This radiation freak out reality check is courtesy of GOOD magazine. Here’s the heart of it.:
For anyone terrified that radiation from Japan is coming to cause devastation in America, something the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has already called “very unlikely,” keep an eye on this real-time radiation detector courtesy of EnviroReporter.com.
According to EnviroReporter, the detector is located in the organization’s Santa Monica office (that’s right next to the beach, for out-of-towners) “approximately one meter off the ground in a wood-floored structure with built over crawlspace with soil foundation.”
What the detection unit is measuring is the Counts Per Minute of iodizing radiation, which EnviroReporter says is between 40 and 46 CPM for their site. Some sites have higher normal background CPM, while others are much lower. And when you’re on a plane, the CPM level can climb up to 200 for hours at a time.
[WLA NOTE: AS I WATCH THE THING, IT BOUNCES AS HIGH AS 60]
Now click and look at the streaming video of the actual monitor for yourself — and best to put away your potassium iodide pills for the moment.
PS: A UCLA prof has answered reader questions over at the LA Times.
PPS: Is it just me, or is it slightly discomforting (and ironic) that the video ad that plays before the live stream kicks in is courtesy of BP Petroleum?
Whoops, just bumped up briefly to 79.
You’d think some enterprising news org would have a couple of these feeding from Japan.
Here’s an e-mail I received yesterday for SoCal residents:
South Coast AQMD Updates
You have probably heard news reports about harmful radiation escaping from damaged nuclear power plants in Japan following the recent tsunami. Some have even voiced concern that this radiation could travel across the ocean and impact California. There is no increased risk of harmful levels of radiation exposure in the United States, based on the situation to date and a review of actual monitored levels by AQMD as well as other public health officials and technical experts. The South Coast Air Quality Management District, your local air pollution agency, has operated radiation monitors for several years for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). AQMD monitors radiation levels at three sites in Southern California and sends the radiation measurements every hour to EPA. The California Department of Public Health also operates an additional radiation monitor in Southern California. Starting today, you can get a daily update regarding levels of radiation in Southern California at the AQMD website at http://www.aqmd.gov/ Monitors operated by AQMD/EPA will detect any change in outdoor radiation levels. Further general information on EPA radiation monitoring network can be found at http://www.epa.gov/narel/radnet/. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission response to the situation can be found at http://www.nrc.gov/. Monitoring radiation is a very small part of the many activities AQMD does to protect public health and clean the air that we breathe. For more information on how you can help clean the air, go to http://www.cleanairconnections.org .
William A. Burke, Ed.D., Chairman
South Coast Air Quality Management District
It’s very annoying that people we pay with our tax dollars are withholding information on how much radiation there is now in Southern California. I’ve been searching the web for reliable sources for days now and those that seem to be credible sites are blocked, those that are not blocked seem to be doing disinformation. You may think that telling the truth causes panic, truth hurts, but truth is the truth. We make decisions based on what we know, if we don’t know enough, we don’t take action and we die here, quickly or slowly by cancer. If I know enough I could at least drive to Mexico, I know the jet stream does not blow there. You really know who these evil people are by their actions.