Nuclear Radiation and Women – theme for May 2013
As the nuclear lobby is busy persuading the world that ionising radiation is OK really, the facts are different. The most recent National Academy of Sciences Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation ( BEIR VII) in studying the cancer risk, supplied tables that showed the clear difference between radiation effects on males and females.
This lifespan graph (By Ian Goddard, deriving data from those tables) shows increased cancer risk by exposure to a given amount of radiation. Note the high risk for infant and little girls.
The pink line shows the risk for girls, the blue line for boys. Look at left hand part of the graph. It covers from zero to 5 years, and includes pre birth. We see a striking difference between the blue line and the pink line. The nuclear regulators assume that the risk shown here at age 30– in the blue line- is the same for every individual regardless of age or gender, – this is marked by the green circle. Yet, even at ages 40 – 60 the cancer risk from radiation is significantly more for women, than for men. - Mary Olson
That’s just looking at cancer risk. Not even considering risks to reproductive system pregnancy, and genetic effects.
WOMEN and NUCLEAR POWER – theme for May 2013
A woman is at significantly greater risk of suffering and dying from radiation-induced cancer than a man who gets the same dose of ionising radiation.
This is news because data in the report on the biological effects of ionizing radiation published in 2006 by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has been under-reported.
It is more often acknowledged that children are at higher risk of disease and death from radiation, but it is rarely pointed out that the regulation of radiation and nuclear activity (worldwide) ignores the disproportionately greater harm to both women and children. http://www.nirs.org/radiation/radhealth/radiationwomen.pdf
It is scandalous that these facts are not generally known. It is scandalous that the so-called “permissable levels” of ionising radiation are based on the “normal person” – that is, a 30 year old male. Foetuses, children and women are far more susceptible to radiation harm than men are.
Women are consistently reassured by narrowly educated nuclear physicists, and other technocrats, that nuclear power is safe, and that they have nothing to worry about in regard to ionising radiation.
Secrets and Lies – Nuclear theme for April 2013
The nuclear industry was born in secrecy and in a lie. “Atoms For Peace” was just a coverup for continuing and enlarging the nuclear war machine. “There never has been a nuclear power plant built that was cost competitive, in this country or any other” - David Freeman, former Chair of Tennessee Valley Authority http://www.totalwebcasting.com/view/?id=hcf#
The secrecy part of nuclear power is obvious – it has to be secret, for security and safety reasons – but that secrecy goes on to all its dark issues – nuclear diseconomics, crooked deals, dangers, suppression of truth about radiation effects.
Tied in with the secrecy are of course – the lies. The old lies – that nuclear weapons are necessary, that nuclear power is safe, cheap, clean, the cure for climate change, waste disposal is solved.
The new lies – that new nuclear technology – reprocessing, small reactors, thorium reactors will be the salvation of the industry, and of the world’s climate and energy problems.
Above all – the lies that renewable energy is ineffective, uneconomic, doesn’t supply “base load” power. These are perhaps the worst lies – as the nuclear lobby tries to stop the world from getting 100% clean energy – now possible, from the sun, wind, and tides.
Post Fukushima – lessons from Chernobyl – theme for March 2013
Official studies of radiation health effects are irrelevant to Chernobyl.
Why? – because the studies, such as the decades long Hiroshima survivors’ study focused on external radiation – exposure to radiation that passes through the body and causes cancer.
In the areas affected by Chernobyl radiation, internal emitters are the cause of health effects. This means that radionuclides (alpha and beta particles) in soil and water enter the body, breathed in , or by mouth, and, lodging inside the body, continue to irradiate body cells.
Drs Alexie Yablokov and Wladimir Wertelecki gave extensive information on the continuing effects of this chronic internal radiation, at the recent symposium in New York. See reference links below.
In a nutshell, the messages from these two scientists are that the world must no longer ignore these chronic effects. That young women and children are the most vulnerable. Internal irradiation affects the female reproductive system, causing birth abnormalities. These effects go on to the next generation. Women exposed as children, to the Chernobyl radiation, now have increased risk of having malformed babies.
These effects on the growing foetus (– teratogenesis) are found also in small animals.
Equally important are the other delayed effects – genetic changes, which also are observed in birds, insects and small mammals – with cancers and malformations.
