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<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Joseph,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>But what of, in relation to "The engineers at
Fukushima Dai-ichi" that: "the fact that multiple personnel died" ? I
hadn't heard this. And, in relation to "levels of radiation" ?
Is this a case of UK media under-reporting? Surely, if we are discussing
media, we need to indicate sources.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Roger</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tetsuwan@comcast.net href="mailto:tetsuwan@comcast.net">Mark Mays</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, March 21, 2011 5:04
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Is US media sensationalizing
the nuclear angle</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV>I haven’t read any reports, whether it is claimed there is no danger
outside the evacuation radius or not, that said the situation was under
control. The US govt has been suspicious of the reports coming from JPN
govt/TEPCO, which is why I think the NRC chair went public with his
misgivings. After that, Kan or someone, allowed US assistance. However, the
NRC now believes the TEPCO employees have made significant progress. That’s
the reporting we’re seeing now.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Many minds in the crowdsource intelligentsia are focused on what’s
happening with cooling the plants. It will be interesting to read what is said
when they turn their attention to long term effects.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Guess I can’t speak for everyone on all listserves but I don’t think
calling the US media out on bad or alarmist reporting equals an ostrich like
attitude towards a story that isn’t over yet. </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=murphy7312@ufl.edu
href="mailto:murphy7312@ufl.edu">Joseph Murphy</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, March 20, 2011 11:40 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Is US media sensationalizing the nuclear
angle</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">Dear
Colleagues,
<DIV>One of the most interesting things about being in Japan during a global
event, is seeing the difference between how it is reported in Japan, and how
it is reported in Europe and America. I've heard, from many of my
colleagues in the Japan studies field, a similar take, that the US media is
overplaying the nuclear angle. I'm no fan of the US media, but as an engineer,
I am frankly appalled. If article after article, and expert after expert
are asserting that there is absolutely no danger outside the immediate
vicinity, they are wrong. While the acute effects of a worst-case
scenario involving catastrophic release of gamma radiation would be confined
to a 20-30 km radius, the possible long-term effects are serious, and reach
much further. You've got 3 different primary contaminants (iodine,
cesium, strontium), with 3 different half-lives, and 2 different possible ways
of diffusion (air and water). In a serious meltdown, airborne
contamination could certainly reach Tokyo within hours, depending on
prevailing winds (do we really want to put our eggs in the offshore wind
basket), contaminants fall on the ground where they are absorbed by plants,
animals eat the plants, it's in the food supply, popping up potentially
anywhere in the country, for years. This is not a one in a million
scenario, it was one in twenty at times last week for Fukushima Dai-ichi.
<DIV>That's largely iodine contamination, which dissipates to safe levels in 6
months. Cesium and Strontium, with much longer half-lives, are around
for 100's of years at dangerous levels. The cesium and strontium plume
from Chernobyl is currently nearing the Kiev water table. The lump of
radioactive material from a meltdown sits there for centuries. The
surrounding 30 km area would be a no-persons' land.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The engineers at Fukushima Dai-ichi worked heroically, they have so much
pride in their plants they will risk their lives, but the fact that multiple
personnel died, and 50+ endured life-threatening levels of radiation, say
clearly that this was not under control. The industry plans based on
insurance actuarial tables for 100 year scenarios, that is the legal
obligation to their shareholders. Then a 1000 year scenario visits, as
geological time is likely to do. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Anyway, unlike Hurricane Andrew, unlike Katrina, unlike the earthquake
and tsunami in Indonesia, the relief effort in Japan was compounded over the
first week by an escalating, potentially catastrophic nuclear crisis, that
could itself affect all aspects of recovery, from infrastructure to food
production. The downplaying of this I've seen on Japan studies lists
which 20 years ago would have been resolutely anti-nuclear is
fascinating. Possibly a tactical downplaying because of the way this
could be used to ramp up fossil-fuel consumption, maybe a theoretical problem
with seeing Japan's natural disasters as "particularly" technical. But
they don't seem to proceed from a serious analysis of the situation at the
plant.</DIV>
<DIV>yours,</DIV>
<DIV>J. Murphy</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Mar 18, 2011, at 4:23 AM, Lindsay Nelson wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">As someone who has been in Tokyo since August
(currently in Kyoto to have a bit of a break from the aftershocks), I can
say a few things.<BR><BR>1. The nuclear power plant story is being
ridiculously sensationalized in the American media. Article after article
and expert after expert have declared that there is absolutely no danger to
anyone outside the immediate vicinity of the plant, and yet the major news
outlets ignore these stories and continue to vamp up the fear. Worse, they
do this at the expense of reporting on the real crisis, which is the 400,000
+ people in the northeast who have limited food, water, and shelter and are
already dying as a result. <BR><BR>2. Many people have made the decision to
leave--at least temporarily--for a variety of reasons. Aftershocks were
constant for the first 24 hours after the quake, and they continue even now.
