Nuclear disaster and global ethics (Summary)
(Speech to be made on March 16, 2015 at the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai )
Preface
The increased menace of nuclear terrorism has awakened the world to the
urgent task of abolishing all nuclear reactors in the world. It is no
longer an ideal, but an imperative necessity to realize the vision of
President Obama for a “World without Nuclear Weapons” just as soon as
possible.
Global ethics and human rights
Nowadays the drawbacks of nuclear power are evident, and many even
consider this method to generate power a high risk. Nuclear technology
was born in a period of paternal civilisation and in the belief, that
this technology would solve all problems. Today a maternal
civilisation, which is based on solidarity and tolerance, should
replace the paternal system of risk taking and sole reliance on
technolgy.
In the past years I had numerous discussions on the option of
introducing a “UN Ethics Summit” as forum for a high level dialogue on
ethical issues, convinced that the true cause of the crisis facing the
world is the lack of ethics.
.Considering the ongoing progressive nuclearisation of the earth,
future generations will be innocent victims of radioactive
contamination. Measures are definitely required to open the way for
eventual and potential radiation victims to file a legal suite before
an international institution. It is a serious human rights issue.
The situation of the Fukushima nuclear plant ~not under control
Units 1, 2 and 3 remain inaccessible because of lethal levels of
radiation surrounding the buildings. Their containment vessels need a
constant flow of nitrogen to maintain low levels of oxygen in order to
prevent hydrogen explosions.
The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Agency is reported to envisage the
release of treated contaminated water (241,000 tons out of 590,000
tons) into the sea.
In spite of all this, the Japanese government is now vigorously
promoting the restart of nuclear reactors shut down after the Fukushima
disaster.
Nuclear reactors threaten global security
After Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukushima, it has become Japan’s historic
role to contribute to the true denuclearization of the earth, both
civilian and military.
In Belgium, a steam turbine of the Doel-4 reactor was severely damaged
by an act of sabotage last August. The same month, a number of rockets
were fired at facilities in Israel (Reuters). These facts alone are
sufficient to support the assertion that the mere existence of more
than 430 nuclear reactors in the world constitutes a serious global
safety and security problem. Nuclear reactors are no less dangerous
than nuclear weapons.
Fukushima has shown that the existence of a nuclear reactor itself constitutes a security problem.
Consequently, it is required to strengthen the international control over the safety of more than 430 reactors in the world.
The fate of the world will be decided by the utility or electric power
companies, if no drastic change takes place, learning the lessons of
Fukushima.
Fukushima is being forgotten !
Chernobyl is facing a new crisis. The period of durability of the
decaying sarcophagus ends in 2016.The building of the shelter being
constructed through international cooperation will not be accomplished
in time for shortage of fund (615million EUR). Ukraine is faced with
serious financial difficulties, in addition to its internal strife with
pro-Russian citizens.
A new international system needed
We need a new international system that obliges all the governments
struck by a nuclear disaster to consecrate maximum efforts to solve the
crisis and to mobilize human wisdom on the widest possible scope to
concretize international cooperation.
The reform of the IAEA
The IOC continues to ignore the legitimate requests by the public to
have an independent assessment team of experts to reassure the safety
of Tokyo. The not forthcoming reply from the IOC is based on the
official assertions of the Japanese Government whose credibility is
more and more questioned. They are in conformity with the position of
the IAEA.
It represents the interests of the utility, minimizing the dangers of
radioactive contamination and the consequences of nuclear accidents.
The IAEA needs urgent reforms and much better funding in order to
accomplish its mission of control of all existing nuclear installations
world wide.
The reform of the IAEA has now been requested both by a former Japanese
Prime Minister and a former Swiss President. They assert that
international control over the safety of existing nuclear plants must
be strengthened.
Maximum efforts needed to cope with Fukushima crisis
After the Chernobyl accident, a sarcophagus was constructed within 7
months. Actually, a huge shelter is being built by dint of
international cooperation.
Actually, the average number of daily workers at the site is more than
7000 at present. The difficulty of procuring workers at the site is
beyond imagination. The lack of the sense of crisis over Fukushima is
in stark contrast to the gravity of the crisis.
Maximum efforts must be made by Japan to stop the worsening of the actual
situation. The honorable retreat from Tokyo Olympic Games to enable
this seems imperative. Japanese civil society will not allow the
irresponsibility of organizing the Tokyo Olympic Games without prior
reassurance of the safety of Tokyo by the International Olympic
Committeee.
