Introduction

The nuclear crisis began on 3/11/11. While many claim that the tsunami is what caused the melt-down, it actually began during the earthquake that preceded it. Unlike Chernobyl, this is not a single melt-down, it is a triple melt-down. The molten fuel, or corium as many call it, melted through containment and into the mud-rock beneath the facility. The corium is still underground and fission is on-going.

A term commonly used to refer to run-away corium is China Syndrome. It originates from a 1979 movie of the same name. The idea is that the corium would burn through the Earth and come out the other side. While the idea in itself is a fantasy, the basic premise is happening. Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen. There are no experts on this because it’s never happened before.

With that said, we can dig deeper into this. Lets start with the impact on the environment.

Environment

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis is, by far, the worst industrial accident of all time. It makes other industrial accidents, such as the Chernobyl melt-down or the BP oil spill, look tame in comparison.

While our planet is mostly protected from cosmic radiation, there is no way for it to defend against it when it originates here. Nature may be a self-cleaning system, but it has no way to remedy this. The contamination is simply a part of the environment now, and will remain here long after human extinction.

“The half-life of plutonium is 24,400 years, so it can cause medical diseases for at least the next 250,000 years, inducing cancers, congenital deformities and genetic diseases for virtually the rest of time. All plants and animals develop cancer and genetic abnormalities.” -Helen Caldicott, MD; The Medical Implications of Fukushima

While the disaster may be in Japan, this is a global crisis of epic proportion. Just because you don’t live in Japan doesn’t mean you’re safe. The wind blew much of the fall-out west, reaching the west coast of the United States in less than half a week, and the east coast about a day after that. It only took a few hundred days for the odorless and invisible death plume to circle the entire globe. The jet-stream travels fast. The ocean currents also travel quickly.

Here are a some links to illustrate how wide-spread this catastrophe is.

• Plutonium From Fukushima Detected in Lithuania
• Director: We saw plutonium from Fukushima out in New Mexico desert — “Local and regional contamination of plutonium in environment have resulted from nuclear accident”
• Finland announces detection of cesium from Fukushima — Found in animals, plants, fungi
• New Study: Aerosolized plutonium from Fukushima detected in Europe — Spent fuel indicated
• Cesium-134 and -137 detected in sand from San Francisco Bay Area yard
• US West Coast bore “significant brunt” of hot particles from Fukushima disaster, study claims -Bellona
• Metallic taste in mouth now being reported in Japan and US west coast — Telltale sign of radiation exposure (VIDEO)
• Radiation Expert: “North America has received quite a large fallout” –Incredible increase in cancer, not just for Japan but northern hemisphere (VIDEO)

While most of the contamination is fed into the Pacific, much of it has been aerosolized and released into the atmosphere as well. The links below show hot particles discovered in U.S. cities.

• Scientists: Average person in Seattle breathed in 10 hot radioactive particles a day during April
• Nowhere to Run: Hot radioactive particles in Seattle at 50 percent of levels seen in Tokyo — Latches onto lung tissue (VIDEO)
• Hot particles found at 2 out of 3 US monitoring stations during April, including Boston — “There will be an increase in cancers, especially on the West Coast” says nuke expert (VIDEO)
• Uranium-238 spiked to 50 times normal levels in Hawaii air after Fukushima disaster — EPA changed unit of measurement after decades

When it’s in the air, it’s also in the rain.

• University Researcher: We’ve seen radioactive ‘rain-outs’ in Oregon and Washington — Areas with “a lot more radiation” (VIDEO)
• Canadian Official: Iodine-131 in rainwater was above recommended level for drinking water during March — “It should not exceed the guideline” — Gov’t failed to disclose findings
• Lawmaker: Serious questions arising about why Canada gov’t failed to alert public about radioactive rain after Fukushima
• Rain with 20,000,000 particles of radioactive iodine-131 per liter fell on US during post-Fukushima peak (VIDEO)
• NY Times contributor confirms California rainwater 181 times above drinking water standards for radioactive iodine-131

And when it’s in the rain, it’s also in the drinking water.

• EPA: Boise rainwater has highest levels of radioactive material in US… 80 times amount of I-131 allowed in drinking water — “Officials had no explanation”
• Watchdog: Inexplicable that EPA shut down Fukushima radiation monitoring after finding high levels of radiation in drinking water
• New EPA data shows iodine-131 in Los Angeles tap water — Still no testing for radioactive cesium

Wildlife

Before we talk about the impact the disaster is having on wildlife, it’s important to understand what bio-accumulation and bio-magnification are.

