Here is the scary map that has been floating around on the internet showing where the radiation will blow. This map in not verifiable, but it follows common sense. Because of the gulf stream, ironically, most of Japan and all of Asia will be immediately spared from the most concentrated amounts of radiation. The Pacific Ocean and the west coast of North America will eventually be where a lot of these radioactive particles will settle down. Scary stuff.
1 comment:
Hey, just wanted to say first that I generally enjoy your blog quite a bit. That said, it seems that predictions of catastrophic fallout from the Fukushima plant are overreactions, and that despite a magnitute 9 earthquake and massive tsunami, the plant will not pose serious danger even to nearby residents in Japan, much less people further away [http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-reactors-pose-no-risk-2011-3].
As to the dangers of nuclear plants generally, it's true that people living within 50 miles of a plant are exposed to some radiation, but a nuclear plant produces less than a third of the background radiation produced by a coal plant. In fact, you are exposed to more radiation by eating a banana than by living 50 miles from a nuclear plant for a year. [http://xkcd.com/radiation/].
Finally, nuclear power is linked to fewer deaths per terawatt hour than power from virtually any other source: coal, natural gas, solar, wind, you name it. [http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/deaths-per-twh-by-energy-source.html]
Why then, should we be so concerned about nuclear energy instead of embracing it as a safe, clean energy?
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