Bill ?
Bill,
You seem to be reading a ton of information, and have some experience in interpreting the facts. In your opinion where do we stand ? It is hard to keep up with where we are right now, I am not sure what I see in all the fog.
Is it now okay to eat all veggies and fruit in Californa ?
Should we buy a hepa air filter for our homes ?
Is our tap water contaminated ?
Are we on safe ground, just watching reactor number four for now ?
What to do about the hot particles ? (Gunderson/Kaltofen video)
What news sources do you suggest ?
Who are you anyway, what is your experience with nuclear ?
There are two Bills here (as far as I know) Me and "Bill Duff"
Short answers:
This might help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMzfq31U1QU (Arne on CNN)
1. I am trying tpo avoid most fruits and veggies recently picked from anywhere in the US. I am drinking a little milk, but reluctantly.
2. ANY filters would likely help some for air and water - although I am no expert on any of these issues really and have no idea what filters are best.
3. Tap water: It depends on where you are and where youyr water comes from. There is almost always contamination from operating nuke plants. Testing is the only way to know for sure. Same for food.
4. No ground is completely safe since the beginning of the nuclear age and global contamination. There are relative risks everywhere. Southern hemisphere safer but I do not know by how much. A LOT fewer reactor meltdown threats though. Recriticality and explosions are still, imho, possible at several of the units.
5. I have no idea whether we can avoid "hot particles" or how dangerous they are. The liklelihood is lots of cancers down the road and other nastiness like thyroid disease, birth defects, etc.
6. Here is best. But simply actually watching Gundersen and all sources of info you can find is useful. I check NHK for updates on some facts on the ground but check a wide variety and usually simply google news searches for key words like "hot particles" At BRAWM's site you get hard data. Greenpeace has some too but you have to read or research all you can find and sort the propaganda from truth as best you can.
7. I worked VERY briefly in the industry in a department which dealt with radiation and chemical risk, I lived in a very heavily nuclearized town (military and commercial) and have been watching this my whole adult life. I also worked in Congress briefly where my Congressman served on an environmental subcommittee where I had access to hearings and hard data which I paid close attention to because of my own concerns. As I leerned more I did some volunteer work with the Radiation and Public Health Project, worked with whistleblowers from the industry and participated in NRC safety/regulatory/licensing issues as a citizen who believes the deadly risks (Fukushima being a prime example) FAR outweigh mythical benefits of nuclear energy.
I am also a writer with some modest credentials as a journalist.
My most important identity, though, is as a parent concerned for my kids' future and the future of humanity and the earth and all its creatures.
Hope you meant me and not Bill Duff who must have his own m.o. and backstory.
Agree, for the most part,
Agree, for the most part, with 'Bill' assessment, I:
Increased vitamin/mineral dose to two (2) Centrums per day. (The maximum daily allowable is about 8 - 12 X the minimum daily allowable.) A slight excess of calcium, iodine and other minerals will reduce radionuclide uptake.
Changed HVAC filters & upgraded to high efficiency media.
Virtually 'binged' on the most dangerous foods: greens, dairy, mushrooms, and the like, similar to 'Fat Tuesday'.
Stocked the larder, immediately following the Fukushima disaster; before the jet stream could transport the radionuclides (6-8 days). Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and so forth.
A day before expected radionuclide storm arrival, I:
Switched to house shoes at the door. Minimized outdoor activity, showered and changed clothes upon arrival. Turned HVAC circulating fans to 'ON' position. Closed interior doors to reduce dust travel.
Progressively switched away from 'higher risk' food categories. So for example, after 60 days, mild cheddar (aged 60 days) to medium cheddar (aged 6 months). Will switch to sharp cheddar (aged 1 year) in early September. Next March will determine whether I switch back to mild or progress to extra sharp cheddar (aged 2 years).
Switched to green-house grown or hydroponics 'butter lettuce' and tomatoes.
Watched the rainfall patterns and radionuclide measurements. Example: Ice Cream: Reject - Ben & Jerry - high rain and high cesium in EPA Vermont area. OK - Bluebell ice cream Texas regional drought. Haagen Daz (Germany) good selection for Northern Hemisphere. But I already had chocolate, strawberry, vanilla and peach in the freezer.
Use mask for extended outdoor, such as yard work, cleaning gutters and the like. Moved dogfood, water and bedding under an awning. Wash things down a bit with well water.
Did not gather wild berries this year or plant a spring garden. May not eat the volunteer tomatoes till later.
I am now backing down most of the precautions, except for tea, mushrooms, berries, dairy, and Pacific seafood. HVAC fans still on 24/7. Standing down gradually, but wary.
Watching Reactor-3 containment Reactor-4 spent fuel and structure, and Pacific ocean contamination.
Will keep a couple of labeled HVAC filters and rainwater samples to later verify EPA data integrity. I expected a 10X - 20X radiation fallout upgrade and consider the recent 2X to be a 1st installment.
Bill Duff
Bill Duff
Thank you for that ! What HVAC fan to suggest we do not have one.
What news media do you suggest ?
HVAC
.
By HVAC, I was referring to a central air conditioning unit with a filter grill in the return air duct. (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning), sometimes called refrigerated air or heat pump
There are alternatives, such as window units, which are available from the Box stores such as Home Depot, Lowes and probably your neighborhood Ace Hardware or mom & pop store. The 240 VAC window units are better than the 120 VAC units. These will have various efficiency ratings, which will affect the installation cost and operating cost.
I am not familiar with the air filters in window units. These typically have a control for vent, recirculation and mixed air. March and April would have been a good time for total recirculation and regular filter replacement or cleaning.
There are some start reliability issues with the most efficient HVAC units. So on the hottest hours of the hottest days, they may not start. Government efficiency rules are tightened fairly regularly. So there are no 'low efficiency' HVAC units in the marketplace.
Not sure....from op
Dear Bill,
Thank you very much for your information, these are the same sources I have been reading, and appreciate you sharing your opinion with me. To be honest please no offense I am not sure which Bill, but will welcome all posts to my plea for some basics.
This forum has become a lifesaver for me, I am overwhelmed and exhausted, from reading through gobs of propaganda, dead end internet searches for more information, lack of fresh green foods, paralyizing information and realities for those citizens in Japan, chilling tales of Los Alamos testing (read here), numbing denial (friends and family), and wow how do we stay on top of protecting ourselves if we do not have five or six hours to spend each day, breaking down the reactor situation, and sorting through the false information on the net. What will happen if BRAWM decides to close off the forum at some point ? I feel hopeless, and helpless.
Need some help, please.
Bill? I thought you and
Bill? I thought you and Bill Duff were the same person. Whew! Clarified! It's good to hear from you!
Hmmm
I'm wondering if Rick Cromack thought the same thing in his email :-)
Hell...I don't blame him. I
Hell...I don't blame him. I was beginning to think we had a Jekyl and Hyde frequenting the forum.