First:"The Nuclear Catastrophe"-predicted what was to come. Then the actual Fukushima nuclear catastrophe validated terrible things actually can happen. A nuclear accident happened to occur in Japan–but could occur anywhere! "#Betrayal," shows the people deceived. Is the aftermath worse than the accident itself? Now..."Nuclear Road Trip". The terrorists want your country. They have a plan in place and have selected a city- they can far surpass 9/11.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Look at the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe by Natural News
This is a guest blog from Natural News.
Fukushima reactor No. 4 at risk of catastrophic failure, dwarfing Chernobyl disaster; human civilization on the brink
May 6
NaturalNews Insider Alert ( www.NaturalNews.com ) email newsletter
Dear NaturalNews readers,
I'm interrupting our normal email schedule to bring you an urgent alert that makes everything else seem insignificant by comparison.
The issues of GMOs, fluoride, food freedom and vaccines won't matter at all if we don't solve this far bigger issue that threatens human civilization: Fukushima reactor No. 4.
Right now, the reactor's spent fuel pool is just one earthquake away from a structural failure that could set off a chain of events leading to the release of anywhere from 10 times to 85 times the Cesium-137 released in the Chernobyl disaster.
Such circumstances caused one of Japan's former ambassadors to make the following
extraordinary statement: "It is no exaggeration to say that the fate of Japan and the whole world depends on No. 4 reactor." - Mitsuhei Murata, Former Japanese Ambassador to Switzerland and Senegal, Executive Director, the Japan Society for Global System and Ethics. A failure of the reactor -- and the subsequent catastrophic release of Cesium-137 -- would decimate human life across North America, killing off crops, polluting groundwater, causing widespread infant stillbirths and unleashing an explosion in cancer rates. North America could become uninhabitable by humans for centuries.
Cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years, meaning that if North America is blanketed with a layer of radioactive dust in 2012, that radioactivity will still be half as strong in the year 2042. It will drop by half again by the year 2072. By the year 2102, it might be low enough to where humans could start to re-colonize the continent, but even then, rates of cancer and birth defects would likely be off the charts.
Yet, as we speak, the mainstream media is running a total media blackout on this story. Governments are pretending there is no problem, and the corporations that built these nuclear facilities (like GE) are quietly running disinfo campaigns to convince everybody there is no problem.
I've just published an urgent feature story on this issue, outlining the facts about Fukushima reactor No. 4:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035789_Fukushima_Cesium-137_Plume-Gate.html
I've also reprinted an urgent press release from a coalition of organizations calling for urgent UN intervention to deal with Fukushima before it kills us all:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035788_Fukushima_United_Nations_radiation.html
I'm urging you to forward and share these stories and help raise the alarm. Nothing else is important anymore. It doesn't matter who is running for President, what's in the vaccines, or whether GMOs are labeled if our civilization is dead from radiation! NaturalNews is shifting our editorial priorities to focus on Fukushima. All other stories are being made secondary to this urgent issue.
I'm also recording a "radiation survival 101" audio program.
I'm assigning coverage of Fukushima to our staff writers and investigators, so expect to see a lot more reporting on Fukushima until (and if) this Reactor No. 4 problem is properly addressed.
In the mean time, just one earthquake in Japan could unleash the worst-case scenario, sending a massive plume of Cesium-137 headed directly at North America. The fate of our world now rests on the unpredictability of Pacific Rim earthquakes! This is a stupidly risky roll of the dice we've all walked into, and if we don't make it, future archeologists will one day discover a fine layer of Cesium-137 dust followed by a global mass extinction event.
Nothing else is important compared to this. We either solve the Fukushima situation -- and then eliminate ALL nuclear power plants on the planet -- or we carve our own graves in the sad, pathetic history of an arrogant civilization "suicided" by corporate-run science.
Pray for our world today. We may have already killed ourselves with stupidity.
Fukushima reactor 4 requires urgent intervention; coalition calls for emergency UN
action to halt catastrophic release of radiation (NaturalNews) Kyoto, Japan -- On 30 April, seventy-two Japanese NGO organizations lead by Shut Tomari and Green Action send an urgent request to the UN and Japanese government urging immediate action to stabilize the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant...
Fukushima reactor No. 4 at risk of catastrophic failure, dwarfing Chernobyl disaster; human civilization on the brink
May 6
NaturalNews Insider Alert ( www.NaturalNews.com ) email newsletter
Dear NaturalNews readers,
I'm interrupting our normal email schedule to bring you an urgent alert that makes everything else seem insignificant by comparison.
The issues of GMOs, fluoride, food freedom and vaccines won't matter at all if we don't solve this far bigger issue that threatens human civilization: Fukushima reactor No. 4.
Right now, the reactor's spent fuel pool is just one earthquake away from a structural failure that could set off a chain of events leading to the release of anywhere from 10 times to 85 times the Cesium-137 released in the Chernobyl disaster.
Such circumstances caused one of Japan's former ambassadors to make the following
extraordinary statement: "It is no exaggeration to say that the fate of Japan and the whole world depends on No. 4 reactor." - Mitsuhei Murata, Former Japanese Ambassador to Switzerland and Senegal, Executive Director, the Japan Society for Global System and Ethics. A failure of the reactor -- and the subsequent catastrophic release of Cesium-137 -- would decimate human life across North America, killing off crops, polluting groundwater, causing widespread infant stillbirths and unleashing an explosion in cancer rates. North America could become uninhabitable by humans for centuries.
Cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years, meaning that if North America is blanketed with a layer of radioactive dust in 2012, that radioactivity will still be half as strong in the year 2042. It will drop by half again by the year 2072. By the year 2102, it might be low enough to where humans could start to re-colonize the continent, but even then, rates of cancer and birth defects would likely be off the charts.
Yet, as we speak, the mainstream media is running a total media blackout on this story. Governments are pretending there is no problem, and the corporations that built these nuclear facilities (like GE) are quietly running disinfo campaigns to convince everybody there is no problem.
I've just published an urgent feature story on this issue, outlining the facts about Fukushima reactor No. 4:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035789_Fukushima_Cesium-137_Plume-Gate.html
I've also reprinted an urgent press release from a coalition of organizations calling for urgent UN intervention to deal with Fukushima before it kills us all:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035788_Fukushima_United_Nations_radiation.html
I'm urging you to forward and share these stories and help raise the alarm. Nothing else is important anymore. It doesn't matter who is running for President, what's in the vaccines, or whether GMOs are labeled if our civilization is dead from radiation! NaturalNews is shifting our editorial priorities to focus on Fukushima. All other stories are being made secondary to this urgent issue.
I'm also recording a "radiation survival 101" audio program.
I'm assigning coverage of Fukushima to our staff writers and investigators, so expect to see a lot more reporting on Fukushima until (and if) this Reactor No. 4 problem is properly addressed.
In the mean time, just one earthquake in Japan could unleash the worst-case scenario, sending a massive plume of Cesium-137 headed directly at North America. The fate of our world now rests on the unpredictability of Pacific Rim earthquakes! This is a stupidly risky roll of the dice we've all walked into, and if we don't make it, future archeologists will one day discover a fine layer of Cesium-137 dust followed by a global mass extinction event.
