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Pony Talk => Off Topic => Topic started by: Ginger on January 18, 2012, 05:04:52 PM

Title: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: Ginger on January 18, 2012, 05:04:52 PM

A lot of people I've talked to were not aware that the Fukushima nuclear power plant mess from the earthquake/tsunami last year is still not under control and that surprised me.... but then I listened to this video:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhSCuCtqhYY&sns=fb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhSCuCtqhYY&sns=fb)
 
It is very long, but if you have the time and need something to do- WOW that was a lot to think about.  :drunk:
 
What do you guys think about it?  :blink:

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: Cool.Breeze on January 19, 2012, 07:39:24 AM

Yeah, the reactor is stable now, but still estimated that it's going to take another few decades or so to finish decontamination and decommissioning  of the plant. Radiation sure sticks around a while :\ It's just an absolute tragedy... I'm thankful it wasn't as bad as Chernobyl and all, but still. It's not exactly a relief. They're going to be dealing with the effects of that there for a good while -__- I wonder how effective it really is to consume a high amount of iodine in order to counter the radiation poisoning.... I have in-laws in Japan, and I worry about them being there. It was a very interesting listen, thanks for sharing!

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: kaoskat on January 19, 2012, 08:19:01 AM

 :sad:

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: Roccoriel on January 19, 2012, 08:46:15 AM

I just listened to the interview.

Nuclear disasters are scary.  They're deadly.  They have a lot of really bad effects, some of them long term.  What happened in Japan is absolutely a tragedy.

But, still, fewer people are killed/given health issues by nuclear power than coal, oil, biomass, hydro, etc., even considering disasters such as Chernobyl. (from  http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/deaths-per-twh-by-energy-source.html (http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/deaths-per-twh-by-energy-source.html)):

Energy Source	Death Rate (deaths per TWh)
Coal – world average	161 (26% of world energy, 50% of electricity)
Coal – China	278
Coal – USA	15
Oil	36  (36% of world energy)
Natural Gas	4  (21% of world energy)
Biofuel/Biomass	12
Peat	12
Solar (rooftop)	0.44 (less than 0.1% of world energy)
Wind	0.15 (less than 1% of world energy)
Hydro	0.10 (Europe death rate, 2.2% of world energy)
Hydro - world including Banqiao)	1.4 (about 2500 TWh/yr and 171,000 Banqiao dead)
Nuclear	0.04 (5.9% of world energy)

Nuclear energy currently cleaner (as far as carbon emissions) than almost anything else we have, including solar (due to manufacture of the solar cell and such).  See http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/iea-comparison-of-sources-of.html (http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/iea-comparison-of-sources-of.html) for a summary of IEA tables or Life-Cycle Assessment of Electricity Generation Systems and Applications for Climate Change Policy Analysis by Paul Meier, particularly table 6, for more information on CO2 emissions.  Waste storage is, in my opinion, the biggest issue with nuclear.  Nuclear is also fairly efficient.  While I don't think that nuclear power is the final answer, I think it would be a good transition from what we're using now to renewable, sustainable sources as they become efficient and cheap enough for general use.  Unfortunately, with our grid and energy demands, solar, wind and other renewable sources are just not efficient enough.  They work well as additional sources, but are not efficient enough for the whole population to switch entirely to them.  Hopefully someday they'll be able to be used in a wide-spread sort of way, but more significantly research needs to go into their development first.  It is definitely something we have to try to make safer, but from the table above, clearly it's already one of the least deadly ways to generate energy.

Additionally, having looked up the speaker online, it seems his big “claim to fame” is that baking soda cures cancer, so I’m not sure how strongly I buy his other opinions.

But either way, it was interesting and thought provoking.  Thanks for posting it!

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: melodys_angel on January 19, 2012, 12:55:49 PM

Ill have to take an in depth listen a bit later on.  Its unfortunate that it happened to begin with :(

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: StarFaerie on January 19, 2012, 01:02:16 PM

I agree with Roccoriel. Very interesting but needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This "doctor" also doesn't have a conventional medical degree and his research is done in his own alternative medicine foundation. Not that there is anything wrong with alternative medicine but care is needed to ensure that the particular practitioner is making legitimate, scientifically backed claims.

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: mlpfan on January 19, 2012, 01:16:35 PM

thats why i have 2 geiger counters:)

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: Kiwi on January 19, 2012, 03:09:37 PM

Wow, that is a lot of info to take in.

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: Ginger on January 19, 2012, 05:48:33 PM

Whellu, IIRC taking regular iodine only protects from radioactive iodine. That doesn't take care of other things though like cesium, plutonium... so as far as overall rad-protection effectiveness I'd assume it just depends what's around. I have extended family and friends in Japan too and it IS a bit worrisome but are all super healthy as far as I know so that is wonderful!! =)
 
Thanks for the stats and info, Roccoriel!! Big difference!! Nuclear energy is pretty amazing when compared in those stats. I hope in our lifetime we'll get to see what comes next!
 
Yeah... I didn't look at that man's website until after I posted. Bad move on my end a bit lol!!! I heard the baking soda theory before.. I think they say it has something to do with balancing the body's PH because "cancer thrives" in the poor non balanced conditions. That always confused me because I know the blood's PH level is VERY finiky and cannot change much... but there are still blood cancers.  :blink:
 
mlpfan, that is awesome. I'd have SO much fun running around with a geiger counter hehe.

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: mlpfan on January 20, 2012, 08:26:42 AM

Quote from: Ginger on January 19, 2012, 05:48:33 PM

Whellu, IIRC taking regular iodine only protects from radioactive iodine. That doesn't take care of other things though like cesium, plutonium... so as far as overall rad-protection effectiveness I'd assume it just depends what's around. I have extended family and friends in Japan too and it IS a bit worrisome but are all super healthy as far as I know so that is wonderful!! =)
 
Thanks for the stats and info, Roccoriel!! Big difference!! Nuclear energy is pretty amazing when compared in those stats. I hope in our lifetime we'll get to see what comes next!
 
Yeah... I didn't look at that man's website until after I posted. Bad move on my end a bit lol!!! I heard the baking soda theory before.. I think they say it has something to do with balancing the body's PH because "cancer thrives" in the poor non balanced conditions. That always confused me because I know the blood's PH level is VERY finiky and cannot change much... but there are still blood cancers.  :blink:
 
mlpfan, that is awesome. I'd have SO much fun running around with a geiger counter hehe.

they are alot of fun:) there is stuff you would never think is radioactive that is, i am glad i bought mine before the disaster because prices shot up over night!

Title: Re: I just listened to an interview about the Fukushima meltdown health effects...
Post by: Ginger on January 20, 2012, 11:22:28 AM

Quote from: mlpfan on January 20, 2012, 08:26:42 AM

they are alot of fun:) there is stuff you would never think is radioactive that is, i am glad i bought mine before the disaster because prices shot up over night!

Yeah they sure did lol!!! Way to expensive now for my budget haha! Have you noticed changes in general readings since the disaster?