NAMIE, Japan: Jinichi Abe grins as he watches diggers working earth near his rice fields, knowing they are returning still more fields to productivity after Fukushima nuclear reactors exploded and sprayed the area with radiation over a decade ago. Even better, Abe knows the rice that he and a cooperative g
NAMIE, Japan: Jinichi Abe grins as he watches diggers working earth near his rice fields, knowing they are returning still more fields to productivity after Fukushima nuclear reactors exploded and sprayed the area with radiation over a decade ago.
"Without growing rice, this town can't recover," said Abe, 85, a 13th-generation farmer, who said the rice - unsellable due to rumours - had been used as animal feed, among other uses, in previous years."Even now, we can't sell it as Fukushima rice.
There is one major shopping centre, one clinic, two dentists, one combined primary and junior high school - and a dearth of jobs. In better times, there had been a thriving pottery business and farming, along the coastal plain. A sack containing plastic pellets, which is made with Fukushima's rice, is seen on a factory line at Biomass Resin Fukushima's factory in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Feb 28, 2023.
"Namie was hit by four disasters - the quake, the tsunami, the reactor accident and then rumours about radiation danger," said Takemitsu Imazu, president of Biomass Resin Fukushima. The plastic isn't biodegradable, Imazu said, but using rice cuts the petroleum products involved - and growing more rice in Namie reduces overall atmospheric CO2.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rice into low-carbon plastic: Bringing hope to a struggling Fukushima townLast November, Biomass Resin opened a factory in Namie to turn locally-grown rice into pellets. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Japan to set up permanent routes for test flights of flying cars in FukushimaThe testing drones and 'flying cars' are touted as the next-generation means of transportation. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
$16 economic rice at MBS food court shocks netizens - Singapore News'cai png 16$ though its MBS :('
Read more »
Malaysia floods: Number of victims at evacuation centres halved; fifth casualty reported in JohorKUALA LUMPUR: The number of victims at flood evacuation centres in Malaysia has dropped to 21,863 people as of Tuesday (Mar 7) morning, down from 43,406 the night before. Separately, the body of a woman who was reported missing in the southern state of Johor was found on Monday night, bringing the death to
Read more »
Dominant Rahm headlines stacked field at Players ChampionshipJon Rahm may have come back down to earth after a strong start to the year but he is still the hottest player going into this week's Players Championship where 2022 champion Cameron Smith will be a notable absentee given his decision to join LIV Golf. Rahm is the first player since Johnny Miller in 1975 to
Read more »
South Africa to field two spinners in second test v West IndiesJOHANNESBURG : South Africa have recalled middle-order batsman Ryan Rickelton and the spin duo of Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj for the second and final test against the West Indies at The Wanderers on Wednesday.Coach Shukri Conrad has revealed the starting XI and says he had no concerns over the form o
Read more »