Nothing else is important compared to this. We either solve the Fukushima situation -- and then eliminate ALL nuclear power plants on the planet -- or we carve our own graves in the sad, pathetic history of an arrogant civilization "suicided" by corporate-run science.
Pray for our world today. We may have already killed ourselves with stupidity.
Fukushima reactor 4 requires urgent intervention; coalition calls for emergency UN
action to halt catastrophic release of radiation (NaturalNews) Kyoto, Japan -- On 30 April, seventy-two Japanese NGO organizations lead by Shut Tomari and Green Action send an urgent request to the UN and Japanese government urging immediate action to stabilize the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant...
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Birth and Death of Democracy
The United States is now arguing over who has “too much” and who has “too little”. While no one can predict the future, the following has been circulating over the internetIand bears some thought. I have edited out the parts that "Snopes" has declared to be untrue. The rest is for your imagination to consider.
A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as
a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship." "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. (Not verified) During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage." The United States has always been successful as a free economy. Being supported by the government promotes dependency which leads sick but we need to create jobs to empower our country. And we (according to this history) to downfall. Let us not abandon the poor or the need to foster knowledge to fight apathy. |
Sunday, April 8, 2012
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON EARTH DAY?
EARTH DAY is Sunday April 22, 2012. Every year on April 22 Earth Day is celebrated since it was started in the 1970's, thought to be the beginning of the environmental movement. Most protestors at that time were against the Vietnam war. But cars were gas guzzlers, air pollution was acceptable, and climate change had not been thought up. However, a woman named Rachael Carson had published a book called “Silent Spring” in 1962. It sold over 500,000 copies in 24 countries and alerted people to the dangers of pesticides accumulating in the earth and its food chains. She has to be given credit for bringing thoughtfulness about our environment to the public eye.
The actual creator of Earth Day was Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson after he witnessed the massive oil spills off the coast of Santa Barbara, Ca. He proposed a “National teach-in on the environment” to the media and accumulated staff and volunteers to promote various events on April 22. Twenty million Americans gathered and demonstrated for a healthy, sustainable environment in coast-to-coast rallies. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.
The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.
In 1990 Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder.
Earth Day 2000 had 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries reaching out to hundreds of millions of people. Earth Day 2010 was focused on Earth Day Network which reconfirmed Earth Day as a powerful focal point around which people could demonstrate their commitment.
Mobilize the Earth. Earth Day. 4.22.12
On April 22, more than one billion people around the globe will participate in Earth Day 2012 and help Mobilize the Earth™. People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection.
Attend a local Earth Day event and join one of the Earth Day campaigns to elevate the importance of environmental issues around the world.
Share what you are doing for Earth Day: register your Earth Day events, put them on Facebook, or send a tweet.
Website: http://www.earthday.org/2012
And as you all know, my particular environmental interest revolves around nuclear awareness. We still are not sure of the far reaching effects of the Fukushima disaster. Dr. Helen Caldicott of Boston said if the number 4 nuclear reactor had a further meltdown and explosion of radioactive material she would evacuate her family to South America. There are further admissions of radioactive water being leaked into the ocean from the Fukushima site. The past Prime Minister Kan of Japan has stated he was not aware of how dangerous nuclear plants can be. He now wants all the plants closed in Japan and decommissioned. He reminds us that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and cannot return to their homes because of this disaster.
Studies are now showing increased rates of cancer in certain of the populations residing next to nuclear reactors. 50% of the people polled around selected nuclear plants stated they had no idea what to do if the warning sirens went off. We may have to wait twenty years to see the full effects of the radiation released from Fukushima. Hopefully it will not be another Silent Spring.
Barbara Griffin Billig
Author: The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of suspense) also published as:
THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
Follow on Twitter: @ barbarabillig
Web page: http://mysite.verizon.net/resrrmof/
Available for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY
Available as THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe in Paperback
Read an excerpt now: http://bit.ly/pY8HxX
Monday, March 12, 2012
Thanks to you ALL
Thanks to all of you that took the time to download my book, “The Nuclear Catastrophe”, a fiction novel of suspense. As you read it you may find that you are already aware of many of the facts that are portrayed through a fictional story. If so, pat yourself on the back for knowledge and skim those parts. If I provide any new knowledge to a reader, or perhaps start a thinking process, then I get a pat on the back. Hopefully, you will be entertained and experience enjoyment.
I, myself, just finished a novel that centered around a nuclear disaster caused by missiles and the survival of the fictional characters in the aftermath. The book is Jackie Druga's novel, “Dust”. I couldn't put it down. It is definitely a page turner. And if you enjoy “The Nuclear Catastrophe”, then this would be a good follow up book. It's all about survival. And while we hope all these stories will remain fictional, the archeologists will tell you that the ground beneath us is full of civilizations that have died out and been replaced by others. So, being prepared is just a form of insurance. A recent survey showed that 52% of the population living within 50 miles of a nuclear reactor have no idea what to do in the event of an emergency.
It would be appreciated if you mentioned (or emailed or tweeted) that you downloaded, and hopefully read, my book, “The Nuclear Catastrophe” to at least one other person. Why? Because the subject of whether or not to continue with our present nuclear plants is going to be more and more in the forefront of discussion. And there are proposals to build new nuclear plants in the United States and elsewhere in the world. The fictional tale of “The Nuclear Catastrophe” presents a worst case scenario, one that we hope will never happen. However, the question is.....Is nuclear power worth that risk? Each person has to make up their own mind.
California has already closed one of its nuclear plants. Citizens are collecting signatures to get the closure of the remaining 2 plants on the ballot in 2012 (The California nuclear initiative petition).
Germany has closed 8 plants and will have 100% shutdown of all by 2022.. Japan has closed 52 plants of its 54 plants. The Swiss will phase out all their nuclear plants by 2034. The world's oldest nuclear power plant (44 years) was shut down in Britain February 29, 2012. And please note......the world has not come to an end, Japan still has power for its country, residents are not paying 20 times more for utilities (I haven't heard that they are paying anything more in terms of bills for electricity).
While the opponents of these closures are stating that atmospheric carbon based emissions will rise without nuclear, that really depends on what type energy replaces nuclear. It's not a fact written in stone. Don't forget that not all utilities are publicly owned. Many utilities are owned by private or public companies and they are in business to generate a profit. And they will be opposed to anything that threatens their profit, including the start up of other competing companies generating power.
So, again, thanks for your interest and support of my efforts. Hope you had a nice NUCLEAR AWARENESS DAY, March 11, 2012. Let's hope we don't become one of those civilizations that are excavated out of the ground thousands of years later by the archeologists. And in closing, you might want to check out the web site: http://www.PreppingToSurvive. They have a good article on the pros and cons of nuclear.
