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Devil's Tango: How I Learned the Fukushima Step by Step
Devil's Tango is a one-woman whirlwind tour of the nuclear industry, seen through the lens of the industrial and planetary crisis unfolding at Fukushima Daiichi. As much personal journal as investigative journalism, the author's journal entries trace her
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 20, 2013
Lots of interesting bits concerning what has happened since Fukushima Daiichi reactor meltdowns, the real reason they went down (faulty GE reactors which Japanese government overlooked to protect business), and some interesting bits of how such things are a repeating cycle. Forged safety reports, government regulators in bed with industry, changing levels of radiation safety to suit the situation (such as in Japan they've risen over a hundred times the accepted dose in certain areas since the Fukushima meltdown. The book is written in a series of short vignettes, but being someone who is just currently rabid for information, I could've done without the various personal stories of the author, the waxing poetic about Mother Earth (I love her, but I don't need to read about it -- I'm already doing what I can. Yes, the moon is beautiful in the sky and symbolic, but I'm trying to gain more information about the nuclear industry right now). Still, there are some eye-opening parts, and those who are more engaged by personal, emotive tales interweaved with this tragedy, might be inclined to read this and enjoy it thoroughly. I will definitely be ransacking the bibliography for more information.
September 2, 2012
Devil's Tango describe's the true story of how the Fukushima nuclear disaster happened and the aftermath of that most dangerous nuclear disaster in the history of our world. It's scary, but all concerned citizens should be aware of the truth, and join others gathering together to research how our world can avoid similar disasters. As its author points out, the fallout from this terrible event will last for an unforeseeable length of time into the future. Every concerned adult should read it. The world owes its author, Cecile Pineda, an enormous debt of gratitude for her work, and every thinking adult should buy a copy or two to circulate to family and friends. Only awareness can lead to prevention of additional nuclear disasters. -- Daphne Penttinen, owlangels@aol.com
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July 16, 2012Pineda has combed public documents and exposed the origins of the Japanese nuclear disaster, the complicity of governments and world corporations, and the general media blackout. The book is an eye-opener and plea for citizens to wake up to the dangers facing us. She asks us to ask ourselves what is the price we are willing to pay for the energy to support our indulgent life-style. Surprisingly for its subject, this is a very readable book; the author, at 80, has boundless energy, wide-ranging poetic knowledge, a sense of irony and humor. Especially, she allows the reader into her heart and shares her passion for all life.
January 3, 2016
In Devil's Tango: How I Learned the Fukushima Step by Step Cecile Pineda has delivered a poetic, profound meditation on the slowly unfolding death of the natural world by man-made radiation. She's not the only one who sees it, but she's in a very small group of people currently alive on the planet who are able to face annihilation without blinking. Oprah will likely not be picking up her book, but I will be finding Pineda's novels (Face, The Love Queen of the Amazon, Frieze) to read as we coast downhill toward oblivion.
When I remember Hiroshima (the first place destroyed with nuclear weapons 67 years ago yesterday) and Nagasaki (the second place destroyed by a different type of nuclear weapon 67 years ago) I can't help but continue to remember Fukushima. Here I think in terms of a table or chart juxtaposing what my fellow citizens think they know about these far off places with names difficult to pronounce, and what I think I know about places I visit only in my mind.
Hiroshima
広島市
What U.S. citizens "know"
Bombing it saved untold numbers of U.S. lives by making a ground invasion of Japan unnecessary
What I "know"
Japan was already negotiating for surrender, and had long since lost the war; their economy was so crushed that they were building kamikaze planes without landing gear in order to save yen; President Truman said: we have spent so much money building these weapons, we have to use them.
Nagasaki
長崎市
What U.S. citizens "know"
The Japanese still didn't surrender after Hiroshima, so we had to show them we weren't kidding.
What I "know"
We were in too much of a rush to allow three days for Japan to react to Hiroshima with unconditional surrender; we were testing a completely different type of nuclear weapon; we were making an example of Japan so the Russians, the Chinese, and anybody else would think twice before challenging our power to destroy.
Fukushima
福島市
What U.S. citizens "know"
The nuclear plant failure was caused by a tsunami, it contaminated a rural area right around the plant, and it's all under control now.
What I "know"
Radiation alarms went off when the earthquake hit, hours before the tsunami; the Mark I Boiling Water Reactors at Fukushima have a design flaw that dooms them all to fail eventually due to containment vessels that grow brittle; General Electric made them and sold them to Japan following the Marshall Plan economic buildup of Japan as a de facto colony/aircraft carrier of the U.S.; TEPCO has successfully argued in court that it has no liability for the radiation released by Fukushima's venting; the radioactive plume continues to unfurl across the skies and in the oceans of the Northern Hemisphere; Reactor #4 is still in critical state and, if its fuel rods go, Earth could become uninhabitable by humans for 4.5 billion years or so; President Obama takes huge campaign contributions from the nuclear power industry, and continues to budget tax-funded expansion of both weapons and nuclear power production; the U.S. quietly stopped monitoring radiation levels on the West coast, and agreed not to ban any food from Japan, post-Fukishima; women and especially mothers and grandmothers in Japan hold daily protests against the use of nuclear power which are almost never reported in the mainstream press in the U.S.
When I remember Hiroshima (the first place destroyed with nuclear weapons 67 years ago yesterday) and Nagasaki (the second place destroyed by a different type of nuclear weapon 67 years ago) I can't help but continue to remember Fukushima. Here I think in terms of a table or chart juxtaposing what my fellow citizens think they know about these far off places with names difficult to pronounce, and what I think I know about places I visit only in my mind.
Hiroshima
広島市
What U.S. citizens "know"
Bombing it saved untold numbers of U.S. lives by making a ground invasion of Japan unnecessary
What I "know"
Japan was already negotiating for surrender, and had long since lost the war; their economy was so crushed that they were building kamikaze planes without landing gear in order to save yen; President Truman said: we have spent so much money building these weapons, we have to use them.
Nagasaki
長崎市
What U.S. citizens "know"
The Japanese still didn't surrender after Hiroshima, so we had to show them we weren't kidding.
What I "know"
We were in too much of a rush to allow three days for Japan to react to Hiroshima with unconditional surrender; we were testing a completely different type of nuclear weapon; we were making an example of Japan so the Russians, the Chinese, and anybody else would think twice before challenging our power to destroy.
Fukushima
福島市
What U.S. citizens "know"
The nuclear plant failure was caused by a tsunami, it contaminated a rural area right around the plant, and it's all under control now.
What I "know"
Radiation alarms went off when the earthquake hit, hours before the tsunami; the Mark I Boiling Water Reactors at Fukushima have a design flaw that dooms them all to fail eventually due to containment vessels that grow brittle; General Electric made them and sold them to Japan following the Marshall Plan economic buildup of Japan as a de facto colony/aircraft carrier of the U.S.; TEPCO has successfully argued in court that it has no liability for the radiation released by Fukushima's venting; the radioactive plume continues to unfurl across the skies and in the oceans of the Northern Hemisphere; Reactor #4 is still in critical state and, if its fuel rods go, Earth could become uninhabitable by humans for 4.5 billion years or so; President Obama takes huge campaign contributions from the nuclear power industry, and continues to budget tax-funded expansion of both weapons and nuclear power production; the U.S. quietly stopped monitoring radiation levels on the West coast, and agreed not to ban any food from Japan, post-Fukishima; women and especially mothers and grandmothers in Japan hold daily protests against the use of nuclear power which are almost never reported in the mainstream press in the U.S.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews