A magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocked the eastern United States this afternoon, its epicenter located at Mineral, VA, where the North Anna nuclear power plant is located. Beyond Nuclear will run updates on any news about the status of the plant, but the quake was a timely reminder of the huge risks of vulnerable nuclear plants and the lessons we SHOULD be drawing from Fukushima.
Japanese officials are admitting that for many of the 80,000 residents evacuated from the 20-kilometer radius around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe re-entry is unlikely for decades to come, if then.
Radiological surveys are finding many areas more radioactive than the 20 milliseivert/hour government standard for evacuation with some communities registering more than 500 milliseiverts/hour.
Moreover, many more residents in the 20 to 30-kilometer radius around the stricken reactors remain unable to get official evacuation status and government support to quit areas more radioactive than the 20 milliseivert/hour standard. Other areas officially designated to be at "permissable" levels, schools playgrounds are void of children for fear of increased radiation exposure.
Dahr Jamail reports at Al Jazeera that medical doctors far removed from Fukushima Daiichi's radioactivity spewing triple meltdown "have begun to see increased nosebleeds, stubborn cases of diarrhoea, and flu-like symptoms in children." Children are significantly more susceptible to radioactivity's hazards than adults. Helen Caldicott, Beyond Nuclear's founding president, is quoted extensively in the article.
Scene from film showing filmmaker Michael Madsen peering "into eternity."Scott Thill has posted a film review at Alternet entitled "Top 10 Great Works of Nuclear Cinema." He ranks the documentary about radioactive waste "Into Eternity" at #2, just beneath the classic "Dr. Strangelove." Beyond Nuclear is helping organize showings of "Into Eternity" across the country. If you are interested in helping bring a screening to your community, go to the Beyond Nuclear screening page on the Specialty Studios website and click "host a screening" to get more information and sign up! If you are interested in finding a screening near you please click "find a screening".
When screening the film, we encourage you to collaborate with Beyond Nuclear by emailing us at info@beyondnuclear.org for materials, a sign-in sheet and, if feasible, a speaker. We can also help with suggested discussion topics and action items following the film. We’d like to hear from you after the screening, too, so that we can build momentum and numbers in opposing the continued production of more yet more radioactive waste!
As Thill wrote at Alternet, "the public needs to watch these 10 movies to full comprehend the threat of nuclear power." And "Into Eternity" is at the top of the list!
August 23, 2011