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© 2012 AFPOkinawa snow event canceled over radiation fears
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© 2012 AFP
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WilliB
Idiot parents.
Gurukun
All that work for nothing. Why are those parents complaining? It's not TEPCO that's doing the testing?
Mark Bradley
Radioactive snow... people are ridiculous. They should be worrying more about solar radiation from the move to Okinawa. There is a higher chance of skin cancer from the sun then anything they will find in Okinawa.
The Truth Matters
It's sad that the miscommunication that has occurred from TEPCO and the Japanese Government has people in such a frenzy that they aren't thinking rationally. Spoiled a fun day for the kids and probably instilled some irrational fears in them as well. All said and done, really sad.
Maria
TTM makes a good point - no point getting annoyed at the parents for not trusting what they're being told. They've been lied to before - and there7s no worse fool than one who believes a liar over and over again.
DenTok2009
So now those former residents of Fukushima rule Okinawa? Go back to Fukushima and stop spoiling the fun for kids in Okinawa.
plasticmonkey
I'm sure not all the parents agreed. Why didn't the paranoid ones just boycott the event and let the rest of the kids enjoy it?
hatsoff
Unfortunately, this is what happens when people get shafted by their own government / leaders. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."
These days, the oyaji at the city hall telling you, "Don't worry, we tested it. There's no danger to human health" just doesn't cut it anymore. I feel sorry for the kids, but more than that, I hope our 'esteemed leaders' are learning something from all this.
Yubaru
Because the lemmings have to have their way.
megosaa
ship them to my house.
Reinaert Albrecht
Who's idea is it anyway to ship snow to Okinawa? With daytime highs of 23 degrees this time of the year, nobody needs no stinking snow anyway.
cleo
Not saying these parents are right in considering the snow radioactive, but if you truly believed that something was dangerous, would you just stand back while the neighbourhood kids played with it?
Yubaru
It is a yearly event that little kids who never have seen or touched snow get excited about and was started in cooperation between Aomori and Naha. The JSDG assists is sending it down here and it's an innocent activity that soon melts away.
Kind of sad that someone would want to belittle some tykes having fun.
plasticmonkey
@cleo -- good point, but that doesn't mean that the city had to cave in to their demands. There are plenty of things that some people are going to believe are dangerous, but in this case the snow is from Aomori, not Fukushima, and it has been tested. Of course people can doubt anything, but I don't think it's reasonable to assume that the Naha city government is in the pocket of the nuclear power industry.
cleo
plasticmonkey - I agree, the city caving into the parents is a different matter from the parents complaining. Then again, it's easy to see why 'But it's been tested' didn't resolve the parents' fears.
NetNinja
WOAH!!!! Idiot parents???? They sound like the first group of SMART parents I've heard of. They clearly said what the mainlanders are too cowardly to say. "We cannot trust you"
This is the way that people around the world and here domestically in Japan feel. "The world cannot trust Japan". It's not every Japanese citizens fault but to go on about your daily lives when the people should have been PHYSICALLY removing these corrupt politicians and bureaucrats from office and perhaps tearing them limb from limb makes them just as guilty for not doing so.
Especially those people at TEPCO.
I've always been a supporter of people at the ground level. Some of you like statistics and media press releases. I like to hear from the people at the SO-CALLED bottom. The people who are at the top are so disconnected from what the people are really feeling. These parents have spoken.
It's just like the debris situation. Nobody wants to take in debris that has been exposed to radiation. They are not obligated to do so either.
Coming to a close here. The past few weeks we've read about some of the worst parents in Japan. Today I exhale just a little bit knowing that not all the parents in this country have lost their minds. It's clear to me that parents in Okinawa are interested in protecting their children. Parents in Tokyo would be wise to take notes, protest and stop ingesting radiation and mercury.
