Job Discussion Forums

[Black_Beer_Man]

This site was mentioned in Metropolis Magazine. It posts people's geiger counter readings from all over Japan. My area, Kanagawa, is higher than the national average. But, I am not a scientist, so i don't know if the figure is so bad.

Anyway, here it is.

http://jncm.ecs.soton.ac.uk/

[Pitarou]

There's a link to a chart of radiation levels on the page you linked to. Notice that the radiation levels around Japan are reported in microsieverts/hour, but the chart is in millisieverts/hour, so you have to divide by 1000 before you look up a radiation level on the chart.

There's absolutely nothing to worry about. Even if you lived inside the evacuated zone, you'd still probably be fine. The people evacuated from Fukushima are probably experiencing far worse health effects from the stress and disruption than they would have experienced if the radiation leaks had been kept secret, and they'd been left to get on with their lives and be quietly irradiated

Not that I'm suggesting that this would have been a realistic policy option....

[timmytopee]

www.enenews.com often reports news that gives that information... Look for the articles based on news reports, some are based on blogs (which are a little more sensational, but MAY or may not be true). Basically, the contributors are people who are concerned with this.

[timmytopee]

Here is another, started by a Japanese professor (employed at M.I.T.) in the states who set up a non-profit after 3/11.

http://blog.safecast.org/

[NihonBound]

I'm no scientist either.

But Isn't it the case that you wouldn't really notice anything until many years later anyway; when your eyeballs start sliding out of their sockets and your ears fall off etc.?

[Pitarou]

[manipani]

Sorry to upset the "WA" folks, but those of you living in many parts of Japan potentially have a real, real problem on your hands.

There is a manifold threat: the air you breath, radiation that is embedded in the soil and water that you drink, and food that has been contaminated, but is freely sold as if everything were OK (like the cereal I was eating until a Japanese government spot check revealed it was seriously irradiated with cesium). The Japanese equivalent of areas that were designated as exclusion zones in Chernobyl (due to high radiation levels in the ground) have not been evacuated. You might be living in one. Google the subject to find the maps and the doses you are being exposed to where you live. Even those living in certain areas of Tokyo are getting a constant high dosage of radiation, day after day. Additionally, in their wisdom, various prefectures throughout Japan have allowed the burning of radioactive waste in and around large cities. Another danger you can add to the list above is that another earthquake of sizable proportions will cause Fukushima to flip its lid one final deadly time, and then (from what experts say) the show will be over.

The lack of knowledge about this entire subject and/or the willful ignorance many practice with regard to it--that is to say, the unwillingness to upset one's "comfortable" little life in Japan by honestly examining the long term health effects of remaining in Japan--is astounding. And to talk about scare-mongering when this subject comes up--just because it is, in fact a scary subject--and to try and stifle scary discussions in order to feel better about one's comfortable situation is, to say the least, foolish. Thyroid cancer and various sicknesses have skyrocketed in Fukushima. Much of what has happened in surrounding areas is not discussed, nor dealt with. Doctors in Japan notoriously don't tell the truth about one's medical condition; in fact, the government has admonished them not to do so. Farmer unions in surrounding prefectures threaten people who speak out due to fear that their livelihood will be impacted. I could go on and on (just google it), but those who take the subject seriously have undoubtedly already researched the matter thoroughly and made calculated decisions about what to do. Let's be clear though: if you think that you can have three times the disaster of Chernobyl in Japan without any comparable or worse effects, you are deluding yourself.

The real question that presents itself is: How long is it safe to eat, drink and breath radiation, as well as being exposed to it coming from the ground, in air filters, in air conditioners, etc.? In short: It depends on your age, sex, if you are living in irradiated areas comparable to those of the Chernobyl exclusion zones, and the aggregate dose received from all those sources (food, air, ground, etc.) over time. Genetic proclivities, or susceptibilities, would be another factor that needs to be considered.