I personally have not slept much at all for the past week--partially because
of the stress of the aftershocks, and partially because I have been dealing
with frantic, panicked family members who were horrified that I hadn't fled
the city. I also worried about blackouts as my only heater is electric, it's
getting very cold, and kerosene / space heaters are completely sold out.
I've left for a few days to get some sleep and try to re-group, but I plan
to return. The bottom line is that even if there is no danger from the power
plant, there are plenty of other reasons why people might choose to leave.
And given the changing nature of the power plant situation and the huge
amount of conflicting information available, I can understand why some
people would be concerned enough to leave. <BR><BR>3. Regarding film
archives and screenings--for the most part it's business as usual in Tokyo.
The scheduled blackouts have been avoided so far because people are doing a
great job of conserving energy. Some universities have postponed classes and
some smaller companies have shut down to allow their employees to spend time
with their families, but most places are up and running. Very few Japanese
are leaving the city (the shinkansen were crowded today as I headed for
Kyoto, but Monday is a national holiday, so that's not too surprising). If
regular blackouts become a necessity this will of course impact daily life
considerably, but for now other than slightly reduced train service, a
gasoline shortage, and shortages of items like bread, milk, and rice (really
just the result of over-buying, not an actual shortage), Tokyo seems pretty
normal to me. <BR><BR>I provide informal updates about the situation on the
ground and links to helpful articles at <A
href="http://gradland.wordpress.com">http://gradland.wordpress.com</A>.<BR><BR>--Lindsay
Nelson<BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 12:03 AM, Quentin Turnour
<SPAN dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:Quentin.Turnour@nfsa.gov.au">Quentin.Turnour@nfsa.gov.au</A>></SPAN>
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"
class=gmail_quote><BR><FONT size=2 face=sans-serif>William,</FONT>
<BR><BR><FONT size=2 face=sans-serif>Perhaps to shift things just to the
issue of film archives...Thanks for your great and thoughtful post, Odd
also considering I've just spent the morning doing a run through of the
NFC's 35mm print of the SHINGUN/MARCHING ON and also reading your great
on-line article about this unusual early Showa silent.
</FONT><BR><BR><FONT size=2 face=sans-serif>Literarily a few minutes after
your post came up, Kae Ishihara at the Film Preservation Society posted an
email and link to English-speaking FPS members </FONT><TT><FONT size=2><A
href="http://www.homemovieday.jp/English/latest-news/"
target=_blank>http://www.homemovieday.jp/English/latest-news/</A><BR><BR></FONT></TT><FONT
size=2 face=sans-serif>In the last few days I've had some contact with
her, Akira Tochigi at the NFC and a few others in the Japanese screen
culture community (such as Fujioka Asako of the Yamagata Doco festival - a
cultural event which of course takes place within a prefecture once
removed but still very close to the tragedy of the tsunami). But Kae's
email is a great summary of what's happening with the NFC and regional
film archives, and even some Japanese film industry matters - Sony's HDCam
tape plant was at Sendai, for example.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT size=2
face=sans-serif>As I alluded to, ironically we've been doing a season here
of 1920s Japanese silents from the NFC and Matsuda, and the reconstruction
of the Kanto area post-1923 obviously looms as a sub-text in many of the
films we were screening... Or as a text on some of the mid-1920s Ministry
of Education Tokyo reconstruction films, such as the eccentric PUBLIC
MANNERS TOKYO SIGHTSEEING (...which has led us to making the decision to
postponed a screening of these films). </FONT><BR><BR><FONT size=2
face=sans-serif>Our program included a visit by the benshi Mr. Kotoaka
Ichiro, who bravely went ahead with a performance of his final session
only minutes after getting the news of the earthquake and then had some
difficulties getting back to Tokyo from Australia the following day. We
are currently ben asked to hold the prints from this series for the NFC
until advised; as the FPS's site indicate it seems not so much that their
facilities have been damaged, but shipping services are still unreliable,
power is a problem and staff simply have having trouble getting to
work</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT size=2 face=sans-serif>Finally, and noting the
debate that your email inadvertently sparked over foreign perceptions...