Wakarimasen
Classic. The amount of paranoia over the radioactivity is excessive. Possibly because of the huge focus on matters nuclear as a result of the historical experience.
knowitall
Consider that Tokyo is closer to Fukushima than Aomori. That would make close to half the population of Japan living closer to Fukushima than Aomori. So, if Aomori snow is a real danger, all children north of Nagoya should be prevented from going outside at all. Amazing how grouping both Fukushima and Aomori as "Tohoku" makes both places a nuclear wasteland. Those idiots who went all the way to Okinawa would probably have gone overseas, but they know that they don't have the skills or intelligence that would prompt any first world government to give them a visa.
Cos
Snow event in Okinawa... ??!! I don't know if it's radioactive, but that's silly. Good thing if paranoia stops the insanity.
Apsara
What reason do you or anyone else have to mistrust the SDF or Okinawa government? Who have they lied to about this? And you really think they would deliberately use snow they knew to be contaminated for a fun kids' event? What do they stand to gain from it?
One of the saddest things abut this situation is the massive amounts of paranoia and complete suspension of common sense it has created in some people.
As someone above said, the kids' chances of getting cancer have most likely sky-rocketed with the move to Okinawa- skin cancer.
japan_cynic
When will this pandering to paranoid idiots stop? If a handful of morons claimed that the Tohoku shinkansen might bring contamination to Tokyo, would it stop running?
In any rational world, people would point and laugh at these fools, not pander to their irrational whims.
2020hindsights
The idiots that felt the need to flee all the way to Okinawa are ruining things for sane Okinawans. Sure be paranoid and don't send your kids, but don't ruin it for everybody else who has a brain. Whether you believe the authorities or not isn't the issue. Thinking that snow from Aomori will be dangerously radioactive is just too much paranoia. But I guess we are talking about the most paranoid sample of the population.
gogogo
The smartest Japanese people!
Miguel Rodriguez
Stupid mainlanders need to go back to mainland instead of spoiling the fun for everyone here in Okinawa
gyouza
@netninja - your posts always bring a smile to my face!
I don't think these are parents from Okinawa, they are parents who maybe through paranoia, fleed to Okinawa. They may have been from Fukushima which would be very sad, but equally, they could have been from Tokyo which would be irrational given the volume of information available. Time to move on.
Euphoria
This nuclear accident has got everybody paranoid. Just the level of paranoia is different .. Can't blame...why get it all the way from Aomori and then drop off the plan. Waste of tax payer's money.
EdwardsJapan
Instead of calling the parents "idiots" maybe you should know a few facts:
The nuclear radiation problem is not over and the radiation will not decay for a few thousand years (especially with isotopes like Plutonium-239).
The radiation in Japan is much worse than Fukushima. In October they measured 6.15 million Bq/m² of radiation about 100km away from the exclusion zone, which is four times worse than Chernobyl. Yet people are acting as if it isn't serious... it's more serious than Chernobyl and the objective data show this without bias. http://enenews.com/researchers-radioactivity-615-million-bqm-detected-60-km-meltdowns
Also, who is to say that the snow in Aomori is not contaminated? Have you measured the radiation levels in Aomori snow? It does seem "ridiculous" however these things should be measured and Japan isn't doing a good job at it. So many people are clueless and oblivious to this radiation problem and just acting as if Fukushima is just a small nuclear accident. In reality, it's the biggest nuclear accident, four times the scale of Chernobyl in terms of radiation released.
The Japanese government and TEPCO are denying the rights of citizens and foreigners to access important information in regards to radiation exposure.
Yubaru
Read the article it will tell you about the supposed radiation in the snow from Aomori.
USNinJapan2
"Monster Parents" of the radiation sub-type.
smithinjapan
“We explained that the snow was good to play with because we checked for contamination multiple times in Aomori and Okinawa, too,”
Well, that's what happens when you lie about safety and radiation time and time again, and STILL remain as 'trasparent' as a glass of milk. The parents in question may well be acting paranoid, but you just can't trust the people who say it's safe, so I guess it's better to actually be safe than be sorry.
NZ2011
While in this case if objective testing was done it may have been an over-reaction, however Im actually pleased to see that someone has actually said, hey we aren't sure we can trust what you are saying.
I believe a trustworthy and independent office (with international experts) needs to be created for the testing and clean-up of this on-going issue. One with no financial interest in Nuclear power, construction, rubbish disposal or the food industry.
