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Subscribe to RSSBuoys, bottles and cans believed to be from the Japan tsunami are surfacing in Washington State, Alaska and British Columbia, and scientists say the mess will be there for generations. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Cleanup workers will on Friday attack a jumble of debris from Japan's 2011 tsunami that litters an Alaskan island, as residents in the state gear up to scour their shores for everything from buoys to building material that has floated across the Pacific.
The cleansing project slated to start on Montague Island is expected to last a couple weeks, and organizers say it marks the first major project in Alaska to collect and dispose of debris from the tsunami.
The March 2011 tsunami, caused by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, killed nearly 16,000 people and left over 3,000 missing on Japan's main island of Honshu, and precipitated a major radiation release at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
AP
View side-by-side the progress that Japan has made since the tsunami and earthquake in March 2011.
A U.S. senator has sought to obtain $45 million to tackle the problem, and officials have cited fears about invasive species and toxic substances thought to be among the floating mess of objects.
Harley-Davidson washes up on Canadian coast
While debris from Japan is also floating toward other U.S. states along the West Coast, Alaska has a more extensive shoreline, much of it difficult to reach.
'Just a start'
Montague is an uninhabited island at the entrance to Prince William Sound, southeast of Anchorage. About a dozen volunteers and employees from the environmental group Gulf of Alaska Keeper and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies will handle the debris-removal project at the island.
"We'll probably remove 30 to 40 tons from there. That's just a start," said Patrick Chandler, special programs coordinator for the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.
Japan has estimated 5 million tons of debris was swept out to sea, but that most of it sank, leaving 1.5 million tons floating. Still, those figures are rough estimates, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Several citizens on Alaska's coastline are surprised by the tsunami debris that has been washing up on the beaches. KTUU's Ted Land reports on objects now found on Kayak Island from buoys and nets to food containers with Japanese writing.
Observers flying over the Alaska coast have spotted, among other items, huge numbers of barrel-sized polystyrene foam buoys, often associated with Japanese oyster farms.
Tiny specks of polystyrene foam that break away from larger objects can be dangerous to seabirds or marine mammals, because they resemble eggs or other food morsels, Chandler said.
Japanese teen traced as owner of soccer ball found in Alaska
Another worry is that floating debris might carry invasive species, such as barnacles, that would wreak havoc in waters off Alaska and the U.S. West Coast, said Doug Helton, the Seattle-based coordinator of NOAA's office of response and restoration.
Then there is the danger from noxious substances in partly full fuel jugs, cleanup organizers said.
Last month, the U.S. Coast Guard sank a 164-foot fishing boat from the Japan tsunami that drifted near Alaska. The Coast Guard said the so-called "ghost ship" was a navigational hazard.
Tracking the debris from the Japan tsunami can be tricky, as it moves across the Pacific via ocean currents and winds. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
With more debris headed for the West Coast, questions about cleanup costs remain unanswered. Those expenses could be high in Alaska because of geographic and weather challenges.
U.S. Senator Mark Begich of Alaska suggested last week that NOAA provide $45 million as an initial outlay to fund what is expected to be a sustained and difficult beach cleanup.
Meanwhile, David Baxter, a technician who works at a Federal Aviation Administration station on the uninhabited Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska, has made some notable finds on his rounds in his hobby of beachcombing.
An earthquake, a tsunami, a nuclear meltdown -- residents of Japan's northeast coast suffered through three intertwined disasters after a massive 9.0 magnitude temblor struck off the coast on March 11, 2011.
Earlier this month, the owner of a tsunami-wrecked restaurant in the coastal Miyagi Prefecture spotted one of her buoys among Baxter's debris photos posted online. The yellow buoy was part of the restaurant's sign, he said.
Baxter has arranged to send it back to the woman. "Now that her buoy's found, she's going to rebuild," he said.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization said increases in radiation linked to the Fukushima disaster were below cancer-causing levels in nearly all of Japan.
The agency's 124-page report also says neighboring countries had levels similar to normal background radiation and for the rest of the world there was some minor exposure through food.
