SafeCast Crowdsourcing Global Radiation Levels

Hundreds of millions of smartphones have been sold worldwide. Radiation detectors and dosimeters that leverage the network capabilities of smartphones to measure and share radiological data have recently been launched in the market. In this paper we will analyze how crowd inspection – the collective measurement and sharing of radiological data by the general public – will potentially change emergency planning and response. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor tragedy in Japan spearheaded the acquisition of thousands radiation detectors and dosimeters by the general public. The perceived lack of communication from the Japanese government on the radiation levels in the country soon after the earthquake and tsunami that rendered the nuclear power station inoperable on March 11, 2011 led the general public to take their own radiation measurements. Initially, social media services were used to disseminate radiation levels in Japan. Just a few weeks after the disaster the first integration sites were created to collect and share measurements from individual radiation detectors. The second generation of fully networked and integrated radiation detectors have been introduced to the market recently. These devices allow users to seamlessly measure and share information using a smartphone or tablet. As the adoption of these devices increases, it is necessary to revisit emergency planning and response. These points must be taken in consideration.

First, the public must be educated on the correct use and interpretation of the results from these devices. Background radiation and seasonal variations must be carefully explained to avoid unnecessary confusion.

Second, emergency response plans have to be communicated with the general public.

For example, the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is located in a highly populated area in southern California. With almost 9,000,000 people living in a 50 miles radius from SONGS, it is important for authorities to have mitigation strategies to avoid mass chaos in case of an improbable radiological event. The concern is to have the public knowing about higher levels of radiation before authorities have a chance to plan a response. Conversely, crowd inspection can be used as a powerful instrument to help minimize the fears and concerns of the public residing near nuclear generating stations. The ability to measure and share actual radiation levels will minimize the impact that news reports have on every small incident that happens inside a nuclear power plant.

Crowd inspection is an inevitable technology evolutionary step. SafeCast.org

How will crowd inspection change the way we plan and respond to radiological emergencies?

Bill Cardoso, Ph.D.

http://www.creativeelectron.com/

Join The iRadGeiger Revolution!

Replace Jen Tucker San Clemente

Jen Tucker San Clemente Disaster Guru #FAIL

Jen Tucker, SC's emergency preparedness guru, as a rule, 

paints a "no worries, we've got it covered" spin to a potential 

SONGS hiccup (nuke-jargon for "OMG Chet, it's happening!!!")

I've never heard her say otherwise.

And I've heard her a bunch.

But then, what's the other choice, scream, "We're All Doomed!"

Real estate honchos and chambers of commerce 

so hate the doomed-scenario.

Sad but true reality: in South County's post-disaster, post meltdown, 

post-radiation-plume, post evac dialogue, if we Shut SONGS Now, 

the hypothetical post-nuclear holocaust preparedness mumbo jumbo 

(which flies out the window anyway when the big-one hits, as chaos 

reigns supreme, aka Fukushima  and Chernobyl), becomes unnecessary.

That said - when counting I-5 freeway overpasses between SONGS

(San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station) and Crown Valley Pkwy,

12 or so miles to the north = 12. 

1-overpass per mile. 

Hmm (what goes up, can come down).

Count'em. 

See what number you come up with. 

There may be more, where the I-5 freeway passes over, 

or under a city street, or rail line, or a creek below.

Continuing north to the 405 / I-5 interchange, at Alton Parkway: 

Overs and Unders equal = 1 per mile.

18 overpasses between SONGS and the 405?

Over or under 18-times, in 18-miles. 

4-years ago, in SJC, where I-5 spans Trubuco Creek, 

by total accident, Caltrans engineers discovered severe 

cracks in that I-5 span, and immediately retrofitted it.

I repeat - severe cracking, that was not supposed to be there.

By accident, they found it, and fixed it.

It's a safe bet, the most perfect evac-scenario conceived, 

fails, if just one of the 18, I-5 weak spots / overpasses / 

underpasses - collapse. Or in any way become

impassable. Then what?

Will the I-5 freeway, from Basilone Rd, to the 405, withstand an 8.0

at every elevated juncture?

Or a 7.5?

Or a 6.8?

Caltrans needs to give us the answer, quick.