From what I've read, if your immune system seems out of whack (i.e. you catch colds more easily than usual, or can't shake them as you used to), if you are a part of those suffering from "mysterious" outbreaks of Rubella, Whooping Cough, upper respiratory diseases, etc. (just google it), if your eye sight has inexplicably deteriorated, or if you have odd digestive problems, you may want to consult an unbiased doctor who knows his or her stuff and is willing to tell you what's going on if he/she suspects you have radiation sickness. Unfortunately, that might mean having to get a check-up back in your own country.

[DLIguy]

Gammon...

[Pitarou]

[manipani]

"Bullshit", "What do you mean?", "Radioisotopes released most certainly don't hurt anybody", "That's a rhetorical question"...

It didn't take long for somebody to come out of the woodwork and make dismissive comments that lack any factual, argumentative merit (and just in case any of you actually need the clarification, a "rhetorical question" is one that is not meant to be answered, or a question to which one already has the answer, so a response is not sought, nor required: none of which has any relevance to the question(s) that I posed).

Just to repeat: readers should google all this stuff for themselves in order to judge whether or not a specific prefecture poses potential health risks due to Fukushima. I think doing so would be a wise choice. If you are reading these forums, you have the skills--if you so choose--to drill down on the available info and data that will allow you to weigh the risks for yourself. For starters, just get the maps comparing the irradiation of Japan's prefectures with the Chernobyl exclusion zone maps (if you have any doubts about cancer rates and deaths related to Chernobyl, google that too). Relatedly, should you be afflicted with any doubts about the subject, google whether or not cesium, among other radioisotopes, actually has any salubrious effects on your health. Then, if you have extra time on your hands, you could maybe do a little research on studies revealing significantly elevated rates of infant deaths on the West Coast of the US, which only begins to touch on the subject of what world-wide effects Fukushima may be having (much of which will, undoubtedly, only be seen decades from now).

Just to be clear: I don't see my role here as writing treatises on these subjects, nor to get into meaningless arguments, nor to do anybody's research. I've given some pointers; doing the hard lifting is up to each person individually. Those who don't want to do so, encourage others not to do so, or consistently downplay any possible, substantive health risks ... what agenda do they exactly have?

As you read the above dismissive comments, critically ask yourself if you would refer your best friend, or better yet, your only child, to these kinds of "nothing-going-on-here-folks-move-along" statements to make decisions. I am perplexed why anybody would join TEPCO in making those kinds of "move-along-people" kinds of comments? That approach has already been severely criticized and discredited even by the Japanese mass media. How or why would anybody uncritically dismiss the largest human-caused public health disaster in recorded history?

As I said, google the subjects mentioned for yourselves. Just do thorough research, and you will be able to build informative opinions about whether or not it is safe to live and work in Japan. And when in doubt concerning serious matters of health (that the public has continuously been lied to), consider if it makes sense to err on the side of caution.

'nuf said.

[Pitarou]

[manipani]

Unless we seriously believe that "harm" could come to us from googling stuff and drilling down on the facts, I personally will always be an advocate of self-agency; that is to say, researching stuff ON OUR OWN and then making up OUR OWN minds.

Self-agency and being inquisitive are hallmarks of human intelligence, adaptability and survivability: they even help us gain a new and better "perspective" on things.

Now, what I don't advocate and will not be a party to are rhetorical forays into "ad hominem" attacks (which are banned in these fora, even if one first announces that such a "shameless" attack will be launched), "appeal to authority", "means-justified-by-the-ends", or "circular reasoning" of any kind. I simply don't see how such ploys help people gain factual clarity on what is already a complicated issue.

By the way, here is the sticky on ad hominem attacks in the fora:

"Ad hominem postings are not acceptable here. Postings that attack another member or which do not address the message rather than the messenger will be deleted. As appropriate, sanctions will be issued to those members responsible for the ad hominem postings.

...

Should this occur, members are requested to bring the matter to the attention of the Mod Team as soon as possible. Appropriate action will be taken to insure there is no repeat of such behavior by a particular member."

[Cool Teacher]

[Cool Teacher]

[Pitarou]

manipani:

You appear to be ignoring the substance of what I said, and are now holding this debate with your imagined version of me rather than with the person who has actually been writing these messages. You don't even quote me accurately. I consider this a good moment to sign off.

The thread is yours, sir.