Sky-High Radiation Found in Fukushima Fish

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16. Perspective is important

and perspective comes with understanding the relative risks involved. And yes, that requires a rudimentary understanding of the science.

There's no doubt animals are dying and species are going extinct at unprecedented rates. If we start with clean slate, it's perfectly legitimate to ask the question, "Could it be a result of radiation poisoning?" But it takes not a lot of further examination to see that virtually none of it (i.e., an infinitesimally small percentage) is attributable to radiation introduced by man, and is mostly the result of habitat destruction, toxic chemical pollution, invasive species, and the effects of global warming.

Releases of radiation like those from Fukushima and Chernobyl certainly aren't helping the planet, or humanity. There's unquestionably a slightly elevated risk of cancer in the areas around Fukushima, and if you were to eat the fish they caught you would receive about the same radiation as 20 chest x-rays. Not lethal, but not healthy either and it might up your chances of getting cancer by several percent.

Now back to perspective: the World Health Organization has found that overall there may be up to 130 additional cancer cases attributable to Fukushima. Had the equivalent amount of power been generated by a coal plant, you could expect about 700 additional cases of cancer every year from the hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere.

If we're going to use computers, electric cars, televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators, nuclear power is far safer than coal. Unlike solar, wind and hydro, we have the technology to replace coal with nuclear today.