must contain 3% palm oil, this is to start to achieve CO2 emmission targets, but now we have a major shortage of cooking oil in the markets here and the price has shot up above the government set price limit. Lack of joined up thinking, 3% of diesel usage is way above the normal level of cooking oil consumption.

Beer Culture in Thailand

See this article for explanation of beer culture in Thailand. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/bloomberg-who-likes-his-beer-with-ice-would-fit-right-in-in-thailand/?hp

Cambodian, Thai troops clash near Disputed Temple

PHNOM PENH, February 4, 2011 (AFP) - Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged heavy arms fire near a disputed temple on the two countries' shared border on Friday, officials said, as tensions between the neighbours boiled over.

Chhum Socheat, a spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Defence, said both sides were using "mortar and artillery". The Thai army reported two wounded in the skirmish, which follows reports of a military buildup on both sides of the border in recent days. Shells had landed close to the ancient Preah Vihear temple area, which is claimed by both sides, locals said, but reports suggested the fighting later subsided.
Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon played down the significance of the incident. "We are negotiating now and I am sure that everything will be fine," he said.
Both Thailand and Cambodia accused the other of starting the fighting, the first since April 2009.
Cambodia's state news agency reported that "at least four" Thai soldiers were believed to have been captured, quoting government spokesman Phay Siphan, accusing Thai troops of "invading".
"We have a right to self-defence against the Thai invasion to protect our land," he said.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said he did not know what had initially sparked it. "They fired at us first so we retaliated," he said. A Thai army official at the border said fighting broke out at 3.10pm local time (0810 GMT) at Phu Makuea, near the 11th-century temple.
Residents in nine villages along the Thai side of the frontier have been asked to take shelter or leave the area, said a senior district official at Kantharalak in the border province of Si Sa Ket.
Cambodia is also evacuating villages in the area.
Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya was Friday in Cambodia for talks with his Cambodian counterpart. Tensions between the two countries have flared in recent weeks in the wake of the arrest of seven Thai nationals for illegal entry into Cambodia in late December.
Five of the group were given suspended sentences and have since returned to Thailand. The other two, high-profile nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary, were sentenced to lengthy jail terms for spying, in a case that has caused outrage among Thailand's "Yellow Shirts".
Another border spat has focused on the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is built in the disputed area. Thailand on Monday demanded that Cambodia remove its flag from the pagoda, which it said was "situated on Thai territory" -- a claim Cambodia vehemently rejects.
Both sides have been talking tough on the border issue, which some observers say serves nationalist goals at home on both sides. But a foreign observer who did not wish to be named expressed surprise at the clash as both armies had appeared to be keen to ease hostilities.
"They will try to calm any increase in tensions coming from the politicians. They do not want to fight, especially not over politics," he said.
Ties between the neighbouring countries have been strained since July 2008 by a series of deadly border clashes over land surrounding the temple after it was granted UN World Heritage status.
The World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear itself belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand. The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute.
The Thai-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.
Hundreds of Yellow Shirts have camped out around Government House in Bangkok since last week, demonstrating against its handling of the border dispute, and the group plans a larger rally on Saturday. Yellow Shirts are a force to be reckoned with in Thailand's colour-coded politics and have helped to claim the scalps of three governments in under five years, including that of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

January in England

Tony Tours Thailand went to England in January, click on the picture to see more walking on Kinder, a visit to the climbing wall and some pubs in Stockport