These particular parents may have been incorrect however can you blame them?
As I keep saying.. their track record so far isn't so great. Wrong and then sorry on nearly every point.
Everything is fine= Everything isn't fine No Meltdowns=Meltdowns No Intentional releases=Intentional Releases No Un-intentional releases= Un-intentional releases No wide spread contamination= wide spread contamination (not getting into if its harmful or not just that is present) No contaminated food to leave the area= contaminated food found No contaminated material to leave the area= contaminated material used to build evacuees accommodation. Our safety testing is the best in the world= our safety testing is flawed and outdated Our pipes will be fine in the winter= pipes freeze and break in the winter
smithinjapan
USNinJapan2: ""Monster Parents" of the radiation sub-type."
How are these people 'monster parents'? They are watching out for their children's safety. Monster parents are the parents who demand a school come and pick up their child at home or else they won't go, or who make other equally outrageous demands of teachers and school systems. There's nothing outrageous about what they did here, nor was it demanding the school do something -- it was the demand the community NOT hold an event that could be dangerous.
kurisupisu
This response should be taken in context.Only last week contaminated food (noodles) were discovered on Okinawa! The point is that contaminated products are finding their way all over Japan. Is it any wonder that items found and or produced on Honshu are feared?
NZ2011
thumbs down, hmm interesting other than my opinion that an independent office should be formed everything else is fact.
gyouza
Whilst I don't disagree with you on that point, I think they are also overparanoid that the radiation would be brought to Okinawa and contaminate themselves (i.e. the parents too). This is why they fled the main island. They don't understand the risk, and don't want to understand the risk, they just want to live in the paranoid bubble.
NZ2011
getting off topic a little but certainly found it pretty amusing earlier last year when this was all daily conversation when my co-workers were standing around for their 5th or 6th smoke break of the day talking about how scary Fukushima is.
Ben_Jackinoff
Following the parents' logic, shouldn't the people of Okinawa been concerned with these parents bringing radiation from the north? If we are going to start with an incorrect premise, might as well go all the way.
Ranger_Miffy2
In lieu of reliable, trustable information, the parents have every right to nix the snow from Fukushima. "It's safe. Don't worry." How many times have we heard this?
Apsara
It was a Naha city official who gave your above quote. So you are saying that Naha city officials have lied "time and time again" about radiation? When, and why would they have cause to?
Why should city officials in Okinawa be blamed for what completely unrelated people in suits may have done? It doesn't take too much thinking to see that Naha city officials and Tepco executives/central government bureaucrats are not the same people, surely?
Ranger_Miffy2
And, NZ2011, better inform your smoking coworkers that pretty soon those cigarettes are going to be made from radioactive tobacco leaf grown in Fukushima and happily bought up by the evil Japan Tobacco. What a mess.
Apsara
Well said. This pretty much sums up for me the attitude of these parents and a lot of other people about the radiation situation as well as other situations the world faces.
DoLittleBeLate
Nope. Parent's response is both reasonable and self-preserving. J-gov has actively obfuscated information about the nuclear disaster and it's meaning, and local officials in Japan are known to danger lives for short-term financal profit for local economy. Zero tolerance from parents is perfectly healthy principle in a situation where information seems to be forbidden from them. Remember that average Japanese cannot find information in English from the net and are not physicists, but still know when they're being lied to.
http://tinyurl.com/yfokzy4
They can keep denying it all they want, but Fukushima will be worse, because Japan doesn't have resources for coping with rising mental health issues and their after effects such as "She stared at me!", "He changed TV channels!", "They were walking on the street!", and my favourite, "Because I'm addicted to cell phones!".
nath
@smithinjapan
It was not the whole community who demanded the event be cancelled, but by a handful of people who evacuated to Naha.
So a once-a-year event gets cancelled because some evacuees don't believe in test equipment?
kurisupisu
The crux of the government's disinformation campaign has produced a culture where it is seen to be incorrect to speculate on what might be safe or not. In the case of the noodles,on Okinawa last week.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120213p2a00m0na010000c.html
The official lack of foresight or plain ignorance allowed radioactive substances to be mixed with food.