I, myself, just finished a novel that centered around a nuclear disaster caused by missiles and the survival of the fictional characters in the aftermath. The book is Jackie Druga's novel, “Dust”. I couldn't put it down. It is definitely a page turner. And if you enjoy “The Nuclear Catastrophe”, then this would be a good follow up book. It's all about survival. And while we hope all these stories will remain fictional, the archeologists will tell you that the ground beneath us is full of civilizations that have died out and been replaced by others. So, being prepared is just a form of insurance. A recent survey showed that 52% of the population living within 50 miles of a nuclear reactor have no idea what to do in the event of an emergency.
It would be appreciated if you mentioned (or emailed or tweeted) that you downloaded, and hopefully read, my book, “The Nuclear Catastrophe” to at least one other person. Why? Because the subject of whether or not to continue with our present nuclear plants is going to be more and more in the forefront of discussion. And there are proposals to build new nuclear plants in the United States and elsewhere in the world. The fictional tale of “The Nuclear Catastrophe” presents a worst case scenario, one that we hope will never happen. However, the question is.....Is nuclear power worth that risk? Each person has to make up their own mind.
California has already closed one of its nuclear plants. Citizens are collecting signatures to get the closure of the remaining 2 plants on the ballot in 2012 (The California nuclear initiative petition).
Germany has closed 8 plants and will have 100% shutdown of all by 2022.. Japan has closed 52 plants of its 54 plants. The Swiss will phase out all their nuclear plants by 2034. The world's oldest nuclear power plant (44 years) was shut down in Britain February 29, 2012. And please note......the world has not come to an end, Japan still has power for its country, residents are not paying 20 times more for utilities (I haven't heard that they are paying anything more in terms of bills for electricity).
While the opponents of these closures are stating that atmospheric carbon based emissions will rise without nuclear, that really depends on what type energy replaces nuclear. It's not a fact written in stone. Don't forget that not all utilities are publicly owned. Many utilities are owned by private or public companies and they are in business to generate a profit. And they will be opposed to anything that threatens their profit, including the start up of other competing companies generating power.
So, again, thanks for your interest and support of my efforts. Hope you had a nice NUCLEAR AWARENESS DAY, March 11, 2012. Let's hope we don't become one of those civilizations that are excavated out of the ground thousands of years later by the archeologists. And in closing, you might want to check out the web site: http://www.PreppingToSurvive. They have a good article on the pros and cons of nuclear.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A fictional story, The Nuclear Catastrophe
Now that I have offered to give away a free copy of my EBook, The Nuclear Catastrophe, on NUCLEAR AWARENESS DAY, (March 11, 2012) the comments are heating up. I have always said I wasn't anti nuclear. I'm antinuclear accident. And terrible accidents have happened. They may happen again. The novel I wrote portrayed the possibility of a worst case scenario. And Kevin Meyerson said it best:
The way to decide whether to use nuclear energy is to decide if you can afford the consequences of a worst-case nuclear catastrophe.
Someone wrote: the book is not good because it didn't list all the good things nuclear power does for us (or something like that). It's a fictional story of what might happen. It doesn't have vampires or ghosts. It's a story that you can either believe or not. Someone wrote "it couldn't possibly happen". Really? Never say never. I am quoting when I say, "what can happen, will happen".
But the point is........each person gets to make up their own mind. We all can think and the idea is to get people thinking, making choices, being prepared. Don't let other people make up your mind for you. Get your free EBook copy on March 11, 2012 - NUCLEAR AWARENESS DAY and make your own decisions.
Monday, February 20, 2012
NUCLEAR AWARENESS DAY - SUNDAY, March 11, 2012
I have deemed March 11, 2012 NUCLEAR AWARENESS DAY. I am giving away a free download copy (for kindle readers) of my novel, "The Nuclear Catastrophe" (a fiction novel of suspense) on that day. Kindle readers are free for smartphones and PC devices. The free kindle reader can be downloaded at amazon.com. On March 11 my EBook fiction novel will be free to download at Amazon.com. Use this link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY
This fiction story was originally based on the San Onofre power plant though in the novel it is called San Mirado. The people of the surrounding area are caught in a worst case scenario. Let's hope this novel always remains fiction. But acceptance of nuclear power means that a worst case scenario is possible. I am encouraging people to read what a worst case scenario would be like - and I can't imagine anyone condoning this.
On March 11, I am encouraging all Californians who haven't signed the petition to get the closing of our nuclear power plants, to download it (www.californianuclearinitiative.com), sign it, and mail it in to get this initiative on the ballot. Please encourage people to take the time to download the free kindle copy and read a fictional story of what might happen, as horrible as it is.
On March 11, I am encouraging all Californians who haven't signed the petition to get the closing of our nuclear power plants, to download it (www.californianuclearinitiative.com), sign it, and mail it in to get this initiative on the ballot. Please encourage people to take the time to download the free kindle copy and read a fictional story of what might happen, as horrible as it is.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Update On Things You Might Not Know
Firstly - several prominent nuclear scientists weighed in and stated they WOULD live in Japan at this time. They feel that the radiation levels away from Fukushima are at acceptable levels and that the food is being monitored properly. So, just because I am a scared person may be reflective on my lack of knowledge (this is supposed to be a fair presentation - not a rant and a rave).
Secondly - my car was stolen yesterday and here's what I learned. Take heed - the police will not even take your telephone report if you do not have THE LICENSE PLATE AND THE VIN NUMBER. Now how many of your carry your license plate number AND VIN (vehicle identification number - imprinted usually on a metal plate on the dash of your car) in your wallet? Along with the telephone number of your insurance agent? Along with the policy number and telephone number of your insurance carrier? All that was in my car's glove box - which went with the car. They police cannot and will not look up your car from your driver's license. So get organized or get frustrated.
Had Onstar and Lojac installed on the car (as well as an alarm - forget that). Onstar was disabled (by the thieves?) so no GPS tracking for the car. Car was recovered... stripped and damaged...but have not been able to get info from the police as to how it was recovered. Will tweet that next week when I sign the paperwork and hopefully someone will tell me.
Thirdly - check the BACK of your credit cards. If there is a sound wave sign : nothing on the computer keyboard can do this: ))) in ascending 1/2 circles – it means that your card can be waved in the air to radio frequency scanner credit card machines and you don't have to pull it through the machine. However, it also means thieves can steal your credit card info without touching you. They walk up near you and read the card with their machine they are carrying. Here is the link to the YouTube video showing this being done:
Fourthly: Thyroid cancer is increasing (some say as much as a 4 times previously). They are also attributing it (possibly) to the fact that our thyroids are not protected during dental x-rays and mammograms. Supposedly the dental shield has a flap that is supposed to cover the thyroid. My appointment is in February. I will certainly be asking for it. And supposedly during a mammogram there is a neck device that if you ask for it they will provide it. Don't know about that but I certainly will ask, also. Better safe than sorry.
Secondly - my car was stolen yesterday and here's what I learned. Take heed - the police will not even take your telephone report if you do not have THE LICENSE PLATE AND THE VIN NUMBER. Now how many of your carry your license plate number AND VIN (vehicle identification number - imprinted usually on a metal plate on the dash of your car) in your wallet? Along with the telephone number of your insurance agent? Along with the policy number and telephone number of your insurance carrier? All that was in my car's glove box - which went with the car. They police cannot and will not look up your car from your driver's license. So get organized or get frustrated.
