Woah woah woah, Arcana, calm down. While there are plenty of things to be afraid of re: nuclear reactors, this is not worth panicking about. We haven't even reached a point where the radioactivity coming out of the reactor is dangerous to anyone outside of Japan. Once we get there (if we get there)? Oh yeah, then we can panic. Until then, take a deep breath and try to calm yourself. It's low levels of radioactivity, very low levels, levels barely higher than the ones we get every single day from the sun, which is the largest nuclear reactor in range. From what I've read, you've experienced much, much higher doses at doctor's and dentist's offices.
And I really wouldn't trust anything coming from those guys. I mean, seriously, look at that site. Does that look like the website of a professional? They have zero citations or sources on 90% their stuff, and the things they do cite/source are hosted on their very own site, and absolutely no way of you being able to backtrack and actually confirm any statistics or claims they're making through other independent sources. Alternative news sources are always good, but I wouldn't trust these guys anymore than I'd trust Fox news. There is zero accountability for the things they're saying.
I know the American government has a history of lying to you guys, but go read some foreign press stuff. Australia and New Zealand are the most likely to produce some real non-fearmongering information. Go monitor their stuff and keep an eye out on what they're saying, that's the best way to find out stuff if you're worried about the American media burying it.
They seem to be reliable and third party having students volunteer and being adamant about transparency to the public rather than hiding the results like the EPA/UN seems to be doing now.
The issue again of course is the isotopes coming in, so far the levels are very low but I am still keeping an eye because this stuff is going to be incoming for weeks.
It also is concerning to me that there it's hard to get info on any areas closer to where I live, in Arizona(Southwestern US), according to this article: http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=14301518 the University of Arizona which is in the same city I live in is doing some tests but I can't find the results posted anywhere. There is a local government monitoring isotopes in Pheonix, but only seems to detect Iodine isotopes.
I find it worrisome that none of these detectors are designed to pick up Plutonium particles, which would be the most dangerous. The testing place in Berkeley may be getting alpha particle detectors soon. Alpha particles are not dangerous externally but can be pretty dangerous inside the body being emitted from radionuclides inhaled, digested, or incorporated into tissue. Thankfully Plutonium is really heavy compared to Cesium-137, which is also worrisome due to a half-life of 30 years.
I know that radioactive particles are everywhere in tiny amounts nowadays. Even coal power plants are known to spew particles of uranium locally, nuclear bomb tests and accidents such as 3 Mile Island and an incident in Simi Valley in the 50s have thrown a lot of Cs-137 and Iodine radioactive isotopes. Radioactive pollonium is found in cigerattes, radioactive potassium is found in very trace amounts in bananas.
I understand sites like the one I posted and another known as Idealist.ws sounding the alarm are very concerned, and I know they may be exaggerating things from fear. Perhaps toward a backlash at the other extreme which is the apathetic "oh it's all alright" nuclear industry, kinda like big agra and vegans. They say that there is no safe dose of radiation, which ignores that humans have evolved to cope with traces of uranium in the environment, however on the other hand plutonium is much more dangerous than uranium and added isotopes of other radionuclides can increase the risk a bit.
Right now, the levels seem to be rather low, even in rain. The isotopes so far detected have been already migrating all around the US including the East coast. What we can hope for now is that the levels stay low and also if our food, especailly milk can be tested.
And I really wouldn't trust anything coming from those guys. I mean, seriously, look at that site. Does that look like the website of a professional? They have zero citations or sources on 90% their stuff, and the things they do cite/source are hosted on their very own site, and absolutely no way of you being able to backtrack and actually confirm any statistics or claims they're making through other independent sources. Alternative news sources are always good, but I wouldn't trust these guys anymore than I'd trust Fox news. There is zero accountability for the things they're saying.
I know the American government has a history of lying to you guys, but go read some foreign press stuff. Australia and New Zealand are the most likely to produce some real non-fearmongering information. Go monitor their stuff and keep an eye out on what they're saying, that's the best way to find out stuff if you're worried about the American media burying it.
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Right now I am looking at this site: http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/ucbairsampling
They seem to be reliable and third party having students volunteer and being adamant about transparency to the public rather than hiding the results like the EPA/UN seems to be doing now.
The issue again of course is the isotopes coming in, so far the levels are very low but I am still keeping an eye because this stuff is going to be incoming for weeks.
It also is concerning to me that there it's hard to get info on any areas closer to where I live, in Arizona(Southwestern US), according to this article: http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=14301518 the University of Arizona which is in the same city I live in is doing some tests but I can't find the results posted anywhere. There is a local government monitoring isotopes in Pheonix, but only seems to detect Iodine isotopes.
I find it worrisome that none of these detectors are designed to pick up Plutonium particles, which would be the most dangerous. The testing place in Berkeley may be getting alpha particle detectors soon. Alpha particles are not dangerous externally but can be pretty dangerous inside the body being emitted from radionuclides inhaled, digested, or incorporated into tissue. Thankfully Plutonium is really heavy compared to Cesium-137, which is also worrisome due to a half-life of 30 years.
I know that radioactive particles are everywhere in tiny amounts nowadays. Even coal power plants are known to spew particles of uranium locally, nuclear bomb tests and accidents such as 3 Mile Island and an incident in Simi Valley in the 50s have thrown a lot of Cs-137 and Iodine radioactive isotopes. Radioactive pollonium is found in cigerattes, radioactive potassium is found in very trace amounts in bananas.
I understand sites like the one I posted and another known as Idealist.ws sounding the alarm are very concerned, and I know they may be exaggerating things from fear. Perhaps toward a backlash at the other extreme which is the apathetic "oh it's all alright" nuclear industry, kinda like big agra and vegans. They say that there is no safe dose of radiation, which ignores that humans have evolved to cope with traces of uranium in the environment, however on the other hand plutonium is much more dangerous than uranium and added isotopes of other radionuclides can increase the risk a bit.
Right now, the levels seem to be rather low, even in rain. The isotopes so far detected have been already migrating all around the US including the East coast. What we can hope for now is that the levels stay low and also if our food, especailly milk can be tested.
Where do you live anyway?
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