The government in Japan allows us to lawfully consume mandated measures of radiation WITHOUT explaining to us the effects of low level doses when there are studies available.
The campaign for 'ignorance' is official!
Of course, this paradigm is adhered to come what may.
So, all free thinking individuals,having been deceived time and time again are liable to refute what might be the truth when it has been denied to them countless times already...
Utrack
EdwardsJapan, You said it all. If radiation has been detected almost 643 kilometers off Japan in the Pacific Ocean. Then you can best believe it is spread out on land. There are even hotspots in Chiba and all the way to Hokkiado it has been shown on previous fallout maps. The radiation has not disappeared so the intelligent thing to do is to be cautious.
Gurukun
Thumbs up! I would have let my kids go.
Riffraff
Sheeze folks it was just a pile of snow, the kids will get over not having it for one year and just possibly avoid glowing in the dark. Paranoid or not, the information being passed out by the government is flawed and in some cases bold face lies. I think the parents made a good call to protest, if for no other reason to bring to light the mistrust that is being generated in the general population by the propaganda and misinformation the government is peddling. Can’t figure out the truth? Reject it all!
gyouza
Yep, measure the snow, if OK, ship it to Okinawa and let some kids enjoy a bit of fun!! Don't fall into the paranoia pool though, because as dolittlebelate says:
These mental health issues are also stemming from the paranoia surrounding radiation. People should be careful, but do you REALLY think anyone would be harmed by playing in the snow?
Riffraff
Well then you have incidents like this: King oysters harvested in Nagano Prefecture and served at an elementary school in southern Okinawa have been found to contain 1.12 becquerel of cesium per 1kg. “It is not a numerical value that appears to affect a human body at once,” says Akira Tanahara, an associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus Equipment Analysis Center. However, it’s the first time any radioactive material has been detected in foods in Okinawa, and that’s a concern. Mushrooms were tracked at 500 becquerel per 1kg Doesn’t this just instill confidence that the snow is safe? Parents don’t have anything to worry about right?
bogva
I am on with plasticmonkey on this! What we have here is dictatorship of the minority. It happens all the time - single parent complain and a good teacher of my kid was changed but nobody asked the other parents. If they knew the teacher would have stayed or at least the parts could discuss
Just one example - because usually the positively oriented people are not active usually it gets the other way.
kurisupisu
Had there been no instances of Fukushima radioactive contamination in Okinawa then I'd be all for the festival but that is not the case.........
EdwardsJapan
Did they release the radiation figures for the snow?
Even if they did measure it, it doesn't rule out that there isn't radiation in it. People should expect to see official results on radiation contamination, it's their right and also the responsibility of the people who host the traditional snow event.
And I still stand by my point. The radiation in Japan is far worse than in Chernobyl. Why shouldn't these parents be afraid? Again, it's worse than Chernobyl. It's a very serious issue and far too many people on this forum are taking it lightly.
Disillusioned
Baaaaaaaa! Literally!
What wonderfully stupid parents they are! Spoil your kids' annual snow event due to their own misguided paranoia! Pathetic!
warnerbro
I was down there recently and it was indeed brisk. People were wearing parkas. It felt as if snow would not be out of place. I think the snow was safe, but I do understand that national and local governments have repeatedly kept information from the public. They have allowed the nuclear power industry to stock public meetings with its own agents. In fact, the national authorities are at this moment paying people to post positive tweets and comments on internet venues. National and local officials are conspiring to pollute the air children breath with toxic substances, including, but not limited to radioactive materials, from incinerated debris and ignore local concerns. They allow, indeed encourage that various highly contaminated foods be sold far and wide with little or no inspection when a normal official reaction would be to stop all shipments of any food from contaminated areas. In such a situation, people with children are well to distrust anything officials say. When you are betting your children's lives, the only safe bet now is that the government is still lying and has no intention of ceasing to do so.