Had Onstar and Lojac installed on the car (as well as an alarm - forget that). Onstar was disabled (by the thieves?) so no GPS tracking for the car. Car was recovered... stripped and damaged...but have not been able to get info from the police as to how it was recovered. Will tweet that next week when I sign the paperwork and hopefully someone will tell me.
Thirdly - check the BACK of your credit cards. If there is a sound wave sign : nothing on the computer keyboard can do this: ))) in ascending 1/2 circles – it means that your card can be waved in the air to radio frequency scanner credit card machines and you don't have to pull it through the machine. However, it also means thieves can steal your credit card info without touching you. They walk up near you and read the card with their machine they are carrying. Here is the link to the YouTube video showing this being done:
The video states a protective card shield should be provided by the credit card maker to prevent this. My card is from CHASE. They didn't provide me with the protective case or the info that I am at risk. Beware.
Fourthly: Thyroid cancer is increasing (some say as much as a 4 times previously). They are also attributing it (possibly) to the fact that our thyroids are not protected during dental x-rays and mammograms. Supposedly the dental shield has a flap that is supposed to cover the thyroid. My appointment is in February. I will certainly be asking for it. And supposedly during a mammogram there is a neck device that if you ask for it they will provide it. Don't know about that but I certainly will ask, also. Better safe than sorry.
Have a great day, week, .... carry your car info and protect your credit cards & thyroid. Japan is up to you.
Monday, January 23, 2012
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
I was lucky enough to get the valuable advice of several prominent nuclear physicists and scientists over the last month. I have publicly thanked them at the end of this blog. The following are some excerpts from what they wrote in response to my concerns about radiation levels in our world changing after Fukushima.
- The ocean and radiation pollution:"THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION IS DILUTION" ... in this case the ocean is so large in comparison to the amounts of contaminants that it is safe to say they are infinitely diluted away... that is not to say there will be a local gradient or plume within a few meters/ kilometers of the plant... but don't forget that nowadays we have very sensitive mechanisms for measuring things, especially radioisotopes, but just because we can measure something and put it on a map doesn't mean it's significant... we can also measure radioactive fluxes in galaxies zillions and zillions of light years away and none of that is significant to us... yet we can measure it and place it on maps...”
The World Radiation Monitoring Center has placed monitoring points around the world, including our oceans for the detection of radiation.
- Radiation in our food:
“Yes, seaweed is showing radioactivity - as are the bananas, milk, eggs etc that you eat every day. This comes from the radioactive Carbon, Potassium and Uranium/Thorium isotopes that are present in the environment. Sometimes there may be trace amounts of other nuclides as well (Cesium, Beryllium, Tellurium, Cobalt, ...) that are detectable if you measure the samples long enough (24h or longer). It all depends on which elements are biologically absorbed by the plant. In the case of seaweed, it is known that it bioabsorbs Uranium next to other heavy metals. Some people have even thought to use algae to 'harvest' uranium from the sea.”
3. What dose of radiation is safe?
If you google “no safe dose of radiation” you will find page after page of articles talking about the view that there is no safe dose of radiation. One study followed patients who had myocardial infarctions requiring various radioactive low dose scans. After five years there was a significant increase in cancer in those patients receiving the scan(s) versus the control group that did not receive the low dose radioactivity. But if you have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction) wouldn't you want a scan to see the condition of your heart and which vessels are blocked? How about if you take a fall and hit your head – wouldn't you want a scan to see if there were bleeding in your brain?
In the evolution of life,...the first one-celled life (bacterial films, pond scum) existed and evolved in a high ultraviolet radiation environment (without the ozone layer we have today) so adaptive mechanisms were established in cells from the very beginning in order to survive. Of course, they also mutated in form, (perhaps from the radiation) or we wouldn't be here today.
My thanks to Clemens Scholl, Nuclear Physicist at LIGA.NRW. (Consulting in radiation protection & monitoring and defense against nuclear hazards.Cologne Area, Germany) and Louis Pena, Senior Scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory for taking the time to address my questions and expand my knowledge base.
And finally I did a brief survey (very unscientific) asking the question – Are you comfortable enough with the radiation levels in Japan's air, water, and food to live there for the next year?
Not one person answered yes.
How about you?
Monday, January 2, 2012
Looking back at 2011 and Forward to 2012
The Fukushima disaster in March of 2011 is a day that will go down in history – the largest nuclear accident in our history – and it may take 100 years to get it cleaned up. It made me google a book that I had written many years before and had been published in hardcover, “The Nuclear Catastrophe”, as a fiction novel of suspense. Surprise – while out of print it was still being sold as a used book by Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, and a few survival web sites. So, in this age of the internet, I decided to update it and bring it back out in paperback and as an Ebook. Many people (thank you all) suggested that I change the name of the book so that it didn't sound like something too boring to read. Finally the name was born: “THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe”. However, by the time that got done, the originally named version was selling so well on Amazon.com that I left it alone there but changed it for B&N and smashwords. And thusly, this blog got started.
Some of the original topics were:
Stay or Flee? What would you do?
Radiation dangers
Survival List for Nuclear Disaster
Radiation sickness exposure table
Then I moved on to new topics:
French Nuclear Plant disaster, 7/2/2011
Responsibility of Nations to have laws with sufficient penalties
Nuclear Engineer whistleblower demoted
Greater LA food found high in radiation (2 peaches – but????)
By this time the Ebook had started to be more widely read. So I posted a review written by Terry Callister (Books and Novels to Read) who resides in Spain. And I wrote about the marvels of science – you can read all these Ebooks on your smart phone – whatever font size you want, backlit, and always handily with you.
But by August I was again addressing the perils of life:
The Great American Lie – nuclear accidents that have happened in the US and been covered up
Your Space and My Space and remembering 2011 – does believing you are right overshadow the rights of others?
Creating jobs in America – try the WPA way from the big depression
Where does the Truth Lie? There seems to be 2 different camps on nuclear energy
Wikipedia Tribute – they are funded by donations.
The Nuclear Industry's Dirtiest Secret – attracting unskilled labor with high wages for dangerous cleanup work at Fukushima
As we move into the new year of 2012, I would like to leave you with some thoughts to ponder for the future.
Would you gamble your health by having electricity generated by a nuclear power plant near you? It may be perfectly safe. But time and time again it is showing us – that it's not. I actually am not anti-nuclear. I am anti-nuclear accident. So until they upgrade the existing plants which are now aging, or develop a better reactor system (if they can), I'm not into gambling.
Happy New Year to you all.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Last Minute Holiday Gift
For 99 cents you can give the gift of an EBook that is relevant to what is happening today. "The Nuclear Catastrophe" (a fiction novel of suspense) also published as 'THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe" is available as a gift through Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords.com. Go to my web site http://mysite.verizon.net/resrrmof/ and the links for purchase as a gift are there. A paperback version is also being sold.
Set in beautiful sunny Southern California, Ben Harrington and his pregnant wife, Sara, live in San Mirado. Ben is head of Whitewater Nuclear Power Plant. On a fateful day, what could NEVER happen.....does happen. Ben and Sara, the plant workers, the people living in San Mirado and those in adjacent cities all have to make decisions as to what to do, where to go.
