Tiny Forests' Big Benefits

Tiny Forests Can Have Big Benefits
Nicholas Johnson
The Gazette, February 13, 2024, p. A6
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City have been honored Arbor Day Foundation “Tree City USA” communities for over 40 years.

We know the benefits tree projects provide – air quality, cooling, community cohesion, improved health.

The Cedar Rapids derecho on Aug. 20, 2020, made national headlines after gusts up to 140 mph destroyed or seriously damaged nearly 700,000 trees.

Current news is our share of the $1 billion Forest Service grant for local trees, ReLeaf’s plan to replace nearly 50,000 of the former trees, NOAA’s identification of our “heat islands,” and near universal community support for these projects.

We are aware that it’s getting warmer. Many days this month have been 30 degrees or more above average. We may not be aware that The Lut Desert (Iran) and Sonoran Desert (Mexico) have recorded temperatures over 175 degrees. That workers in Kuwait City and Basra, Iraq, need to start in the middle of the night and quit at 7:20 am for breakfast and home to avoid excessive heat. Or that the Sun is 16 million degrees at its core.

When Dean Martin sang that he was “praying for rain in California” it was “so the grapes will grow and they can make more wine.” If it didn’t rain he could always go back to his favorite Old Fashioned.

When Iowa farmers pray for rain no alcohol is a viable substitute. And when the hot, dry, cracked soil no longer gives birth to corn and beans, Iowa’s economy crashes along with farmers’ dreams.

Fortunately, like a new fashion industry design (think torn jeans), just when we need a comfortable breeze of good news, along comes a new approach to trees.

It’s called “tiny forests.” In 2006 Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki was honored for this contribution. In addition to Japan, they’re now popular in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, India, Russia and the Middle East.

Here are the highlights.

Tiny forests are, well, tiny. No rigid rules on size, so think tennis court.

How do they differ from trees planted between the sidewalk and road along a city street? Tiny forests are an effort to recreate a crowded plot with naturally enriched soil, and none but indigenous shrubs, groundcover and trees fighting for the sunlight. Like a small piece of our western vacation lands.

I hear you asking – as my doctor queried when I proudly told him I’d lost five pounds – “Why would you want to do that?”

Used in urban heat islands, parks and developments as a supplement, not substitute, for other tree planting projects, they have those projects’ advantages plus many more.

With three-to-six times the tree density of a young forest they grow faster – 5 to 10 feet a year. Density creates microclimates, attracting a greater variety of birds and pollinators. Rapid growth creates more carbon dioxide capture sooner. Greater cooling. Soil that reduces erosion and runoff while refilling aquifers. Weed suppression. Low or no maintenance. Need less land than scattered trees. [Photo credit: wikimedia commons; Tiny Forest 9 months after planting!]

Sometimes major challenges have tiny solutions.

Nicholas Johnson will email you his “tiny forest” sources if you email a request to mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org

SOURCES Cedar Rapids trees. “Forestry,” Cedar Rapids, https://www.cedar-rapids.org/residents/resident_resources/forestry.php (“Tree City USA Recognition The City of Cedar Rapids has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for more than 40 consecutive years. We have the longest consecutive record of any city in the state of Iowa.”)

Iowa City trees. “Forestry,” Iowa City, https://www.icgov.org/government/departments-and-divisions/parks-and-recreation/forestry “Tree City, USA Iowa City is proud to have been named a Tree City USA annually since 1979. Only one city in Iowa, Cedar Rapids, has been a recipient over a longer period of time than Iowa City.”)

Benefits of trees. “22 Benefits of Trees,” TreePeople, https://www.treepeople.org/22-benefits-of-trees/ (sample selections: climate change, cleaner air, oxygen source, heat reduction, water control, erosion protection, noise reduction, soil improvement, beautification, physical and mental health.)

Cedar Rapids derecho. “Derecho,” Cedar Rapids, https://www.cedar-rapids.org/derecho/review.php (“On August 10, 2020, Cedar Rapids was confronted with an unprecedented disaster that impacted the entire community. . . . Recognized as the most destructive severe thunderstorm in the United States history, the derecho damaged thousands of homes and businesses. The derecho also destroyed 669,000 trees causing an enormous amount of debris.”)