Fukushima is a crisis for Japan as a nation. It is a crisis of the
global environment for the international community. It is surprisingly
being treated as a crisis for the management of electric companies. The
total assumption of responsibilities by the State is indispensable.
It is noteworthy that a proposal to establish an International Task
Force Fukushima (ITFF) is gaining substantial support abroad.
UN Ethics Summit
Attributing far higher value to ethical thinking and doing so on a
global level would best guarantee human rights. It will give ready
evidence to the lack of ethics inherent in the technology of nuclear
energy.
I am convinced, that the adequately reformed IAEA, in association
with the national Japanese organizations, can and should play a greater
role in coping with the disaster of Fukushima”.
I join many others in calling for a UN Ethics Summit that paves the way
for global ethics, maternal civilization and true denuclearization.
Nuclear disaster and global ethics
(Speech to be made on March 16, 2015 at the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai )
Preface
It goes without saying that genuine denuclearization, both military and
civilian, makes the greatest contribution to disaster risk reduction.
The increased menace of nuclear terrorism has awakened the world to the
urgent task of abolishing all nuclear reactors in the world. It is no
longer an ideal, but an imperative necessity to realize the vision of
President Obama for a “World without Nuclear Weapons” just as soon as
possible.
Global ethics and human rights
Nowadays the drawbacks of nuclear power are evident, and many even
consider this method to generate power a high risk. Nuclear technology
was born in a period of paternal civilisation and in the belief, that
this technology would solve all problems. Today a maternal
civilisation, which is based on solidarity and tolerance, should
replace the paternal system of risk taking and sole reliance on
technolgy.
In the past years I had numerous discussions on the option of
introducing a “UN Ethics Summit” as forum for a high level dialogue on
ethical issues, convinced that the true cause of the crisis facing the
world is the lack of ethics.
Considering the ongoing progressive nuclearisation of the earth, future
generations will be innocent victims of radioactive contamination.
Measures are definitely required to open the way for eventual and
potential radiation victims to file a legal suite before an
international institution. It is a serious human rights issue.
In this connection, it should be noted that the permissible annual
level of radiation exposure has been dangerously heightened in Japan
after the March 11th accident. 1 millisievert (mSv) has been elevated
to 20 mSv for residents in affected areas. The government increased the
annual limit for nuclear workers’ radiation exposure from 100 mSv to
250 mSv in “emergency situations”. The International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) is reported to have suggested raising the limit to 500
mSv!
The situation of the Fukushima nuclear plant ~not under control
Units 1, 2 and 3 remain inaccessible because of lethal levels of
radiation in the buildings. Their containment vessels need a constant
flow of nitrogen to maintain low levels of oxygen in order to prevent
hydrogen explosions.
The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Agency is reported to envisage the
release of treated contaminated water (241,000 tons out of 590,000
tons) into the sea. It will contain tritium. The dangers of tritium
remind us of its legal releases from the reprocessing plants (
Rokkasho-mura and Tokai-mura) that, if operated at nominal capacity,
surpass by far the current release from Fukushima.
In the joint petition made in 2003 against the ITER（International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ）issued by Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba,
Nobel Prize Laureate, and Prof. Akira Hasegawa, Maxwell Prize Laureate,
we notice that ITER containing two kilograms of tritium could kill up
to two million people.
On February 24, it was revealed that highly contaminated water had
leaked into the open sea since last April and that Tepco had not made
it public until that day. Tepco did not report it to the government.
It is now obvious to anyone that the Fukushima Daiichi is not under control.
In spite of all this, the Japanese government is now vigorously
promoting the restart of nuclear reactors shut down after the Fukushima
disaster.
The world needs to be reminded of the warning of the late German President
Richard von Weizsaecker: “Those who close their eyes to the past will remain blind regarding the future."
Nuclear reactors threaten global security
After Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukushima, it has become Japan’s historic
role to contribute to the true denuclearization of the earth, both
civilian and military.
In Belgium, a steam turbine of the Doel-4 reactor was severely damaged
by an act of sabotage last August. The same month, a number of rockets
were fired at facilities in Israel (Reuters). These facts alone are
sufficient to support the assertion that the mere existence of more
than 430 nuclear reactors in the world constitutes the most serious
global safety and security problem. Nuclear reactors are no less
dangerous than nuclear weapons.