Those who know some of the history of what happened in the wake of Great
Kanto will remember that immediate international goodwill degenerated
badly in mutual recrimination in the weeks and months following;
especially in Japanese-US relations. Whilst some of this had to do with
the coming of US legislation restricting Japanese immigration, the
beginnings of militant nationalism, and a trickle of
international press accounts of bad Japanese official behaviour
(especially of the anti-Korean pogroms), lets hope the same thing doesn't
happen again.</FONT> <BR><BR><BR><BR><FONT size=2 face=sans-serif>Quentin
Turnour, Programmer, <BR>Access, Research and Development<BR>National Film
and Sound Archive, Australia<BR>McCoy Circuit, Acton, <BR>ACT, 2601
AUSTRALIA<BR>phone: +61 2 6248 2054 | fax: + 61 2 6249
8159<BR><A href="http://www.nfsa.gov.au"
target=_blank>www.nfsa.gov.au</A><BR><BR>The National Film and Sound
Archive collects, preserves and provides access to Australia's historic
and contemporary moving image and recorded sound culture.
<BR><BR><BR></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
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<TD width="40%"><FONT size=1 face=sans-serif><B><A
href="mailto:ReelDrew@aol.com"
target=_blank>ReelDrew@aol.com</A></B> </FONT><BR><FONT size=1
face=sans-serif>Sent by: <A
href="mailto:owner-KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu"
target=_blank>owner-KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A></FONT>
<P><FONT size=1 face=sans-serif>18/03/2011 02:27 PM</FONT> </P>
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<DIV align=center><FONT size=1 face=sans-serif>Please respond
to
<DIV class=im><BR><A
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu"
target=_blank>KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A></DIV></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></TD>
<TD width="59%">
<TABLE style="COLOR: #000000" width="100%">
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<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT size=1
face=sans-serif>To</FONT></DIV></TD>
<TD>
<DIV class=im><FONT size=1 face=sans-serif><A
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu"
target=_blank>KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A></FONT>
</DIV></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top>
<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT size=1
face=sans-serif>cc</FONT></DIV></TD>
<TD></TD></TR>
<TR vAlign=top>
<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT size=1
face=sans-serif>Subject</FONT></DIV></TD>
<TD><FONT size=1 face=sans-serif>the eerie silence on
KineJapan is maddening!</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
<TABLE style="COLOR: #000000">
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<TD></TD>
<TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><BR><BR><FONT
size=2 face=Arial> </FONT> <BR>
<DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=h5><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I have been a member of KineJapan
for the last ten years. I joined originally out of a need to obtain
translations of the intertitles of Japanese silents on VHS in my
collection. I am very grateful to those members on KineJapan who aided me
and made it possible for me to, among other things, write an article on
Hiroshi Shimizu that is published on Midnight Eye.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2
face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Since then, I have
regularly received almost daily the messages that have been posted here.
In all honesty, a large number--perhaps the majority, in fact--have been
of limited interest to me inasmuch as they tend to deal with contemporary
Japanese films. Consistent with my enthusiasm for films in other
countries, including my own, produced in earlier decades, it is my
interest in the Japanese cinema of the past, especially the films of the
1920s and 1930s, that has been of consuming interest to me. Nevertheless,
from time to time issues involving those golden years do come up
here.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2
face=Arial>However, whether or not the topic has been of particular
interest to me, I have always valued the fact that KineJapan has always
been there, an extremely valuable resource to be consulted when needed.
