Fukushima conference in Vancouver examines local and global concerns

by Jennie Ramstad on Jan 24, 2012 at 11:07 am

On March 11, from 9 am to 5 pm, SFU Harbour Centre (515 W. Hastings) hosts The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster—One Year Later.

This conference features a group of Canadian and U.S. physicians and experts who will share information on what is known about radiation exposures from the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the local and global health, environmental, and economic impacts seen over the past year. Highlighted topics of discussion will be the need for improved monitoring and disclosure, and the role of nuclear power in the world’s future energy needs.

"This is the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Routine reporting of elevated radiation levels was suspended during the early days of the crisis", says Tim Takaro, associate professor in SFU's health sciences faculty. "Although information about Fukushima is largely absent from our news media, suggesting that the danger is over, we know that efforts to contain the four troubled reactors—at least three of which sustained explosions—continues. Without reliable data regarding the amount of radiation released into seawater and the atmosphere, and the resulting concentrations in our food chain, we are ill-equipped to predict the long-term consequences."

The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster—One Year Later is organized by Physicians for Global Survival (Canada) and cosponsored by Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, SFU, UBC's Department of Pediatrics and School of Population and Public Health, and Next Gen University in consultation with the Fukushima Medical University.

For more info, check out the Physicians for Global Survival website.

See also

What are officials hiding about Fukushima?

Japan’s Fukushima catastrophe brings big radiation spikes to B.C.

Comments (4) Add New Comment
Bruce Conway
Jan 24, 2012 at 12:13 pm
Congratulations to Straight.com for covering this. We know that a massive nuclear disaster has been ongoing for almost a year with definite fallout measured on the west coast (including hotspots that have higher readings than Chernobyl) and bioaccumulation in food, water and soil increasing as time goes on.

With the global news blackout in place and government inaction, this conference will be a welcome addition to the "facts" we have already collected by triangulating data from various non-governmental sources.

Since we have very little official data, it is best to remind the semi-informed to stay well out of the rain - especially women and children - and to leave off beachcombing as the debris patch hits us. Also to stay away from foods that absorb high amounts of radiation - like mushrooms, and of course fish, despite the famous twelve uncontaminated salmon.

Also, to remind folks that there is no safe dose of radiation - none.

Hopefully some of the findings from this conference will be published.
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TheParadigmShift
Jan 24, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Oh yeah, that's right, there's 4 nuclear meltdowns going on right now...you wouldn't know it if all your news came from the TV.

See:
http://enenews.com/
for the latest on the nuclear disaster.
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Andrew Grimes
Jan 24, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Here in Japan we are still going through the first year of The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and will be living through it for decades to come. In Japanese there is much more information available and millions of people who live in and around the Fukushima Prefecture and throughout the East Japan Disaster regions and throughout Japan have been and continuing to be affected by the actual, physical and psychological fallout living in post nuclear disaster Japan. With respect I echo the view of a previous poster here and ask could you not arrange to hold this conference in Japan to show support with the Japanese people? If not, will you be inviting any experts here who are the most familiar with the health risks and stress that people are having to deal with in their everyday lives? Whatever it is you can do during your conference I hope the concern will be maintained in the decades to come, as I am sure your aware, as the truths and reality of this nuclear disaster enfold in time. Thank you, people here In Japan very much appreciate all concern and support from abroad.

As for not much media coverage in English I agree. I hope this links may be of some use to you and your readers here.

With kind regards from Tokyo

Nuclear Free Japan:
http://posterous.com/#spaces/japannuclearfree

New Clear Free Japan:
http://www.facebook.com/nuclearfreejapan

Wikipedia: Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster
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Richard Denton
Feb 1, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Dear Andrew:
IPPNW, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War of which PGS, Physicians for Global Survival (Canada) is an affiliate, is holding its biannual conference in August in Hiroshima to discuss this and the threat of nuclear weapons that have been made possible by nuclear power. We will have Japanese experts at our conference in Vancouver.
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