TheBigPicture
People are tired of the fallout, and having to worry about it.
gaijinTechie
Nobody said that, because nobody has seen the test equipment, nor raw data, nor can talk to the persons who performed the testing. "It is tested, it is safe!" is the mantra everybody hears. Hardly inspires confidence.
As all physicists know and how i.e. Safecast conducts its business, when doing measurements, you record findings but make available the contact info of the tester, raw data, the time and place of the test and the test equipment and possible conversion constants applied. This is standard practice. Japanese officials rarely provide any of these. "It is tested, it is safe!"
Now all together: "It is tested, it is safe!", "It is tested, it is safe!", "It is tested, it is safe!"...
DoLittleBeLate
@gyouza, please read my post again with though. Especially the part that identifies the biggest health danger from Chernobyl disaster (hint: it ain't radiation).
Yes, I believe it is harmful to not know if whether you can let your children play in the snow or not.
noirgaijin
Then you test it for radiation! Who's running the government down there, cavemen?
nath
600 kilograms can make about ten snow men of human size. WOW
tmarie
with the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s aircraft group I hope to god my tax money wasn't used in paying for anything to do with this.
If they want snow, go to Hokkaido.
Why are people calling the parents paranoid? With all the lying that TEPCO, the government and "experts" the two of them have paid off, I don't blame the parents for not trusting that this stuff is safe. It probably is but with all the "safe" things like rice, tea, gravel... later being found out to be unsafe, why take the chance?
Yubaru
Of course it's tax money used. There is nothing you nor anyone else can actually do about it but maybe get a group of irradiated folks together to complain.
Apsara
Because it's unthinkable that the organisers might have paid the SDF to ship the snow down? I would be astounded if they did it for free, I think that's highly unlikely.
Did you know that every year the SDF works on the snow festival in Sapporo? Anyone know if they do it for free? That would surprise me too...
tmarie
Pretty sure they do it free - I mean, with the US here it isn't like they actually have anything to do!
Yubaru, if I could demonstrate without the fear of getting kicked out, trust me, I would!
gyouza
@dolittle
I extracted this piece for a reason
The psychological reasons you state are happening here too. The article you linked also had this:
The people who fled the mainland to go to Okinawa seem to fall in to that category. The only difference is that they don't seem as passive as the Ukarainians in the article. In Okinawa (and elsewhere) these people think the spectre of radiation is waiting to pounce on them at every step in life and are trying to fight it. They will suffer mental damage from the extreme fear they exhibit, and not all of that fear is rational. The snow in Aomori is currently at 0.05-0.08 microsieverts/hour. They exposed themselves to more radiation on the flight to Okinawa, but because they haven't been told during that this radiation can have the same effects, they are oblivious to it. They drink and eat foods that cause cancer but again, it isn't from a nuclear plant with a yellow and black warning logo, so everything is OK.
There will be hiccups along the way and there will be scares that perpetuate the notion that the government is going to poison everyone - great theory!
I hope and pray people can begin to accept where we are, and were we will be.
Yubaru
Here is an update courtesy of RBC (Ryukyu Broadcasting Company) in Okinawa....ooppss I will have to paraphrase the report that was on this evening's news regarding this very topic;
The people who evacuated to Okinawa from Fukushima complained that a local, public (Naha, Kumoji) community center was going to be used to host this annual event. It was because of their complaints, and evidently their complaints alone that the event was cancelled at that location.
However the Mayor of Naha, (Onaga) stated on the news that unless the local, (Okinawan) participants make any complaints, up until now they haven't, the event is GOING to be rescheduled and held at another venue.
The snow is already here in Okinawa and is being held in storage at a local JSDF facility until the event occurrs!
Utrack
Why Not make their own snow in Okinawa Now. I am sure it is less expensive ( tax payers money )to just buy a few snow maker machines and when you need to use them just attache them on a flatbed and let them go making snow.
http://www.snowmakers.com/english/index.html
valley-of-the-shadows
Considering scientists detected Chernobyl radioactivity in snow at the South Pole I think the parents made a wise choice...
gyouza
Which would suggest that everything inbetween Chernobyl and the South Pole is royally ff.....f......contaminated, right? Is everyone in that zone dying?
