The Fukushima nuclear disaster is the worst disaster in modern history; it is getting worse and being covered up by governments, the media and the nuclear power industry. Steven C. Jones calls it “the greatest nuclear and environmental disaster in human history”. Nuclear expert Arnie Gundersen calls it the, “biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind”.

And it’s getting worse the more we learn about it. As depressing as this is, there ARE things you can do to reduce and mitigate the damage to you and your loved ones’ health. At the end of this post I’ve compiled the tips and techniques I’ve previously published plus some new ones. You need to take your life into your own hands because neither the government, nor the media nor the nuclear power industry is going to lift a finger to help you. First, let’s examine where we are and what we can expect.

We’re being told Fukushima is not as bad as Chernobyl. The World Health Organization still lies about the number of deaths (supposedly 50) attributable to Chernobyl. Yet, the New York Academy of Sciences reported in April, 2010 that more than a million people died worldwide from the effects of the Chernobyl disaster 25 years ago including 40,000 of the “Liquidators” that assisted in the cleanup.

Fukushima, as reported by Dr. Helen Caldicott is many times worse than Chernobyl. Chris Busby, a professor at the University of Ulster said the disaster would result in MORE THAN I MILLION DEATHS. “Fukushima is still boiling its radionuclides all over Japan,” he said. “Chernobyl went up in one go. So Fukushima is worse.” On August 26, scientists with the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said the plant had released 15,000 terabecquerels of cancer-causing Cesium, equivalent to about 168 times the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, according to the Associated Press. Professor Busby says the release is at least 72,000 times worse than Hiroshima.

Every time I research for a new post on Fukushima, the news gets worse. It is NOT contained. It has gone beyond anything we have ever experienced. We have no experience with a disaster of this scale. The incredible incompetence of TEPCO, the endless cover-up of the Japanese government, the on-going media blackout and the obvious trajectory of this disaster indicates it will continue to get worse yet.

Furthermore, Chernobyl did not use Plutonium. Plutonium is the deadliest poison created by man. One single pound of Plutonium evenly distributed world-wide would kill the entire human population. Fukushima’s Unit 3 that exploded contained 10 tons of Plutonium. That’s enough to wipe out mankind 20,000 times. And that’s not all the radioactive contamination the Fukushima has produced. In the week after the Fukushima meltdown, it produced more radioactive Cesium than Chernobyl PLUS all the nuclear bombs that were ever detonated during atmospheric testing in the 1950s and ‘60s.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stopped monitoring fallout from Fukushima in April, 2011 but not before measuring radioactive Iodine, Cesium, Xenon and Uranium in the U.S. hundreds of times the legal limit. Why did they stop measuring? Because, if there’s no measuring there are no test reports. If there’s no test reports there’s no news. No news is good news. Now THAT’s a cover-up.

Asahi Japan, a month ago reported that radioactive contamination has been detected by the Chinese in a 252,000-square-kilometer area within 800 kilometers to the east of Fukushima; a far broader area than Japan has admitted to. “It said the level of cesium-137 was up to 300 times higher than corresponding concentrations in waters near China.”

And the cover-up continues. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) and General Electric the builders of the stricken nuclear reactors continue to obfuscate, under-report, downplay, lie and hide the truth about the scale of this disaster. It took them 3 months to admit that Units 1 to 3 had melted down and 4 months to admit that one or more had melted through the containment vessel. They cannot begin entombing the reactors because the molten fuel is still so hot that Arnie Gundersen says it reaches criticality, expands then goes sub-critical again as if it were breathing. Radiation levels are so high that technicians can only work for several minutes at a time before receiving their annual allowable dose of radiation.

The young are particularly susceptible to the effects of radiation. After years of declining Infant Mortality rates, that in eight major U.S. cities including Philadelphia and Seattle, Infant Mortality rates spiked by 35% since the Fukushima disaster last March. It is estimated that residents of Japan are breathing about 10 “hot” (radioactive) particles a day. It takes only one to cause cancer. Residents of North America’s West coast are breathing 5 hot particles a day.