Examples of national coverage:

Bryan Pietsch, Aimee Ortiz and John Schwartz, “In Derecho’s Wake, More Than 250,000 in Midwest Struggle Without Power; Residents in Iowa, Illinois and surrounding states were still without electricity days after Monday’s storms brought hurricane-force winds,” New York Times, August 13, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/us/derecho-iowa-storm.html

Bob Henson, “Iowa derecho in August was most costly thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history; NOAA estimates damage at $7.5 billion, higher than many hurricanes,” The Washington Post, Oct. 17, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/10/17/iowa-derecho-damage-cost/ (“Numerous locations clocked gusts over 110 mph. The winds laid waste to millions of acres of crops, severely damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes, and brought down many thousands of trees. “One could make a strong case that this is the most destructive individual thunderstorm cluster on record in terms of damage cost,” said Steve Bowen, head of catastrophe insight at the insurance broker Aon, in an email. Aon released an initial damage estimate of $5 billion for the derecho, not yet including agricultural impacts. . . . The highest estimated gust, based on the partial destruction of an apartment complex in Cedar Rapids, was 140 mph. Gusts that strong are comparable to the peak that one would expect in an EF3 tornado or major hurricane. Parts of five Iowa counties were struck by wind gusts estimated at 110 to 140 mph.”)

Forest Service grant; ReLeaf plans. Marissa Payne, “In USDA’s $1.1 billion investment in tree planting, Cedar Rapids’ ReLeaf reforestation effort awarded $6 million; Iowa communities, Department of Natural Resources receive $15.7 million through Forest Service grants,” The Gazette, Sep. 14, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/federal-government/in-usdas-1-1-billion-investment-in-tree-planting-cedar-rapids-releaf-reforestation-effort-awarde/ (“In a move to expand equitable access to trees and green spaces nationwide, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday announced an award of $6 million toward Cedar Rapids’ effort to reforest the city after the 2020 derecho toppled most of the city’s tree canopy. Gathered at Greene Square in the heart of Cedar Rapids, federal officials shared Cedar Rapids is among 385 recipients of $1.13 billion in U.S. Forest Service grants that will help communities grow tree cover in urban spaces and provide Americans with the health benefits that trees offer. . . . The funding . . . is intended to expand equitable access to nature while making communities more resilient to extreme heat, storm-induced flooding and other effects of the human-caused climate crisis. Locally, Thursday’s announcement moved the city of Cedar Rapids and Trees Forever closer to the $37 million needed to fund their ReLeaf partnership to replenish the trees downed in the derecho, ReLeaf partnership to replenish the trees downed in the derecho, the costliest thunderstorm in U.S. history. The unprecedented storm wiped out more than two-thirds of Cedar Rapids’ tree canopy, about 669,000 trees. . . . Specifically, the ReLeaf plan calls for planting about 42,000 trees on public parks and rights of way over 10 years with a focus on place-making and equitably restoring tree cover in vulnerable neighborhoods. The plan envisions trees as a means of strengthening social bonds in the community by promoting volunteerism.”)

NOAA’s heat islands. “Spot the Hot,” The Hot-Heat Mapping Campaign, Cedar Rapids, https://www.cedar-rapids.org/local_government/sustainability/SpotTheHot.php (“Residents in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City had the opportunity to serve as community scientists to gather temperature data I hottest parts of our Corridor communities as part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat island project. The City of Cedar Rapids, along with Iowa City, recently was named one of 18 communities in the U.S. to participate in the NOAA Urban Heat Island (UHI) mapping campaign, and we received grant funding from NOAA for this project. UHIs are areas with fewer trees and more pavement to absorb heat and create heat pockets in communities, in contrast with areas that feature more trees, green spaces, and less asphalt. UHIs are detrimental to public health because of these created heat pockets. The NOAA UHI mapping campaign engaged community volunteers to help collect data in their neighborhoods by utilizing provided sensors mounted on their vehicles; the sensors recorded temperature, humidity, time, and location.”)

Near universal community support. Marissa Payne, “In USDA’s $1.1 billion investment in tree planting, Cedar Rapids’ ReLeaf reforestation effort awarded $6 million; Iowa communities, Department of Natural Resources receive $15.7 million through Forest Service grants,” The Gazette, Sep. 14, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/federal-government/in-usdas-1-1-billion-investment-in-tree-planting-cedar-rapids-releaf-reforestation-effort-awarde/ (“Vilsack told reporters the combination of community leadership, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations and other partnerships behind ReLeaf Cedar Rapids made it a compelling application within the state of Iowa and a fitting location to spotlight in unveiling the grants. ‘What really struck me was how comprehensive and how excited and how passionate people are for this program in Cedar Rapids,’ . . . The city has committed at least $1 million annually toward ReLeaf for 10 years . . .. ReLeaf has secured about $3.5 million in private support so far . . ..”)