Never before since I've been here did this group shut down. Certainly, it
was very active right through the events of 9/11 as were other film
discussion groups in which I participated.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2
face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Since the tragic
events that began a week ago, though, this place has suddenly turned into
a ghost town. Aside from a very limited amount of posts specifically on
the topic of the tsunami, there has been absolutely nothing here. No one
has even bothered to post how things are going on in Tokyo, while all
sorts of wild, apocalyptic rumors circulate unchecked in the US that Tokyo
is about to become irradiated, that it may be doomed. I believe a few
welcome posts here from knowledgeable people in the Japanese capital might
help to clarify the situation and perhaps alleviate some of these fears.
</FONT><BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2
face=Arial>I have had a consuming obsession with early Japanese cinema for
the last 36 years. In trying to interest people in the West in this topic
and to recognize the value of Japanese films from those years, I have long
had to confront an enormous amount of indifference and insensitivity to
these achievements by too many in America and elsewhere in the outside
world. It has taken so long to bring attention to these films here.
Indeed, it was only this January that the premier venue for classic cinema
in the United States, Turner Classic Movies, after being on the air for 17
years, finally presented three Japanese silents--Ozu's famous
masterpieces, "Tokyo Chorus," "I Was Born, But. . .," and "Passing Fancy."
So it is only very recently that this neglected period of Japanese film is
just starting to receive some recognition here.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2
face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Given this obession
of mine, I would very much like to know how the archives and other
collections of Japanese cinema are coping with the current crisis in
Tokyo. Are they able to function normally in their work of preservation
considering the power blackouts etc.? If there really should be an
evacuation of the capital, has there been discussion of removing films and
other cultural treasures from Tokyo to Kyoto, a much safer city and which
I personally feel should be restored to the position of Japan's capital?
</FONT><BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2
face=Arial>As to whether now is the proper time to discuss the
preservation of culture in view of the terrible loss of life and the
continuing threat, I believe that, far from being at odds or incompatible,
the preservation of human life and humanity's cultural heritage are
inseparable. The heroic people of Egypt have shown all of us the way
recently in this area. During a time of turmoil in which a corrupt,
discredited dictatorship was attempting to hang on to power by employing
ruthless methods against the protestors, demonstrators courageously
appeared to form human chains around the Library in Alexandria and the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo to protect these treasures of our history. I
would hope that, should it ever become necessary, a similar sense of
cultural responsibility will be demonstrated in other countries, including
Japan. The heritage of Japan, including its film history, is the common
property not just of one country but indeed, the legacy of all the people
of the earth.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT
size=2 face=Arial>In all those non-Western countries that the West chose
to lump together as "Oriental," for much of the 20th century the four most
significant in terms of creating outstanding cinemas in the first half of
the last century were Japan, China, India, and Egypt. This preeminence in
the new art of film was emblematic of these nations' continuing cultural
leadership in the modern world. In terms of documenting and preserving the
national film heritage, however, Egypt under the Mubarak regime was
scandalous. The Egyptian film archive was by far the worst run in the
entire world, mismanaged by members of Mubarak's family. So neglected was
the state of the archive that it was a common sight to see rats crawling
out of cans of film in the vaults. The situation with the Egyptian archive
was thus symptomatic of the larger ills afflicting the society under the
corrupt regime that ruled Egypt for thirty years. Needless to say, with
the present rebirth of Egypt through revolution there is a far greater
hope that the glories of Egyptian cinema from its bright beginnings in the
silent era to the achievements of later decades will be at last properly
preserved.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT
size=2 face=Arial>While the infrastructure of Japan including its archives
can hardly compare to its counterparts in Egypt in the Mubarak years,
there has nevertheless been a steady decline in Japan in the two decades
since the economic bubble burst in the early 1990s. Egypt is now trying to
recover from a social disaster, Japan from a natural one exacerbated, it
seems, by a variant of the same corruption and cronyism that long
afflicted Egypt. I think Japan, like Egypt, will need to transform itself
anew, but as with Egypt, that transformation must be solidly based on the
preservation and dissemination of past achievements including a glorious
legacy of early cinema. Consequently, in addition to my general concern at
the eerie silence that has suddenly taken over KineJapan, as though all
its members have been struck dumb, I would in particular like to know how
the film archives and other institutions consecrated to cinema history in
Japan are faring during the present crisis.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2
face=Arial> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial>William M. Drew
</FONT><BR><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT>
<BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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