Dr Yablokov -lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovZIaV-xrXk&feature=youtu.be - diagrams and graphics at http://www.totalwebcasting.com/tamdata/Documents/hcf/20130312-1/YablokovChernobylNewYork%202013.pdf
Dr Wertelecki – lectures http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=k1SySSWWZIo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIRgMLyuNDk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEYZl8-3sDQ
document- graphics and diagrams at http://www.totalwebcasting.com/tamdata/Documents/hcf/20130312-1/POSTfinalPPTX_NYAcadMed20130318A_LO.pdf
SECRETS and LIES – nuclear theme theme for April 2013
In 2013 the world is on the cusp of a move to rid the world of nuclear dangers, or a move to cover up these dangers and prolong or expand the nuclear threat.
The option of 100% renewable energy now becomes a reality, with both centralised and small scale forms of wind and solar power, and energy storage systems
The positive, and truthful move will mean a huge program to close down the nuclear industry, to get rid of nuclear weapons, and to deal with the critical problem of the existing nuclear wastes.
The other way, the negative move will be to allow nuclear lies to prevail. It will mean getting the world to:
- forget Fukushima,
- deny and abandon those damaged by ionising radiation
- deny the reality of renewable energy options
- push on with ever more consumption of energy and material products
- accept the lying nuclear “experts” as respectable authorities
- accept that nuclear weapons are “safety”
And, how do we answer our grandchildren, when they ask “What did you do when there was a chance to stop it?”
Health and Environment – post Fukushima – theme for March 2013
In New York, international doctors and scientists met to apply a searching light into the medical and environmental consequences of the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe. This symposium has been many months in the making, in the organisation of gathering experts on every aspect of this important issue.
Some of these scientists are experienced nuclear physicists and engineers. But many are from other disciplines – genetics, biology, ecology, marine biology, climatology and even some from from other areas, like economics, social science areas, such as gender studies.
These are the disciplines that are ignored by nuclear lobbyists who would have us believe that these are “soft” studies, not “hard” science, like nuclear physics. “Soft” science doesn’t matter , (except for climate studies, which suddenly matters because they can con us that nuclear power is the solution). Nuclear lobbyists ignore “soft” science like genetics and ecology:
A. because if these issues were taken seriously – that would spell the end of nuclear power, the end of their industry.
B. because they don’t know anything about these sciences, anyway.
The New York symposium had the task of exploring and explaining to the world, the meaning of the Fukushima disaster – in its effects on human, other species, and the land, air, water and plants, on which we all depend for our health. They also explained the importance of these effects for our children, grand-children, and future generations.
Soft stuff? Trivial? ”Fukushima is over” – the global nuclear lobby would have us believe. as though the Fukushima event is now over and done with.
The informative lectures from the New York symposium are already reverberating , – in video, print and film, to counter the lying propaganda of the nuclear lobby
Health and Environment – Fukushima radiation’s long term effects – theme for March 2013
The nuclear lobby loves to concentrate only on the dramatic – explosions, accidents, sudden deaths from acute “high level” radiation. The nuclear lobby very deliberately leaves out the 
more subtle effects of ionising radiation from its industry – the long term non dramatic ones, - cancers, birth defects, damaged genes.
Nuclear “experts” are, as we are always told, nuclear physicists, nuclear engineers – the “hard” scientists – the ones who know all about machines, reactor designs, functions, reactor buildings, nuclear weapons. ( But some “hard” scientists are very worried about radiation effects - these ones are called “cranks”)
Nuclear “non experts” are the doctors, biologists, ecologists, paediatricians – the ones who know about human bodies, and the lives of humans and other species. These are the people who know, and care, about ionising radiation and its effects.
Thank goodness – these true radiation experts, (and some well informed “hard” scientists). are getting together in New York on March 11-12, to tell the world the facts about ionising radiation, health, environment – and the true long term effects of Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters. Symposium on The Medical and Ecological Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident To Be Held at the New York Academy of Medicine nuclearfreeplanet.org
Just a few of the topics they will cover:
- Chernobyl, Fukushima and Other Hot Places, Biological Consequences (Dr. Tim Mousseau,)
- Congenital Malformations in Rivne Polossia and the Chernobyl Accident (Dr. Wladimir Wertelecki)
- Thyroid Pathology in Children with Particular Reference to Chernobyl and Fukushima (Dr. Marek Niedziela)
- The implications of the massive contamination of Japan with radioactive cesium (Steven Starr)
- The Hazards of Low-level Ionizing Radiation: Controversy and Evidence.” (Dr. Herbert Abrams)
- Gender Matters in the Atomic Age (Mary Olson)
- The Nuclear Age and Future Generations (Dr. Helen Caldicott)
The thorium nuclear reactor pipedream – theme for February 2013
The nuclear lobby has been casting around desperately for something to wave at the public as a sign of hope – a sign that the industry has a future.