30 degrees warmer this year. Corey Thompson, “Exceptional warmth continues, before rain and storm chance brings change,” KCRG, Feb. 6, 2024, https://www.kcrg.com/2024/02/06/exceptional-warmth-continues-before-rain-storm-chance-brings-change/ (“A warming trend continues into Wednesday and Thursday, owing to an increase in southeasterly winds. These will help to pull in those warmer highs, which head toward the upper 50s on Wednesday, and likely break through the 60-degree mark on Thursday. More records are possible on Wednesday, and we will likely wipe out records area-wide on Wednesday as highs surge toward 30 degrees or more above normal. Cedar Rapids has never seen such warmth for so long this early in the year . . ..”)

Alan Halaly, “West’s ‘hot drought’ is unprecedented in more than 500 years,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, Feb. 1, 2024, https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/science-and-technology/wests-hot-drought-is-unprecedented-in-more-than-500-years-2991687/ Also, The Gazette, Feb. 3, 2024, p 6: (LAS VEGAS — There’s no precedent in at least five centuries for how hot and dry the West has been in the last two decades, new research asserts using analysis of tree rings. The study, published in late January, adds to an ever-growing slew of research that suggests human-caused climate change is warming the earth in ways never seen before. It furthers other research like one study, published last year, that showed the West’s conditions over the last 20 years are the driest in 1,200 years because of climate change.”)

Ian Livingston, "Central, eastern U.S. bask in record winter warmth; At least 350 warm-weather records have been set this week alone," Washington Post, Feb. 9, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/02/09/record-high-temperatures-midwest-greatlakes-climate/ ("Abnormally warm weather has [set] hundreds of records. Now some of this warmth is oozing toward the East Coast. Already, at least 350 warm-weather records have fallen, and two more days of springlike warmth are on the way from the Great Lakes to the Mid-Atlantic. . . . Since the beginning of February, temperatures in the nation’s northern tier have climbed to nearly 40 degrees above normal at times. . . . So far, February is the warmest or second-warmest on record for most of the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, according to Weather Service data.")

Lut & Sonoran deserts. Richard Stone, “Move over, Death Valley: These are the two hottest spots on Earth; Two places hold the record for highest surface temperatures on the planet,” Science, May 19, 2021, https://www.science.org/content/article/move-over-death-valley-these-are-two-hottest-spots-earth (“Death Valley holds the record for the highest air temperature on the planet: On 10 July 1913, temperatures at the aptly named Furnace Creek area in the California desert reached a blistering 56.7°C (134.1°F). Average summer temperatures, meanwhile, often rise above 45°C (113°F).

But when it comes to surface temperature, two spots have Death Valley beat. A new analysis of high-resolution satellite data finds the Lut Desert in Iran and the Sonoran Desert along the Mexican-U.S. border have recently reached a sizzling 80.8°C (177.4°F).

Kuwait and Basra. “Extreme Heat Will Change Us; Half the world could soon face dangerous heat. We measured the daily toll it is already taking,” New York Times, Nov. 18, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/18/world/middleeast/extreme-heat.html (Basra and Kuwait: "By 7:22 a.m., it was too hot to keep going on the roof, so they ate breakfast in the shade and switched to indoor tasks. At 9 a.m., they quit for the day.")

Sun temperature. “Sun,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ (“Sun Sun’s diameter. 864,600 miles Sun’s distance from Earth. 93,000,000 miles Sun’s temperature on surface; at core. Surface atmosphere 9,000,000 oF [8,999,540 oF] Core 16,000,000 oF [15,700,000 oF] A sphere that size could hold 1.3 million Earths. “Image of 1 Million Earths Inside the Sun,” Business Insider, Jan. 30, 2015, https://www.businessinsider.com/image-of-1-million-earths-inside-the-sun-2015-1)

Dean Martin song. “Little Old Wine Drinker Me,” MOJIM, https://mojim.com/usy123185x45x6.htm (“Little Old Wine Drinker Me”

I’m praying for rain in California, So the grapes can grow And they can make more wine”)

Dean Martin’s favorite drinks. Johathan Wells, “Here’s how to drink like the Rat Pack; From Frank Sinatra’s favorite Scotch whisky to Dean Martin’s cocktail of choice, here’s how to drink like the famous entertainers,” Gentleman’s Journal, Feb. 5, 2024, https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/heres-how-to-drink-like-the-rat-pack/ (“He [Dean Martin] enjoyed a frequent glass of Jack Daniel’s over ice — and even launched his own bourbon, Dino’s, in 1959 (part of a liquor line that also included a vodka and a Scotch whisky). Curiously, however, Martin preferred his Old Fashioned — a cocktail traditionally mixed with bourbon — made with Scotch.”)