Lest you think this in only a Japanese or West coast problem, see this video about radioactive rain in the Toronto area. For those of you who are geographically challenged, Toronto is a lot closer to the East coast than the West coast. In other words, the entire globe is radioactively contaminated.

Fukushima Radioactive Rain falls in Toronto, Canada at DANGEROUS (20,000 CPM) levels Aug 14 2011

And, lest you think Canada is immune from media silence, cover-ups and nuclear industry propaganda, read this: “Gordon Edwards, president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, says that while radiation coming from Fukushima will lead to higher cancer rates among Canadians, the risk posed to individuals is very small.”

Now read that unmitigated bullshit again. “Higher cancer rates” but the “risk posed to individuals is small”? He’s sucking and blowing at the same time. He’s contradicting himself in the same sentence. There is NO INFORMED CONSENT by the public to ingest radioactive crap regardless of the risk.

Edwards finally comes clean when he admits, “There have been massive radiation spikes in Canada because of Fukushima. The authorities don’t want people to have an understanding of this. The government of Canada tends to pooh-pooh the dangers of nuclear power because it is a promoter of nuclear energy and uranium sales.”

Even Health Canada can’t be trusted. On Health Canada’s website, it says, “The quantities of radioactive materials reaching Canada as a result of the Japanese nuclear incident are very small and do not pose any health risk to Canadians. The very slight increases in radiation across the country have been smaller than the normal day-to-day fluctuations from background radiation.”

This is contradicted by Georgia Strait, “In fact, Health Canada’s own data shows this isn’t true. The iodine-131 level in the air in Sidney [B.C.] peaked at 3.6 millibecquerels per cubic metre on March 20. That’s more than 300 times higher than the background level, which is 0.01 or fewer millibecquerels per cubic metre.” As I said in my opening comments, we are on our own and cannot expect help from the government. I hope you were sitting down when you read that.

The news from the disaster keeps getting worse. Several months ago we heard reports that TEPCO was planning to erect giant tents over the stricken nuclear plants. Incredulous as this sounds, we were told that the tent material would condense the radioactive steam that is still spewing from these reactors and allow the contaminated water to be collected. Then we find out that these tents would have tall chimney stacks to vent the radioactive steam further away from the area for the safety of the workers. That appears to be a step in the right direction until you realize that “further away” means that more nuclear contamination is coming THIS WAY because prevailing winds carry the contamination towards North America.

Two months ago, TEPCO admitted that not only did 3 reactors experience a melt-down but at least one, possibly more, actually melted THROUGH the containment vessel onto the concrete basement floor. It was feared that there is at least 100 tons of molten 3,000 degree C material is burning its way through the concrete floor and into the underlying soil and bedrock.

Now we’re getting reports of steam spewing from cracks in the earth OUTSIDE the reactor buildings. It seems our worst fears are once again confirmed. The molten fuel has breached the containment building and, like “The China Syndrome” is now burning its way into the bedrock. Estimates are that it has burned about 2 feet toward the water table which is about 5 to 6 feet deep. At present, the steam is generated from the seawater that TEPCO is pumping into the buildings coming into contact with the molten fuel.

Also, keep in mind the ambient air temperature in Japan this summer was up to 30 degrees C. To see so much steam when the air is this warm indicates a massive discharge of radioactive contaminated steam. People watching the live cam videos are reporting cracks in the ground repeatedly opening and closing. No one really knows what is happening underground.

Pouring millions of gallons of water onto 100 tons of molten nuclear fuel does not have the same effect as pouring water onto molten iron. Iron does not produce heat. Nuclear fuel continues to generate heat for a long time. TEPCO which has continually lied, obfuscated and understated the extent of this disaster tells us they hope to achieve “cold shut-down” by January. There are several problems with this.