The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency had previously confirmed that radiation levels in some Japanese milk and vegetables reached significantly higher levels than Japan allows for consumption.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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If Fukushima reactor #4 collapses all of Japan will need to be evacuated.
Does make you wonder just how much of this stuff will be radiologically contaminated, and to what levels.
Man is so intellegent all of our advancement i dont bellieve in evelotion but if i did we would of been better off to stay as monkeys.
this debris field should not be contaminated as that occurred after the tsunami pulled everything out to sea. I however see a boon here. The wood. even though it has been floating in sea water, is good aged wood, even old growth stuff. recycle it. along with the plastics. Do not burn it and add those chemicals to the air. Be a great time for a salvager doing business in Alaska. Kinda looks like what I see in the break wall at our port after a winter. Nice drift wood. But I quit buying the fish from there after the fall out occurred. Watch out for the dead bodies though.
If Fukushima goes then more than Japan will need help, as we can see that debris will head almost straight for Alaska traveling the Pacific.
Heads up. Tepco has no immediate plans to do anything with the spent fuel pools so let's all hope that another earthquake doesn't drain them, Tepco plan is to act surprised. Then concerned.
40 tons of debris. Clean it up. You might find something of value. If you do, keep it. Every city in the United States has to clean up after Tornadoes. It's a Fact of life.
This might explain the history of mans travels..
So 40 tons of debris and a US senator wants $45 million to clean it up. Thats over $1 million per ton. Probably $28 million to administrate it. Pay offs to insurance companies, Alaska congressmen, garbage land fills, pay the people doing the work $10-15/hr. All said and done $100 million. Let Japan pay for it.
What kind of stupid comments!!! Wow, it would behoove you well to obtain some information before dishing out this nonsense publicly.
I will help all of you "experts" to get a true picture of what we are talking about with the radiation levels. You will be astonished how little, if any, impact this all had. Watch the attached. It is lengthy but worth while and most important to understand what is or was going on. This is not the Media lie, make news, version, this is real.
http://youtu.be/2Ncm8KwxWNg
I'm confused, the article says there is 5 million tons from Japan, yet there are 40million tons on this one island. So does that mean there are actually more like 400 million tons, knowing how government always under estimates disasters ?
And should we (the US government) be suing the owners of the nuclear reactors to cover the cost of clean up of the radioactive waste ?
The people that control H.A.A.R.P. should get their @$$'$ out there and clean up the mess they created!!! The crazy bastards are behind this! Population reduction!! Crazy as it sounds just look into how this very secretive place is controlling weather. They are using weather as a tool for mass destruction. H.A.A.R.P is very secretive and this is why.
hey makes me wonder, trying to read your post makes me think you have some evolving to do
michael72,
earthquakes are weather?
The magnitude of the debris that has reached Alaska's Prince Wm Sound, Cordova, and Montague Island will be felt for years to come. That area took the brunt of the disastrous Exxon Oil Spill on Bligh Reef in 1989. Given the Japanese current, ecological damage and environmental pollution resulting from Japan's disaster will impact the entire Pacific Ocean/Basin for years to come.
I'm just gald you're one of the few who is aware of the Heartless Arrogant A-holes Radiating People or HAARP. That's a good bumper sticker... if it didn't get you killed by the NSA.
All of that drift wood shown in the pix could be worth thousands if not a million $$$.
I noticed all that wood too. Regardless of the economic benefit of it, what would be beneficial would simply be to have people with chainsaws hit the beach and have a series of bonfires and simply burn all that floating debris they can. Since most is plastic, rubber and wood, it would be hauling to a landfill where (at least the plastic and rubber) would never degrade. Just burn it. Doing that would clear those miles of driftwood-laden beaches and make for easier cleanup later too.
I image with a front end loader, that could be some serious bonfires too!
L. Baird: Exactly! I don't understand why the salvage guys didn't get on it right away, instead of waiting more than a year.
They didn't get on it quicker because it took a year to cross the ocean. Salvaging anything while still in the middle of the ocean would be much more expensive than waiting for landfall. But the general point is well taken - there should be a lot of money in that wood.
