Japan releasing radioactive vapors from nuclear plant (independent, cost, economic)

[NHartphotog]

Originally Posted by miyu

There is background cosmic radiation, and radiation emanating from the earth. And radiation exposure from medical studies is on average 2x more than the natural radiation. It is conceivable that the amount of radioactive vapors may get dispersed and mean nothing. Hope they are able to contain it.

Exactly so. People need to learn about radiation and nuclear power so they can make educated decisions on energy issues, and not allow themselves to be manipulated by the Oil and Coal Industries and related power-brokers.

Guess which occupation has the highest radiation exposure? Airline pilots. "Robert Barish, physicist and author of "The Invisible Passenger: Radiation Risks For People Who Fly," says, "People who work in the nuclear power industry on an average basis are getting 1.6 milliSieverts per year. There are people who fly in airplanes who are getting 2 or 3 or 4. So they are truly radiation workers." Flying and Radiation Risk -- Physicist Calls for Airline Industry to Educate Workers about Radiation Levels

And radon gas is endemic here in the NH bedrock and in basements, as well as in much of the US. Check out this national map for your exposure risk: http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/weekly/3Page11.pdf

Let's not forget that your kitchen microwave is radiating your food, but microwave ovens are found in 90% of our homes (and if nuclear power had their marketers, America would be energy-independent now instead of in constant MidEast Oil Wars and suffering constant energy-cost Recessions.

Fire is dangerous, but we don't make it unusable by placing so many bureaucratic and cost hurdles that it can't be used. Likewise, let's not allow the Oil and Coal Businesses to stop the one shot America has for economic health and long-term survival.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by NHartphotog

Exactly so. People need to learn about radiation and nuclear power so they can make educated decisions on energy issues, and not allow themselves to be manipulated by the Oil and Coal Industries and related power-brokers.

It's not the opposition from fossil fuel companies preventing nuclear power, both industries face the same uphill battles and opposition from activists and environmentalists who have even gone after wind and solar...

[AONE]

Originally Posted by NHartphotog

Likewise, let's not allow the Oil and Coal Businesses to stop the one shot America has for economic health and long-term survival.

The greatest detriment to nukes are the financials.

all nukes have 100% cost over run.

the costs of power to the consumer tends to increase by a multiple of 4 to those who get new plants

the life expectancy for a plant is 25-30 years and due to the costs, business.... run them well beyond their time...I'm sure their sound business decision is good for the public

For the cost of one plant you could put every client served on solar / wind power and generate as much power without making a power company rich.

The Japan situation shows they are not safe under any circumstance in any areas with seismic activity.... You can explain away all you want of where we get out radiation exposure... tell that to those that died from Chernobyl... estimated from 500,000 - 1,000,000. Im sure they care they get exposure from internal radiation or from flying... facts are this plant killed many thousands.If things progress in Japan, the result will be the same. You might want to sweep your sushi with a Geiger counter before you eat it as well.

Or are you of the mind set that it will go away... guess that's true if you can afford to wait the 250,000 years.

~one shot for economic health~ are you for real?
No matter how you wrap it,promote it,or sell it, $hit still stinks

[qlty]

Is our government or Japan's telling us the real story?After all they do control the media.Just wondering what everyone thinks??

[ovcatto]

I've never noted a history of the Japanese being inclined to full disclosure of any personal or national failings, I doubt that they have decided on a new path at this juncture. In short, no I don't we have anything approaching "The full story".

[miyu]

You can go check for yourself with a dosimeter and geiger counter. I suspect they have no reason to lie because they already evacuated half a million people... They are beyond the point of being afraid to generate mass hysteria. They are already protecting their people and preparing for the worst case scenario. So why lie? I mean anyone with a Geiger counter can go check! If they lied they'd be found out soon enough.

[Frank DeForrest]

using history as our guide, we can be sure in saying the government and the media are going to lie.

[Jill61]

I actually agree with miyu. This situation is being watched so closely by the international media, there's no way anything could be kept out of the public eye here.

Not to mention, the Japanese government has evacuated over a hundred thousand of their citizens who are within a 12 mile radius of the plants, housing them (and others) in 1,350 temporary shelters and are providing them with iodine pills, something our government has decided not to bother with for people living outside a 10 mile perimeter of a nuclear plant. They don't want to "distract" or "confuse" people in the event of a nuclear emergency, with silly little pills that could potentially save their lives.

U.S. scraps plan for anti-radiation pills - USATODAY.com

I think Japan's doing a much better job than we would.

[HappyTexan]

Amid all the explosions, lack of cooling, fires, loss of power, high heat, uranium and plutonium, handing out iodine pills the officials are still saying "not dangerous". They keep saying these released "vapor clouds" are not dangerous.

Do you think anyone would go on the air and say "Sorry folks but we just released a radioactive cloud that is now traveling around the earth."

[westwaswon]

I think the radiation is less harmful than the earthquake and the tsunami and the many 8.0 and "smaller" earthquakes . What is worse than crushed or drowned ? Three mile Island never turned out to be so bad. The people in Chernobyl drank from the river to get poisoned . I think the news shows are fishing for bad news.