C2C - 2012.06.09

Fukushima Special

 Host: John B. Wells
Guests: Arnie Gundersen, David Blume, Dr. John Apsley, Dr. Theresa Dale

John B. Wells welcomed various experts in nuclear power, energy, and health for a discussion on the Fukushima nuclear accident and how the disaster may affect our health and environment.

Hour 1 - First up, nuclear engineering expert Arnie Gundersen commented on recent news that bluefin tuna caught off the coast of California were found to have radioactive contamination from last year's Fukushima accident.

"They went fifteen for fifteen... that basically means that every tuna in the Pacific now is carrying cesium-134 and 137," he reported. Gundersen expressed concern over the rush to get nuclear units in Japan running again before safety modifications are put into place. Even when you safely shut down a nuclear reactor, about 5% of the heat never goes away, he explained, adding that in the case of Fukushima 5% represents 150,000 horsepower worth of heat. If that heat isn't dealt with on a continual basis, a meltdown is possible, he noted. Gundersen also talked about the astronomical amount of radiation in spent fuel rods, pointing out that the radiation in the fuel pool in Fukushima's Unit 4 is equal to all of the cesium exploded during the 700 above ground nuclear tests the United States did in the 60s and 70s. He suggested spent nuclear fuel rods be stored in heavily shielded dry casks.

Hour 2 - Next, ecological biologist and advocate for alcohol-based fuel, David Blume, spoke about the history and problems with nuclear power, as well as possible alternative sources.

Atomic energy was born out of the U.S. military's desire to produce material for its nuclear weapons program, he said. Heat is a by-product of nuclear reactions and can be used to make steam and generate electricity, Blume explained. "Using nuclear energy to make steam is the least intelligent way to boil water we've ever come up with," he added. Blume proposed shutting down all nuclear reactors, as they violate a basic tenant of ecology and good energy production: never use a resource that destroys other things in its use. In the case of nuclear energy, there is not only real danger from a meltdown but also from the waste which remains radioactive for 250,000 years, he continued. Blume wondered how humanity would keep track of where it is stored over the millennia. He proposed using alcohol from corn and other plants to provide fuel for cars, heating, lighting, and electrical generation, as it burns clean and is biodegradable.

Hour 3 - Dr. John Apsley appeared in the third hour to report on the far-reaching effects of radiation in the environment.

The problem with radioactive contamination is that it sticks around for so long and accumulates in food sources, he explained, noting the fallout from the Fukushima disaster that blanketed the U.S. West Coast was magnitudes higher than anyone expected. It will effect North America for three centuries, Apsley added. He estimated the Fukushima disaster will ultimately be to blame for the deaths of one to seven million people over the next 20 years, and perhaps even more. Low doses of radiation amplify toxins in environment that cause cancer and other diseases, he said. Apsley recommended smoothies made from select mushroom blends and whey (from the East Coast or New Zealand) to counteract the negative health consequences of radiation in the body. He also revealed how Japan is ruining their food supply of seaweed and fish by dumping radioactive waste into their waters, as well as how the island nation has been in talks with China and Russia for land to evacuate up to half of their population to should Fukushima Unit 4 fail.

Hour 4 - Fourth hour guest, naturopathic doctor Theresa Dale, shared her personal experience with radiation poisoning and how she learned to heal it.

Dale was studying in Europe when the Chernobyl plant blew up in 1986. "I got very sick and I didn't know why," she recalled, noting that the disaster was kept from the public for a two week period because of tourism concerns. According to Dale, a physicist she worked with tested her with electrodiagnosis and determined that she had radiation sickness. Switzerland was one of the only countries in Europe honestly reporting on the disaster and its impact, so I moved there to begin healing, she continued. Two months later and slightly healthier, Dale said she returned to the U.S., where she embarked on an 8-month healing regime. In light of the Fukushima disaster and still unknown long-term effects on the environment, Dale recommended an organic vegan diet, soaking vegetables and fruit for 15 minutes in clean water with a 1/4 teaspoon of 35% food-grade hydrogen peroxide (to remove pesticides and radiation), iodine to protect the thyroid, niacin to help the liver repair itself, detoxification saunas, and her own homeopathic formula to neutralize radiation in the body. "I can tell you that you can get [radiation] out, but you have to act," she declared. 

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