After discovering thousands of additional fault indications in two
Belgian reactor pressure vessels, the head of the Belgian safety
authorities stated in February 2015: "This is possibly a worldwide
problem for the whole nuclear sector. The solution lies in carrying out
detailed inspections in all 430 nuclear reactors worldwide".
Fukushima has shown that the existence of a nuclear reactor itself constitutes a security problem.
Consequently, it is required to strengthen the international control over the safety of more than 430 reactors in the world.
Moreover, we should establish international control over the nuclear
policies of the concerned countries and the manner in which these
policies are executed .
The fate of the world will be decided by the utility or electric power
companies, if no drastic change takes place, learning the lessons of
Fukushima.
Japan knows more than any other country the real and present dangers of
nuclear reactors. It is a serious security problem that much of the
world continues to promote nuclear power generation even after
Fukushima, totally ignoring its lessons.
Even after the March 11th disaster, Japan has not revised the basic
nuclear law intended to promote nuclear power generation as a national
policy! Japan’s governability is now questioned.
It is increasingly pointed out that Fukushima is being forgotten !
Chernobyl is facing a new crisis. The period of durability of the
decaying sarcophagus ends in 2016.The building of the shelter being
constructed through international cooperation will not be accomplished
in time for shortage of fund (615million EUR). Ukraine is faced with
serious financial difficulties, in addition to its internal strife with
pro-Russian citizens.
A new international system needed
We need a new international system that obliges all the governments
struck by a nuclear disaster to consecrate maximum efforts to solve the
crisis and to mobilize human wisdom on the widest possible scope to
concretize international cooperation.
Fukushima is revealing the limitations of a government facing a
national crisis, its longevity being but several years. Nuclear
accidents have shown the necessity of coping with their consequences
quasi- permanently.
The current Japanese system of coping with the consequences of
Fukushima is faulty and needs a drastic change. Japan is in need of
international solidarity and powerful international cooperation.
The reform of the IAEA
The IOC continues to ignore the legitimate requests by the public to
have an independent assessment team of experts to reassure the safety
of Tokyo. The not forthcoming reply from the IOC is based on the
official assertions of the Japanese Government whose credibility is
more and more questioned. They are in conformity with the position of
the IAEA.
It represents the interests of the utility, minimizing the dangers of
radioactive contamination and the consequences of nuclear accidents.
The IAEA needs urgent reforms and much better funding in order to
accomplish its mission of control of all existing nuclear installations
world- wide.
The reform of the IAEA has now been requested both by a Former Japanese
Prime Minister and a Former Swiss President. They assert that
international control over the safety of existing nuclear plants must
be strengthened. Their plea deserves wide international support.
They support the decision of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs and
Associations to make March 11th an International Day for Global Ethics.
Maximum efforts needed to cope with Fukushima crisis
After the Chernobyl accident, a sarcophagus was constructed within 7
months. Actually, a huge shelter is being built by dint of
international cooperation.
Actually, the average number of daily workers at the site is more than
7000 at present. The difficulty of procuring workers at the site is
beyond imagination. Homeless people have been hired off the streets to
do
dangerous decontamination work. The lack of the sense of crisis over
Fukushima is in stark contrast to the gravity of the crisis.
Maximum efforts must be made by Japan to stop the worsening of the actual
situation. The honorable retreat from Tokyo Olympic Games to enable
this seems imperative. Japanese civil society will not allow the
irresponsibility of organizing the Tokyo Olympic Games without prior
reassurance of the safety of Tokyo by the International Olympic
Committeee.
Fukushima is a crisis for Japan as a nation. It is a crisis of the
global environment for the international community. It is surprisingly
being treated as a crisis for the management of electric companies. The
total assumption of responsibilities by the State is indispensable.
It is noteworthy that a proposal to establish an International Task
Force Fukushima (ITFF) is gaining substantial support abroad.
UN Ethics Summit
Attributing far higher value to ethical thinking and doing so on a
global level would best guarantee human rights. It will give ready
evidence to the lack of ethics inherent in the technology of nuclear
energy.
I am convinced, that the adequately reformed IAEA, in association
with the national Japanese organizations, can and should play a greater
role in coping with the disaster of Fukushima”.
I join many others in calling for a UN Ethics Summit that paves the way
for global ethics, maternal civilization and true denuclearization.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote me in his letter dated March 2,
2013 that he would gladly support such a summit if member-states submit
it to the General Assembly.
Thank you for your kind attention.
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