Agriculture in Iowa’s economy. Caitlyn Lamm, “Ag is vital to Iowa’s economy,” Iowa Farm Bureau, March 30, 2022, https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Article/Ag-is-vital-to-Iowas-economy (“Iowa agriculture is responsible for a direct economic output of $88.3 billion and more than 315,000 jobs contributing $17.57 billion in wages, according to the sixth annual Feeding the Economy report. . . . Iowa agriculture supports 801,000 jobs and a $204 billion economic output. Iowa agriculture also has an export value of $6.56 billion.”)

“Iowa,” Sheppard Software, https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usaweb/snapshot/Iowa.htm (“Economy Farms make up about 92 percent of Iowa’s land; only Nebraska has a higher percentage of farmland. About one-third of the best farmland in the United States is located in Iowa. Most of the state’s residents are in some way dependent upon Iowa’s fertile soil and many crops.”)

“Study Measures Significance of Agriculture to Iowa Economy,” Iowa State University, Extension and Outreach, 2009, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/oct/161501.htm (Though a little dated, still ballpark indicators. “Production agriculture and ag-related industries directly and indirectly employ one of every six Iowans (or 17 percent of the state’s workforce), based on 2007 Census of Agriculture data. They also are responsible for adding $72.1 billion to the state’s economy, or 27 percent of the state’s total. This represents a 2 percent increase over a previous analysis . . ..”)

Tiny forests – description and benefits. See generally, "Pocket Forests," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_forest

Cara Buckley, “Tiny Forests With Big Benefits; Native plants crowded onto postage-stamp-size plots have been delivering environmental benefits around the world — and, increasingly, in the U.S., New York Times, Aug. 26, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/climate/tiny-forests-climate-miyawaki.html (“The tiny forest . . . is . . . already acting quite a bit older than its actual age, which is just shy of 2. Its aspens are growing at twice the speed normally expected, with fragrant sumac and tulip trees racing to catch up. It has absorbed storm water without washing out, suppressed many weeds and stayed lush throughout last year’s drought. The little forest managed all this because of its enriched soil and density, and despite its diminutive size: 1,400 native shrubs and saplings, thriving in an area roughly the size of a basketball court.

Tiny forests have been planted across Europe, in Africa, throughout Asia and in South America, Russia and the Middle East. India has hundreds, and Japan, where it all began, has thousands. . . .

Healthy woodlands absorb carbon dioxide, clean the air and provide for wildlife. But these tiny forests promise even more. They can grow as quickly as ten times the speed of conventional tree plantations, enabling them to support more birds, animals and insects, and to sequester more carbon, while requiring no weeding or watering after the first three years, their creators said. Perhaps more important for urban areas, tiny forests can help lower temperatures in places where pavement, buildings and concrete surfaces absorb and retain heat from the sun. ‘This isn’t just a simple tree-planting method,’ said Katherine Pakradouni, a native plant horticulturist . . .. ‘This is about a whole system of ecology that supports all manner of life, both above and below ground.’

[T]iny forests . . . trace their lineage to the Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki, who in 2006 won the Blue Planet Prize, considered the environmental equivalent of a Nobel award, for his method of creating fast-growing native forests. . . .

Dr. Miyawaki’s prescription involves intense soil restoration and planting many native flora close together. Multiple layers are sown — from shrub to canopy — in a dense arrangement of about three to five plantings per square meter. The plants compete for resources as they race toward the sun, while underground bacteria and fungal communities thrive. Where a natural forest could take at least a century to mature, Miyawaki forests take just a few decades, proponents say. . . .

The [Cambridge MA] Danehy Park forest cost $18,000 for the plants and soil amendments, Mr. Putnam said, while the pocket forest company, SUGi, covered the forest creators’ consulting fees of roughly $9,500. By way of comparison, a Cambridge street tree costs $1,800. . . .