You got it just think a free trade route between Japan and Alaska put a car in a container or thousands of tv's or computers and they float free to Alaska and come right up on shore. Free shipping
Glow in the dark furniture !!! Your three headed children will love it.
Charger: Did you see the condition of that Harley that was found in that shipping container? I think your idea would need some 'adjustment.'
michael72 - "The people that control H.A.A.R.P. .... are using weather as a tool for mass destruction. H.A.A.R.P is very secretive and this is why."
It has been decades since I've even seen a reference to "HAARP." For those of you unacquainted with the HAARP Project located in Interior Alaska, you might want to read an interesting book on Tesla Technology, "Angels Don't Play this Haarp' by Alaska scientist, Nick Begich.
The book scared me out of my wits and it will do the same to you.
Probably they should take a Geiger counter with them and check this stuff over before they get to friendly with it.
"and for the rest of the world there was some minor (radiation) exposure through food".
This sounds purposely vague?? What is minor? and that doesn't sound very good. Are we importing food from Japan? Also, is the west coast produce affected?
Early samples have shown no radioactivity.
Why would any of that stuff be radioactive? The reactor didn't have a problem until AFTER the tsunami had pulled all the debris out to sea.
Shouldn't the Japanese come over and clean this mess up. Considering what they did after the event, they could have it clean in a week or two, tops.
I think Japan should have to foot the bill, not the US taxpayers.
And after your neighbor's house burns down, when you see him rooting through the smoking embers of his home will you insist he come over and clean the soot off your windows?
Acually, you could file a claim against his insurance.
I don't think there is a court that would rule against Japan. An earthquake is considered an act of God, like a tornado, a hurricane or a volcanic eruption, but it is incumbent upon humanity to act of compassionately by helping the victims of disaster instead of thrusting our hands out demanding clean up money from people who desperately need what little they have left. Even putting the idea forward makes Americans seem cheap, callous and selfish. Is that what we are now?
it is considered a natural disaster.
Should we have gone over and rebuilt their country after the A-bomb was dropped? Now I remember we did rebuild their country
One small detail I can't help but think about is like the image (from the before 'n after slideshow) that showed the water along the shoreline there filled with all that debris and now how clean it all looks....Once waters and beaches that would have been nice for an outing or a swim---think of all the nails and stuff that sank. As well as everywhere the debris has been cleared. I'm sure there's lots of metal objects FOREVER that will be a constant source of potential puncture wounds and risks of tetanus. The magnitude of that disaster will be felt for generations--as well as our west coast.
As of 2010 stats... The United States owes Japan 865 Million dollars in borrowed money to cover our increasing Debit Crisis... I say the million of dollars it will cost the US to cleanup from the tsunami debris from Japan, should reduce that debit we owe them.
I would hope that Japan would volunteer to clean up the mess. We go all over the world helping folks, maybe they could reciprocate.
"Last month, the U.S. Coast Guard sank a 164-foot fishing boat from the Japan tsunami that drifted near Alaska. The Coast Guard said the so-called "ghost ship" was a navigational hazard"
And did they drain the fuel from it before they sank it? The story at the time never said.
"With more debris headed for the West Coast, questions about cleanup costs remain unanswered. Those expenses could be high in Alaska because of geographic and weather challenges"
Where is all of this money to come from? And whom will oversee how it is spent and not wasted? I'm sure what ever the total cost ends up being, it could have actually been done for about half that amout. More fleecing of America!
I like the part of story about cleaning up the shoreline of an unihabitted island. Why don't they just build a bridge to it!
And yes, driftwood is worth money. Whomever gets this government contract is going to make money from both sides.
The ship was in dry dock to be dimantles I believe and had no fuel on board. Dry dock drains derelects before admitting them to the salvage yard.
Barney- "just build a bridge to it." Wow , how intelligent. Why don't you Google Map Alaska and just see how many roads we have up here and how long that road and "bridge" would have to be. Think before you sit down and tap keys.
