Saturday, September 14, 2013

9/14/2013 Japan to switch off nuclear power, may be some time before it's on again

Source: Reuters
Date: Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:17pm EDT
by:  Osamu Tsukimori
Fukushima prefecture panel examines leaking radioactive water tank (C in back) at Fukushima Daiichi, photo released Septermber 13, 2013  Credit: Reuters/Kyodo
(Reuters) - Japan is set to be nuclear power-free, for just the third time in more than four decades, and with no firm date for re-starting an energy source that has provided about 30 percent of electricity to the world's third-largest economy.

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Read full article here.

Editor's Note: Map of Ohi Nuclear Power Plant appears below.

9/13/2013 Dealing With Air Travel Radiation Exposure

Source: Care2.com
Date: 9/13/2013 9:30 am
by: Dr. Michael Greger

Doctors appear to be causing tens of thousands of cancers with CT scans and dentists may be causing a few brain tumors with dental X-rays (see my last two videos Cancer Risk from CT Scan Radiation and Do Dental X-Rays Cause Brain Tumors?), but what about these new-fangled airport full-body scanners that use so-called backscatter technology to reduce X-ray exposure? A thousand times less radiation exposure than a chest X-ray, though they’re still being phased out. In fact, flight passengers may get 100 times more radiation during the flight every hour, because they’re so high up in the atmosphere and exposed to more cosmic rays. Does that mean a round-trip cross-country flight is almost like getting a chest X-ray? Yes. Anyone who’s seen my speaking schedule knows I’m totally screwed. But what can you do? As is the answer to so many health questions, you can eat healthily.