The initial density is crucial to stimulating rapid growth, said Hannah Lewis, the author of “Mini-Forest Revolution. ‘It quickly creates a canopy that shades out weeds, and shelters the microclimate underneath from wind and direct sun, she said.’”)

Shubhendu Sharma, “An engineer’s vision for tiny forests, everywhere,” Ted Talks, March 2014, https://www.ted.com/talks/shubhendu_sharma_an_engineer_s_vision_for_tiny_forests_everywhere?language=en

Tennis courts. “Tennis Court Dimensions & Size,” Harrod Sport, March 27, 2020, https://www.harrodsport.com/advice-and-guides/tennis-court-dimensions (“Tennis Court Dimensions A tennis court is 78ft (23.77m) in length. The courts used for singles matches are 27ft (8.23m) wide, while doubles courts are 36ft (10.97m) wide. The court’s service line is 21ft (6.4m) from the net. . . .

What is the total area of a tennis court? The total area of a tennis court is usually 260.87m² –the total playing area of a doubles court. A singles court, which is often marked within the doubles court has a total playing area of 195.65m². [Math – difference 65.22 – ½ = 32.61 - + 195.65 = 228.26 228.26 sq meters = 2456.970192 sq feet = 0.056404 acre

Basketball courts. M Campbell, “Diagrams of Basketball Courts,” https://www.recunlimited.com/blog/diagrams-basketball-courts/ (“Court Dimensions:

Professional NBA and College Basketball court is 94 feet (29 m) by 50 feet (15 m). [4700 square feet])

# # #

Nuclear Power's Future

March 18, 2011, 10:00 a.m.

[March 19: Addition of new paragraph 5, "Predicting the Unpredictable," and, following the blog entry, responses to some blog readers' comments.]

Iowans' "Absolute Safety" from Nuclear Disaster Impossible to Achieve
["[W]e need to be willing to invest [in energy]. But if the investment is in nuclear energy, it must be absolutely safe." Editorial, "Nuclear Energy in Iowa Must be Used Safely," Iowa City Press-Citizen, March 19, 2011, p. A13.]

What is, what should be, America's and Iowa's nuclear power plant future?

The blog essay I'd like to write on the subject will take more time, over time, than I have to devote to it this morning.

So here are some bullet points that, with luck, I'll be able to expand upon over time.

1. Conservation and Population. Our greatest source of the very cheapest energy is conservation. To focus solely on the energy supply side is like earning and borrowing ever more money each year in the futile effort to satisfy all of one's escalating wants, manipulated by a consumerist culture and economy, rather than budgeting and evaluating one's values and true needs. Conservation examples: encouraging more walking and use of bicycles, where feasible, rather than cars; relying proportionately more on urban and cross-country rail, rather than trucks and cars; transferring the tens of billions of dollars earmarked for the nuclear industry to an aggressive home insulation program.

Even less politically popular than conservation would be zero growth population policies. But, of course, the grim reality is that the world's population has gone from 300 million 2000 years ago, to one billion in 1800, 2 billion by 1927, 3 billion by 1960, 4 billion by 1974, 5 billion by 1987, 6 billion by 1999 -- on to a projected 9 billion by 2050. That's 1800 years to add 700 million, 127 years to add the second billion, 33 years to add the third, 14 years to add the fourth billion, 13 years to add the fifth, and 12 years to reach 6 billion.

There has been a three-fold increase in population just during my lifetime. But of course the increase in energy demand grows even faster than population. As a reader wrote me, "World population continues to increase at an alarming rate. Even if we could completely stop population growth tomorrow, people in India and China want our quality of life. They want cars, big houses, appliances, and lots of fancy electronic things. The need for energy will continue to skyrocket." Even if the world's people continued to use energy, per person, at the rates they do today, imagine the difference it would make if there were only half as many people to use (and waste) energy as there are now.

2. No Utopias. There is no single, perfect answer to our energy needs. No matter what we do, there will continue to be climate change, death and injury to civilian populations, and obviously the workers (e.g., the Japanese nuclear plant workers who are dying and will die as I write; those who died on BP's offshore drilling rig, and in the Massey coal mines, last year; those whose health is affected by polluted air and water; those who will suffer property damage, injury and death from exploding natural gas pipelines).

3. The Mix. We will undoubtedly continue to draw upon a mix of sources. Were we to put a multiple of present resources behind wind, solar, biomass, and hydro (which are not devoid of downsides) they could contribute a great deal more than they do now. But for the foreseeable future we are going to continue to have a significant reliance on coal, oil, natural gas -- and nuclear (now providing about 20% of our electric energy).