Their choices have have both good and bad consequences - and some last forever.
This fictional story brings home the reality of what would or could happen.. History has shown us time after time that......what can go wrong....will go wrong. What would YOU do? Your answers may be different after reading this novel.
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Nuclear Industry's Dirtiest Secret
It was reported by the Los Angeles Times 12/4/11 (Doing Japan's dirty work by John M. Glionna) that unskilled workers from day labor sites, with no knowledge of radiation and its dangers, were being hired to do the clean up at the Fukushima Nuclear Power plant. They are lured to these jobs by the offer of high pay. They wear radiation monitoring badges and when they reach full exposure, they are let go. Since they do not understand radiation and its dangers, they turn off their radiation monitors or take them off, so they can continue to get paid the high wages (said to be as high as $650 per day). According to the article, their supervisors are aware of this but are taking no action.
After the Fukushima disaster, the government raised the annual limit of radiation exposure for nuclear workers from 200 millisieverts to 250 millisieverts (Kristin Shrader-Frechette, University of Notre Dame, professor of radiobiology). However, the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation has warned that exposure to 30 millisieverts a year can cause cancer. My previous blogs point out that “There is no safe level of radiation exposure”. Kristin Shrader-Frechette states that a nuclear dosage tracking system in needed for workers. This is especially true if a worker is dismissed after reaching the 250 millisievert exposure level and goes to another nuclear plant to get a job, not understanding the dangers of further exposure to radiation.
Throughout history there have been terrible experiments and research projects conducted with human beings. When the aftermath is viewed, everyone is horrified and cannot understand how these things could have happened. This is a prime example of something that is happening now that should be stopped. There must be laws as to education and protection of nuclear workers and consequences for failure to do so. Write someone – email someone – tweet something – spread it on facebook – talk about it. Help this to happen.
To read the complete LA Times article go to:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-nuclear-gypsies-20111204,0,347252.story
And thanks to John Glionna for reporting this story.
Barbara Griffin Billig Author: The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of suspense)
After the Fukushima disaster, the government raised the annual limit of radiation exposure for nuclear workers from 200 millisieverts to 250 millisieverts (Kristin Shrader-Frechette, University of Notre Dame, professor of radiobiology). However, the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation has warned that exposure to 30 millisieverts a year can cause cancer. My previous blogs point out that “There is no safe level of radiation exposure”. Kristin Shrader-Frechette states that a nuclear dosage tracking system in needed for workers. This is especially true if a worker is dismissed after reaching the 250 millisievert exposure level and goes to another nuclear plant to get a job, not understanding the dangers of further exposure to radiation.
Throughout history there have been terrible experiments and research projects conducted with human beings. When the aftermath is viewed, everyone is horrified and cannot understand how these things could have happened. This is a prime example of something that is happening now that should be stopped. There must be laws as to education and protection of nuclear workers and consequences for failure to do so. Write someone – email someone – tweet something – spread it on facebook – talk about it. Help this to happen.
To read the complete LA Times article go to:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-nuclear-gypsies-20111204,0,347252.story
And thanks to John Glionna for reporting this story.
Web page: http://mysite.verizon.net/resrrmof/
Follow on Twitter: @ barbarabillig
Blog: http://www.thenuclearcatastrophe.blogspot.com
Web page: http://mysite.verizon.net/resrrmof/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nuclear-Catastrophe/187754411274067
Available for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY
Available for Nook as THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
And in Paperback
Read an excerpt now: http://bit.ly/pY8HxX
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free resource over the internet that is a fabulous source of information. I had no idea who would put this much time into providing free information for all to see. They are said to be the 5th highest internet site in usage. When I was using them today up popped some information saying they are nonprofit, run a lean organization, and are supported by donations.
Just wanted to share that info with you, as they are providing us with knowledge to further our society.
Barbara Griffin Billig
Author: The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of suspense) also published as:
THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
Follow on Twitter: @ barbarabillig
Blog: http://www.thenuclearcatastrophe.blogspot.com
Web page: http://mysite.verizon.net/resrrmof/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nuclear-Catastrophe/187754411274067
Available for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY
Available for Nook as THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
And in Paperback
Read an excerpt now: http://bit.ly/pY8HxX
Just wanted to share that info with you, as they are providing us with knowledge to further our society.
Barbara Griffin Billig
Author: The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of suspense) also published as:
THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
Follow on Twitter: @ barbarabillig
Blog: http://www.thenuclearcatastrophe.blogspot.com
Web page: http://mysite.verizon.net/resrrmof/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nuclear-Catastrophe/187754411274067
Available for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY
Available for Nook as THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
And in Paperback
Read an excerpt now: http://bit.ly/pY8HxX
Saturday, November 12, 2011
?????WHERE DOES THE TRUTH LIE?????
Each day we are presented with conflicting information that is supposedly factual. It is in the newspapers, it is on TV, it's quoted on the internet. So do we take a poll of how many represent one point of view versus those representing the other? Who is going to set up the voting? Who is going to do the research to determine what is fact and what is fiction?
Take the JOBS issue for a start. The 99 centers are occupying public places to bring the lack of jobs to the forefront of attention. Governor Jerry Brown of California is for a works program like we had after the last depression. But the newspapers point out that he is sitting on vast sums of California Bond money that has not been spent for jobs – it is just sitting there incurring interest that has to be paid on unused money. President Obama is for creating jobs – but the newspapers state that he might put off the decision on whether or not to build the North South XL oil pipeline until after the election – so he doesn't offend the environmentalists or the unions. That doesn't create jobs. The House and the Senate cannot agree on the budget or jobs – how long is this going to take? That is THEIR JOB.
14,000,000 Americans are out of work. At 100,000 per month additional jobs created it will take ten years to get America fully employed again.
Besides the WPA proposals (see my previous blog) :
And next, the NUCLEAR RADIATION issue.
Is it the Japan Fukushima disaster is fully under control and we have no worries – or, is it this has just begun?
The following points seem to be hotly debated:
Is the remaining nuclear fuel at Fukushima still fissioning and releasing radiation into the air, groundwater, and sea?
How much radioactive seawater has been created, will be created, and will circulate to the United States coasts?
How much radioactive dust has been created, will be created, and will float over the United States, Canada, etc.
What's a safe dose of radiation? After all we have x-rays,scans, and many forms of medical imagery.
So it seems we should be concerned that continuing radiation being released from Fukushima (or anywhere else) is not a healthful situation. There are independent groups that have formed that are testing the radiation in the air and the seawater. There are also governmental studies by countries outside Japan. France has released over the internet various interactive maps that show wind patterns from Japan and the currents from the ocean. If the radioactive particles are out there – they are going to travel. It took only about 10 days for the winds to carry the radioactive particles to European soil. Seaweed off the coast of the United States is showing radioactivity – seaweed which is eaten by fish and then passed along to other living creatures.