Because, if even one cracks, when the big-one hits:

end of Evacuation Plan A (hello...Plan B?).

With SONGS shut for good, erases our one, big-bad negative 

when the big one does hit (as predicted).

So: Plan A - Shut SONGS now (for good).

Plan B: look for cracks in I-5, end-to-end, top-to-bottom, now.

Apologies to South County's chambers of commerce and 

realtors everywhere, for this unwelcome dose of 

evacuation Reality.

jerry collamer

San Clemente

Ca - 92672

San Clemente Great Shake Out

A film depiction of the USGS ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario

Nuke Plants On Fault Lines In Tsunami Hazard Zones = Fukushima... Any Questions?

San Clemente Radiation Event Emergency Planning Meetings

San Clemente California Fukushima USA

In the past 60 years there have been numerous military and nuclear power plant accidents which resulted in radiation poisoning to the public. Three of the biggest disasters were at Three Mile Island (USA), Chernobyl (Russia), and Fukushima (Japan).  An NRC study warned that a nuclear event in the U.S. could cause 50,000 fatalities and cost over $300 billion in property damage.  Anyone who lives within the 50 mile danger zone (San Diego to Los Angeles)   should prepare for possible emergencies including abandoning their home.

What Could Cause a Nuclear Emergency
·        Earthquake
·        Tsunami
·        Equipment failure
·        Power outage
·        Human error
·        Terrorist attack

What Will Not Happen
·        Atomic bomb-type explosion

What Could Happen
·        Radiation leaks from very small to very large will move inland and follow prevailing wind patterns.
·        Radiation cannot be seen, heard, tasted, or smelled. It can silently penetrate all materials.   It will contaminate food and water, clothing, furniture, and can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin.  Large doses will quickly have severe and possibly lethal impacts.  Smaller doses will not be noticed immediately but can lead to severe medical problems weeks, months, or years later.  Predictions of premature cancer deaths from Chernobyl range to almost a million all over Europe.

What You Can and Cannot Do
·        Radiation emergencies are unlike any other conventional emergencies.   This means that much of conventional disaster planning will not work.
·        Depending on where you live, evacuation may not be feasible.   Evacuation cannot take place upwind because of the ocean, and moving 8.4 million people downwind cannot work and might expose everyone to even more radiation.
·        From past experience we know that authorities underestimate the actual radiation levels or may not want the public to know the dangers.  The only way to know the radiation level in your area is to do what many Japanese have done:  buy your own household Geiger Counter. A millionth of a gram of Plutonium 239 can be lethal.
·        If you have a basement or underground shelter, go there and stay there.
·        Learn about the pros and cons of taking Iodine pills which might reduce absorption of certain kinds of radioactive elements.
·        In the event that a widespread area between San Diego and Los Angeles becomes contaminated, be prepared to abandon your home.  Insurance will not cover any loses.  After 25 years, Chernobyl remains an uninhabitable zone of death may stay that way for centuries.  This could happen to any area near a nuclear reactor.

Are Nuclear Reactors Safe?
          It is not possible to make nuclear reactors 100% safe  (as we have seen from Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima).  Explosions within a reactor are uncommon but did happen at Fukushima. Each plant also stores many dangerous and relatively unprotected radioactive fuel rods outside the reactor. Estimates of natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, fires) and other dangers (human error, terrorist attacks) involve guesswork and have been wrong in the past.  In the event of a disaster,  operators of a nuclear plant are not liable.

Should the Remaining San Onofre Reactors Be Decommissioned?
          This is an expensive process, but consumers already pay for this every month in their electric bill.   All reactors have a limited lifespan, and the oldest San Onofre reactor was decommissioned 20 years ago.  The two remaining reactors, already renewed once,    should be closed as soon as possible.   San Onofre's aging reactors, unfortunately built in a highly populated area,  are vulnerable to tsunamis, earthquakes, and terrorists.  Since it is not possible to protect the public in the event of an accident, many argue that public safety can be achieved only by closing the facility.   (The determination that evacuation was not possible is what forced the closing of the  Shoreham reactor in NY.) Many countries have banned nuclear reactors  or are phasing them out.
          Even though the remaining San Onofre reactors are very old, the operator (Southern California Edison) is planning to lobby for license renewal.   Because it was built so long ago, it is exempt from many safety standards required of new reactors.   There is a very large, powerful, profitable, and well-funded public relations lobby that promotes  nuclear energy.  The U.S. government has agencies which are supposed to insure public safety, but these agencies often ignore the public and act in the interests of the nuclear industry. Most funding for the NRC comes from the nuclear industry it is supposed to regulate.