4. Risk Assessment. Assessing the risk of any event, from falling downstairs to a nuclear disaster, involves, among others, at least two factors: (a) What are the odds, the likelihood, that the event will occur? (b) If it does occur, how serious (i.e., costly in property damage and human life and health) would it be?

There are about 442 operating nuclear reactors in the world; four failed in the Fukushima Daiichi Plant. That is one percent of the world's reactors. Individuals will differ as to how likely a risk that is. But few would differ on the potential seriousness of the consequences should it occur. Coal mining and offshore oil drilling also pose risks to the environment and human life; the likelihood of their occurring are greater than for a nuclear disaster; but the quantity of the impact on human life and health is much less than a nuclear disaster when they do occur.

5. Predicting the Unpredictable. Whether dealing with possible terrorist threats to our airline industry, or the next big thing to threaten the safety of a nuclear reactor, it's much easier to respond to the last threat than to anticipate the next. One airline passenger puts a bomb in his shoe, and the next two million passengers have to take their shoes off before boarding. It's like the southern folktale, "The Story of Epaminondas and His Auntie." (E.g., Epaminondas brings home cake in his hand, turning it to crumbs, and is told he should have put it under his hat. The next day he's sent for butter, brings it home under his hat, where it melts down his face. The pattern continues.)

We're always working on the last threat, rather than preparing for the next. Was a nuclear power plant built to withstand a 7.2 magnitude earthquake "safe"? Sure -- until it's hit with a magnitude 9 earthquake, followed by a tsunami. We can build nuclear reactors to withstand the threats we have either dealt with before, or those we can imagine. But ironically, the very fact there have been so few nuclear reactor disasters means that it is even more difficult to predict what may trigger the next one. All we can know with certainty is that it will probably involve an event that no one predicted.

6. Decommissioning. Like natural gas pipelines that can corrode or otherwise increase the risk of ruinous explosions and fires with the passage of time, so do nuclear reactors. Among other things, the bombarding nuclear activity and heat can weaken the safety structures. Some engineers are suggesting the Fukushima reactors either were scheduled for decommissioning, or should have been, before now. Apparently, a forty-year operating life (which these had) is close to the outer reaches of safe operation. That would mean that the reactors in the U.S. that were constructed prior to 1971, which is a goodly number of them, are due to be decommissioned -- or, as in Germany, at least shut down and subjected to a very, very thorough stress and safety check (an approach rejected by the President and nuclear industry). Not incidentally, decommissioning is a lengthy and costly process, which is but one of the reasons the profit-driven nuclear and electric utility industries have a motive for pushing their luck.

7. Corruption and Capture. Warnings tend to be ignored. Massey's safety record was well known by government and within the industry. Ditto for BP. Ditto for nuclear. In the 1960s, GE's Mark I -- the reactor built at Daiichi -- was touted as a more economical source of nuclear power. Engineers inside and outside the company warned that the cost savings increased safety hazards. Some predicted years ago the precise scenario we have been witnessing over the last ten days in Japan.

In the case of BP, the "regulatory" agency employees were literally sleeping with the industry, while accepting on faith BP's representations regarding the safety of its operations. As a rough rule of thumb, major companies and industries get a return of 1000-to-one on their campaign contributions; give a million, get a billion. One form of that return is watered down, or non-existent, regulation as a result of Congressional, or Presidential intervention.

Unfortunately, this can also take the form of public officials essentially echoing industry propaganda. It was only days before the BP loss of life and ecological disaster that President Obama was assuring Americans that, because of technological improvements, any harm from offshore drilling was virtually impossible. More recently, the President and his Administration have been touting both the necessity and safety of his multi-billion-dollar push for more nuclear power plants. Not incidentally, he has recently appointed the CEO of GE -- the company that stands to gain the most from increased nuclear power plant construction (and whose officers were major Obama campaign contributors, not to mention the executives of MSNBC) -- to a top White House position, while essentially ignoring the ongoing, and unresolved, problems associated with nuclear waste disposal.

8. Increased Nuclear Safety Possible, but Unlikely. There is much that can be done to decrease -- not eliminate, but decrease -- the risk of nuclear disaster. Examples might include stronger containment vessels, removing (or at least not putting new) reactors that are close to major urban centers, drinking water supplies, or seismic fault lines. Unfortunately, for the reasons set forth above (7. "Corruption and Capture") such measures are unlikely to be as vigorously pursued as good science and rational policy would dictate.