It is a nice thought, but besides the MJSDF needing the flight hours to remain "good" and qualified pilots, and being an embedded cost (i.e., the flights didn't actually cost anything more than the fuel), the only other issue is that you need cold air to make them produce the white stuff - from the link you posted, under "snowmaking 101":
johninnaha
I don't know why they are worried about radioactive snow from Fukushima when there's all the nuclear fuel and weapons in Kadena!
That has me far more worried.
Utrack
I guess the snowmakers can not be used indoors like at an iceskating rink or huge freezer or something like that in order to make the snow.
Utrack
@ johninnaha
What is up, was nuclear fuel and weapons stolen from the Base or something.
nath
Sad that the kids had to miss out, but this is the fruit of mistrust sown by the Japanese government and TEPCO since 3/11.
nath
Why would you even consider bringing snow from the North to the cleaner area of Okinawa? That is insanity. Sure they say they have tested for contamination but how was this test performed. Did they only test for gamma emitting radionuclides or did they test for alpha emitters like plutonium?
I bet their tests did not include checking for the presence of plutonium. I am away in North America now and I am very concerned about the snow here.
Check keywords radioactive snow on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NCu3t0Jxjg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS_g89ORQIk
gyouza
It is done every year, the kids have so much fun they go insane, ah, you just said that, sorry! Anyway, what makes you think Okinawa is cleaner? There was a US nuclear sub incident in the not too recent past where some water was contaminated.
Looks like Colorado could be introuble as it has higher readings than almost anywhere in the North of Japan. Do you really trust random postings on Youtube by the way?
Fadamor
Here's how I see it: Refugees from Tohoko relocate to Okinawa where it's warm year-round. Someone tells them about the snow event and they say, "WHAT?! We finally get away from the snow and they're SHIP PING it here?! NO! We've had our share of snow and don't want any more! How can we sabotage this event? GOT IT! It's obviously "radioactive snow" because it came from up north." A few words of "concern" about the snow to their native neighbors, and their plan has been accomplished.
Fadamor
To do that would require the air in the building to be noticably lower than 0°C. Nobody in Okinawa has clothing for that kind of temperature unless they routinely head north for skiing trips.
USNinJapan2
This is just plain stupid. Do you really think the JASDF, after checking for radiation, would fill one of their transports with radioactive cargo?
tmarie
This is just plain stupid. Do you really think the JASDF, after checking for radiation, would fill one of their transports with radioactive cargo?
Yes. They are run by the government. Regardless of the results, they'll be told it is safe and to tow the line. What the heck have you been for the past 11 months???
midnull
Japan needs to get over the Godzilla mentality...and look at other nations that had these disasters and learn from them, like Chernobyl. Also stop victimizing themselves...and separate themselves from the sheep that keep jumping off of cliffs... Radioactive snow? You'd think that these people were educated enough to have common sense? I guess all that schooling and cram school was for show? Damn people...
On a brighter note. I wonder how much is that land worth up there? Hum I think I wanna buy. ;P
farhaan
They are the most stupid and cowards I have ever seen.
gelendestrasse
Cancelling the event was a bad decision. The snow had been tested. The parents who were paranoid could simply not go to the event. The bureaucrats in Okinawa are spineless jellyfish.
Anna Louise
I go to Hokkaido to enjoy the snowy Winters, I go to Okinawa to enjoy the lovely beaches, I am lucky I have a choice I guess! Radiation is everywhere in our world, whether you like it or not! Paranoia is what kills people!
Utrack
Any amount of cesium especially Govt legal limits are poison to children. The fact that this article does not say what amount of cesium was in the snow tells me there was something in the snow.
Yubaru
Off topic to say the least as nothing nuclear has escaped from Kadena if it's even their NOW anyway.
Utrack
@ Anna L.
Paranoia does not accumulate in the bodies muscule tissue or organs nor cause Lymphocytic Leukemia, cardiac infarction or Cancers in various parts of the body. Cesium does all this for us. So the INTELLIGENT thing to do is to be CAUTIOUS.