Three very important "San Clemente Radiation Emergency Planning Meeting" reminders:

          1.  Progressives of South Orange County, 6 PM this Thursday Sept. 22, Dana Point Yacht Club.  Our guest will be Ace Hoffman who will speak about the dangers of living near a nuclear power plant.  RSVP to  Roger at SCNJ66 at yahoo dot com.

          2.  San Clemente City Council Town Meeting,  Tues., Sept. 27 6:30 PM, San Clemente Community Center (100 N. Calle Seville).     The Lessons Learned from Fukushima Part One: The Nuclear Industry Point of View.

          3.   San Clemente City Council Town Meeting, Tues., Oct. 11 6:30 PM, San Clemente Community Center (100 N. Calle Seville).    The Lessons Learned from Fukushima Part Two:  Presentations from Independent Experts about the Safety of the San Onofre nuclear power plant.

       
 Learn more about nuclear power by visiting these websites:          
www.nirs.org;     www.nukefree.org;     www.acehoffman.org;     www.sanclementegreen.org;

Emergency Preparedness in San Clemente

Do You Live In The Zone?

Usually, when people think about "emergency preparedness", they think of armed survivalists or religious fundamentalists in compounds waiting for the end of the world with their sacks of rice and beans; or you may think of FEMA or the Red Cross swooping in to deliver aid to those affected by disaster. The idea of emergency preparedness is not one that is high on the list of priorities for those who believe in a "create your own reality" universe. After all, why would I prepare for something I don't want to happen? Won't that just create it? Many people I have spoken to on the subject feel that preparedness is fear based and not something that should be seriously considered if you are "truly spiritual".

I disagree. There are some very good reasons why we, as spiritually aware people, need to seriously consider emergency preparedness as part of our world service. As usual, I'm not pulling any punches here, and you may find some of what I have to say to be a bit intense. I feel it is crucial at this time to share this perspective. Take it on board or don't, as you feel called. :)

1. You can't share what you don't have. This is a true statement for healers, and for daily life. If you are depleted and have nothing to give, you can't do your work in the world. If you are filled with energy, you can easily give to others. Regarding emergencies, I've heard many people say things like "we'll all just pool our resources and make it together". That's a great concept. But, what resources are you going to be sharing? If no one has prepared, what resources there are will rapidly diminish and its all downhill from there. If you are prepared with food, water and emergency supplies, you will be in a position of being able to help others. If you aren't prepared, you will be putting much of your energy toward locating resources instead of aiding in recovery.

2. Preparedness is honoring the natural pulse of creation. Until very recently in human experience, we understood that nature has periods of plenty and periods of not-so-plenty. Harvest was followed by Winter, then followed again by spring and increasing resources. It astounds me that so many of the people I connect with no longer believe that honoring this cycle is necessary. Our habits of convenience and comfort are what have thrown the Earth out of balance and have created a false sense of the natural cycle of ebb and flow. Every indigenous culture that we claim to honor for their knowledge of living in balance with the Earth practices food and resource storage because they understand these pulses of nature. In order to live in balance with the planet, we need to honor this cycle once again and return to practices of harvesting in times of plenty and preparing that abundance for sharing in times of lack.

3. Love vs. Fear. When you are prepared, there is no reason to be scared. You know you have what is needed to meet basic needs, which means that you will be experiencing much less stress in an emergency situation. Stress causes massive damage to our physical and energetic bodies. It has been shown in clinical studies that people in states of stress do not think as clearly or make decisions that are as sound as those of people who are not in a physiological stress state. Stress makes people selfish, greedy and violent because it activates our animal physiology and our animal emotional nature. When you are not in stress, you make better decisions and are more likely to act with kindness, love and philanthropy.