1) Cold shut-down is done with intact fuel rods. There are no more fuel rods; there is a molten blob so no one really knows how long it will take before the temperature drops to less than 100 degrees at which point it will no longer produce radioactive steam. Given TEPCO’s incompetence and the world’s lack of experience with a melt-through, there is no play-book to tell us how to deal with this nor do we have the technology yet to clean this up.

2) Seawater has a high salt content. As water boils off it leaves high concentrations of salt behind. Salt as well as slag may be coating the molten fuel blob and insulating it from the water meant to cool it down. This might make TEPCO’s January timetable even more impossible to achieve. It might well insulate the blob as it burns its way into the bedrock.

3) The tents are no longer needed since radioactive steam now appears to be emanating from the area outside the plants. However, you can bet they’ll probably erect them anyway if for no other reason than to cover everything and hide it from sight.

4) Nobody knows what will happen when the molten fuel meets the water table. That it will contaminate it is a given. However, 98% of Japan’s groundwater originates from one large underground aquifer. What happens when it is radioactively contaminated? Are millions people of people going to drink it, cook with it and bathe in it?

5) Also, nobody knows what will happen when the molten fuel breaks down H2O into an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen when it is deep underground. Inside a reactor building with the walls blown out by previous hydrogen explosions these gases are vented to the atmosphere but underground it may accumulate and explode. What will be the impact when this explodes? Nobody knows because we’ve never been here before. We have no experience in dealing with a disaster of this magnitude.

Even if TEPCO manages an impossible cold shutdown by January, how much deeper is this molten fuel going to travel. We don’t know. Here’s an interesting video. By the way, the fellow with the black beret is Professor Busby mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Workers at Japan’s Fukushima plant say the ground under the facility is cracking and radioactive steam is escaping through the cracks. But new evidence suggests that Fukushima reactors were doomed to cripple even before the massive wave reached them. RT’s Anissa Naouai talks to Dr. Robert Jacobs, a Professor at the Hiroshima Peace Institute.

Cracked Fukushima: Radioactive steam escapes danger zone

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Simulation Map of Cesium-137 Deposition Released By France’s CEREA Shows Cesium Levels In The US Is Exponentially Higher Radiation Contamination In Parts of Japan

Ex-Skf via The Intel Hub
Additional notes and graphics by Alexander Higgins
September 1, 2011

France’s CEREA has the simulation map of ground deposition of cesium-137 from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident on its “Fukushima” page.

It not only shows Japan but also the entire northern Pacific Rim, from Russian Siberia to Alaska to the West Coast of the US to the entire US.

France’s CEREA – Cesium In US Higher Than Parts Of Japan

According to the map, the US, particularly the West Coast and particularly California, may be more contaminated with radioactive cesium than the western half of Japan or Hokkaido.

It looks more contaminated than South Korea or China. Canada doesn’t look too well either, particularly along the border with US on the western half.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

There are many things you can do to protect yourself. The key to avoiding Hot Particle contamination is to NOT TO GET THEM IN YOUR BODY in the first place. The recommendations below show you how to reduce your risk.

Another thing is AVOID RAIN and rain puddles. Rain washes hot particles out of the atmosphere. If you’re caught in the rain, consider yourself and your clothes contaminated. Wash, bathe or shower as soon as possible and launder your clothes as soon as you can. Be aware that as rain contaminated clothes dry, they’re likely to shed hot particles so handle them gingerly.

The recommendations below are taken from one of my previous posts but there are a couple of new recommendations as well.

Apple pectin – Herbalist Richard Schulze and nutraceutical researcher Jon Barron report that apple pectin was used after the Chernobyl disaster to reduce the load of radioactive cesium and Strontium 90 (also used to treat heavy metals.) There are many websites that sell apple pectin tablets but I don’t know if they are any more effective than eating apples. Note that the skin of apples contains 3 to 6 times as much pectin as does its flesh. So, once again we see that, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Miso soup – it has been known for years that miso soup has a way of “chelating” radiation out of the human body. Many of those who survived after the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan that ended WW II, are those who ingested miso soup.

