It’s been two and a half years since a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami struck the coast of Japan, crippling the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The still damaged-plant continues to release radiation into the environment. In August, the power plant’s owners confirmed that the plant is releasing 300 tons of radioactive water into the ocean — every day. This is the largest single contribution of radionuclides into the marine environment ever observed. Naturally, it has people across the globe worried about the impact on fish, oceans and our health. South Korea has banned imports of seafood from the northeast coast of Japan. Here in the US, social media networks continue to buzz with people swearing off Pacific Ocean fish — especially after scientists announced that some tuna found off the coast of San Diego contains trace amounts of radio-isotopes from the Fukushima plant.
But do you really need to be worried? Tune into Terra Verde to hear our guests separate fact from fear-mongering. With us will be Nicholas Fisher, professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at SUNY-Stonybrook, Ken Buesseler, a marine radiochemist and Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Paul Johnson, the founder and owner of Monterey Fish Market here in Berkeley.