Made in USA Chopsticks to Japan, China & Korea!

Yesterday, I was at a meeting of Japanese investment firms. They were talking about the difference between western ways and Japanese ways of investing in new companies and start-ups and how Chinese ways of business in this area are much like those of the United States.

There were many comments about the decline of the USA but one guy threw us a curve ball that was really interesting. During the meeting, one anecdote came up about how there is a town in the USA that is actually exporting chopsticks to Japan and China! 


I couldn't believe it, so I did a Google search this morning. Jeepers! It's true.


It's even in Time Magazine:

It seems everything we buy these days says “Made in China.” But millions of the Asian nation's iconic chopsticks are proudly made in the U.S.A.

Two hours south of Atlanta lies the source of millions of Chinese chopsticks. Who would have thought? It's hard to imagine a place more quintessentially red, white and blue – the town, nestled firmly in the heartland of Georgia, is called Americus.

And their luck runs as deep as their love for country: Americus has the ideal type of wood for making chopsticks. The abundant forests of poplar and sweet gum trees in the area strike the perfect balance between hardness and softness, making a comfortable yet sturdy eating utensil for many across the world.

What's more, the region is no stranger to wood harvesting, with pine manufacturers and paper corporations – think Georgia-Pacific – helping to ease the industry's barriers to entry.  Jae Lee created Georgia Chopsticks in November and is already producing 2 million chopsticks each day. They're selling their craft primarily to Chinese supermarkets but also are helping hungry people in Japan, Korea and the U.S.

So, I guess saying that the USA doesn't manufacture anything that other countries want to buy besides airplanes, missiles and bombs, the USA can still export a few lemons and a couple of other things to Japan and chopsticks to China!

Organic Foods Loaded with E. Coli Kill More People Than Fukushima and BP Oil Spill Combined

DESCENDENTS - I LIKE FOOD

It's true. In just the past two years, according to World Health Organization statistics, organic foods loaded with E.Coli bacteria have killed more people worldwide than all nuclear fission accidents and the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan combined. 


The Washington Times reports: 


Right now, someone nearby is buying organic bean sprouts. It may be the last thing he ever does. Last week’s E. coli outbreak in Germany - potentially traced to an organic farm - was more deadly than the largest nuclear disaster of the last quarter-century.

Indeed, in the past two years, two public safety stories have dominated global news headlines - an explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a nuclear power plant meltdown in Japan. Yet in the recent German organic-food-disease outbreak, nearly twice as many people already have died as in the two other industrial disasters combined.

In spite of these facts, people will panic and demand that oil drilling be stopped or that nuclear power be curtailed. I've said it a hundred times: the worse thing that could happen to us is to lose cheap renewable energy.... Well, either that or we eat food loaded with E. Coli bacteria. 


The articles continues...

Yet, 23 deaths and more than 1,000 hospitalizations caused by an industrial accident at an organic farm in northern Germany have caused no such newfound caution toward the expansion of that industry. It is easy to understand why. Organic farming has a reputation for being the domain of small-scale family businesses focused on caring for the Earth more than profits. Every organic-produce customer I interviewed at three supermarkets since the German outbreak began have cited better health as a key reason for buying organic food.

That’s exactly what the organic industry wants them to think. In a question-and-answer article directed at consumers, the Organic Trade Association says this: “There is mounting evidence at this time to suggest that organically produced foods may be more nutritious. Furthermore, organic foods … are spared the application of toxic and persistent insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases.”

If that view of the organic industry was ever true, it has changed over the past 20 years. Organic food has grown into a multibillion-dollar global food enterprise driven by the very same bottom-line pressures that safety advocates blame for Tokyo Power and BP putting their corporate profits before public safety. If you don’t believe it, ask yourself why organic bean sprouts cost twice as much as modern bean sprouts. In a word, greed.


In Japan, they cost a lot more than twice as much. That's why I never buy them.

