UPDATE! (March 18, 8:30pm, Japan Time)
You are probably hearing a lot of numbers and statistics thrown around on the news but may not have an idea what they mean in "real terms". This update is thanks in part to my friend, Sonja, and various articles from the Japan Times newspaper.
To put things into perspective (μSv/h = micro sieverts/hour):
Current levels in Shizuoka (my area) are about 0.04μSv/h and fall in between the normal ranges for Shizuoka (0.0281-0.0765 μSv/h).
By the way, WHERE is Shizuoka?
I am near that black dot on the bottom left of the map.
Source: The Japan Times Online, Embassies launch emergency measures, March 18, 2011
How can I compare this measurement to stuff I already know?A chest x-ray would expose you to 50μSv.
A round trip flight between Tokyo and New York would expose you to 200μSv.
A stomach x-ray would expose you to 600μSv.
For more details, check out this chart (click to enlarge) and article!
Chart Source: Gakuranman PDF FileArticle: The Japan Times Online, What Exactly are the Risks?, March 18, 2011.So putting two and two together, I would be exposed to more radiation on a flight home than staying put in Shizuoka, which has always been my intention.
Currently, there are two measurements used in these statistics: microsieverts and millisieverts. The foreign media (non-Japanese media) are using the form that has the larger numbers for their own purposes of ratings and web clicks on their sites.
I also hear of people in Japan and abroad complaining that the Japanese government has been withholding information from the public. This kind of talk is not only absurd, but harmful. To make such a claim would be to say that the government is not working in the best interest of its citizens, tourists, and foreign workers.
But then why did the U.S. embassy ask for citizens to evacuate 80km when the Japanese government only required 20-30 km?Hello, McFly? Anybody home?
Put yourself in this scenario: there is a natural disaster crisis that has left people without power, limited resources, possibility of further aftershocks and tsunamis, nuclear plant issues, and oh, by the way, you can't speak the local language very well.
The Japanese government has supported the U.S. embassy's call on this one and said that they would instruct their own citizens living abroad in the same manner in such a crisis.
President Obama is chartering planes to Japan to evacuate U.S. Citizens. Shouldn't that be an indicator that things are bad?
The indicators I go by are my neighbors, my fellow co-workers, and the Japanese government.
Life has been going on as usual, but perhaps with an increase in the amount of time co-workers are glued to their cell phones.
This is because we cannot use web-based email, blogging, nor social networking while at work.
True, Obama is sending planes to evacuate
family members of diplomatic personnel and the U.S. government will foot the bill. HOWEVER, for ordinary citizens, you will be required to sign a waiver that promises you will reimburse the cost of your removal from Japan. It is very likely you will not get to choose the location of your removal and to get to your desired final destination would require your own arrangements. Sounds like an unnecessary hassle and expense given the proofs I have already provided of my safety.
-----------------------END OF UPDATE-----------------------
By now, many of you are familiar with the Great Tohoku Earthquake. It's been all over the news and there are fears of nuclear meltdown.
First of all, everyone please calm down.
Many international news companies are blowing this out of proportion and comparing the Fukushima plant with Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl. A lot of this is exaggeration. Please take all news you hear with a grain of salt. I am not denying the dire circumstances, but I am asking that you take into consideration everything that you hear and PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELF, myself included, about the situation before you start to lose your head.
For your entertainment, I am including a video that will hopefully explain in simple terms the situation in Fukushima.
I am putting my faith into knowledgeable people who are experts with nuclear know-how. I also am putting my faith into the Japanese government to communicate the truth of the situation to the Japanese people.
Have you heard the amazing things about the Japanese people? They line up in an orderly fashion outside supermarkets, waiting for their 10 items rations. They accept the round-robin power-outage rotation because it is for the best of the community, for the nation. They still go to the train station to commute to work even though the irregular power situation has caused fewer trains to run.
Today at work, a strawberry farmer came by to sell her fruit at discounted prices to cheer up the people in the neighborhood. By the way, they are delicious!
I have heard that President Obama is chartering planes to take U.S. citizens home. While that is a generous gesture, it is not one that I think I need to take. That opportunity is for those in the directly affected area. I am more than 300 miles away from the nuclear plant and radiation readings in Shizuoka have not been abnormal. Until I hear from my JET advisers and direct higher-ups, I will stay here in Japan to finish what I started.
I appreciate your prayers and messages of concern.
Also, I cannot immediately answer your emails and messages because my workplace has blocked all web-based email providers, Facebook, and blogging. Please give me time to process your message and prepare a thorough answer.
Lastly, I want to bring attention to those who are at the nuclear plant site. I don't know what levels of risk they are putting themselves into, but there is a chance they will come away with health issues. They are acting on behalf of the country. Whatever your stance is on nuclear energy, these people are doing their best to protect its citizens. For that, I am most grateful.