9. Who pays? Not incidentally, it is we, as utility ratepayers and taxpayers, who pay for nuclear generated power plants. They are essentially a freebee for shareholders. Sometimes ratepayers must pay in advance of construction; always they will pay eventually in higher rates; and always they will pay as taxpayers following a major disaster. It's another example of "free private enterprise for the poor and socialism for the rich."

Moreover, there's a lesson to be learned from the lack of "free market" response to the nuclear "opportunity," even with billions of dollars from Washington. The relatively low price of domestic natural gas, the enormous (multi-billion-dollar) cost per reactor, the unsolved problem of nuclear waste, and the enormous safety concerns (even if taxpayers pick up most of the economic costs of disasters) have discouraged potential investors from building nuclear power plants over the past couple decades. Sometimes, as citizens, we need to listen to the marketplace in shaping public policy -- even if, as ratepayers and taxpayers, we are willing to be snookered by the utilities and their kept public officials.
_____
[The author of an anonymous comment on this blog says, in part, "To verify my sincerity I can tell you that I live within 10 miles of a plant similar to the ones in Japan except for a few important facts. 1. It is not on a fault line. . . ."

Now I'm not about to predict an earthquake in Iowa, or that if one were to occur Iowa's nuclear power plants would be at risk. After all, how could I know? Besides, the 1811 earthquake epicenter was somewhat south of Iowa, between Missouri and Illinois. But I do note that three months ago FEMA thought an earthquake in this region is "a significant risk today."

The [1811] earthquake took place in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), which is the site of several of the largest historical earthquakes to ever strike the continental U.S. and remains a significant risk today. . . . The earthquake caused strong shaking throughout the central U.S. . . . its impacts were felt as far away as Washington and Ohio . . . [and] caused large areas to be uplifted or dropped down in elevation.

Since then, the regions along the NMSZ have experienced explosive growth in both population and infrastructure. Another series of earthquakes with the magnitude of the 1811 earthquakes could prove catastrophic to the region.

"On The 199th Anniversary of New Madrid Quake, FEMA Urges the Public To Be Prepared Today," FEMA/Department of Homeland Security, December 16, 2010.

The same comment author says, "The biggest difference [between the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan, and the one in Palo, Iowa] is that in the U.S. we NEVER put 6 reactors in one place. When this is done you just end up with a problem waiting to happen." However, the March 19, 2011, Gazette reports that Palo, where there is already a 37-year-old reactor, is at least one of the possible sites for a second reactor. The story details some of the advantages of putting a new one there, but omits to mention the increased risks noted by the comment author. Rick Smith, "MidAmerican downplays mention of Palo as nuke site, but some say it makes good sense," The Gazette, March 19, 2011, p. A1.]

# # #

March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami

March 11, 2011, 5:00 a.m.

My heart goes out to friends, indeed all, in Japan and the Pacific Rim
This video from NHK provides some sense of the damage wrought by the 10-meter waves as they hit one of Japan's cities, Sendai (in Miyagi Prefecture), following the 8.9 earthquake -- the worst in all of Japan's recorded history (and fifth worst in the history of the world).

Thanks to BBC World Service, I was able to follow the news on radio throughout the night, almost from the first reports.

Miraculously and thankfully, there appears to have been radically less damage (and death toll) from the earthquake than would be expected, with apparently almost all of Tokyo's high rise buildings still standing -- as a result of Japanese architecture,engineering, building codes, and lack of corruption among those charged with their enforcement.

While our thoughts are with the dead, injured, their families, and all caught up in this natural disaster, there are also lessons here for America's response to disasters, and the agencies charged with that responsibility, such as the Department of Homeland Security, and FEMA. How Japan has responded today is a case study that those agencies should study closely and embed in their planning and training programs: the advance preparation, the almost instantaneous response and seemingly well organized and smooth coming together and working together of all conceivably relevant institutions and individuals, the relative calm and cooperation of the population, and the transparency and fulsome reporting by means of a variety of technology of what information sources knew when they knew it.

There is now, and will continue to be, no shortage of the still unfolding global news services' coverage in video, still pictures, on-scene reports, and mounting death toll. (I'm currently watching the live feed from the English language NHK World, carried by MSNBC.) So there's no real purpose or need to my trying to provide a running report and commentary here.