The scale of the danger we ignore by pretending organic food isn’t a business like every other is nearly unimaginable. According to World Health Organization statistics on E. coli deaths, in just the past two years, more people have been killed by the disease than all fission-related events since the dawn of the nuclear age - even if you include the use of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.


Well, there you go. What can we do and eat that is safe? Good question. I can tell you one thing, though. I started peeling all fruits and vegetables completely. I may not be able to get rid of radiation that way, but I can get rid of pesticides and other chemicals... And, judging by the evidence, those are much more dangerous.

Radiation Food in Food & Soil Near Japanese Reactors. Is it Safe?

The big news today from Japan is that radioactive Stronium has been found in food and soil samples just outside of the 30 kilometer (18 mile) exclusion zone near the Fukushima nuclear reactors.


So the question is: Since radiation has been found in food, how dangerous is that to us? Is it safe?

Yahoo Japan

放射性ストロンチウムを検出＝原発30キロ外、福島6市町村―文科省

時事通信 4月13日(水)0時44分配信

　福島第1原発の事故で、文部科学省は12日、福島県でサンプル調査をした結果、土壌と植物から放射性ストロンチウム89と90が検出されたと発表した。同省によると、事故をめぐりストロンチウムが検出されたのは初。
同省は3月16～17日、第1原発の30キロ圏からやや外にある福島県浪江町の2カ所と飯舘村の1カ所で採取した土壌を分析。1キロ当たりストロンチウム89が最大260ベクレル、同90が最大32ベクレルだった。
大玉村、本宮市、小野町、西郷村で19日に採取された植物も分析。1キロ当たりストロンチウム89が最大61ベクレル、同90が最大5．9ベクレルだった。サンプルの植物は食用野菜ではないという。
ストロンチウムは、カルシウムと似た性質を持ち、人体に入ると骨に沈着し、骨髄腫や造血器に障害を引き起こす恐れがある。ストロンチウム90は半減期が約29年と長く、過去の核実験の際に飛散し問題となった。同89は半減期が約50日。

Translation:


Two types of radioactive strontium have been detected in soil tests just outside of the 30 kilometer (18 mile) nuclear exclusion zone near the crippled reactors in Fukushima.


On Monday, Japan's Ministry of Education announced the results of sample surveys on soil and plants in Fukushima Prefecture, saying that Stronium-89 and Stronium-90 have been detected in the samples taken. 


Samples were taken for analysis between March 16th to 17th. One set of samples were collected from Iidate in Namie-Cho in Fukushima Prefecture, just outside of the 30-kilometer exclusion zone. Those samples showed Strontium-89 up to 260 becquerels per kilogram, and Stronium-90 was detected at 32 becquerels.

Samples of 19 plants were also taken from Ootama village, Ono-machi, and Saigo village. In those samples, Strontium-89 was detected up to 61 becquerels per kilogram, and Strontium-90 was detected up to 5.9 becquerels. 


Strontium has properties similar to human bone tissue and when deposited into the body in large amounts, can cause myeloma and hematopoietic failure. Strontium-90 has a long half-life of about 29 years, which was discovered during nuclear testing and Strontium-89 has a half-life of about 50 days.


Extra information: 


The considered safe level for radiation is 300 becquerels per kilogram. For a comparison, see this chart:

View chart online here


Becquerels—a measure that represents one radioactive event per second—per kilogram.

Reality - Becquerel (Bq)

The unit of measurement for radioactivity. An activity of one Bq means that one decay takes place per second. [Nothing to do with kg.]

　

What to do? Well, I suggest not buying fruits and vegetables from the affected areas (which you can't do as they've been blocked for sale). But, either way, washing your vegetables well is always a good idea (pesticides are dangerous too!)

Meanwhile, the panic continues while the world over millions suffer and many die from asthma and other problems caused by filthy fossil fuels.

The greatest threats from nuclear power is panic, and our society reduced to poverty by running out of cheap, clean, safe power.


