Radiation Plume to hit Cali Tomorrow!

[Rhettsgreygal]

I should have said US. It looks like Sweden and surrounding areas are bad too. I was talking about Wausau, WI

"The E.P.A. has declared Radon Awareness Month across the country, but it may not be more important anywhere than in central Wisconsin.

Experts say area households are commonly exposed to twenty-five times the recommended concentration of the cancer-causing gas.

It's not a substance you can give a smell or taste, but it can give you cancer.

In the winter, household heating creates low a pressure zone indoors and the gas in the ground is pulled through the floor inside. You won't know it's there, but in central Wisconsin, it's abundant in dangerous doses.

"Marathon County is ranked number one for the amount of radon gas in the homes in the state," said Sara Brown, a radon specialist with the Marathon County Health Department. "It's because of geological formations beneath the ground, all of the granite that we have creates the radon gas and there's a lot of uranium in the granite."

The good news is you can get cheap kits from hardware stores or health departments to measure your risk. In Wausau, kits from the health department and the local hardware store were both $8 but the store charged a lab processing fee.

Experts say a measurement of 4 pCi/L a problem. Homes in our area commonly test at more than a 100 pCi/L."
http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/Radon_Risks_Marathon_County_Highest_in_State_112838194.html

Of course, as kids, we spend our winters playing indoors in the basements...where all the radon concentrated.

One of these days (always procrastinating) I will get one of those kits.

Our fenced in yard is a bit off because of all the granite. Try to dig a post hole, hit granite. Move over a bit, hit granite.

 

[TanksHill]

"Very low levels of radioactive isotopes from the damaged Japanese nuclear plant are expected to reach California as soon as Friday, but experts say the amount will be well within safe limits."

Who's to say what I want my children exposed to? In Japan they are saying 12 miles is far enough away. The US gov has moved our citizens 50 mi away.

Seems to me there are different schools of thought on everything.

I would much rather be safe than sorry.

Good thing it's going to rain this weekend. It will give me a reason to keep my kids inside.

But how long will the so called "non threatening" cloud be floating over our heads?

The information from the MSM is very mixed. I was watching Fox, or CNN and the reporter was actually angry for the US citizens scrambling for iodine. Saying something to the effect of Americans bringing the Japanese tragedy to ourselves. Uhhhh I think the earth is doing that just fine on its own. And don't you think the Japanese would be running for iodine if China had an issue??

I think the whole thing just sucks!!

 

[patandchickens]

"Very low levels of radioactive isotopes from the damaged Japanese nuclear plant are expected to reach California as soon as Friday, but experts say the amount will be well within safe limits."

Who's to say what I want my children exposed to? In Japan they are saying 12 miles is far enough away. The US gov has moved our citizens 50 mi away.

Seems to me there are different schools of thought on everything.

I would much rather be safe than sorry.

TanksHill, have you actually looked at what kind of numbers they are talking about, and how they compare to all the OTHER sources of radiation you are being exposed to in your daily life, and how they compare to the current state of what we know about what kinds of exposures seem to carry what kinds of risks?

It is fine to 'rather be safe than sorry' but I am concerned that you are not comparing the actual risks here to actual risks of OTHER things you could be being safe-rather-than-sorry about, such as sitting in front of your computer monitor or driving the car to the store or all sorts of other things in life.

Why is elementary real-world-application statistics and risk assessment not taught in schools?

Pat

 

[Rebbetzin]

Why is elementary real-world-application statistics and risk assessment not taught in schools?

Pat

Statistics are great, but.... if I am the one that is are in the small percentabe that is damaged by whatever is being "measured", ... for me the applicaton of the statistics is 100%.

Statistics are only for "probabale" damage. For the one damaged, it is not a probability. But of course, we do not have the ability to know beforehand who will actually be affected.

 

[patandchickens]

Why is elementary real-world-application statistics and risk assessment not taught in schools?

Pat

Statistics are great, but.... if I am the one that is are in the small percentabe that is damaged by whatever is being "measured", ... for me the applicaton of the statistics is 100%.

Statistics are only for "probabale" damage. For the one damaged, it is not a probability. But of course, we do not have the ability to know beforehand who will actually be affected.

Yeah, that is a good example of exactly what I am saying -- why is elementary real-world-application statistics and risk assessment not taught in schools.

Your comment unfortunately misses the entire point of what USEFUL information can be extracted from statistics, and how we can use that information to intelligently aid our decisions.

Giving up,

Pat

 

[tortoise]

For God's sake, lets NEVER go outside because the radiation from the sun is going to kill us and settle into our soil forever, so that we can never eat again. In addition, one should ever be treated for cancer - the radiation will kill them. Definitely never go to the dentist. And for God's sake, if you break a bone DO NOT go to a doctor who might take a radiograph.



I heard an interesting piece on NPR about the levels we are regularly exposed to, the level where the beginning of radiation-related illness begins (chemo symptoms), and toxicity.

The levels in Japan, right next to the thingy (400) are well below the "chemo symptoms" level. (1,000-ish). A Chernobyl-type event would have levels over 5,000.

The risks of taking iodine still outweigh the benefits.

Yes, concern is warranted. But it either is, or is not, going to have a major affect. Obsessing about it will not change the outcome.

 

[patandchickens]

Yes, concern is warranted. But it either is, or is not, going to have a major affect. Obsessing about it will not change the outcome.

Well said!!!

Pat

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I understand why it is a concern, but it might be helpful to have a visual aid . . . if you look at this meteorologist's website , he talks about the issue and has a map of Chernobyl's fall-out. Gives a little perspective.

 

[Wifezilla]

I heard this morning that in the village of Chernobyl, the cancer risk went from 20% before the nuclear meltdown to a little less than 22% after.

It sucks if you are in that 22%, but of all the risk we experience daily, a little radiation from Japan doesn't even make the top 20.

Risk #1 for developing cancer is the MODERN GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDED DIET. That pyramid based on grains is much more likely to cause cancer than a nuclear meltdown on the other side of the planet. You have even higher odds of developing heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, etc...

Want to SERIOUSLY minimize your cancer risks? 1) Inherit great genes and 2) Avoid processed foods (indistrial grain products, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, modern strains of wheat, etc...) and factory meats and 3) learn about traditional foods and how to properly prepare them by reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes or the original works of Dr. Weston Price here http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/pricetoc.html

 

[me&thegals]

The levels in Japan, right next to the thingy (400) are well below the "chemo symptoms" level. (1,000-ish). A Chernobyl-type event would have levels over 5,000.

The risks of taking iodine still outweigh the benefits.

Course, since we're not on the west coast it's easy for us to poo-poo it all.

As for chemo versus radiation, chemo is a short-term event and weighed risk in which cancer is the bigger risk. So if chemo is 1000 and Japan is at 400, I would feel mighty uncomfortable with that level for long term.