Avoid bioaccumulation – radioactivity bioaccumulates its toxicity higher up the food chain, so it’s probably prudent to stay away from or reduce consumption of milk, dairy products and meat.

Exercise & Vitamins – efforts to bolster the body’s immune system with vitamins, purified water and plenty of exercise is sure to help as well. Stock up on vitamins and food supplements now before the FDA bans them.

RECOMMENDATIONS – from previous posts, in alphabetical order

Air filters – on air conditioners, car engines and passenger compartments, the filters should be changed or cleaned now because they’ve accumulated Hot Particles for many months. Wear a face mask when handling them, dispose the filter promptly and wash your hands afterwards.

Air purifiers – buy HEPA air filters for your furnace and run the blower continuously to turn your furnace into a giant air purifier. If you don’t have a furnace, buy a HEPA air purifier for each major room. Wear a face mask when cleaning or changing filters. Avoid candles and incense as they rapidly clog filters.

Apartment doors – if you live in an apartment – apartment doors are very leaky. Seal the area where the door contacts the frame with foam tape. This may be difficult to find in southern areas but in northern areas it’s used for cold weather insulation, also called weather stripping.

Canned fish – I’ve seen tuna with Best Before dates of 2014, herring at 2015 and salmon at 2016. If you like fish and they should be included in a healthy diet, start buying them now, stockpile them and rotate them (use the oldest first). It may be the last canned fish you can safely eat. Fish from the Pacific close to Japan are already radioactive. Ocean currents spread the contamination. Gundersen thinks our Pacific fisheries will be contaminated by 2013. Start stockpiling now until the end of 2012.

Duct tape – hey men, is it possible to have too much duct tape? Ask Red Green. You’ll need tape to seal windows in the event one of the Fukushima buildings collapses, loses cooling water and explodes, or if we have a nuclear disaster closer to home. When you need tape, the stores will be sold out.

Exercise – the heavier you breathe outdoors, the greater the likelihood of inhaling Hot Particles so limit heavy outdoor work and outdoor exercise. Consider exercising indoors but make sure you vacuum and wet dust regularly.

Face masks – unfortunately they are hot and uncomfortable. However, it’s the best protection you have to minimize inhaling Hot Particles. Fukushima is still emitting Hot Particles as well as radioactive air and water. Fukushima’s Hot Particles have already circled the globe since March, 2011. They are in the air, on the ground and in the water. Until rain washes them away, they pose a danger when inhaled. If you don’t have face masks yet, what are you waiting for? When you really need them the stores will be sold out.

Food stockpile – have several weeks of food stored for emergencies. This is a MUST HAVE for any disaster whether it’s an epidemic, ice storm, power outage, earthquake, terrorist attack, etc. For more detailed information, see the article “Stockpiling” in Category “Survival & Emergency Preparedness” or click
This Link

Fruit & vegetables – if you aren’t already washing fruits and vegetables, why not? You cannot rely on food producers to wash all the dirt, chemicals, pesticides and bacteria off fruit and vegetables. That includes Hot Particles. Don’t use dish soap as the residue is not healthy. Most health food stores carry liquid soap for fruits and vegetables. Wash them in lukewarm water and double rinse in cold water. Even wash the outside of fruits and vegetables that you are going to peal. If the outer skin is contaminated, the knife becomes contaminated when it slices through the skin and then the knife contaminates the inside.

Gardening – wear a face mask if you’re working with dry soil. Essentially, Hot Particles are dust. Always wear a face mask with any activity where you stir up dust. If you use gardening knee pads, avoid bringing dirty knee pads inside.

Handbags, grocery bags, other containers – it’s common knowledge that the bottom of handbags are filthy from resting on floors. The same applies to other containers. Be careful in handling them so they don’t pick up dirt that might contain Hot Particles and damp-wipe the bottoms before setting them on tables or counters.

Hawaii – do you remember hearing about those radioactive plumes safely “blowing out to sea” from Fukushima? First stop: Hawaii. Do you really want to vacation there?