The Japanese should graciously volunteer to pay for this cleanup. However, they won't. They don't mind accepting our billions in free military protection, billions we spent using our military to help clean up after the tsunami, open access to US consumers for their manufactured goods, etc. They never spend a nickel, unless they are certain to profit from their expenditures.
As long as Uncle Stupid is willing to accept this one-sided relationship, I suppose you can't blame them. We should "wise up" and send them the bill. No more being the world's policeman and Mother Teresa, while the rest of the freeloaders enjoy our free military and foreign aid.
i disagree, i think the japanese will help pay for this clean up. i know many of them and they are very apt to reciprocate, in fact, they probably feel guilty or ashamed that their ruins are polluting our shores (even though it was caused by and uncontrollable natural disaster). about the military, a portion of japanese tax dollars DO go toward US military protection, even though they do not always like the military being there (let's face it, we haven't really given ourselves a good reputation when it comes to the treatment of their people - i.e. rape of a 15 yr old girl by 5 or so marines in okinawa a few years ago). As far as manufacturing is concerned, let's not forget about the many japanese implants (honda, toyota, etc.) that have provided many of the few remaining decent manufacturing jobs left in the usa. the japanese spent plenty of their own money after the tsunami and certainly did not profit from those expenditures.
We need to tap all of those MOMMA GRIZZLIES to come on down AND EAT UP ALL THE DEBRIS.....
We need to raise taxes on the rich and make those on assistance that can function available to clean up these world wide messes. We could tax everyone and make a debris clean up fund and utilize those collecting welfare and from other programs as the labor. The bottom line is we need to raise and create more taxes on everyone so we can fund these things so the govt. can take care of us and these debacles..
Yep...all 400 of them. Will solve all the world's problems!
I agree with raising taxes but none of what you spout after that.
I disagree with raising taxes, but agree that we should form a modern day version of the CCC; take the homeless and/or unemployed who are in decent shape, and send them to Alaska and the Left Coast to clean up this mess. Put them up in abandoned military bases or use the mobile homes from katrina. Pay them minimum wage plus healthcare to work 40-60 hours per week. Solves several problems at one time.
Please take some time to read this to get a brief unbiased understanding of Islam which will in fact benefit your debating capability through accurate knowledge.What is Islam?
Islam is not a new religion, but the same Truth that the God (swt) of Ibrahim (Abraham) (as) revealed through all His prophets (as) to every people ranging from Adam (as) to Ibrahim (as) to Muhammad (saws). For a fifth of the World’s population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life (including the political state). Muslims follow a religion of complete submission to the God (swt) of Ibrahim (as), peace, mercy, forgiveness and justice. Islam has NO symbols representing it. Some people including some Muslims falsely attribute a “crescent and star” to Islam. This is FALSE and is NOT a symbol of Islam; rather it is a symbol of the TurksMuslims worship the God of Ibrahim (as) ALONE without any partners or intermeditaries (i.e. Isa (Jesus) (as) or pagan idols). Muslims follow the teachings and actions of Muhammad (saws) the LAST messenger sent by the God of Ibrahim (as). Muslims also base their life decisions primarily upon the Qur’an (direct Revelation of the God (swt) to Muhammad (saws)) and secondarily upon the Sunnah (actions and teachings of Muhammad (saws)).
Muslims are an unition of more than one billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe – from the southern Philippines to Nigeria – united by their common Islamic faith. Only around 18% live in the Arab world; the World’s largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of Asia and around half of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe Muslims believe in the One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the prophets (as) through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgement and individual accountability for actions; in the God’s (swt) complete authority over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets (as) starting with Adam (as) and including Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Isaac, Yaqub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Job, Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Daud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Elias, Jonah, Yahya (John the Baptist), and Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon them all). But the God’s (swt) final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (saws) through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) (as).Simply by saying ‘there is no god (ilah) apart from ‘the God’ (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all of the Allah’s (swt) messengers, and the scriptures they brought The Arabic word ‘Islam’ simply means ‘submission’, and derives from a root word meaning ‘peace’. In a religious context it means ‘complete submission to the will of Allah (swt)’. “Mohammedanism” is thus a MISNOMER because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad (saws) rather than Allah (swt) the God of Ibrahim (as). ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name for God (swt), which is used by Arab Muslims, Christians and Jews alike Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shari’a, should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so important. A Muslim who follows his religion is considered extreme, whereas a monk who abstains from marriage, sex etc. is considered a saint. In Islam one is not allowed to take part in such abstainance.No. They all go back to the prophet and patriarch Ibrahim (as) (let alone the prophets (as) before him), and their three prophets (as) are directly descended from his sons, Muhammad (saws) from the elder son Ismail (as), and Musa (as) and Isa (as) from the younger son Isaac (as). Ibrahim (as) established the settlement which today is the city of Makkah, and built the Ka’ba towards which all Muslims turn when they pray.
