Are Japan’s fish radioactive? After the earthquake which lead to a tsunami on March 11th Japanese officials noticed a leak in a Nuclear Power Plant. It was confirmed that the power plant was spilling iodine-131 and cesium-137 radioactive materials into the ocean.
One positive aspect of this disaster is that radioactive iodine has a half-life of only eight days. Let’s say there is 40% of iodine in a fish on testing day. Eight days later there will be 20% of radioactive iodine in that same fish. Approximately 96 days after the original recorded finding of 40%, this number is diminished to .01%. That would be correct if 40% was the right standing ground. There has not been any reachable published data released with any information on what percentage of iodine-131 is actually in fish. It is estimated in some parts around five thousand times the legal limit.
Bloggers are on all different sides of the issue. Facebook and Twitter seem to have an apologetic appeal. The comments on news blogs are more controversial and opinionated. Radioactive sushi has become a concern online, but its not yet apparent whether people will stop eating fish that contains five thousand times the legal limit of iodine-131 with an added kick of cesium-137 and/or if it will go off the market.
I feel for the Japanese people, their Country, the Pacific Ocean, and the Earth as a whole. The hype of this natural disaster that turned into a man made disaster is definitely needed. We need to show responsibility for our impact on the Earth sooner rather than later. Japan should do the right thing for the consumers and get serious about the deadly/unknown radioactive materials that have already poured into the Pacific. It’s great that they sealed the building, now lets figure out what these chemicals are really doing to our planet, our ocean, our sea life, and our food. The long-term affects of cesium are still unknown. The Pacific will help dilute iodine and cesium, but what happens if the damage is already done, and what might the damage entail? This issue is beneficial to marketers by way of raising money and raising awareness.
Ever since the earthquake and tsunami hit in Japan I have heard radio, television, and consumer to consumer marketing promoting Japanese business. Sushi restaurants should, if not already, tap into promoting their sushi with a percentage of their proceeds going to Japan to help their businesses. They need to rally more people together around sushi and sushi eating.
Hopefully we can find an upside to the multiple downers this dynamic earthquake and tsunami had on Japan, the Pacific, and the Earth. Maybe this will be our final push to utilize green ways of living so that the next natural disaster does not cause such irreparable damage. For now, whether you decide to keep your intake of Japanese fish at a minimum or see what radiation tastes like is up to you. Hopefully sushi prevails!
