Fukushima still leaking radiation

[Prof_Sai]

Originally Posted by TF-Viewer

Try 20,000 years.

Tried, and failed. No chance of life on Earth if the current state keeps up.

[vincent_richter]

Originally Posted by Prof_Sai

Tried, and failed. No chance of life on Earth if the current state keeps up.

What are you talking about?
Everyone knows there's bugger-all for life down 'ere on Earth!

[Drachen]

Originally Posted by Prof_Sai

Tried, and failed. No chance of life on Earth if the current state keeps up.

Ironically, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is doing quite well biologically. Since the humans left, wolves, beavers, eagles and bison are all thriving in the area.

[TF-Viewer]

Originally Posted by Drachen

Ironically, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is doing quite well biologically. Since the humans left, wolves, beavers, eagles and bison are all thriving in the area.

Well, not really.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernob..._natural_world

There have been reports that wildlife has since flourished due to significant reduction of human impact.[38] For this reason, the Zone is considered by some as a classic example of an involuntary park. Some claim that the populations of traditional Polesian animals (such as wolves, badger, wild boar, roe deer, white-tailed eagle, black stork, Western marsh harrier, short-eared owl, red deer, moose, great egret, whooper swan, least weasel, common kestrel and beaver) have multiplied enormously and begun expanding outside the zone. These claims, however, are not substantiated by any systematic census of any animal taxon.[39]

It seems that idea is just a misconception.

[Drachen]

Originally Posted by TF-Viewer

Well, not really.

I didn't say they were all perfectly healthy. They are thriving compared to surrounding areas and compared to what that part of Ukraine was like before the accident. That area was a swamp and was cleared and drained for farmland in the early 20th century. That means wolf and beaver hunts on a massive Soviet-style scale and massive habitat destruction. Now there are wolf packs living and breeding within the Zone. European bison were re-introduced a few years ago.

It's pretty clear at this point that the immediate danger posed by the radiation is less than from the humans themselves.

[TF-Viewer]

Originally Posted by Drachen

I didn't say they were all perfectly healthy. They are thriving compared to surrounding areas and compared to what that part of Ukraine was like before the accident. That area was a swamp and was cleared and drained for farmland in the early 20th century. That means wolf and beaver hunts on a massive Soviet-style scale and massive habitat destruction. Now there are wolf packs living and breeding within the Zone. European bison were re-introduced a few years ago.

It's pretty clear at this point that the immediate danger posed by the radiation is less than from the humans themselves.

I see, so it's 'comparative thriving'. Humans aren't in the area to hunt these animals so their populations grow, but they're still all sick and suffering from horrible radiation. Let's not pretend they're doing well, they're living on poisoned ground, breathing poisoned air, and drinking poisoned water. They're sick and suffering and will not live the kind of lifespan they would normally. I'm not sure we can honestly say they're 'benefiting' from the lack of human presence. If the accident hadn't happened there would be far fewer animals in the area, that much is true, but those few that were there would not be radioactive.

[Drachen]

Originally Posted by TF-Viewer

They're sick and suffering and will not live the kind of lifespan they would normally.

"Radioactive" does not automatically mean "sick and suffering". We're not talking about radiation sickness here. Low doses of radiation over a long period of time doesn't affect an organism the same way a huge burst like what happened right after the accident. The wolves do seem to be thriving and the ones featured on this Nature episode seemed to be healthy. They probably do have a higher incidence of birth defects and cancer than a population outside a radioactive zone, but we don't know. The long-term studies of the area are just starting. What we do know is that the Exclusion Zone isn't a total dead zone. It sure as hell isn't S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

You can't possibly know about the lifespan of creatures within the Zone because the scientists studying the Zone do not know.

Originally Posted by TF-Viewer

If the accident hadn't happened there would be far fewer animals in the area, that much is true, but those few that were there would not be radioactive.

Yes. They would not be radioactive.

[TF-Viewer]

Originally Posted by Drachen

"Radioactive" does not automatically mean "sick and suffering". We're not talking about radiation sickness here. Low doses of radiation over a long period of time doesn't affect an organism the same way a huge burst like what happened right after the accident. The wolves do seem to be thriving and the ones featured on this Nature episode seemed to be healthy. They probably do have a higher incidence of birth defects and cancer than a population outside a radioactive zone, but we don't know. The long-term studies of the area are just starting. What we do know is that the Exclusion Zone isn't a total dead zone. It sure as hell isn't S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

You can't possibly know about the lifespan of creatures within the Zone because the scientists studying the Zone do not know.



Yes. They would not be radioactive.

If you love The Exclusion Zone so much why don't you just marry it then?

[vincent_richter]

Originally Posted by TF-Viewer

If you love The Exclusion Zone so much why don't you just marry it then?

Oi! If there's any smartassery to be 'ad 'ere, it'll be by me!

Originally Posted by Drachen

"Radioactive" does not automatically mean "sick and suffering". We're not talking about radiation sickness here. Low doses of radiation over a long period of time doesn't affect an organism the same way a huge burst like what happened right after the accident. The wolves do seem to be thriving and the ones featured on this Nature episode seemed to be healthy. They probably do have a higher incidence of birth defects and cancer than a population outside a radioactive zone, but we don't know. The long-term studies of the area are just starting. What we do know is that the Exclusion Zone isn't a total dead zone. It sure as hell isn't S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

You can't possibly know about the lifespan of creatures within the Zone because the scientists studying the Zone do not know.



Yes. They would not be radioactive.

If you love The Exclusion Zone so much why don't you just marry it then?