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Mr. Naoto Kan, former Prime Minister of Japan Dr. Gregory Jaczko, Former Chairman United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Ralph Nader, American, political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney |
Then there are individuals who have less of a problem with the question of radioactivity: |
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Dr. McCollough’s position used to be considered the diametrically opposed view of what is called the Linear No Threshold Approach.
There are a number of scientists who believe that the less radiation you have in your life, the better; the lower your candidacy for radiation related issues (i.e. cancer). Arnie Gundersen of FaireWinds.org is one such individual. One acronym in the video below is B.E.I.R. BEIR Biological Efects of Ionizing Radiation states that radiation exposure and cancer are linear: the more radiation you are exposed to, the greater your likelihood of contracting cancer. |
| Examples cited in the video: 100 REM (1 Sv) Exposure = 1/10 chance of contracting cancer 10 REM (100 mSv) = 1/100 chances of contracting cancer 1 REM (10 mSv) = 1/1000 chances of contracting cancer The Japanese government is currently encouraging its citizens to return to areas where the exposure rate will be 2 REM (20 mSv) |
Category Archives: Science and the City
Crowdsourced data, commercial, and DIY radiation detection and mapping
| Crowd-sourced post Fukushima radiation tracking is doing what it can to fill the public’s need to know. Readily available geiger counters range from $1095 to $50 with smartphone modules at the lower end of the price scale. Safecast, RadiationWatch, and GeigerCounters.com |
| “Safecast is a global project working to empower people with data, primarily by mapping radiation levels and building a sensor network, enabling people to both contribute and freely use the data collected. After the 3/11 earthquake and resulting nuclear situation at Fukushima Diachi it became clear that people wanted more data than what was available. Through joint efforts with partners such as International Medcom, Keio University, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and GlobalGiving, Safecast has been building a radiation sensor network comprised of static and mobile sensors actively being deployed around Japan – both near the exclusion zone and elsewhere in the country.
Safecast supports the idea that more data – freely available data – is better. Our goal is not to single out any individual source of data as untrustworthy, but rather to contribute to the existing measurement data and make it more robust. Multiple sources of data are always better and more accurate when aggregated.” |
| GeigerCounters.com is about as eponymous a name as a web store can have: |
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Radiation-Watch is another DIY organization which has developed smartphone and Arduino modules. |
Radiation and Reason
| In researching materials addressing objections to my thesis, I came across a book and accompanying website by Professor Wade Allison. Having read Merchants of Doubt (Naomi Oreskes) I found Professor Allison’s radically dissenting opinion regarding the limits of radiation disturbing. |
 “In Radiation and Reason: The Impact of Science on a Culture of Fear Wade Allison explains, in simple terms and without using fancy maths, how radiation affects life. Wade is a Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford with 40 years of teaching experience.His account challenges the traditional view that nuclear radiation is hard to understand and an extreme hazard. Modern scientific and medical evidence makes it obvious that this view is wrong — but how dangerous is ionising radiation?Thanks to evolution, biology protects life and radiation is about a thousand times safer than suggested by current international safety standards — but readers should look at the evidence for themselves and make up their own minds.  A little nuclear radiation is quite harmless and in a world of other dangers — social and economic instability, global warming, population growth, shortages of power, food and water — the pursuit of the lowest possible radiation levels is in nobody’s best interest. Levels should be permitted as high as is relatively safe (AHARS). Radiation, far from being a major cause of cancer, is one of its major cures through radiotherapy applied in every major hospital.
Without justification great damage has been inflicted on public health and economic life in Japan as a result of the accident at Fukushima. Throughout the world the intention of many countries to abandon the use of nuclear power or load it with ever greater safety regulation and cost is unnecessary, and even dangerous to the future of mankind. Evidently there should be a complete change of approach by the United Nations towards radiological safety.” |
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