From this recent news and Fukushima being raised to a level seven disaster, I've been getting lots of mail from the Peanut Gallery that claims this new information justifies the gaijin panic and flight out of Japan. Sorry, I couldn't disagree more.

For those Flyjin foreigners and those Japanese in Tokyo who panicked and fled who think that this now justifies your running away in a panic from Tokyo mid-March, think again. 

For one, if this being used to justify your running away, then with this evidence, why are you back in Tokyo? If new information somehow justifies your past actions, then it stands to reason that - if you didn't panic as you claim - this new information will see you at Narita airport first thing tomorrow am. 


A deeper examination shows, if anything, this new evidence proves you panicked and ran away - without any rational reason to do so at all - if, upon examination of this new information, that you decide to stay here anyway. 


For you foreigners and Tokyoite Japanese who ran away - and are still outside of Japan - then, please, stay there. Stay away. Don't come back to Japan. Fukushima is now a level seven. The food is radioactive. It's too dangerous! We're doomed!

I've said it over and over; things are bad for the poor folks who suffered from the earthquake and the tsunami then the nuclear accident. But those people are in Tohoku region (northern Japan). If you were living there in the affected areas, then no one will criticize you for leaving there.

But you foreigners and Japanese in Tokyo (230 kilometers away - about 150 miles from Fukushima crippled nuclear reactors) and those in Nagoya (680 kilometers - about 400 miles from Fukushima) - who panicked and ran away and left their neighbors, co-workers and friends hanging, you deserve all the criticism you get.

Only a person without any pride, self-respect or dignity would run away and leave their friends, neighbors, co-workers, and those people's children alone in their time of need. 

What goes around, comes around. Karma can be a bitch. When you are in trouble, how will you feel if you get abandoned by people who fly into an irrational panic? 

Want to compare this problem with McDonald's? Good idea!

For those of you who stayed here. Thanks... Don't forget to wash your fruits and vegetables well... And take my little tip: Besides washing, peeling is the best way to remove pesticides, poisons and radiation from food. Try it. I always do. 


Oh, and if you want to eat healthy... Stop the fast food.

No Scientific or Medical Basis for Restrictions on Japan Travel & More

Once again, let's deal with just the facts concerning the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan. 

The fact of the matter is, folks, that there are too many pundits writing sensationalism about subjects they are not expert in and scaring people. I am not a nuclear power expert but I am an expert in mass media and know a BS story when I see one. And I've seen lots of them in these last 10 years or so: Swine Flu, SARS, Bird Flu, Man Made Global Warming. These mass media cretins pronounce this stuff as gospel truth, interjecting their scare tactic with words like, "might," may have," "could have"... etc. When it is all total conjecture and doesn't deserve to be on the pages of "respectable" media but rather on the pages of tabloid sensationalism. As Tech Crunch aptly put it:

This is all just going to get worse, because, increasingly, all stories are tech stories. Politics? Obama’s staggering online fundraising. Sports? BALCO and high-tech new equipment. Culture? These days, even fine art is all about the Arduino. Technology has insinuated itself into our lives to such an extent that every story now has a technical aspect — but yesterday’s dinosaur journalists will continue to write about them in the same clumsy-to-moronic way that they wrote about Fukushima.

Searching for more factual reporting from a reputable source about the safety of Japan. I found this: In an official public announcement from the International Maritime Organization, in spite of the scaremongering and sensationalism reported in the mainstream mass media (MSM) there is no basis for any medical restrictions to and from Japan regarding radiation or any other problems:


No Restrictions on Travel to Japan


International flight and maritime operations can continue normally into and out of Japan’s major airports and sea ports, excluding those damaged by the tsunami, according to the latest information available from the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization. 

While there is currently no medical basis for imposing restrictions, the United Nations organizations are monitoring the situation closely and will advise of any changes.  