I think it is time for TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Co.) and the Japanese government to take further responsibility for the disaster they have created. Show us further proof of containment and the stoppage of contamination. Our government should be making these demands on behalf of its citizens. Is there a conspiracy of silence? Perhaps the lack of knowledge on the subject by the majority creates a lack of interest. But, a person's health is far more important than a person's money.
Barbara Griffin Billig Author: The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of suspense)also published as: THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
Follow on Twitter: @ barbarabillig
Take the JOBS issue for a start. The 99 centers are occupying public places to bring the lack of jobs to the forefront of attention. Governor Jerry Brown of California is for a works program like we had after the last depression. But the newspapers point out that he is sitting on vast sums of California Bond money that has not been spent for jobs – it is just sitting there incurring interest that has to be paid on unused money. President Obama is for creating jobs – but the newspapers state that he might put off the decision on whether or not to build the North South XL oil pipeline until after the election – so he doesn't offend the environmentalists or the unions. That doesn't create jobs. The House and the Senate cannot agree on the budget or jobs – how long is this going to take? That is THEIR JOB.
14,000,000 Americans are out of work. At 100,000 per month additional jobs created it will take ten years to get America fully employed again.
Besides the WPA proposals (see my previous blog) :
Bring back the jobs outsourced to other countries. Pay the same wages as are being paid in those countries and supplement the wages with the unemployment funds.
Set deadlines for the House and Senate and other government bodies to act – or they become unpaid until they do act. Maybe they would work at this harder.
And think outside the box if you need a job. Don't wait until someone comes knocking on your door. Occupying the United States has made its point. Now personally create positive energy. Go occupy the waiting room of a place where you might get a job. Go every day. Call every day. Make them know you want this job. Move to a state or city where jobs are being created (and there are some). Take a lesser job to get started and work hard to get ahead. Think of a product or a service you could sell and use the internet to get the word out. Action and discipline create results.
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson
And next, the NUCLEAR RADIATION issue.
Is it the Japan Fukushima disaster is fully under control and we have no worries – or, is it this has just begun?
The following points seem to be hotly debated:
Is the remaining nuclear fuel at Fukushima still fissioning and releasing radiation into the air, groundwater, and sea?
How much radioactive seawater has been created, will be created, and will circulate to the United States coasts?
How much radioactive dust has been created, will be created, and will float over the United States, Canada, etc.
What's a safe dose of radiation? After all we have x-rays,scans, and many forms of medical imagery.
First, there is no safe dose of radiation. A study has just been released that followed patients who had myocardial infarctions requiring various radioactive low dose scans. After five years there was a significant increase in cancer in those patients receiving the scan(s) versus the control group that did not receive the low dose radioactivity.
So it seems we should be concerned that continuing radiation being released from Fukushima (or anywhere else) is not a healthful situation. There are independent groups that have formed that are testing the radiation in the air and the seawater. There are also governmental studies by countries outside Japan. France has released over the internet various interactive maps that show wind patterns from Japan and the currents from the ocean. If the radioactive particles are out there – they are going to travel. It took only about 10 days for the winds to carry the radioactive particles to European soil. Seaweed off the coast of the United States is showing radioactivity – seaweed which is eaten by fish and then passed along to other living creatures.
I think it is time for TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Co.) and the Japanese government to take further responsibility for the disaster they have created. Show us further proof of containment and the stoppage of contamination. Our government should be making these demands on behalf of its citizens. Is there a conspiracy of silence? Perhaps the lack of knowledge on the subject by the majority creates a lack of interest. But, a person's health is far more important than a person's money.
Barbara Griffin Billig Author: The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of suspense)
Follow on Twitter: @ barbarabillig
Web page: THE NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE (a fiction novel of suspense
Facebook:THE NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE (a fiction novel of suspense)
Available for Kindle
Facebook:THE NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE (a fiction novel of suspense)
Available for Kindle
Available for Nook as THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe And in Paperback
Saturday, October 8, 2011
CREATING JOBS IN AMERICA - Using the Existing Military Infrastructure
CREATING JOBS IN AMERICA – Using the Existing Military Infrastructure
It is too apparent to everyone that jobs are scarce these days. Local ABC news had a promotion for each business to add one job across America. But the majority of businesses are small businesses. According to the SBA small firms represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. Small firms employ just over half of all private sector. Most cannot afford to add another job which eats into their small remaining recessionary profit. The idea of how to provide jobs for the 14 million people out of work has to be larger.
Much has been made of the money set aside to improve streets and roads. That is a narrow area of job creation. More needs to be done to actually create jobs than send money to the states where it sits for months and months until it finally gets spent.
Remember the WPA? See the Wikipedia explanation below. Created by the government to provide full employment, parks, schools, bridges, and other public structures were built. The program had training, literacy and arts programs. Instead of paying these people unemployment insurance, the government actually created jobs for people to work each day.
The schools are now old and in need of repair, the bridges need reinforcement, the uneducated need training, and not to be overlooked:
Nuclear Plant safety: There has been a list of safety recommendations from a task force that need to be implemented. Then they need to be inspected. In Virginia the 30 year old North Anna plant was built to withstand a 5.9 to 6.1 quake. It shut down after a 5.8 quake, but now the thinking is changing that all plants should be reinforced to a higher standard. The NRC states that 27 plants in the US might face higher risk of a damaging earthquake than previously thought. Also there is a call for new standards for backup power systems to ensure that safety systems continue to operate if a storm or quake knocks out the original system.
These recommendations would employ people of all levels, from construction, to communication, to supervision. And the money would come from unemployment insurance funds as basically outlined in the WPA program of 1935. It took until 1943 to bring the country back to full employment and the WPA to be disbanded. Please read below for a fuller description of how the WPA worked:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WPA graphic
The Works Progress Administration (renamed during 1939 as the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects,[1] including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects. It fed children and redistributed food, clothing, and housing. Almost every community in the United States had a park, bridge or school constructed by the agency, which especially benefited rural and Western areas. The budget at the outset of the WPA in 1935 was $1.4 billion a year (about 6.7 percent of the 1935 GDP), and in total it spent $13.4 billion.[2] At its peak in 1938 it provided paid jobs for three million unemployed men (and some women), as well as youth in a separate division, the National Youth Administration. Headed by Harry Hopkins, the WPA provided jobs and income to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States. Between 1935 and 1943, the WPA provided almost eight million jobs.[3] Full employment, which emerged as a national goal around 1944, was not the WPA goal. It tried to provide one paid job for all families where the breadwinner suffered long-term unemployment.[4]
The WPA was a national program that operated its own projects in cooperation with state and local governments, which provided 10%-30% of the costs. WPA sometimes took over state and local relief programs that had originated in the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) or FERA programs.[5]
Liquidated on June 30, 1943 as a result of low unemployment due to the economic boom of World War Two, the WPA had provided millions of Americans with jobs for 8 years.[6] Most people who needed a job were eligible for at least some of its positions.[7] Hourly wages were typically set to the prevailing wages in each area.[8] However workers could not be paid more than 30 hours a week. Before 1940, there was very little training to teach new skills, to meet the objections of the labor unions.
