Template Letters (written by Won Jung Kim edited by Eddie Bae)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KB2uUl6M6zxkjNdmtOWc9dBwkhV0vHt1VXjxsbyv6Yw/edit?usp=sharing

In conjunction with Won Jung Kim and Eddie Bae

What is the Problem?

It has been 12 years since the devastating nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. Shockingly, Japan is now planning to release 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water used to cool the reactors by making direct contact with them. TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) of Japan is planning on releasing this water into the Pacific Ocean starting in the next few months. Contaminated with 64 radioactive elements, Japan claims that the ALPS filtering process can remove all but one: tritium which releasing radiation and increases the risk of cancer. By releasing these dangerous radioactive elements, we risk triggering catastrophic chain reactions in ocean ecosystems, impacting our food and ecosystem. This poses a grave threat to marine life, and ultimately, to human health.

Japan has partnered with the UN's organization IAEA, their "nuclear watchdog", to validate the process but the process has been shrouded in ambiguity and conspiracy. Many scientists and experts, like Dr. Robert H. Richmond from Hawaii say that the IAEA's reports are sparse and unclear, causing concern for the lack of attention and detail this process requires. Many nations like Korea, Taiwan, and China have expressed their concerns but requests for other forms of approval and further clarification have been rejected. Recently, there has even been news of a whistleblower from Korea who reported a "donation" of 185 million euros from the Japanese government to the IAEA. Many experts therefore propose alternatives and further testing/consideration. 

Who is affected?

Especially, this has a huge impact on Japanese fisherman/farmers and neighboring countries as this contamination directly affects their oceans, integrating into ocean-derived products like seaweed and fish. The Pacific Islands, like Fiji, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands are next in line and they have already suffered from decades of nuclear tests and waste disposal. However, this has broad implications for the entire world as the cascading effect on the marine ecosystem would eventually reach America and beyond. Every individual is impacted. 

What are the long term effects?

There are current nuclear water discharges into the ocean. However, these waters have never directly touched the nuclear cores, only cooling them indirectly. Allowing Japan's release sets precedence for the acceptance of releasing nuclear waste water that has directly been contaminated with radionuclides, which has much higher amount and variety of radioactive isotopes than ever before. 

What can you do?

This nuclear waste discharge is a gradual process that will take over the next 30 or 40 years, meaning there is still time, albeit limited. There has been limited media coverage on this world-wide situation and we are asking you to speak up and petition for change. Please inform yourselves and look at the data, suspicions, and history that is relevant to Fukushima's waste release and reach your own conclusion. Linked above is a set of templates to advocate for change from the President of the United States and please use these templates or adopt them to contact your authority figures. 

Stand with us by signing this petition, and together, let's fight against Japan's release of radioactive waste water! 

Act now! Join us in making a difference!