Thorium nuclear reactors! Salvation?
Not really – because of these 6 reasons (see sidebar for more detail on these.)
1. TIME – delay of even 50 years to get them happening.
2. ECONOMICS. They’re touted as small reactors, and therefore cheaper. Trouble is, they’re only cheaper if mass produced . Thorium is also not more economical to run.
3. WEAPONS PROLIFERATION Thorium can be used to make Uranium-233, which in turn can be used to make bombs. Even plutonium could be made in a Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR)
4. WASTES While the mix of fission products is somewhat different than with uranium fuel, the same range of fission products is created.
The waste might be smaller in volume compared to that of uranium reactor, but it is more radioactive due to the higher volume of radioactive fission products. The reactor itself, at the end of its lifetime, will constitute high level waste. http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo43.pdf
5. SAFETY and SECURITY Dangerous plutonium and enriched uranium are needed to start the process and keep it going. Such dangers make high security necessary. Any bomb dropped on a thorium reactor will result in a catastrophic accident.
Global nuclear industry – terminally ill? – theme for February 2013
The global nuclear industry is sick, indeed, it is in palliative care. And here are 10 good reasons why: (see side bar for a little more detail on these)
1. Gloom overlies the nuclear lobby, fear of this question: the next nuclear catastrophe. Not IF it will happen, but WHEN and WHERE?
2. Aging, dangerous nuclear reactors that are too costly to make safe. .
3. “New nuclear” is a joke. The nuclear lobby will boast of so many “planned”, “proposed” reactors. But new ones actually being built? – just two and a half duds.
4 Discord and dissension in the nuclear camp. Nuclear countries cannot afford new reactors, so desperately compete to sell them to other countries.
Meanwhile nuclear companies battle it out to market their particular new gee-whiz nuclear reactor version.
5. Climate change affects nuclear reactors.
6. Nuclear weapons now out-dated. 21st Century conflict is all about smaller, targeted 
weapons, like the USA’s assassination drones. Pride and status are now the only motives for having nuclear weapons.
7. Decline in electricity use
8 Renewable energy, both centralised and small scale, is fast being developed, and widely popular (unlike nuclear).
9. Danger – whatever kind of nuclear facility – there is always the danger of accident or terrorism – they are a target for terrorists.
10 Public opinion. Worldwide – people just don’t like nuclear power.
A bit more detail on all these points – see sidebar at right
2013 – the struggle to expose the truth about ionising radiation
Like the tobacco and asbestos industries, the nuclear industry will fight tooth and nail to convince the world that we need nuclear power.
The nuclear lobby hopes on hope that the next nuclear disaster will not happen during 2013.
And it probably won’t. (if it did, there would be a whole new battleground).
The nuclear lobby will use its financial, political, and media muscle to make the Fukushima nuclear disaster fade out of public consciousness.
The new battleground will be the field of ionising radiation. They admit that high doses of radiation are bad . They now perpetrate the deception that low doses of ionising radiation are OK, even beneficial.
It took 50 years for the lies of the tobacco and asbestos lobbies to be exposed.
We don’t have 50 years.
Why does the nuclear lobby perpetrate these lies? Well, they don’t want their industry to close down. And they are like silly little boys – it’s fun, it’s a game, to put it over everyone. They are impervious to thoughts about deformed babies and cancer.
2013- the struggle for a nuclear free, liveable, world
It might be too late to prevent heating of the planet, the upheavals of climate change, and the horrors of nuclear accidents, wars, and the slow spread of ionising radiation.
But it surely is too early to give up on trying.
I am not optimistic. We know that cigarettes and asbestos cause painful, fatal cancers. The Western world is learning to abandon these killers. Yet the tobacco and asbestos companies are thriving, selling these to the “developing” nations – a pernicious form of 21st Century colonialism. So the slow killer of fossil fuel pollution continues. The fast killers of nuclear accident, nuclear war become more likely, as well as the slower killer of spreading ionising radiation. The over-developed world is all too happy also to sell these killer technologies around the world.
2013 is the pivotal year. In the words of Redgum, an old Australian band - “If you don’t fight, you lose”
Nuclear power and THE CONSUMER SOCIETY – theme for December 2012
A real Christmas present to Americans would be the banning of assault weapons. The USA Constitution might uphold the “right to bear arms” – but that doesn’t mean the”right to bear any sort of weapons”. Assault weapons could be banned, if Congress were not in bed with the National Rifle Association (NRA)
The USA could use Australia’s ‘buy back” scheme – giving an incentive to people to give up their assault weapons.
