Capitol Hill Blue Forums Science and Technology Health, Medicine & the healing Sciences Fukushima - The Elephant in the Room

Different how? Dead is dead. Is the natural radon you are currently breathing different from radiation from a power plant? Is an ocean and atmosphere poisoned by Petroleum and Coal really much different?
Is the X-Ray machine worth the suffering that it's radioactive wastes will cause? Did we ever really need it?

How about the world's stockpiles of nuclear weapons? Did we need them? Did we need the nuclear industry that sprung up around them and continues to grow from nation to nation? If we stopped all nuclear power generation today would we be safe from future pollution caused by radioactive material?
Or is nuclear power generation just a gnat on the ass of a much bigger and potentially dangerous problem?

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I think the answers to those rhetorical questions are what we both can agree on.

Only the totally brainwashed could not see that the politicians and economic "leaders" who got us into this mess are quite insane and unworthy of trust.

Interesting post, Greger !!

We've gained a lot in our mastery of our environment over the past 400+ years ! Along the way we've discovered/invented ways to do far more with much less in terms of materials and energy - and our impact upon our environment. But technical entropy is approaching. Within 100 years, (much sooner if the world's luddites get their way), we'll be on the downside of the energy/technology/knowledge curve, I fear. A downside where our society's "excess wealth" - essential for scientific exploration and growth - is consummed merely keeping "meat" alive. >Mech


P.S. Wanna get a definition of "meat" ? Ask any EMT ! They're that segment of society too arrogant/stupid/self-centered to acknowledge the world - and its machines - don't find them "irreplaceable".

Each generation has it's own problems to deal with. Both cleaning up the mess made by the generation before and creating a livable world for themselves and the next generation. The birth of the Atomic Age answered some questions, solved some problems, and created others.
There were some good ideas, like the x-Ray machine and radiation treatments to cure cancer. There were some really bad ideas, like the Atomic Cannon:

Whoa! Is that thing coming or going?

(I would want to be more than seven miles away from the target of my Atomic Lobber.)

Radioactivity decay will be around for many future generations. The radioactivity from the 3 Fukushima nuclear reactors meltdowns will be still affecting Honshu long after any damage from the tsunami is forgotten.

[b]Japan’s Food-Chain Threat Multiplies as Fukushima Radiation Spreads[/b] And the radiation is also in the ground water and soil.

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Thank you for your intelligent comments, Joe. They make a nice change.

Good link, also.