As fish swim through contaminated water, they become increasingly contaminated — it accumulates within the fish — this is called bio-accumulation.

When a fish feeds on contaminated food, it also becomes increasingly contaminated. Then, when a bigger fish eats that fish, that fish becomes more contaminated, as so on. The contamination magnifies as it rises through the food chain. This is bio-magnification.

Remember, not only are fish swimming through contaminated water, they are also eating contaminated food. Bio-accumulation and bio-magnification work together, compounding the effect.

While the examples I used are of fish, bio-accumulation and bio-magnification are relevant to all life-forms and the food-chain in general.

With this said, lets take a look at what’s been happening to wildlife, specifically marine life, since the disaster began.

Herring

• Biologist: Pacific herring in Canada bleeding from eyeballs, faces, fins, tails — I’ve never seen fish looking this bad — All 100 examined were bloody — Officials informed of hemorrhaging soon after 3/11 — Gov’t ignoring problem

Salmon

• Unprecedented: Sockeye salmon at dire historic low on Canada’s Pacific coast — “We think something happened in the ocean” — “The elders have never seen anything like this at all” — Alaska and Russia also affected (MAP)
• Marine biologist in Canada: Salmon species needs to be tested for radiation — Gov’t doesn’t want us to know
• Physician in Canada on Cancer Estimates: Epidemic of Fukushima radiation-related deaths from fish in Pacific may have started — “Vast implications for human health” — “I eat so much salmon… I’m vulnerable”

• CNN: All 15 blue-fin tuna samples off California had Fukushima radiation… back in AUGUST 2011 — “This year’s fish are going to be really interesting” says Stanford scientist
• TV: Blue-fin tuna picking up more and more cesium — Contamination “will go on for 300 to 600 years” (VIDEO)
• Good bet ALL blue-fin tuna in Pacific are contaminated — Radiation levels thought to increase over time -Gundersen (VIDEO)

Star-fish

• SF Chronicle: Fukushima radiation possible culprit in huge starfish die off from Mexico to Alaska — Potential catastrophe, it’s extremely virulent “going on up and down coast… It’s going to change what’s out there pretty fundamentally”
• PHOTOS: Sea star began “ripping itself into pieces” — Like a horror movie — AP: Deaths from Alaska to S. California — Biologist: Related to an environmental change? “An early warning that we aren’t picking up on?” — Professor: “None of us had ever seen anything like this before”

It’s worth noting here that star-fish eat sea-urchins, and sea-urchins eat sea-weed.

Sea-weed

• Up to 1 billion Bq/kg of iodine-131 was estimated in seaweed near Fukushima reactors -Study
• Southern California had 2,500 Bq/kg of iodine-131 in seaweed — Over 500% higher than other tests in U.S., Canada
• Gov’t: Radioactive iodine detected in 6 seaweed samples by South Korea — Concerns over Fukushima contamination after Tepco admits plant is leaking into ocean

Polar bears, seals, walrus

• Alaska: 28% of polar bears with skin lesions & hair loss, thyroids tested by gov’t… like symptoms in seals & walrus — Surprisingly high mortality of musk ox, weak immune system suspected — High rate of embryo deaths & bad eggs for geese
• Reuters: Radiation tests underway on dead and diseased seals in Alaska — Suffering bleeding lesions, hair loss
• Sickened Alaska seals concentrated where Fukushima radioactive plume made landfall after 3/11 (MAPS)
• Seals, walruses… now “unprecedented” number of sea turtle deaths in Vancouver Island says oceanographer (AUDIO)

Sea-turtles

• Fishermen report boats surrounded by hundreds of dead Eastern Pacific green sea turtles — Official says some found swimming in circles as if dazed or confused
• Scientists ‘Alarmed’ and ‘Puzzled’: Hundreds of sea turtles washing up dead on Pacific coast — Dogs “stopped breathing and died almost instantly” when eating them — Researchers analyzing toxicity — Many with reproductive problems
• U.S. scientists find Fukushima cesium in turtles, whales, fish