The Ka’ba is the ‘place of worship’ which Allah (swt) commanded Ibrahim (as) and Ismail (as) to build over four thousand years ago. The building was constructed of stone on what many believe was the original site of a sanctuary established by Adam (as). Allah (swt) commanded Ibrahim (as) to summon all mankind to visit this place, and when pilgrims go there today they say ‘At your service, O Lord’, in response to Ibrahim’s (as) summons. There are also reports of Jews who used to make pilgrimage to the site but when the pagan Arabs (pre-Muhammad (saws)) took over they abandoned their pilgrimage.
Muhammad (saws), was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative.
Muhammad (saws) was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the ‘Mountain of Light’ near Makkah.
Western historians often name him as the greatest man in history. Even with Christianity being the “ruling” religion in the West, the Times named Muhammad (saws) as the MOST influential man in history with Isa (as) being placed two positions after him If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls. . . his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with words.”
Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?”
Lamartine [(Paris) (1854)] – Historie De La Turquie (Vol. II, pp. 276-277).How did Muhammad (saws) become a prophet and a messenger of Allah (swt)?
At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad (saws) received his first Revelation from Allah (swt) through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) (as). This Revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Qur’an.
As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Jibril (as), and to preach the truth which Allah (swt) had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers (mostly slaves and the poor) suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 Allah (swt) gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijra, ‘migration’, in which they left Makkah for the city of Yathrib (Now Madinah - “the City”) some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
After several years of battles and dialogue, the messenger (saws) and his followers were able to return to Makkah 10,000 strong by the Grace of Allah (swt), where they FORGAVE their enemies (who had previously heavily persecuted them) and established Islam definitively. Before the messenger (saws) died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam (political & religious) had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China.
How did the spread of Islam affect the world?
Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine – Islam calls for faith in the only One God of Ibrahim (as) as being worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation.
Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the messenger (saws), ‘seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim, man and woman’. The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps. The FIRST free Public Hospital was introduced in Baghdad by Muslims under Muslim rulership “By Mamun’s time medical schools were extremely active in Baghdad. The FIRST free public hospital was opened in Baghdad during the Caliphate of Haroon-ar-Rashid. As the system developed, physicians and surgeons were appointed who gave lectures to medical students and issued diplomas to those who were considered qualified to practice. The first hospital in Egypt was opened in 872 AD and thereafter public hospitals sprang up all over the empire from Spain and the Maghrib to Persia.”
Sir John Bagot Glubb (England).The Qur’an is a record of the exact words revealed by Allah (swt) through the Angel Jibril (as) to the Prophet Muhammad (saws). It was memorized by Muhammad (saws) and then dictated to his companions (r), and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Suras, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Qur’an is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad (saws) fourteen centuries ago.
This opening chapter of The Qur’an, the Fatiha, is central in Islamic prayer (Salaat). It contains the essence of The Qur’an and is recited during every Salaat The Qur’an, the last revealed Word of Allah (swt) the God of Ibrahim (as), is the prime source of every Muslim’s faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between the Creator (swt) and His creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system.
Unlike the Bible, the Qur’an is not classified into “specific” chapters relating to a certain topic. The names of the chapters are derived from a word in that chapter. Also unlike the Bible the Qur’an does not tell a “story” nor is it “narrated”. It is the word of Allah (swt) & His Commands
It's all a myth. Go away and take your lies with you.