The Obama jobs plan is estimated to cost somewhere between $200 billion and $400 billion. Labor Department data shows that from June 2008 to June 2011, nearly $19 billion in state unemployment benefits were paid in error during theses three years. That amount represents more than 10% of the $180 billion in jobless benefits paid nationwide during the period. (See a sortable chart of each states’ overpayments) The tally covers state programs, which offer benefits for up to 26 weeks, from July 2008 to June 2011. Layers of federal programs that help provide benefits for up to 99 weeks weren’t included.
Use this money to fund a WPA program......... and repair our country with new jobs. We have 14 million people unemployed and last month the economy has approximately 103,000 new jobs. At that rate it will take over 11 years to get back to full employment.
USE THE MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE in place to effect the WPA and get people into jobs across American easily. Unemployment pays their salaries and gets things done instead of having people sit at home. If the military needs more space there is certainly thousands of square feet of commercial buildings vacant. Let's get America working and repaired!!!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Your Space and My Space and Remembering 9/11
At a restaurant the other day with my 90 year old Mother, 4 men are seated in the booth behind us as we are eating our lunch. They began to talk in very loud voices, wherein we could hear their conversation. Unfortunately it was a conversation full of curse words. F.... him. He's a S...of a B. The job is a b..... She's a c..... And on and on. There was not a sentence spoken that was not full of foul language. I asked the manager if they could speak in a quieter tone. They chose not to. The manger suggested that we move to another table. We were in the middle of our lunch and my mother is on a walker, so moving is not the easiest thing to do. I chose to stay put, but regretted it later.
We do have freedom of speech in this country. Yea!!!! But does that freedom of speech include the right to lap over into my space? I have had a person come up to me in a private club and start cursing at me in front of a room full of people. While he may have the right to say what he wants – does he have the right to come into “my space” and be rude and offensive?
In San Francisco it seems there is no law that a person has to wear clothes in public unless they are a food and beverage server. So people are now seen outside without clothes, they are in restaurants without clothes, on public transportation, etc. Again, it's not against the law.....but somehow it seems to be lapping over into my “visual” space.
On 9/11 there were some people who felt so strongly about their ideas and beliefs that they believed it was necessary to kill thousands of people to reinforce the fact that they are RIGHT. That they have their own beliefs is fine. But to force them on us through killing is the ultimate breach of another's “space”.
We all have the right of quiet enjoyment.
We do have freedom of speech in this country. Yea!!!! But does that freedom of speech include the right to lap over into my space? I have had a person come up to me in a private club and start cursing at me in front of a room full of people. While he may have the right to say what he wants – does he have the right to come into “my space” and be rude and offensive?
In San Francisco it seems there is no law that a person has to wear clothes in public unless they are a food and beverage server. So people are now seen outside without clothes, they are in restaurants without clothes, on public transportation, etc. Again, it's not against the law.....but somehow it seems to be lapping over into my “visual” space.
On 9/11 there were some people who felt so strongly about their ideas and beliefs that they believed it was necessary to kill thousands of people to reinforce the fact that they are RIGHT. That they have their own beliefs is fine. But to force them on us through killing is the ultimate breach of another's “space”.
We all have the right of quiet enjoyment.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
THE GREAT AMERICAN LIE
THE GREAT AMERICAN LIE
We are all concerned with the loss of life in foreign wars. We are all concerned about being good honest people. But one wonders, when looking back in history, how the government could have made war against its own citizens who were existing peacefully?
I am referring to our history of the government abusing nuclear power – and lying to the citizens of the United States of America. While “most” of the catastrophes were accidental – the coverups and statements of untruth were not.
This could be a book in itself so let us state it is only going to be a quick summary of some of the greater lies. Google any of the incidents for reams of further information that has finally come forth.
HANFORD, WASHINGTON
1943 – Hanford, Washington (about 4 hours southeast of Seattle), a building project was started to create 9 atomic reactors that subsequently created the material used in the atomic bombs and supplied the entire nuclear arsenal of the US Military.
1945 – We see what dropping the atomic bombs did to the Japanese. If they weren't vaporized, they were burned and made sick from the radiation poisoning. Babies were born with increased rate of birth defects. Long term cancer deaths increased.
1945-1971 – Cooling water for the Hanford facilities was secretly pumped back into the Columbia river, much of it radioactive because of leaks in tanks. Radioactive clouds were purposely released and drifted up to Canada and down to California. People were getting sick, animals were being born deformed or dead. The government denied all responsibility.
1986 – Finally, when the family of Tom Bailie (all living in the area) had all died from cancer, he teamed with a reporter from the Spokesman Review to get answers. The radiation victims sued the US government and forced it to open its SECRET files. The radioactive releases (which had been denied) became public knowledge. Some lawsuits are still ongoing.
1988 – Facility decomissioned. It is the most contaminated location in the Western Hemisphere. 240 square miles are uninhabitable due to radioactivity that has seeped into the soil and ground water. The clean up project costs more than $2 BILLION per year. The US Department of Energy hopes to have cleanup completed by 2052, more than 107 years after its inception. This illustrates how the use of nuclear power saves money over other electricity production methods – or not.
SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
1959 – An experimental nuclear facility owned by Rocketdyne experienced a meltdown of 13 fuel rods out of 52 rods. When a meltdown occurs, the energy produced increases at a very high rate of speed, leading eventually to an explosion. Because it was an experiemental facility there was no concrete dome containment cover. Radiation was released into the air, now estimated to be more than 240 times the amount that was released from Three Mile Island accident. This spread throughout the surrounding areas including Los Angeles. At the time the US Nuclear Commission issued a statement “of a small mishap involving 1 fuel rod”.
2011 – There has never been an official study of the effects of being downwind after this accident. However, a citizen-activist site on Facebook called “Secrets of the Santa Susana Field Lab is asking for posts on their map.
Ignorance is not bliss. Maybe it would be better if the United States residents became informed, then alarmed, and demonstrated (peacefully) – for the betterment of decisions, for the betterment of lives.
Lying to the residents of the United States by the government is not acceptable. Not then and not now.
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Sunday, August 21, 2011
Book Review: THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe
Hello, I'm excited to tell that my book is now available to purchase at http://www.booksandnovelstoread.com. The book is written as a thriller suspense novel. And, this website is dedicated to books by new and emerging authors. There are thousands of new and original stories to be had, books that the public would never get to experience, if it were left up the "Publishing Industry". Have a look at this website and you will be pleasantly surprised. Please pass this onto all your contacts interested in reading so the word can be spread. Links are at the bottom of the page. Reviewed by Terry Callister, author.
Every so often you come across a book that you can’t put down; you just want to know what happens over on the next page. I warn you, this is one of those. It is also a story that is very relevant today considering the events in Japan earlier this year.
A Review of THE DISQUIET SURVIVORS of The Nuclear Catastrophe by Barbara Billig
Also published as: The Nuclear Catastrophe by Barbara Billig
Please note that the author is currently changing the name of this book from A Nuclear Catastrophe to that above. The print book is done and the eBook will follow shortly.
