The Fukushima power plant disaster hasn't been as much in the news during the last few days, at least not in the U.S. Nor have we heard much about the dangers of nuclear waste in the food supply. Does that mean an "all clear" signal. Is it over? No more need to worry?
Unfortunately not. I have just finished listening to a video recording of a speech by the well-known Australian anti-nuclear activist, Dr. Helen Caldicott. Frankly, it was very frightening. She views Fukushima as being worse than Chernobyl. I hope that isn't true.
The good news is that Tokyo Electric Power Company has finally outlined an ambitious plan for bringing the damaged and leaking reactors to what is called " cold shutdown" (the repairs haven't worked). The bad news is that in the meantime, radioactive emissions from the plant will continue for at least three or more months while this is taking place (and hopefully, will work, but nothing is for sure). They will continue to enter the air, the ocean, lakes and rivers, and seep into the soil.
This is not good news for any food grown in areas where such radiation is spreading (and the experience of Chernobyl shows that it can spread over a very wide area as time goes by). This applies to leafy greens, root vegetables, rice, other grains, milk, meat, fish, shellfish - just about anything. Unfortunately, contaminants can become increasingly concentrated in water and soil - and in food. We will hear much more, as testing is done and results are released to the public.
TSF
4 comments:
This argues even more strongly about buying and eating locally produced food.
I had a mail exchange with Dr. Caldicott.
She told me that she does not have any new contamination data to support her assumptions and that she is relying only on the data TEPCO gives out.
She does not look as knowing much about the whole issue.
Fukushima nuclear disaster is not yet contained after 6 months and its plume seems to have been traveling all over the U.S. I am wondering if the FDA radionuclides standards for the domestic foods are good enough to keep the public safe..
Will the food here in North America be safe? Testing is one thing, but haven't they raised the bar already?
The way they fiddle with things to satisfy profit takers has a lot of us wondering. Should I buy a Geiger Counter and keep a supply of emergency pills on hand?
My feeling is that no Nuclear plant is safe.
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