Who cares ?
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
To stupid to even get your comments on the right page,,take your muslim spouting butt back to the middle east and stay there. We in the west have seen first hand what islam does to the innocents
Take your bronze age myth and shove it. Your religion is the worst of them all. You treat your women like cattle and blow yourselves up in it's name. The entire Arab/Muslim region is an intellectual backwater still stuck in the dark ages. Not one single scientific achievement have come out of it in a couple thousand years. You do not contribute to humanity. Rather you cling to your fables and worthless worldview and give nothing of long term value.
Oh yeah....look at this picture of Mohammed>>> o>-< Don't you love free speech and expression? Or do you wish to murder me for this?
Somebody sprayed graffiti. Can we get a clean up on aisle 11 please?
Jungezkhan: I read your little post and find myself agreeing with quite a bit of it. After all, as Islam suggests and you reiterated youself, Christianity and Islam (and Judaism) have a common origin. I would like to talk with you further. Let us start with your explanation with exactly why is it that, despite the Quran's CLEAR prohibition of condemning a woman for fornication or adultery without an abundance of strong evidence, it is nevertheless, VERY common to execute her, often without a trial of any kind, on very slight evidence and often no evidence at all. After you have answered my question adequately, we can talk about our other points of disagreement.
Honor kill thy self mooslime you are not wanted in America.
This is only the beginning. Most of the material will be recyclable. Now, who is going to pay for the cost? It will be the Feds.
Japan will not pay for the clean up they don't care about healthy oceans and clean air and land they only care about eating every last animal on earth the more rare or in danger of exstintion the better
You know their trawlers are all over the Pacific too, they floated right passed this, I'm sure saw this coming for, oh let's see, 15 months. As they headed to Alaska to fish our waters. But could they have used their nets for anything other? Those nets are for fish, Alaska fish not some radiological contaminated debris that floated out of their country along with all that iodine, this is around the same time 3 reactors exploded into the atmosphere and they started flushing them with sea water.
Japan. WTF are you doing? You sure aren't fishing Singapore.
When we talk about worldwide pollution and carelessness, we need look no further than our Pacific neighbors.
Uranium tailings anyone?
I don't believe Japan caused the quake, so why should they be responsible for the clean up? They have enough costs associated with their own recovery. As others have said...recycle and reclaim as much as possible. Let private enterprise do it and they could possibly turn a profit. Certainly keep government out of it, since we have run out of other peoples money to spend and the whole project could be tied up for years with environmental impact study stupidities.
Well this sucks....
Why should WE the TAXPAYERS have to pay for a nuclear "accident" in Japan with them knowing they were having problems!? Clean the crap up and send Japan the bill, but we know better. The US taxpayer pays for EVERYTHING in this country and now the Powers That Be want us to pay for foreign debris washing up on OUR shores. What else do you want Washington? You can't get blood from a stone.The American working class is lucky if they get .25 on every dollar they earn. Hey Washington, watcha gonna do when the TAXPAYERS have no more to give? REVOLUTION!
Its the do nothing Obstructionst Republicans in Congress creating this mess.
Republicans created this mess on this island. What kind of freaking 6 degree of separation are you playing? Or are you just another spouting libtard?
The Wood you see there is normal flotsom from nature. Japan purchses the majority of their woo form the United States. We actually have more waste coming in the form of products from China.
Oh My Gawd...
I sure hope the comments evolve soon. To see the effects globally of such a calamity as a 9. quake I would like to think there would be a tad more compassion in the response. But no, for now it's how are we gonna make any money or bill somebody for this trash.
This was a global impact event, it wasn't the Japanese fault, and I am fairly sure they would rather have this crap still on the shore instead of being swept out to sea.
Reparations ? Do we bill Kansas for tornado debris that ends up in Arkansas ?
Clean it up best we can, and move along. This is excrement occurs at it's finest, deal with it.
Finaly , some one had their coffee before they posted. Well said ,1984
breath of fresh air!
Why should The USA pay for this clean up I think Japan should pay for it all after all NONE of this belongs to US and that is a fact.
