The nuclear disaster in Japan has all but disappeared from the mainstream news, but in case you were wondering: yes, the it is still a serious disaster. More than two months after the reactors began melting down at the Fukushima Plant, workers are still facing lethal levels of radiation in order to regain control. However, it's not just the workers and those who live near by who are affected by the disaster (though their exposure is by far the most devastating). My mom sent me this wonderful link of a forecast map showing a huge nuclear radiation clouds over most of the US and Canada. The wonderful thing about about these clouds is that they are made up of actual radio active particles of Cesium and Iodine. While these particles can be blocked more easily than radioactive waves (alpha particles can be stopped by paper, beta by aluminum), if ingested or inhaled these particles can cause massive cell damage. The longer the plant in Japan continues to spew these radioactive particles into our air, the greater each of our chances of coming into contact with more of them. Accumulative effects anyone? Something to think about.
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