4. Gardens take time to grow. If there should be some type of emergency that interrupts food supply chains, don't count on eating out of your garden anytime soon, unless it happens in the midst of your growing season. Anyone who has grown a garden knows its takes months before you can begin any kind of sustained harvest. Once harvest peaks and is gone by, you will still need other resources to process and preserve your harvest for the fallow time. In addition to storing organic, heirloom seeds, you will also want to think about canning jars and other ways to store the food you grow.You'll also want to think about what you would need to see you through until that harvest is available.

5. "If I don't focus on it and give it my energy, it won't happen". This is truly one of the most sophomoric applications of positive thinking I have encountered, and tantamount to saying "If you ignore a problem, it will go away". I do believe that we create our reality. And, there are almost 7 billion people on this planet at the moment, and every one of them is a Creator. Is it not rational to think that perhaps the creations of others can affect us as well, and that not everything is about me and my creations, but may be about us and our creations? Collectively? Isn't this where we are meant to be going right now?

If you believe that positive visualization will allow you to be insulated from discomfort, think on this: Out of the 7 billion people on Earth, there are currently 1 billion people in the world who are hungry or clinically starving. Do you truly think that those people are not focusing on and praying for food every moment of every day? Yet it doesn't fall out of the heavens for them or manifest on their doorsteps. Do you believe that your prayers and positive thinking in an emergency will cause the Universe to cough up resources to save you? The Universe provides us with a sense of what's coming so that we can prepare and not expect miracles to save us from our own poor choices.

Emergencies of all sizes and types happen all the time and are going to continue to occur with greater frequency in the immediate future. Ignoring that reality will not make it go away. A conscious application of positive thinking would be focusing on manifesting what is needed now. Not waiting until there is an emergency and trying to manifest your needs then. Even if you personally are not involved in an emergency, being prepared means that you have an instant way to assist those who are.

6. Personal Responsibility: This brings us to the point of personal responsibility. Are you creating a reality in which you have abundance and are able to share abundance? or are you creating a reality where you are in lack and everyone around you is in lack? If you are not living in balance with the pulse of Universal Creation, you are-- intentionally or unintentionally-- creating a situation where lack will prevail instead of abundance. You are ultimately responsible for yourself and your own needs-- and you are spiritually responsible to alleviate suffering where you find it. Ask yourself how those responsibilities translate to emergency situations and act accordingly.

7. Its not about survival. Its about assuming your role in supporting humanity through the shift. Preparedness is not necessarily about survivalism, though there are plenty of survivalists out there. I am prepared, but I don't fear death. I will die. That's a given. in fact, I personally look forward to it. I've been there and its a much better neighborhood than this one. So, fear of death isn't my driving motivation in practicing emergency preparedness. Its more important to me to consider how I am going to live. I have dedicated my life to serve. I don't practice preparedness because I am suddenly going to board up my windows and start shooting people who come for aid. In fact, in understanding human nature, I believe people are much more likely to go militant if they aren't prepared and are stressed by circumstances.

Everyone is talking about this incredible transformation humanity is undergoing. Yet, so few people seem prepared to actually have their reality change. Change inherently means there is a period of instability as the old is cleared and the new is prepared. Our lives are not going back to the way they were. Our social structures, economic structures, political structures, etc. are all in the process of transformation. Change brings a mandate for response-ability. How able are you to respond to sudden change? Will you be prepared to assist others through this shift as well?

8. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. If an emergency should happen and you are unprepared, you are going to be a drain on the resources of others. Expecting that someone else is going to save you when you chose not to take heed of prophecy, Earth signs, social signs and spiritual signs of impending shift means that you are consciously choosing to take from others instead of providing for yourself. "God helps those who help themselves" is an old saying that has been proven to me time and time again through my own experiences and spiritual practice. Spirit supports us and can even push us in a direction, but it can't make us act. That is where our own free will and personal character come into play. Spirit has shown us what is coming, indeed, it is already here. It is each person's responsibility to act accordingly.

9. What level of consciousness will govern the new reality? If the majority of people who are prepared for emergencies are militant or religious fundamentalist, what will that look like on the other side of the shift? Who will hold the new vision? Who will have influence? Something to think about. We need to ensure that a higher consciousness prevails by being in a position to share and cooperate with others. The most fundamental way to do that is to be prepared to offer assistance, comfort, Love and Spirit with any we can touch. Preparedness makes it much easier to be in a position to do that.

