Land Of The Rising Core Temperature, Part 38

By no means is the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster even close to over.  With radiation levels still pegging the needle at 10 Sieverts an hour this week (a lethal dose in just 10-20 minutes) and in reality probably much higher than that, no wonder Japan has now fired the country's top nuclear safety officials.  The BBC:

Three men in charge of nuclear power safety and policy have been sacked amid the ongoing crisis at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Japan's Trade and Industry Minister, Banri Kaieda, said the three senior officials would be held responsible for mishandling the plant and its problems.

The Fukushima plant, hit by the tsunami in March, is still leaking radiation.

The crisis has also brought to light the close links between the government and the power industry.

Those sacked are the head of the nuclear safety agency, Nobuaki Terasaka, the head of the agency for natural resources and energy, Tetsuhiro Hosono, and the vice minister for economy, trade and industry, Kazuo Matsunaga.

Mr Kaieda, who played a key role in handling the Fukushima crisis, has also said he plans to resign to take responsibility.

But he has not said when he will do so, despite a tearful confrontation with opposition lawmakers.

Is it any wonder why beef and produce bans continue to increase from the stricken area?

The Japanese government, fighting a quake-triggered nuclear plant crisis, Tuesday extended its beef cattle shipment ban to Tochigi prefecture in that region.

The action was taken as radiation emissions have continued from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in nearby Fukushima Prefecture, which was crippled by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said it was decided to ban shipments from Tochigi after some cattle raised there were found to be contaminated with radioactive cesium, Kyodo News reported.

The government already has suspended beef cattle shipments from Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.

More and more prefectures and more and more Japanese citizens will find themselves facing dangerous levels of radiation as the months roll by.  This disaster will define a generation in that country.  When the Japanese people have finally had enough, things will get truly uglyand will do so quickly.