Utrack
Shukan Bunshun article says Serious abnormalities found in 11 evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture. A 4-year-old and 7-year-old may have "thyroid cancer" This does not sound like PARANOIA to me. Those parents have every right to be cautious.
Utrack
Zichi The Link does not work, But I think I remember reading this article. Basically the testing of the people was Not thorough in that they could have tested for internal radiation exposure but they chose not too.
Utrack
Thank You SquidBert
SquidBert
Zichi's link is supposed to be:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120221p2a00m0na018000c.html
( l in html has fallen outside the link brackets)
SquidBert
@zichi You are welcome.
@Utrack, Cool of you to travel back in time an entire minute, just to thank me before I actually posted the correct link. :-)
Utrack
SquidBert, I could have sworn I read your post then posted a thank you.
sunhawk
http://www.educationgis.com/2011/11/japan-radiation-maps-released.html
yep sure do got to watch out for things from far north Aomori being contamenated.
gyouza
@utrack and Zichi
Its a terrible situation, my heart reaches out to the parents as they must be so distressed. I don't doubt the story that the kids may have thyroid cancer, but just two comments on that:
1) Aomori ken is a world away from Fukushima, I can't see any way that high (i.e. even remotely dangerous) concentrations of radiation could be present in the snow. Current levels are very low (some would say normal), and not a threat to human health. If we were tralknig about Fukushima snow, even then I would ask where from exactly, as Fukushima is a huge place. The health effects of people evacuated should be evaluated based on the levels of radiation they received, and if they were close to the plants, it could be significant, and in some cases, very dangerous. But comparing that exposure to the levels in snow in Fukushima is not a valid test.
2) Thyroid cancer takes a while to develop and I think (I'll try to find some background for you if you wish) that in Chernobyl that cases started to appear after 4 years. I'm surprised to see anything so early, but this won't be the last. There could be health affects for many who were CLOSE to the plants (and of course in the plants). The risk is higher, but doesn't automatically mean everyone will be affected.
I think the continual perception that everything in Japan is tainted is just persisting the image that we are never going to be able to live anywhere North of Ibaraki, and that isn't a healthy state of affairs (no pun intended).
Be concerned? Great, absolutely, but the degree that we are seeing in try to ban benign snow and fireworks (remember that?) is going too far, and steps into paramoia. These displaced people need help to adjust.
gyouza
@zichi - my bad - I see that your comment (6:37) is a cut and paste of the article lead now
Yubaru
Ok then I guess everyone should stay locked up in their little boxes for the next 300 years of so right? I mean let's be serious, cautious and paranoid are two very different things and in THIS case paranoia seems to have taken the place of common sense.
Along with ruining a bunch of kids chance at having some fun.
Thankfully common sense rules with the Mayor of Naha!
Utrack
Yubaru there is not a box in this world that can protect you from this. This CLOSER you are to the Daiichi incident the greater the level of mutation on everything from plants to people it seems. People are developing cancers not in 6 to 8 years or even 20 years like some posters thought may happen. There are people developing cancers within 9 months of the incident. TEPCO workers included even though they may work 3 hours a day for 2 weeks to a month the level of exposure is extremely high. People who have been exposed to high levels of radiation, the bodies cells will mutate at a quicker rate and illness like Lymphocytic Leukemia, Cardiac Infarction, Cancers etc. The Doctors testing the people from Fukushima are shocked by this phenomenon.
gyouza
Amen!
gyouza
But this is off topic right? Aomori snow was not even remotely CLOSE to Fukushima, so not really an issue, and especially not if measured tested, etc!!
Absolutely there are, and there were people developing cancers 18 months back.
Fadamor
@Utrack,
The article ALSO doesn't say how much arsenic was in the snow, so obviously the snow was SATURATED with arsenic! OMG! It doesn't say A SINGLE WORD about hydrochloric acid, either!!! Those lucky children were saved from a horrible death due to acid burns and arsenic poisoning thanks to you!!!
I'm continually amazed at what some people pass off as "logic".
Utrack
Fadamor- I'm continually amazed at what some people pass off as "logic".
