I'm here for my children

p strongIrsquo;m here for my children/strong/p p emIn Tokyo 20,000 voices gather in resistance to nuclear power/em/p p nbsp;/p p June 11supth/supmarked the 3 month anniversary of the earthquake and Tsunami that devastated Japanrsquo;s northeast coast, killing 23,000 people and forcing 90,000 into temporary shelters. nbsp;Images of the Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant and the memory of Chernobyl have brought the issue of nuclear power and its human and environmentalnbsp;consequences to the forefront.nbsp; The spirits of those who have passed in the wake of the tragedy now speak through the livingmdash;including mothers, fathers, youth, elders, fisherman and farmersmdash;calling for an end to the use of nuclear power and to the restoration of healthy soil and clean water.nbsp; 20,000 of our brothers and sisters came out in unity in Tokyo Square to give voice to the anger and frustration with the governmentrsquo;s handling of what has been called the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.nbsp; Much of the frustration is over inadequate information concerning radiation leaked from the Dai-Ichi plant, exposure of plant workers, effects on human health, the food and water supply.nbsp; This was the case in Chernobyl where the release of information was delayed to avoid alarming the public.nbsp; But as Janette Sherman M.D., author of ldquo;Lifersquo;s Delicate Balance: Causes and Prevention of Breast Cancer and Chemical Exposure and Diseaserdquo; stated, ldquo;The public has a right to know what the risks are and how, if possible, to avoid those risksmdash;as much as possiblerdquo;./p p nbsp;/p p The government of Japan issued a 750 page report to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)mdash;the U.N nuclear agencymdash;citing design flaws in the Dai-Ichi reactor and a greater need for enforcement among its nuclear regulators.nbsp; The level of radiation exposure emanating from the Dai-Ichi plant was initially estimated at one-tenth the levels released at Chernobyl.nbsp; The report submitted to the IAEA comes a day after Japanrsquo;s nuclear safety agency said that the estimated amount of radiation is much more than previously estimated-- one sixth the level of Chernobylmdash;twice the level of initial estimates./p p nbsp;/p p ldquo;Irsquo;m here for my childrenrdquo; a mother said, holding her 3 year old daughter.nbsp; ldquo;We want our old life back, where the water is safe and the air is cleanrdquo;.nbsp; Radiation levels in soil near schools and daycare centers are at dangerous levels.nbsp; A recent protest at a prominent school administratorrsquo;s office saw parents turned away, with more questions than answers.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p For many, it was their first protest.nbsp; Such was the case ofnbsp; Mr. Fujimoto, a farmer.nbsp; His words expressed the sentiment of those who work the land.nbsp; ldquo;I want to tell people that Irsquo;m just so worried about the soil, about the water.nbsp; I now farm with a Geiger counter in one hand, my tools in the otherrdquo;./p p nbsp;/p p For a nation with few natural energy resources, the use of nuclear power was Japanrsquo;s alternative to burning fossil fuels, reducing carbon dioxide emissions.nbsp; Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced new plans to deal with the countryrsquo;s energy needs.nbsp;nbsp; The pre-Fukushima plan was to expand nuclear power to provide half the countryrsquo;s energy needs by 2030, up from 30 percent.nbsp; The new plan will call for renewable energy sources to provide 20% of the countryrsquo;s energy needs in the 2020rsquo;s.nbsp; Kan received a no-confidence vote in early June for his handling of the disasters and the recovery plans and has promised to step down when the recovery is firmly in place.nbsp; Workers are working tirelessly to bring the reactors to a ldquo;cold shutdownrdquo; by early next year.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p The workers in the Dai-Ichi plant are at serious risk due to their proximity to the reactors and fuel rods that have lost theirnbsp;protective layernbsp;ofnbsp;water.nbsp; Dr. Sherman makes the connection between the Dai-Ichi plant workers and the ldquo;Liquidatorsrdquo; at Chernobylmdash;both being exposed to dangerous levels of gamma and neutron radiation.nbsp; The radiation enters the body via food, water and inhalation.nbsp; The children of ldquo;Liquidatorrdquo; families were afflicted withnbsp;birth defects and thyroid diseases and loss of intellect.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p The nuclear crisis has led other nations to rethink their nuclear policies as well.nbsp; Germany announced it will phase out all nuclear plants by 2022, temporarily shutting down its seven oldest plants for inspectionmdash;then shutting them down for good.nbsp; In a referendum election in Italy, voters turned back a proposal to revive nuclear energy and privatize the water system./p p nbsp;/p