Brief Audiovisual Introduction to Environmental Radioactivity

Prepared by Cesar Harada for the Hong Kong Harbour School, Sept 6th 2014

Questions1. What is matter?2. What is nuclear power?3. What is nuclear energy? What is a nuclear bomb?4. What happened in Hiroshima & Nagasaki?5. What happened in Chernobyl? What is happening in Fukushima? 6. What is safe, and what is unsafe radiation?7. How much nuclear weapons do we have? What is nuclear winter?8. Where are nuclear power plants? What about Hong Kong?9. Radioactivity in air, land, water and food.10. How to measure radioactivity? What can I do about it?11. How to protect from radioactivity?

Introduction to nuclear power, weapons and radioactive pollution in the environment for school kids. No science background required. We are trying to address the questions and anxieties kids may have about the nuclear power. We explain how we can contribute to a better understanding of radioactivity in the environment from a citizen science perspective.

CAUTION : some concepts and images may be shocking if not explained appropriately.

contact@cesarharada.comCreative Commons 3.0 international, Attribution, Sharealike

What is matter? What is a nucleus?

All the objects from everyday life that we can bump into, touch or squeeze are composed of atoms. This atomic matter is in turn made up of interacting subatomic particles—usually a nucleus of protons and neutrons, and a cloud of orbiting electrons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter

“The Powers of Ten” (1977)films are two short American documentary films written and directed by Charles and Ray Eames.

Element, Mass, Speed, Stability

http://www.wpclipart.com/science/atoms_molecules/periodic_tables/periodic_table_of_the_elements.png

What is nuclear energy? Nuclear Fission and fusion, Nuclear Power plant and the Large Hadron Collider

Fusion and Fission Nuclear power plant Large Hadron Collider

Radioactivity and human health. Chernobyl & Pripyat

What is a “safe” level of exposition to radioactivity?

What is a nuclear bomb? What happened in Hiroshima & Nagasaki?

1944 “Little Boy” on Hiroshima was 12Kt

1961 “Tsar Bomba” 57’000 Kt

4750 times more power

Where are nuclear bombs today?

http://www.ploughshares.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_full_span/Worldwide_nuclear_testing.png

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-margolis/do-we-really-need-to-blow_b_491367.html

What is nuclear winter?

http://www.wired.com/2011/02/nuclear-war-climate-change/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCTKcd2Ko98

This documentary was made in 1984, at the peak of the cold war era, when the possibility of a nuclear World War III was a palpable possibility.

The current crisis in Fukushima Japan

What happened in Chernobyl & Pripyat

Where is nuclear waste ?

In the oceans.Buried in “geological repositories”.

Pros and cons of nuclear power

Pros● Steady, predictable● Low Co2 emissions● Stable cost● Energy independency

Cons● Accident, war vulnerability● Radioactive waste disposal● Global climate potential impact● Security, economic, social and health concerns

Precautionary principle is not applied for nuclear power. Game Theory and deception is use as nuclear weapons proliferate.

“The precept that an action should not be taken if the consequences are uncertain and potentially dangerous.”

“We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children”

The cold war continues as we keep producing more nuclear weapons on every sides.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/game-theory5.htm

Where are nuclear power plants today?

Nuclear power in China

How safe is Hong Kong?

http://www.hko.gov.hk/radiation/ermp/rmn/applet/map/rmn_hourly_e.htm

Daya Bay Nuclear power plant

Contengency plan “in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident at the Nuclear power stations at Daya Bay” : http://www.dbcp.gov.hk/eng/dbcp/download.htmFull contengency plan : http://www.dbcp.gov.hk/eng/dbcp/DBCP_Full_Version.pdf

Taishan Nuclear power plant

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1303433/green-groups-fear-most-dangerous-nuclear-power-plant-hong-kongs

D a y a B a y

Taishan

Yangjiang

L u F e n g

Hong Kong Government documents for Nuclear preparedness

http://www.dbcp.gov.hk/

Warfare and vulnerability of nuclear installation. World War III hypothesis with first page google news search results.

Tensions with the USA Tensions with Japan Tensions with North Korea

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/08/26/avoid-conflict-must-acknowledge-china-ambition/sNHyMDZR7rtXwUi1bqpx8K/story.htmlWhen the balance of power is shifting, how can a declining nation’s desire to preserve the status quo be reconciled with an ascending rival’s desire to revise the world order to reflect its rising power?

http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/8833/20140904/xi-stirs-anti-japanese-spirit-among-chinese-citizens.htm

China should gear up for many fights with "new historical characteristics" as they move towards their goals. They need to achieve "common prosperity" little by little for everyone and revive China's dreams, Xi said.

http://www.ibtimes.com/north-korea-threatens-attack-us-nuclear-power-over-continuing-military-drills-south-korea-1653882

North Korea Threatens To Attack US With Nuclear Power Over Continuing Military Drills With South Korea

Cesar HARADA in Fukushima 2012. Focus on unmapped mountain terrain.

Cesar HARADA, Gabriella LEVINE, Joe MOROSS, in Fukushima 2013. Focus on underwater radioactivity.

Cesar HARADA in Fukushima 2014. Focus on seabed and sediment radioactivity. Oct 1 - 10th.

NOAA, USA Pr. Ken Buesselerhttp://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=127297

CNRS, LSCE, France, Dr O. Evrard, http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140403/srep04574/full/srep04574.html

Land -> Seacontamination data is missing

Seafloor contamination map DOES NOT EXIST.

CNRS, LSCE, France, Radioactivity sensors for geologic studies

Pilot testing in Hong Kong, Land, Air, Sea, Seafood.

Daya Bay

Taishan

Yangjiang

LuFeng

Pilot off the coast of Fukushima

How to measure radioactivity on the sea bed?

Let’s figure it out together