I feel the same way: They tested the 600kg of Snow for cesium from an area that received some amount of fallout with the 11 month period that Daiichi has been giving off radiation. Yet they do not give the results of the test, was it below the limit of detection, was it a J Govt approved limit, was it below J Govt approved limit. We do not know ergo to err on the side of caution is acceptable to me.
gyouza
And you fail to grasp that since the amount in Aomori was so small, that contaminating the snow that falls on top of the small amount of fallout would not really be a concern.
By all means err on the side of caution, but understand what the ACTUAL risk is first, PLEASE!!!!!!!
Is there any lead in the air in Aomori, should we check for that too? Are there any trapped pockets of tobacco smoke in the snow that could affect the kids?
Utrack
ziuhi- I am only stating what I have read in articles from Japan. The Fukushima residents are getting sick already.
Yubaru
There is no place on the planet where a human being is free from the threat of radiation. Unless of course you choose to live your life for eternity in the confines of a lead box, and well all know where those reside.....6 feet under.
ushosh123
ya know, if the snow in aomori was contaminated, its perceivable that any percipitation in japan would be equally contaminated cause cloud move ya know... better get the heck out of japan
Fadamor
First Question: WHEN did the area receive "some amount of fallout"? (Answer: Last Spring, if at all)
Second Question: WHEN did the snow fall from the sky? (Answer: This Winter)
Third Question: How the heck is "some amount of fallout" from last Spring supposed to contaminate snow that fell TWO SEASONS LATER?! (Answer: It can't, but in the past logic has never been able to quell hysterical fear so why should now be any different?)
midnull
Utrack - I am only stating what I have read in articles from Japan. The Fukushima residents are getting sick already.
Are you sure it's not from the common cold?
sasakama
It's ridiculous. Considering this article, I'm strongly afraid that the number of such stupid parent who cannot explain the fact with the analysis to their parent will reduce.
Morgan Jones
I can empathize with the parent's and some of the people commenting about having a lack of trust in the Japanese authorities...they definitely earned the public's distrust but does that mean you throw reason to the wind? Dozens of parents, a representative voice of the community it does not make. All my experience with Okinawans I have found, in general, don't appreciate when mainlander transplants start dictating what should and should occur on Okinawa as if they were Okinawans themselves.
Second the 'transport' of the snow was free and done as public relations... as mentioned in a comment above the SDF are flying there regardless and need the training it was a kill two birds with one stone kind of deal. My wife is JMSDF and they are normal people who also have children themselves who are just as concerned about Japan's fate as the whinging Tohoku parents... Do people really think they would in good conscious transport something down to children that would be harmful? And honestly yes there are stooges all over in government but there is also a lot of intelligent caring people... When you start adding all the people that either have to be bought or ignorant the weight of cover up starts to topple under its own weight of all the necessary people to be complacent for it to have occurred ... Occam's razor anyone? The Tepco officials lied because of incompetence and the fact that they were dealing with a emergency that they themselves barely could grasp so there was a basic concern that general public would display irrational behavior and make an already tragic and unmanageable situation that much worse... and seeing the remarks on this article I think they were right to be concerned as this incident proves there are a lot of people that hold irrational fears about radiation... I however am not excusing their ineptitude and poor choices... Being transparent while tough in times of crisis always plays out better in the long run.
I forget who said it but those families were exposed to more radiation by flying to Okinawa than they would be exposed to by playing in the Aomori snow even if it did have higher than natural levels of radiation (which I am not so convinced it did have)... the problem is most people haven't studied physics and understand radiation ...many of the levels being posted as 'dangerous' by soothsayers around the world are in fact par for course for in living in a modern world. We use cellphones, microwaves, get x-rays done we are exposed to it all the time in bigger doses than are being reported as being found here and there. Yes there is some research saying that this exposure may in turn have long term side effects way down in the future, but that is far from accepted fact and to which level and how much is up for much debate. While always pertinent to play onside of caution, I'd say that includes with being irrational. Sadly it is a matter of human nature as with much that people don't understand they tend to hold irrational fears.