Every so often you come across a book that you can’t put down; you just want to know what happens over on the next page. I warn you, this is one of those. It is also a story that is very relevant today considering the events in Japan earlier this year.The writing drags you into the pages as the characters fight to survive the aftermath of a massive explosion at the White Water Nuclear Plant in Southern California following a fairly minor earth tremor. Barbara has done what one of my favourite authors of all time, Leon Uris, has done, taken solid fact and cleverly crafted an excellent fictional story around it, faction as I call it. Leon Uris used history, Barbara science. By the way I checked out the science and worryingly it is all factual.
Not that the science gets in the way of this troubling story. It is used fleetingly to explain, in layman’s terms, the dangers that follow the release of massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere following a blast. A modern nuclear facility can release fifty times more radiation into the atmosphere than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, at the end of WW II. That’s how serious this problem is.
As the reality of their situation dawns on the victims of the fallout then Barbara introduces ever more problems for the characters to face. You can’t drink the water, because it is radioactive. Hospitals close their doors to new patients for fear of contaminating those already in the facility. I won’t spoil it any more but the list goes on.
One of the worst aspects of their situation is the complete lack of a co-ordinated rescue plan by the authorities. Well why prepare for something that can never happen? Like all politicians and those in authority they never seem to learn from history. The likes of 3 Mile Island and Chernobyl immediately spring to mind and of course more recently the terrible disaster in Fukushima, Japan.
Looking at politicians and their lack of understanding of the importance of history you need look no further than the conflict in Afghanistan as a prime example. The British were fighting there over a hundred years ago, the Russians tried and now the USA and Britain again. Political expediency in the USA and Britain means the troops will pull out before the job is done and the Taliban will be back in power before too long. Why did we go there in the first place? Do the powers that be never learn?
This isn’t an easy read, but you know it was never going to be, the subject is far too important. For all that it is a very good story, one that needed telling and one that should be made compulsory reading for all political leaders who are considering building more nuclear power stations. Perhaps it should be compulsory reading for all our youth also, so they can become aware of the dangers and take up the fight against this menace.
Barbara Billig is obviously passionate about this subject and this comes across in her writing. You will be swept away from the first page. Barbara must also be a keen observer of people, throughout the story her characters come to life with subtle little flicks of the hand, a look in the mirror and much more.
This is a thoroughly good read, an important story, not to be missed.
My Rating 5 out of 5.
ebook is currently on sale for 99 cents!!!!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Reading a new way - on your smart phone
Because I have made my book, The Nuclear Catastrophe, available for 99 cents through Amazon.com Kindle version, I want to take a moment to talk about reading a kindle version on another device. The kindle application is available for download on your computer, net book, or smart phone. I recently was emailed a thriller by a fellow author, The Catalytic Programme, by Terry Callister:
I had to decide how to read this book since I didn't have a kindle or a nook or a net book. I tried reading it on my laptop, but that proved very cumbersome in bed - I couldn't lay down and read - I had to sit up. So since it was emailed to me I opened up the email on my smart phone (Verizon Droid). It has apps for the kindle, nook, and .pdf files. I had actually made the statement - I can't imagine anyone reading a book on their phone!!! (Like who would be so crazy as to do that). But it was absolutely perfect for reading an ebook. The apps resize the text to whatever you like. The phone is back lit so you can read in the dark without a reading light (at night in bed). It's light weight - easy to hold. And when you hold the phone upright (not horizontal) the text across is just right for an eye to read in speed reading mode - you don't read individual words, you scan whole lines one at a time (for those of you who remember taking the speed reading courses - do they still teach those?) I absolutely loved it. AND, you have your phone with you at all time so whenever you have a spare moment - you can read.
For those of you who think this is stupid - you better re-evaluate the future. Paper is very expensive and will get more so as our trees disappear. I am a paperback addict - but I know that ebooks will soon be our main means of getting books. So get prepared now - download the kindle app and for 99 cents try out The Nuclear Catastrophe on your smart phone.
http://www.booksandnovelstoread.com/mybooks.html (This was a great read!)
I had to decide how to read this book since I didn't have a kindle or a nook or a net book. I tried reading it on my laptop, but that proved very cumbersome in bed - I couldn't lay down and read - I had to sit up. So since it was emailed to me I opened up the email on my smart phone (Verizon Droid). It has apps for the kindle, nook, and .pdf files. I had actually made the statement - I can't imagine anyone reading a book on their phone!!! (Like who would be so crazy as to do that). But it was absolutely perfect for reading an ebook. The apps resize the text to whatever you like. The phone is back lit so you can read in the dark without a reading light (at night in bed). It's light weight - easy to hold. And when you hold the phone upright (not horizontal) the text across is just right for an eye to read in speed reading mode - you don't read individual words, you scan whole lines one at a time (for those of you who remember taking the speed reading courses - do they still teach those?) I absolutely loved it. AND, you have your phone with you at all time so whenever you have a spare moment - you can read.
For those of you who think this is stupid - you better re-evaluate the future. Paper is very expensive and will get more so as our trees disappear. I am a paperback addict - but I know that ebooks will soon be our main means of getting books. So get prepared now - download the kindle app and for 99 cents try out The Nuclear Catastrophe on your smart phone.
Friday, July 29, 2011
2 Peaches in Greater LA found high in radiation!!!!!!
Two Peaches in Greater Los Angeles found high in radiation
In Los Angeles, on Friday, July 8th, 2011, two peaches found at a local Santa Monica market were confirmed to have sustained radiation levels of 81 CPMs, or greater. The market's background radiation was said to be about 39 CPMs. The two peaches, thus, had significantly high radiation contamination equaling over two times site background levels.
http://www.enviroreporter.com/radiation-station-stats/
Another blogger noted that: "What makes this discovery especially significant is that the 2X background radioactivity detected in these peaches was likely significantly attenuated by their water content; when eaten the exposure rate may be significantly higher. Even worse, it is likely that the detected radioactivity is from a longer half life radionuclide; which when eaten, would irradiate a person from the inside out for potential years to come."
@Potrblog, July 10th, 2011, at 8:05 pm
http://www.enviroreporter.com/2011/03/enviroreporter-coms-radiation-station/
Additionally, it appears the Greater Los Angeles Basin is continuing to get intermittent low level elevated radiation readings. That is, radiation levels less than 100 CPMs, but elevated relative to normal background levels for the geiger counter testing station).
http://www.enviroreporter.com/radiation-station-stats/
http://www.enviroreporter.com/radiation-station-stats/
Another blogger noted that: "What makes this discovery especially significant is that the 2X background radioactivity detected in these peaches was likely significantly attenuated by their water content; when eaten the exposure rate may be significantly higher. Even worse, it is likely that the detected radioactivity is from a longer half life radionuclide; which when eaten, would irradiate a person from the inside out for potential years to come."
@Potrblog, July 10th, 2011, at 8:05 pm
http://www.enviroreporter.com/2011/03/enviroreporter-coms-radiation-station/
Additionally, it appears the Greater Los Angeles Basin is continuing to get intermittent low level elevated radiation readings. That is, radiation levels less than 100 CPMs, but elevated relative to normal background levels for the geiger counter testing station).
http://www.enviroreporter.com/radiation-station-stats/
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