Aftermath in Japan

When I saw an article about the recovery that's occurring in Japan, I was almost taken aback, because it's an issue that got so much publicity in the direct aftermath of the disaster there, but that I haven't heard about recently. However, this article in the New York Times focused on how people are recovering and still trying to protect themselves by working with government regulations and their own perceptions of what is safe.

The Japanese government has ordered an evacuation within 12 miles of the nuclear power plant site, but what's becoming a problem is deciding what to do for people living beyond that. One family that lives 40 miles away from the site still doesn't feel comfortable going back to their farm because of fear of radiation lingering in the area. Indeed, tests have shown that even beyond the designated 12 mile radius, radiation levels are significantly higher than normal.

Experts still have very limited knowledge of what low-levels of radiation can do to people. Since exposure to radiation is avoided generally, there haven't been direct studies on its effects at a low level such as that around the power plants. Even within Japan's government and scientists, there are huge disagreements right now about where it is safe to inhabit.  This is especially concerning for Japan because of the demographic structure of the cities, with many people of all ages living in very close proximity to each other. Because of this, radiation in a given area has the potential to affect a very large population.

Specific attention is also being paid to areas with children, since most experts agree that radiation exposure should be especially limited for children. As a result, some elementary schools in the area are changing the topsoil on their playgrounds or waiting to allow children back at all.

Issues such as this really emphasize how important it is to have policies in place before disasters strike so that people can be taken care of immediately instead of having disagreements between scientists, politicians, etc. Also though, it shows the different approaches that can be taken towards public health issues. Personally, I would advocate taking a high level of caution until something is definitely known to be safe.