Nuclear ignorance is something that runs rampant in this country. People are relying on Rush Limbaugh for teaching them about science even though Rush has NO FORMAL education and barely made it out of high school.
The other people are relying on a political party to tell them "nothing to see here, avoid the hype" when in fact there is a serious problem in japan.
Before we get to japan, lets talk about nuclear issues here in the states. Before three mile island, we had more serious NUCLEAR FALLOUT in this country and this fallout was responsible for thousands of cases of cancer in this country.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/220428-Did-the-Atom-Bomb-Test-Fallout-Cause-Cancer-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_fallout_exposure.png
In this country, the US goverment exploded above ground atom bomb testing for many years in nevada and new mexico without the consideration of nuclear fallout. For a decade, isotopes like iodine131, cesium137, plutonium and cobalt.
If you look at the fallout map, you will see, isotopes fell all over the midwest contaminating milk, chickens, eggs, farmlands and citizens.
Cancers have been linked to these tests in the USA but as a nation, we were NEVER TOLD about the fallout over our country. No one really knows what damage a reactor can do until it explodes and years pass.
In one test (castle bravo) the USA exploded a hydrogen bomb, the largest in history in the pacific atolls. This test did not go as planned as the blast was over 2 times larger than predicted. This bomb spread radioactive isotopes over the pacific, japan, australia, hawaii and the UNITED STATES.
The radiation traveled thousands and thousands of miles and stayed active for years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Bravo
In addition, small populated islands were contaminated with radiation killing natives, causing major cancers to the majority of people and creating severe birth defects to children. The US goverment had to PAY reparations to all people on these islands for the radiation damage to both property and persons.
All people had to be relocated and the islands deserted. Two of our own scientists responsible for this test were exposed to lethal doses of radiation and died. Hundreds of navy seaman were exposed to harmfull doses of radiation and got cancers later.
Radiation
ISN'T something that we know how to handle once released into our atmosphere. Sure, we know how to run a nuclear plant while its functioning properly, but once a disaster happens, it becomes nothing more than a huge guessing game, and the guessing affects us all.
In japan, radiation is leaking at about 300 millisieverts an hour. Chernobyl at its peak was releasing 350 millisieverts an hour. Contamination is spreading quickly through japan and is now found in animals, milk, fish, debris, plants, farms and in the water table.
The damage to people is unknown at this time but it will take years for cancers and the like to show on japans citizens.
The reactor plant in japan has 6 reactors and two of them are in critical condition. Reactor 4 and 3 are the most crucial and are releasing the largest amount of radiation. Reactors 3 and 4 are releasing iodine 131 and cesium 137 into the atmosphere in consistent levels. These isotopes are traveling into our atmosphere and it is not known what damage they could cause to americans.
It is possible for radiation to travel here through the air as it did when the castle bravo fallout reached the united states from the pacific. Anyone who tells you differently doesnt know crap about nuclear fallout.
The real threat to us as americans rests with the fate of reactor 1, which if compromised will release PLUTONIUM which is more deadly than the other isotopes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium
If a castastrophic event happens at reactor 4 and an explosion occurs, the plant will have to be abandoned and all the other reactors will become jeopardized.
In this country, the designs include redundancies for safety, however, none of them have ever had to be tested so we do not know if they will work.
Nuclear power has always been a hazard to americans and no safety program can make it safe. It can only be safe when solutions are known to work when something goes wrong.
In japan, they are down to pouring sandbags and cement over the reactor to seal it, and that is NOT A SOLUTION.
Read up on nuclear fallout, see how many people in this country are stricken with cancers that were caused by nuclear testing and ask yourself if you can believe those responsible for giving your loved ones cancer to give you advice on how safe nuclear reactors are in this country.
Peace.