Endless economic growth, endless producing of things, endless buying of things, endless energy use, endless creation of wastes – this is the way that we humans run our lives, and our planet.
But the planet can’t take it, and neither can we.
It seemed OK, when the Western world could exploit its own indigenous areas, and the “Third World” – the mess made by digging things up, leaving wastes, throwing stuff away – all this could go into the land and waterways of remote “undeveloped” peoples.
But we’ve run out of “undeveloped” lands and peoples. Now it’s becoming the Asian, African, South American century. They’ve become the disciples of the Western religion of materialism – now also getting cars, big houses, wanting it all, wanting more stuff.
Where do we all put the poisonous end products of our “civilised” consumption? Into the planet’s air, waterways, land and oceans. As we poison our planet, we poison our own life support system.
There is an alternative lifestyle – an old-fashioned one – the CONSERVER SOCIETY. It is still practised by many indigenous peoples. We’d better learn from them – and fast!
Nuclear politics – China – theme for November 2012
With the American election over, we know that not much will change, with Obama beholden to the nuclear industry. And yet, there’s some hope of an eventual transition to a nuclear free USA. Warts and all, at least USA lets you hear about nuclear issues , at least there are democratic freedoms, of speech, of assembly, of publication.
What about that other change of leadership – China? That has just happened, without any semblance of a democratic process. That bunch of men with dyed black hair, same suits, same red ties – all chosen to maintain the existing business empires.
What hope is there for cleaning out the prevailing corruption? For allowing anti nuclear dissent? For making public any nuclear industry mistakes, waste problems?
“It is an older coterie of retired leaders, however, led by Hu’s wily 86-year-old adversary and predecessor, Jiang Zemin, that has now made the Chinese amalgam of wealth and power almost impossible to disentangle. Jiang and other elders who hoisted Xi Jinping to power have manoeuvred to stack his inner cabinet with people whom they judge will not disturb the state-owned and private business empires that are controlled by their proteges and children.” http://www.theage.com.au/world/fresh-faces-reveal-the-influence-of-powerbrokers-from-the-past-20121115-29euz.html#ixzz2CXN0PKlH
Meanwhile that other wannabe nuclear giant, India, dismantles its democratic freedoms, in the service of the international nuclear lobby.
Nuclear Power, Christmas, and the Consumer Society – theme for December 2012
A real Christmas present to Americans would be the banning of assault weapons. The USA Constitution might uphold the “right to bear arms” – but that doesn’t mean the”right to bear any sort of weapons”. Assault weapons could be banned, if Congress were not in bed with the National Rifle Association (NRA)
The USA could use Australia’s ‘buy back” scheme – giving an incentive to people to give up their assault weapons.
December brings many religious holy days - Ashura (Muslim) , Bodhi Day (Buddhist) , Hanukkah (Jewish). the Nativity, (Christian). They all bring happy days of socialising with family and friends.
The Christian Nativity brings a message of peace, simplicity, respect for all peoples and animals.
BUT – the Christian holy day has been swamped – taken over by that frenetic orgy of buying stuff and more stuff. As if we show our love for each other by extravagant spending, – instead of just having pleasant times together.
The nuclear industry must love it!
A nuclear delight, as the Christmas madness marries the Western consumer culture, and the whole thing spreads its ugly face across the world. Christmas has become symbolic of endless consumption of material things. That in turn, means endless consumption of energy.
Some people are resisting this mad consumer rush, choosing a simpler celebration, rejecting the unnecessary gift-giving to those who have too much stuff already. Perhaps giving, in a real sense, to aid to refugee organisations.
Nuclear power and POLITICS -USA-China – theme for November 2012
USA A sigh of relief, from moderate thinkers, that USA elected Obama and not Romney. Not much relief, as both are beholden to the nuclear industry for much funding. However, to single out just one area – foreign policy – Romney would be surrounded by hawkish advisors, and far more likely to plunge USA (and the world?) into nuclear war.
CHINA The outside world has little insight into China’s politics. they are conducted in an ambience of secrecy and corruption. Yet China’s leadership changes, happening over the next 6 days, are of global importance.
And – of importance to the nuclear industry – China being always held up as the poster boy for that industry.