Sardines

• Massive fish kill outside Tokyo in Chiba — “The sight is somewhat apocalyptic” — “Almost looks like a carpet of sardines” (PHOTOS)
• Sardine population plummets along U.S. West Coast — AP: Collapse of species feared — “Canadian Pacific fishermen catch no sardines in 2013″
• ‘Troubling Mystery’: Complete collapse of sardine population on West Coast of Canada around Vancouver — Official: It’s ‘unexpected’ — Expert: Humpback whales rarely seen, they’re telling us something changed… nobody knows what’s going on

Whales and sharks

• Sailor: After we left Japan, it felt as if the ocean itself was dead. Nothing alive for over 3000 miles. No longer saw turtles, dolphins, sharks, birds, saw one whale, it appeared helpless with big tumor on head.
• CBS News: Hundreds of whales in bay on California coast; It’s never been like this, we just can’t even believe it — Experts: We just aren’t sure what’s going on; “A once-in-a-lifetime chance… unheard of, it’s unbelievable, nobody’s seen this” (VIDEO)
• Whale Expert near Vancouver: In 30 years I’ve never ever seen this kind of behavior, “They must sense this is a safe place to be” — Captain: I’ve never seen anything like it in 50 years on Pacific — “One even placed its head on the boat” (VIDEO)
• ‘Astonishing’: World’s rarest whale spotted near Canada’s Pacific coast — “First confirmed sighting in recent history” — Two seen in last few months after none in 60+ years — Some “migrate to the area around Japan” — “Nasty looking but healed wound” on upper jaw (PHOTOS)
• CBC News: Something very odd is happening in Pacific; Sea creatures acting strangely, species turning up where rarely seen — Related to Fukushima crisis? — L.A. Lifeguard: Used to be 2 shark sightings a year, now it’s 2 a day (VIDEOS)

If it isn’t obvious, these animals are trying to escape the radiation. Animals, unlike humans, are very aware when something is wrong.

Sea-lions

• CBS Los Angeles: “Dead sea lions everywhere” — Rescuer: I’ve never seen anything like this… we never would have imagined the numbers — Expert: No oceanographic explanation for what we’re seeing (VIDEO)
• TV: Historic number of sea lions washing up in S. California — Has reached “epidemic proportions” — Center declares state of emergency — Feds: “There’s something going on oceanographically” (VIDEO)

Squid

• “Weird things” happening on California coast: Previously unknown toxic algae blooms proliferating; Unprecedented mass of oxygen-poor water near shore — TV: Mystery strandings of large squid covered miles and experts baffled… “essentially killing themselves, it’s just really weird” (VIDEO)
• Mystery: Dozen miles of dead squid wash ashore in California — Researchers have no idea why (PHOTO & VIDEO)
• Argentum-110m detected in marine life: China researchers — All water samples contain strontium-90 (Strontium-90 found in squids; 2011)
• Fukushima contamination carried to shores of U.S. — Radioactive tuna caught off San Diego coast — “We were frankly kind of startled” says scientist (See quote below)
• “Blue-fin tuna absorbed radioactive cesium from swimming in contaminated waters and feeding on contaminated prey such as krill and squid, the scientists said.”

Birds

• Photos: ‘Lots of sea birds washing up dead’ in Alaska
• Die-offs of mammals, birds, reptiles in Western U.S. — “So many diseases afflicting such a wide variety of animals” — Names out of sci-fi thriller: hemorrhagic disease, sylvatic plague — Studies now underway to find out why (VIDEO)
• A “Most Unusual Event”: Birds returning from Fukushima-area with troubling symptoms — Appear to not have been able to find food in North Pacific — “I’ve never seen birds in that poor of a condition come back to New Zealand”

Oar-fish

• Gov’t scientists unsure why giant fish washing up dead on West Coast, “testing tissue for radiation” — “One dead oar-fish is odd, two is a pattern” — PBS: “After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, there were accounts of several washing ashore”

There are more I haven’t included, and certainly more to come. These aren’t out-liars either, these are epidemics. It seems every few weeks now there is a new epidemic involving marine life in the Pacific.

While not all of these have been tied to Fukushima, though many are, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to suggest that the truly astronomical amount of radiation being continuously poured into the ocean could possibly be related, especially considering how none of this happened before 3/11, and now, it’s all happening at once. Nobody knows exactly how this effects the fragile marine eco-systems — it’s uncharted territory. Also, it’s worth noting that radiation damages the immune system, which makes it harder to fight off infections and disease.

Radiation also causes deformities. Here are some examples of them, as well as articles about radiation-induced mutation in general.

Continue reading this extensive list of affected lifeforms @ thewheelsimplyturns