The very least they could do is pay for our childrens educaton. We should send our youth over there to be hosted by japanese families and educated in their schools. They should also be required to help fund our presidents re-election campaign. Just to set an example that polluteing is bad.
Why should Japan pay as it is Bush's fault. Sorry, I thought I would beat someone to the normal punchline.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. The actual debri field is the size of the state of Texas and it's headed this way. You want to bill someone for the clean up, bill Mother Nature or those of you who believe bill GOD! The people of Japan certainly did not cause this earthquake and subsequant tidal wave.
Retired --- The people of Japan certainly did not cause the earthquake, nor the subsequent tidal wave. However, they DID ignore the advice of their ancestors and built substantially below the tidal line.
i hope you thought the same thing after katrina. below the tidal line? isn't that kinda the same as saying we ignored the laws of common sense and built below sea level along the louisiana coast? c'mon...your statement doesn't "hold water."
We need Obama to fine or levy sanctions against Japan for this mess. They should be in Alaska cleaning up their debris and giveing money to the United States for their blatant pollution. We could use the money to save some species of animals that became endangered due to Japans recklessnsess and help pay some of our younger generations student loans and costs of educations because they are entitled to it. Perhaps even use some of the money from fines and seizures of Japanese properties to lobby and fund a Muslim holiday to be created in the USA, that would be a first and much needed thing in the name of diversity....
Next time you have a thought......Let it go.
Anyone who thinks Japan should foot the bill for the cleanup because of an act of god is an idiot... plain and simple. They didn't push the debris over here, the ocean currents did.
They have enough problems over there and as a taxpayer, I fully endorse this cleanup. Want to talk about wasteful spending? Ask President Obama why we're $5 Trillion more in debt than we were 3 1/2 years ago. If anything, the $45 million dollar price tag will be the best use of our taxpayer dollars spent to date.
We send all of our junk food over there, Mickey D's, Kentucky Fat Chicken, BK, Taco Hell...... the least that we can do is accept some of their garbage.
It will be shameful when Japanese become as obese as USA residents.
Anyone who thinks Japan shouldn't bear some of the cost, when here in the US we are already in debt up to our eyeballs is pretty generous. Maybe they, and others who think the same way, can send a check to the cities and towns to help with the costs. There is only so much money, so if the cities and towns, or feds use millions to clean up this debris, then some other program has to suffer.
With still detectable radiation a year after the event should we still be thinking nuclear energy for our power source? Some of the building material like the logs I see in the pictures could be valuable. You see TV shows where people get sunken trees and sell the wood. $45 million seems cheap to clean up the mess. ?that's only one trip for Obama. Use the money he is costing us to come to Charlotte for the convention. Everyone I have spoken to doesn't want the inconvenience of his visit. Only the businesses want the money. The rest of the people don't want the traffic inconvenience in an already messes up traffic pattern.
I'll bite. Most of my family is in Anchorage, right now, every day, every year.
I can state that it's a one way trip, anything that floats to Alaska, stays in Alaska. It will be recycled, repurposed, retrofitted and used till there is nothing left, almost like the movie Cast Away.
The people are skilled coast scrubbers. They have dealt with the Valdez once. I would speculate that there are volunteers right now lining up with their boats and planes to make this a $$$$ summer. The state has ungodly resources, almost unlimited budget.
But interestingly the people of Alaska are it's best resource. If this had happened on any other coast it would be a bureaucratic nightmare. Alaskans, tough as nails and the nicest people on earth.
I must go. Pleasantly,
TopJimmy: Having lived in Alaska for 6 years I agree with you 100%. The bureaucratic nightmare is coming due to the fact that the debri field is the size of Texas and is expected to impact the entire west coast. I am curious to see how Californians handle it.
Retired SFC,
It sounds like building material for the residents of Southern California.
Retired: Californians will assume the fetal position and cry for help. They will want Washington to legislate something protecting them from doing the work and then outsource the clean-up to Mexico.
It will be a circus for sure.
Now if they put all their welfare recipients on a beach and said clean for your next handout that may help, but will never happen.