10. Enough= your own needs plus extra to share. You cannot truly be abundant unless you share. Focusing soley on your own needs will lead to fear and hoarding. Planning on how you will share during an emergency ensures an energy of abundance as well as its physical reality.

I came into this life knowing clearly that this time would come, and that it was my destiny to be here on the planet to assist in some way. Don't we all feel that way? Contribution is a primary part of spiritual belief in most philosophies. A large part of that contribution needs to be spiritually based positive visioning of a world in Peace and Plenty. The next part of that needs to be taking action to make that vision a reality. And, consider that some of that contribution may also need to be on a very practical level-- especially as the world shift intensifies. As we move through this change, being prepared for the moments of discomfort will allow us to hold a higher level of consciousness and be models of true abundance and grace through transformation.

I know these ideas will challenge some of you and will meet with some opposition, but I know in my heart it is time to come out and share this message so that those who are called will hear it and take action. Tune into the Earth and notice what you feel. Look around and see what is occurring. What do you feel you are being shown? Take action on your guidance and follow the truth of your heart.

Don't survive. Thrive. Share. And, Prepare.

guest post via Naisha Ahsian

Visit San Clemente Fukushima USA

From #DecomSONGS

Click on Gary Headrick to learn more about the San Onofre Nuclear Waste Generating Station.

Come visit us any Sunday here on Del Mar for the San Clemente farmers market, fill up on organic produce, and feed your mind with real info about the beast 4 miles south of Beautiful San Clemente California, Fukushima USA.

San Clemente To Celebrate The 4th With Fireworks!

America is now calling San Clemente Fukushima USA

Stages, Mitigation:

Mitigation is the process of actively preventing the release of nuclear material. It includes policy analysis, diplomacy, political & social measures. In the case of aging Nuke Plants, built on Earthquake Fault lines, in Tsunami Hazard Zones, the only "mitigation" available is to close them as the next earthquake or tsunami can not be planned for.

These streets will be closed July 4th as the City of San Clemente invites 500,000 people to risk their lives with us in the face of a major earthquake.

There will be three designated escape routes out of the Pier Bowl, including:

1) Palizada and directed to the freeway at Palizada or north onto El Camino
Real (two lanes will be open on El Camino Real).

2) Del Mar and diverted onto Presidio.

3) Victoria and diverted southbound onto the freeway at Valencia and Calafia.

Although other intersections/streets may not be closed, please expect all Pier Bowl streets
to be impacted by the emergency exit route.

Additionally, during this time the following streets will be closed:

1 East Palizada/Seville
2 East Seville/Del Mar
3 East Palizada/Puente
4 East Ola Vista/Palizada
5 Del Mar/Ola Vista
6 East Victoria/Ola Vista
7 El Camino Real/Palizada
8 Palizada/Estrella
9 Del Mar/El Camino Real
10 Victoria/El Camino Real
11 El Camino Real/Presidio

In the event of a meltdown after an earthquake or tsunami at the San Onofre Nuclear Waste Generating Station please contact the City of San Clemente 949 361-8200 to receive your Potassium Iodide tablets

Evacuation: If you are directed to evacuate, please stay calm. Get in your car and drive away from the plant to a location outside of the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). Be sure to follow the directions of local law enforcement officers and the local civil defense as traffic patterns will change. If you know someone in your neighborhood who is without transportation, please give them a ride. Those without a ride can go to a public Transportation Assembly Point. If you are directed to evacuate while your children are at public school, do not attempt to pick them up. Children in the public schools will be pre-evacuated by Capistrano Unified School District to a location outside of the EPZ.

A Reception Center at the Orange County Fairgrounds will be opened for persons coming from Southern Orange County, if necessary during an emergency. (U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and San Diego County will open their own, separate Reception Centers.)

Shelter: Sheltering in Place (a.k.a. kiss your ass goodbye) is the process of staying where you and taking special precautions. If asked to take shelter, stay indoors, close off all ventilation, windows and doors, turn off air conditioners and close fireplace dampers. Listen to news reports to determine when it is safe to leave your shelter and evacuate the area.

Want to find out more? Visit us at the San Clemente Farmers Market on Del Mar EVERY Sunday!

Care to join us?