I saw tonight that the workers trying to deal with the problems at Japan's nuclear power plant in Fukushima province were forced to leave due to high radiation levels.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Radiation-forces-work-to-stop-apf-3314845701.html?x=0&.v=91

This makes me have to stop and ask the question, what would we do in America in such a case?

The Surgeon General has recommended that West Coast inhabitants in America purchase Iodide tablets as a precaution.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Surgeon-General-Buying-Iodine-Appropriate-118031559.html

What can the average American do in such circumstances?

That really really sucks :(

Those people can't even trust their government to be honest with them about the danger...I don't trust ours either....

Living in Hawaii, I'm a bit concerned that that stuff will make it's way here....people here have already bought out all of the products with iodine ....

It is scary stuff, isn't it?  They are talking about a possible containment breach now.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/262237/skeleton-crew-evacuated-fukushima-containment-vessel-breach-possible-daniel-foster

I hope that you are safe, Josie and will be keeping you in my thoughts. 

Radio Netherlands has published a "what to do" type article in case of nuclear accident.  Interestng reading, but seems pretty much common sense type stuff.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/what-do-case-a-nuclear-accident

This stuff is blown out of proportion... no worries guys...

Quote from: BoogyMan on March 15, 2011, 09:31:55 PM
It is scary stuff, isn't it?  They are talking about a possible containment breach now.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/262237/skeleton-crew-evacuated-fukushima-containment-vessel-breach-possible-daniel-foster

I hope that you are safe, Josie and will be keeping you in my thoughts. 

Radio Netherlands has published a "what to do" type article in case of nuclear accident.  Interestng reading, but seems pretty much common sense type stuff.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/what-do-case-a-nuclear-accident

TY Boogy and thnx for the article

Quote from: taxed on March 15, 2011, 09:33:19 PM
This stuff is blown out of proportion... no worries guys...

IDK Taxed....I wish I had your confidence... Obama's green energy isn't looking so good to me right about now...have you seen this http://www.examiner.com/green-transportation-in-national/obama-proposes-nuclear-power-expansion-while-japan-has-nuclear-crisis

Quote from: Josie on March 15, 2011, 09:37:10 PM
IDK Taxed....I wish I had your confidence... Obama's green energy isn't looking so good to me right about now...have you seen this http://www.examiner.com/green-transportation-in-national/obama-proposes-nuclear-power-expansion-while-japan-has-nuclear-crisis

Rule number 1:  NEVER listen to libs.  If the lib MSM says "Up", then the correct answer is "Down".

You aren't in any danger, no worries....  the radiation, at the plant, is less than getting an X-ray....

Solar gave me the basic rundown..  he says don't worry...

Quote from: taxed on March 15, 2011, 09:33:19 PM
This stuff is blown out of proportion... no worries guys...

It could be, but it is better to be prepared than not.

There are wildly varying claims out there about the current radiation level.  One source has even put the radiation level at 1 sievert (unlikely), but if true we have a whole new beast on our hands.

Quote from: BoogyMan on March 15, 2011, 09:39:19 PM
It could be, but it is better to be prepared than not.

There are wildly varying claims out there about the current radiation level.  One source has even put the radiation level at 1 sievert (unlikely), but if true we have a whole new beast on our hands.

I'm certainly no expert...  I think it just sounds scarier than what is really happening...

Quote from: taxed on March 15, 2011, 09:43:07 PM
I'm certainly no expert...  I think it just sounds scarier than what is really happening...

You could be right, the reports are varrying so wildly it is hard to know exactly what to believe.

Heres the latest, and it looks pretty promising.
And if you want an idea on how much a micro sievert is, heres an explanation.