More than 2000 Communist Party delegates gather on Thursday to start the 18th Party Congress. Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang are almost certain to be promoted to the key positions of party boss and premier-in-waiting, a further five seats on the Politburo Standing Committee – the inner sanctum of power – are yet to be settled. A process of limited internal elections is under discussion, because there is no other mechanism to resolve internal differences. About 2300 party members will attend the week-long congress, which will ”elect” a central committee of about 200 members and 170 alternate members.
The Central Committee, in turn, is expected to convene a plenum meeting on November 15.
That meeting should then anoint the new 25-member Politburo and seven or nine-member Politburo Standing Committee.http://www.smh.com.au/world/china-politics/brawling-goes-on-as-party-delegates-meet-20121107-28yks.html#ixzz2BfB0dfD2
SEARCH for particular names or topics at the SEARCH BOX at very bottom of this sidebar
- AUDIO About San Onofre Nuclear plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – NRC: Lapdog or Watchdog? http://www.fairewinds.org/content/nrc-lapdog-or-watchdog
- and this Japan’s nuclear safety record criticised by regulator http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/connect-asia/japans-nuclear-safety-record-criticised-by-regulator/1132464
VIDEO: Japan to open nuclear plant http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3761126.ht
From Fukushima to New York: Continuing Dangers of Nuclear Power
Women and nuclear radiation – Mary Olson speaks
Mary Olson, from Nuclear Information and Resource Service, spoke at the New York symposium on Fukushima’s effects, March 2013.
Here are some highlights:
Mary Olson discussed the findings of the latest National Academy of Sciences Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation ( BEIR VII) , illustrated by this graph:
This lifespan graph shows increased cancer risk by exposure to a given amount of radiation, The pink line shows the risk for girls, the blue line for boys. Look at left hand part of the graph. It covers from zero to 5 years, and includes pre birth. We see a striking difference between the blue line and the pink line. The nuclear regulators assume that the risk shown here at age 40 – in the blue line- is the same for every individual regardless of age or gender. Yet, even at ages 40 – 60 the cancer risk from radiation is significantly more for women, than for men.
The cancer danger from ionising radiation depends on the type of radiation, the amount, and the duration of the exposure. But it also depends on who is exposed. Radiation exposure endangers some individuals more than others. In order, the most vulnerable are:
Primary germ cells/ Embryo
Foetus
Children
Elders
Some genotypes
Females – both juvenile and adult
All of the world’s scientific authorities agree that there is no safe dose of radiation. That includes the WHO, EPA, NRC, and national Academy of Science.
The standards for permissable levels of ionising radiation were originally written to cover doctors using radiation, then were intended for the purpose of sending military into radiological areas. Yet these standads, based on a 30 year old man, are applied to everyone.
Over 100 years, man’s activities have increased the background radiation by 25%
The ratio of cancer risks from radiation for males and females is 3 to 2. That is for every 2 males who get cancer from ionising radiation, there are 3 females. In reports from BEIR and the Lifespan study of Hiroshima survivors only external radiation is considered, not internal radiation. The risk for females is being underestimated in reports and in regulations about radiation
The World Health Organisation is the first big agency to acknowledge this difference in radiation risk between males and females, in its latest report. WHO is also saying that there is 70% higher risk of thyroid cancer for little girls exposed to radiation.
Studies are continuing, and animal studies, too, are showing this gender difference. We must move towards prevention and precaution as the basis of policy. Sadly, it is too late for a lot of prevention. We need to cahnge the priorities – to protect first, study second
And we need to get a whole lot more women motivated to get involved.
-
Archives
- May 2013 (291)
- April 2013 (383)
- March 2013 (392)
- February 2013 (424)
- January 2013 (502)
- December 2012 (460)
- November 2012 (520)
- October 2012 (522)
- September 2012 (492)
- August 2012 (546)
- July 2012 (362)
- June 2012 (312)
-
Categories
- 1
- 1 NUCLEAR ISSUES
- business and costs
- climate change
- ENERGY
- environment
- health
- history
- indigenous issues
- Legal
- marketing of nuclear
- media
- opposition to nuclear
- people
- politics
- politics international
- Religion and ethics
- safety and incidents
- secrets,lies and civil liberties
- spinbuster
- technology
- Uranium
- wastes
- weapons and war
- 2 WORLD
- ACTION
- AFRICA
- AUSTRALIA
- Christina background info
- Christina's notes
- Christina's themes
- general
- rare earths
- Reference
- resources – print
- Resources -audiovicual
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