Screening for radiation of international passengers from Japan is not considered necessary at this time. Currently available information indicates that increased levels have been detected at some airports, but these do not represent any health risk. 

The page has a link to the World Health Organization's site. The link is broken. I searched, Japan Nuclear Concerns and found this FAQ page:

What is the current risk of radiation-related health problems in Japan for those residing near the reactor in comparison to those in other parts of Japan?

• Radiation-related health consequences will depend on exposure, which is dependant on several things, including: the amount and type of radiation released from the reactor; weather conditions, such as wind and rain; a person’s proximity to the plant; and the amount of time spent in irradiated areas.
• The Government of Japan’s recent actions in response to events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are in line with the existing recommendations for radiation exposure. The Government has evacuated individuals who were living within a 20-kilometre radius around the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Those living between 20 km and 30 km from the plant are being asked to shelter indoors. People living farther away are at lower risk than those who live nearby.
• As and if the situation changes, the Government of Japan may change their advice to the public; WHO is following the situation closely.

In short, the risk near the reactor exists. The exclusion zone of 20 km ~ 30 km (12 miles ~ 18 miles) are in line with existing recommendations for radiation exposure. Once again, Tokyo is about 150 miles away. Common sense should prevail in helping you to avoid any risk. The article goes on to talk about food contamination:

  

Is there a risk of radioactive exposure from food contamination?

• Yes, there is a risk of exposure as a result of contamination in food.
• However, contaminated food would have to be consumed over prolonged periods to represent a risk to human health.
• The presence of radioactivity in some vegetables and milk has been confirmed and some of the initial food monitoring results show radioactive iodine detected in concentrations above Japanese regulatory limits. Radioactive caesium has also been detected.
• Local government authorities have advised residents to avoid these food and have implemented measures to prevent their sale and distribution.

The last two bullet points are important here. The final one says that the government has blocked sales of these foods and prevented their distribution. Translation: You can't buy this stuff legally, so if you don't eat it, there's no problem.


People worried about food safety are advised to search the USA Food & Drug Administrations sites about how many parts per million of rat excrement and bug parts are allowed in our food... You also won't ever want to eat out at a restaurant if you are worried about getting sick from your food either... Trust me, I worked at a restaurant when I was 18 years old. 


Reuters reports Deaths From Food Poisoning Under Reported


The Centers for Disease Control (CRC) in the United States estimate that about 5,200 people there die each year from food poisoning but the Danish researchers believe the true figure could be nearly twice as high.


Also, this delectable article on the FDA:  


An eruption at the Peanut Corporation of America led to at least 9 reported deaths, hundreds of diseases and a huge recall of product. Recently, bagged spinach, tomatoes, jalapenos and raw cookie dough have been linked with food borne diseases. For food safety, people have to follow the guidelines which are given by FDA. 


There's millions of articles like this available for anyone who wishes to do a Google search. Salmonella kills over 1,000 people a year alone in the USA. Deaths from eating radiated spinach or milk in Japan? Zero. 


Trust that this irradiated food has been destroyed and will never reach the market. Your chance of eating it and dying from it are about as high as your chances of winning the lottery. Once again, this is a non-story being inflated by an increasingly desperate mass media. 

HENRY ROLLINS - LIAR

You can read more from a technical publication that blasts this mass media sensationalism in: UK Tech Publication Blasts Sensationalist Reporting on Nuclear Reactor:


The situation at the quake- and tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear powerplant in Japan was brought under control days ago. It remains the case as this is written that there have been no measurable radiological health consequences among workers at the plant or anybody else, and all indications are that this will remain the case. And yet media outlets around the world continue with desperate, increasingly hysterical and unscrupulous attempts to frame the situation as a crisis.


Crisis? Up north for the poor folks in Miyagi and Fukushima, yes. For us in Tokyo? No. Merely an inconvenience in spite of how much people want to believe the sensationalist shrill... 


Next up, killer flu coming to a neighborhood near you.