Locals within 20-30km of the Fukushima #1 reactor have been told not to leave their homes. The count is currently at 400 milliSieverts. At 500 the lymphocyte cells in the blood are compromised. This is 8000 X-rays worth of radiation.
There is also a fire in Reactor #4 now.
Yep, even officials in Japan are now admitting that this is a serious nuclear crisis and registers at a level of 6 on a scale of 1-7.
ReplyDeleteIf you need a spare bunk Cam, we have one in the boy's room.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we aren't close to any cattle guards, so we wouldn't be able to show you one of those.
For that we'd probably need to arrange quarters back in Columbus Texas.
Any thoughts on how long before the government there acknowledges just how far beyond serious the situation has gone?
Respectfully,
John F. Palermo
15 March 2011
Cam, there's nothing heroic about cancer.
ReplyDeleteReally couldn't say, John. Who knows what governments will say and do, eh?
ReplyDeleteI posted what I'd heard on your other blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm on my iPod. Can't copy/paste well.
But... It sounds pretty bad... really bad, actually.
I think about you every day since this catastrophe started.... As well as chant for all of Japan's population. I've read a few of your blogs yesterday, but couldn't find the words to make it... better. Every day the Canadian news show worst consequences for the habitants of Japan... every day the horror story gets a lil more... horrific, and I wonder, why your still there.
ReplyDeleteOk I get it... *putting your money where your mouth is* as I've read somewhere. You've grown attached to your adoptive country with all of your sisters and brothers form a family. I get that.
But every day, I say a special prayer for your Canadian family. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through. Jesus H Cam, you got nothing to prove to anybody... get out of there!
*sigh* Keeping you, and yours, in my chants brother in hug xo
ps - Everyone leave remember your daily dose of potassium and radiation .... Eat your bananas!
ReplyDeletethanks for the homework jadedtales..npr is usually quite good~reading now
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/03/16/134567288/radiation-by-the-numbers-isotopes-to-watch
ReplyDeletei thought that one was good for the detail
Thanks, Jamie! I love you!
ReplyDeleteSince I don't eat bananas anymore, I guess I'll have to get my radiation from other sources. That shouldn't be too difficult these days.
I could be way way off here, but did I see something somewhere that indicated you're a hair stylist ?
ReplyDeleteForgive me if I am way way off, but if you are a hair stylist in Japan then it would be logical that as a stylist you'd hear quite a bit of talk from your customers.. . . .. If so, then, what are they talking about ? How do they view the disaster as a whole and specifically the nuclear segment of the disaster ? Are they confident...do they believe the government . .. .. are they fearful, and to what degree ?
I'm not. I GOT a haircut on Sunday. I work in the pharmaceutical industry. And NOBODY at work seems to be the least bit interested in the nuclear... "issue".
ReplyDeleteO.o
ReplyDeleteIs that a Japanese cultural mindset right now? *boggle
I don't really know but honestly... people here really don't seem to voice or discuss their opinions on important topics.
ReplyDeleteThings I always assume the Japanese will be excited about or will be a hot topic of discussion always seem to be ... not? Like His Holiness, the DL visit and the nuclear news.........
ReplyDeletevery interesting.
Wow, three links from, of all places, NPR ? I'm astonished.
ReplyDeleteI could have linked from Fox News, who was showing a reactor in Shibuya, but hey... I thought someone might object.
ReplyDeleteOh wait.... apparently someone did anyway.
If you want some fear mongering, here's what confusion and whinging will get:
http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/navy-to-begin-voluntary-evacuation-of-families-in-japan-1.137999
Maybe Cam can ask if they have available seats and he can leave the country he's considered home for over 20 years because of suspected issues, which the majority of foreign embassies in Japan have yet to Freak the Fuck Out over?
Fox news only reports reliable news, right?
ReplyDeleteActually I am a little disappointed in the way several European countries are handling the situation by recommending their nationals leave the country. Disappointed in China by their evacuation... but China always tries to make itself look beautiful in the eyes of her citizens as she tromps all over them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the definition of news has changed too?
ReplyDeleteAll I know is I'm boggled by so much conflicting information and am currently prepping for a potential influx of friends coming over for an unexpected PJ party. *laughs
Maybe some of your info in-country isn't the truth ?
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. is now sending planes to evacuate our citizens. Can everyone be wrong except for Tepco ?
Earnest - The US changed their opinion after I wrote my comment above. We know they made a change in their decisions. They are only sending in planes to evacuate government people who want to leave, not US citizens.
ReplyDeleteEarnest - Before leaving work today, and after finding out that the US had changed (updated) their stance, I looked through the Canadian government's site to see if THEY have changed (updated) their stance. They haven't. They still recommend to avoid travel to Tokyo for now, DEFINITELY stay away from Fukushima reactors area, BUT to follow the Japanese guidelines.