QuoteUPDATED 8:06 P.M. -- Multiple news agencies on Friday evening reported a third explosion at the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant, this time at unit 2.Kyodo News, quoting Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, reported that the reactor's pressure-suppression system may be damaged.
Elevated Radiation readings of 8,217 microsievert per hour were recorded near the plant, per a Tepco announcement reported by Kyodo.
------------
UPDATED 9:18 a.m. -- Tokyo Electric Power confirmed that fuel rods in its Fukushima Daichi unit 2 reactor recently were fully exposed to air, which makes it the the third reactor at the company's plant facing potential core damage.
Tepco reported the reactor's coolant boiled off after a fire pump injecting seawater into the core ran out of diesel, according to Kyodo News. Four of five fire pumps were feared to have been damaged after an explosion at neighboring unit 3 last night.
This morning, Tepco reported it had raised the water level in unit 2 to cover half length of the fuel rods, according to a Reuters report shortly before 9 a.m. The status of water injection into unit 1 and unit 3 remained unclear following the earlier blast, which reports indicated injured 11 but did not damage core containment.
http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2011/03/14/core-cooling-efforts-persist-at-previously-blacked_2d00_out-reactors-in-japan-_2800_with-design_2c00_-emergency-documents_2900_031404.aspx

   
• 1 Sv = 1000 mSv (millisieverts) = 1,000,000 μSv (microsieverts) = 100 rem = 100,000 mrem (millirem)
• 1 mSv = 100 mrem = 0.1 rem
• 1 μSv = 0.1 mrem
• 1 rem = 0.01 Sv = 10 mSv
• 1 mrem = 0.00001 Sv = 0.01 mSv = 10 μSv

Yearly Dose Examples

   
• Living near a nuclear power station: less than 0.01 mSv/year^[3]
• Cosmic radiation (from sky) at sea level: 0.24 mSv/year^[3]
• Terrestrial radiation (from ground): 0.28 mSv/year^[3]
• Natural radiation in the human body: 0.40 mSv/year^[3]
• Typical individual's natural background radiation: 2 mSv/year; 1.5 mSv/year for Australians, 3 mSv/year for Americans^[6]
• Radon in the average US home: 2 mSv/year^[3]
• Average American's total radiation exposure: 6.2 mSv/year^[7]
• New York-Tokyo flights for airline crew: 9 mSv/year^[6]
• Smoking 1.5 packs/day: 13 mSv/year^[8]
• Current average limit for nuclear workers: 20 mSv/year^[6]
• Background radiation in parts of Iran, India and Europe: 50 mSv/year^[6]
• Lowest clearly carcinogenic level: 100 mSv/year^[6]

Lifetime Dose Examples

   
• Criterion for relocation after Chernobyl disaster: 350 mSv/lifetime^[6]

Yeah, I have seen those dosage charts.  That is why I have pretty much discounted the 1 Sievert report.

Granted, this is not good news by any means, but I really think the media is blowing this way out of proportion.
There are still many avenues left to deal with the clean up, but the radiation, in a worst case scenario, is nothing like that left behind in WWII, and look at Hiroshima today.

But if you listen to the MSM, you would think this will spread all across Japan and the US.
This radiation is far different than that of the atom bomb, nowhere near the fallout.

It is my understanding the iodine is to protect your thyroid. 

The thyroid gland requires iodine to make thyroid hormone. If one is exposed to radiation, to radioactive iodine, it is taken up by the thyroid and can cause cancer. This is especially a problem in children and adolescents that are exposed, because their thyroids are still growing. The iodine in potassium iodide is what we call "cold," because it's not radioactive. The thyroid gland gets saturated with "cold" iodine and can't absorb the radioactive iodine.

Possible side effects:

If you take it too early, it's less likely to be effective. You really want to take it 12 hours before the exposure and you want to take a tablet a few days in a row. It does have potential side effects. About 8% of the population have auto-immune thyroid disease — these individuals are very susceptible to getting large iodine loads. It could lead to an imbalance in their thyroid. About 1% of people get rashes; a number of people get nausea and vomiting, primarily from the taste — it's got very bitter taste. Rarely, there will be allergic reactions. It's not innocuous. The risk far outweighs the benefit.

I am hypo-thyroid and am not too concerned.  Also as you get older your thyroid doesn't work as well either.  :)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/03/potassium-idodide-qa-on-radiation-risks.html