As I’ve made abundantly clear, I’m no nuclear energy fan, and I have genuine concerns about all those ambiguous “We really don’t think…” and “We do not expect…” phrases of reassurance, for reasons you can read here.

An article was just sent to me by Hugh Kaufman, senior policy analyst with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response:

Those who pioneered the health physics profession—towering greats like Dr. Karl Z.Morgan and Dr. John Gofman—set a definitive, impenetrable standard.  A safe dose of radiation does not exist.  All doses, “insignificant” or otherwise, can harm the human organism.

This is why, among other reasons, I have doubts about the soothing reports we continue to see and read about the nuclear disaster in Japan. But to be fair, it’s often easier to understand something when you are given a visual or concrete examples.

This piece made a lot of sense and helps to put things into perspective:

We do not x-ray pregnant women. [...]

When you hear the terms “safe” and “insignificant” in reference to radioactive fallout, ask yourself: “Safe for whom?” “Insignificant to which of us?” [...]

At very least it threatens countless embryos and fetuses in utero, the infants, the elderly, the unborn who will come to future mothers now being exposed. (http://nukefree.org/arnie-gundersen-radiation-dangers )

No matter how small the dose, the human egg in waiting, or embryo or fetus in utero, or newborn infant, or weakened elder, has no defense against even the tiniest radioactive assault.

Science has never found such a “safe” threshold, and never will.

We’ve been hearing that emissions are, say, equivalent to a single chest x-ray administered to everyone within a designated radius. That includes the elderly, pregnant women and babies, does it not? And we’re only in week two:

“Acceptable” to which expectant mother?  To whose child?  To how many mourning parents?  For which dying elder? [...]

“Impossible” accidents continue to happen…

That last sentence is the point I’ve made repeatedly. Expect the unexpected.

According to Nukefree.org, the source of these excerpts, they are a pro-life movement. As Hugh just messaged to me, “I wonder where the anti-abortion folks come down on this issue of poisoning/contaminating the fetus?”

This just in, and I gotta laugh. The Nuclear Energy Institute in D.C. just tweeted me. It went a little something like this:

NEI: @gottalaff For your tweets on radiation detected in MA and CA, here’s a video putting low levels into context: http://bit.ly/f2kjOL

My tweet back: @neiupdates 1. NEI = PROPONENT 2. It’s only been a couple of wks 3. Vid says “It’s not expected” (see posts) 4. Dismissive. NOT convinced. Thx.

Too bad this is no laughing matter.