315489
Exposure to ionizing radiation from Fukushima: The collision of science and public policy
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Such issues underscore the need for a more systematic and robust program of food safety testing and certification, particularly for Japanese and neighboring western Pacific populations in closer proximity to the ongoing leaks, and for more distant populations receiving exported foodstuffs of uncertain provenance. While such measures could help clarify the current and evolving threats to the Japanese and global food supply, they provide inadequate protection to populations still threatened by ongoing dangers emanating from Fukushima, including the potential threat of more cataclysmic releases from already damaged structures.
This presentation will address how these scientific uncertainties have collided with debates about the larger public health and social justice consequences of energy policy values and preferences, at a time when nuclear power continues to be promoted as a prime antidote to unfolding global warming.
Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciencesPublic health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Describe the acute and chronic health consequences of the multiple meltdowns of nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan.
Discuss how scientific uncertainties have collided with debates about the larger public health and social justice consequences of energy policy values and preferences.
Keyword(s): Vulnerable Populations, Policy/Policy Development
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the President of Physicians for Social Responsibility and have participated in a health delegation to Fukushima organized by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. I have published and spoken widely on the topic of health impacts of exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear weapons and related technologies, including the health impacts of Fukushima.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.