Japanese products – You can probably trust large manufacturers to ensure their products and containers are not contaminated but without some government monitoring programs you should be concerned about small manufacturers like pottery and china that’s made of clay or wood. On second thought, given government’s propensity for cover-up, even a monitoring program isn’t to be trusted. Avoid small manufactures’ articles made from clay or wood that might contain Hot Particles.

Lawn care – raking or cutting the lawn on a dry day stirs up dust. You guessed it: wear a face mask. Neighbors wondering about the face mask? Tell ‘em you got allergies.

Milk – reduce or better yet avoid milk and milk products. Their radioactive iodine levels aren’t coming down yet.

Pets – you know Fido is filthier than you care to admit. Wash your best friend more often.

Pineapple – if it’s from Hawaii (the first stop for radioactive contamination drifting from Japan) do you want to risk it?

Potassium Iodide – buy Potassium Iodide when it’s available at health food stores. It’ll protect your thyroid from cancer when another nuclear disaster strikes close to home. Again, buy them NOW. When the stores are sold out, it’s too late! They’ll protect ONLY your thyroid from Iodine-131; they won’t protect your other organs or from other forms of radiation. However, much of the damage caused by Chernobyl was to thyroid glands.

Renovations – renovations raise dust. Outside renovations may stir up more Hot Particles than inside renovations so avoid outside renovations. And, inside? Wear a face mask as a precaution.

Seaweed – although it’s healthy, find out where it came from. Seaweed absorbs radioactive Cesium. If it’s from Japan, forget it. If it’s from our Pacific coast, you’ve got about a year before it’s contaminated.

Shoes – it’s not just the soles that pick up Hot Particles. Shoes are an article of clothing closest to the ground and they get dusty. Take them off and don’t wear them in your home. If you have a mud-room or an entrance area for footwear, when’s the last time it was thoroughly cleaned?

Spring clean your car – your car interior has had months to collect Hot Particles. Now is the time to vacuum the carpets and upholstery.

Supplements – check the ingredients of supplements such as calcium, glucosamine, etc. If they are made of shellfish, they are ok for now but in future all seafood including shellfish will be radioactive. Many of these supplements can be made from other ingredients. Also, look at other supplements you regularly use to determine if they are seafood-based such as Salmon oil and begin a stockpile program.

Vacuum often – but wear a face mask when doing so because vacuuming also stirs up dust. In Tokyo they are finding more Hot Particles indoors than outdoors because it has been tracked inside for months. Also, keep your mask on when changing vacuum filters and wash your hands afterwards.

Water – Buy water containers such as 25 litre (5 gal U.S.) used for camping. Rinse them before you use them. Calculate a bare minimum of 1 litre (quart) per person per day just for drinking then double that for cooking. Remember this is still a bare minimum and doesn’t include water for washing. Fill them, store them, drain them after 6 months and re-fill. Again, this is a MUST HAVE for any disaster.

Water Filter – consider buying a good quality portable water filter. You want it portable in case the electricity goes out and you need to operate it manually. Once the Hot Particles are “washed away” by the rain, where do they go? If they end up in the municipal water supply, do you want to trust your life to municipal filters? Katadyn make one of the best but they are expensive. On the other hand, the filter is permanent (porous ceramic, back-flow washable) so you don’t need to buy replacement filters.

Wet dust – do not dry dust (home, car, boat, RV, etc.) as that stirs up dust. Wet dust instead.

Wind – also stirs up dust especially during dry conditions. Avoid the outdoors on dry windy days. Yeah, I know, it’s summer and you want to get out. But, you want to stay alive don’t you?

Windows – many of us were raised to believe sleeping with a window cracked open a little for fresh air was healthy. Not anymore. Also, keep vehicle windows rolled up when driving. If it’s hot, use the air conditioner.

If you have other recommendations, please let me know by leaving a reply below.

Gerold
Sept 18, 2011

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