ReplyDeleteSo, as you can see, it isn't as clear cut as one may think.
Also, the N.A. media is doing MASSIVE hype of this event and capitalizing on the panic that everyone in N.A. is experiencing. People mistakenly believe that people in tokyo are in a mass panic. It's simply not true. Staples in supermarkets are gone as people have stockpiled. But this may be a good thing in the long run because until now people of Japan have never REALLY prepared for earthquake emergencies, even though we live in apparently the most seismic region in the world. It has taken a major disaster for people to start thinking differently. This has been a very hard lesson, but growth will come of it. We grow from learning, we grow from making mistakes, we grow from taking those first steps in solving problems.
The confusing thing is that all the countries in the world have different standards, different benchmarks. It is very difficult to say that country A's standard is the absolute standard that should be followed around the world.
Is that the perspective from over there ?
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't see the mass media hype.Look at it this way.....I watch Fox and CNN, but just to see what MSNBC was saying I've followed them too ever since last Friday. I switch around the channels . And I've gotta say I just haven't seen the hype. I have seen two sides of the story on each on those channels.
But the public's own hype is evident. And I think I understand why. It's because Japan and Tepco have been enormously inconsistent in their statements. Contradictory stuff and entire flip-flops. PLUS they're simply not releasing enough standard info that one would expect. I could see if they heldback day one and two and three maybe, but this has gone much too far considering the topic.
Tepco was found guilty of lying for crying out loud. . . . more than once. Guilty of 'mistakes' as well and those 'mistakes' certainly looked like lying as well.
So no, I don't see mass hype in the news, but I do see it in the citizenry. And likely because they're not willing to trust Tepco or Japanese officials....especially not if they believe there's even a chance their health is on the line.
The US inspectors have said that the Japanese are not withholding data, or modifying it. Apparently Japan has been publishing it all to the correct places, and it has been verified by various countries. The problem lies in how that data is being interpreted. Three days ago France decided that her citizens should leave as it was too dangerous. Germany followed. The US revised today. Australia is suggesting evacuation but stating it is NOT due to radiation concerns. They say their decisions are based on infrastructure and logistics compromises. Canada is grey (as usual).
ReplyDeleteTepco did not report a problem for an hour and the prime minister gave them royal hell for that. An hour can make a difference, I guess, though I'm not a nuclear specialist, nor do I want to be an armchair specialist on this.
Also, I have noticed that when a Japanese person is quoted as saying, "the situation is not so good", that got translated and interpreted as sounding much more upbeat than the actual situation, when in fact, あんまり良くない (ammari yokunai) directly translated is "not so good", but REALLY means, "bad". This translation may have been a Japanese person directly translating in their head using the english they learned in school. But it definitely does not mean that in real Japanese. So, due to misunderstandings in the cultural aspect, whomever it was that made that statement has been accused of not representing the situation properly.
But, we Japanese, when we hear あんまり良くない we KNOW what they mean.
Hang on. Let me post a new note so what I want to show you doesn't get lost in this thread...
Two things being reported differently here - Those U.S. planes are for diplomats, their families, and other U.S. citizens who desire to leave.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the U.S. stance and Japanese stance do differ greatly on how far out the 'no go zone' should be. Japan says something around 18 miles or so. The U.S. disagrees and says 50 miles.
Here's another shocker - The U.S. NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) has now said that radiation levels are much higher than what Japanese officials are admitting to.
ReplyDeleteTHAT one is going to cause infinite amounts of debate, believe me.
ReplyDeleteWe might see some opinions change when the winds change direction this weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou very well could be right on that one, my friend. I won't call you on that. Did you take a look at the link to the geiger counter? What do you think? (going to go and wash my dishes between earthquakes. I'll be back).
ReplyDeleteEarnest - Can you do me a big favour and drop a link in here to the news about conflicting radiation levels between NCR and Japan, please? That interests me (as my apartment shakes ... again!)
ReplyDeleteI'll go look......brb
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew the name of the U.S. congressman who announced it cause right now I can't find a link....but it's quite possible that the info is contained within a story and perhaps not titled as such. But I will keep my eyes open.
ReplyDeleteThanks. In the meantime, I think I'll go and make my lunch for tomorrow... Damn. The building is starting to sway again... Who needs Tokyo Disneyland!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should charge admission. 300Y for the earthquake ride!
ReplyDeleteGood idea! "The ride of a lifetime"
ReplyDeleteCome one, come all, bring bacon!
ReplyDeleteJust in --- Japan is now reporting High Levels of Radiation outside the evacuation zone......18.6 miles out.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, imagine that.
I just saw that, too. Maybe it's spreading...
ReplyDeleteEarnest - By the way, nice to make your acquaintance.
ReplyDeleteYou too !
ReplyDelete