Do you know what a trial balloon is? It is when politicians will float an idea in the media to see what the reaction of the public will be. Well, right now one trial balloon that is being floated is the idea that we should tax Americans for the number of miles that they drive. This proposal showed up in a draft bill that was being circulated within the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget. You can view a copy of this draft bill here. Of course the Obama administration is denying that this proposal will be in the final draft of the legislation. The Obama administration is stressing that this was just “a draft” of the bill. But this is what happens very often with trial balloons. They are put out there and the politicians will say things like “this is being studied” or “this isn’t a serious proposal yet” and then one day we all wake up and it is suddenly being implemented. The fact that there is even draft legislation that would tax Americans based on the number of miles that they drive should be incredibly sobering for all of us. If the global warming alarmists have their way, there are going to be lots of these kinds of taxes in our future. (Read More...)
Environment
Much Of Northern Japan Uninhabitable Due To Nuclear Radiation?
With no resolution to the crisis in sight, the damaged facilities at Fukushima continue to pump massive amounts of nuclear radiation into the surrounding environment every single day. So will much of northern Japan end up being uninhabitable due to nuclear radiation? Everyone agrees that the area immediately around Fukushima will be uninhabitable indefinitely. The only question is how large of an area around Fukushima is eventually going to be considered unlivable. This week authorities in Japan finally raised the crisis at Fukushima up to a level 7 disaster on the international scale. In fact, they are now telling us that the total release of radioactive material will likely surpass that of the Chernobyl disaster. Chernobyl was incredibly nightmarish and there are still vast areas around Chernobyl that are basically uninhabitable. But Chernobyl only burned for 10 days. The crisis at Fukushima could end up lasting for many months. Keep in mind that radiation is cumulative. Every single day the total amount of radioactive material that the world is dealing with because of Fukushima just continues to increase. (Read More...)
Radiation In Milk?
First they found radiation in milk in Spokane, Washington. Then they found radiation in milk in San Luis Obispo County, California. Now they have found radiation in milk in Arizona as well. Should we just start assuming that all of our milk is going to have nuclear radiation from Japan in it until further notice? Of course federal authorities insist that the levels of radiation being detected are completely safe and that nobody should start worrying about the milk that they are drinking. In fact that there are even some crackpots out there that are attempting to claim that nuclear radiation from Japan is actually good for us. Yes, let’s all run out and guzzle as much of that “nutritious” radioactive milk as we can. Of course it isn’t just milk that the radiation is getting into. It is showing up in water supplies from coast to coast and it is inevitable that it is going to get into most of our food products. Not that there is much that we can do about it. (Read More...)
Radioactive Cesium With A Half-Life Of Approximately 30 Years Is Being Released At About 60 Percent Of Chernobyl Levels
Why does it seem as though the nuclear crisis in Japan just keeps getting worse with each passing day? TEPCO has announced that extremely radioactive water is now leaking from reactors 1, 2, and 3 at their damaged nuclear complex. On Thursday, three workers stepped into water in reactor 3 that contained 10,000 times the normal amount of radiation. Two of the workers experienced significant radiation burns and all three were sent to the hospital. Authorities have also announced that it is very likely that the containment vessel in reactor 3 has been breached. That is extremely alarming because reactor 3 is the one that uses plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel (“MOX fuel”). So is plutonium being released into the surrounding environment? That would be absolutely catastrophic. But what we know is happening already is quite catastrophic. According to a recent NewScientist article, radioactive iodine-131 is being released at 73% of the level that it was being released at during the Chernobyl disaster. But iodine-131 only has a half-life of about 8 days. According to that same article, radioactive cesium-137 is being released at 60% of the level that it was being released at during the Chernobyl disaster. Cesium-137 has a half-life of approximately 30 years. That means that all of this cesium is going to be with us for a very, very long time. (Read More...)
Should Residents Of Tokyo Be Preparing For Massive Radiation Exposure? 12 Disturbing Facts To Consider
Does anyone really know what is going on at the Fukushima nuclear complex? When problems at the facility first surfaced, authorities promised that no significant amounts of radiation would be released. Then we were told that only those living within 20 kilometers of the complex needed to take precautions. After that we were told that radiation was showing up in many different types of vegetables all over northern and central Japan but that it was not a major concern. Now we are being told that the tap water in Tokyo is unsafe for infants to drink. So what are they going to tell us next? Should residents of Tokyo be preparing for massive radiation exposure from this disaster? Tokyo is only 150 miles away from the damaged nuclear complex. If a worst case scenario plays out, exactly what would that mean for the over 30 million people that live in and around Tokyo? (Read More...)
What Can The Japanese Tsunami Teach Us About Prepping For Disasters And Emergencies?
The Japanese tsunami is a crystal clear example of just how unpredictable disasters and emergencies can be. Nobody ever dreamed that a tsunami in Japan could wash cars, homes and people up to 6 miles inland. But that is exactly what happened. So while it is great to make elaborate preparations for potential disasters and emergencies, it is also absolutely essential to have backup plans. After all, what good is all of that emergency food that you have stored up going to do if a massive tsunami comes along and rips your house off the foundation and deposits it into the sea? Not that all of us shouldn’t be busy prepping. Of course we should be. All over Japan right now the supermarkets are being stripped bare. Don’t you think that many of those people are wishing that they had stored up some food? It is those that prepare that have the best chance of surviving disasters and emergencies. No plan is foolproof, but having a plan is much better than not having a plan. (Read More...)