UPDATE!!: Crisis Nihon!!! 日本危機!!!

Things only seem to be getting worse for our friends over in Japan. With more fires and Hydrogen explosions at Fukushima Plant and Oganawa Plant... Radiation increases and direct danger to Human, Livestock, and Plant life; this may in fact become greater; or worse than the Kanto Plain Quake of 1923, not because of magnitude of Earth Quake, but due to levels of increasing radiation as a result of the Earth Quake.

Accuweather.com runs over the newest updates in this Crisis for Japan in this recent news segment:

http://www.accuweather.com/video/812614239000.:/japans-nuclear-crisis-deepens.asp

What makes things worse, is those that survived the Quake, but are homeless because of it, now have to face Wintry winds and storms. Temperatures in Northern Japan around Sendai, (Fukushima Reactor), are usually in the upper 40's during the day, but fall to the lower 30's at night; similar temps you will find in Chicago between February and March.

This may cause a terrible outcome for those left outside, especially for those that are older, and those that are in fragile health. I can only hope that enough facilities are available and they can get enough warmth to not only the Quake refugees, but those in Japan who will be experiencing the rolling blackouts caused by the lack of energy, normally supplied by their Nuclear Power Plants; two of which are mostly if not fully down.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47038/japan-quake-and-tsunami-surviv.asp

Because of the current Wind/Weather Patterns, Eastern and Southern Japan are at risk of higher radiation doses, from the North-Eastern area where the troubled reactors exist, than anywhere else in the world at the moment. Currently most of the radioactivity will blow out to the south Pacific, but doesn't fix the fact that many are dead and even more are still missing.

Here in the U.S. we have no need to worry about radiation from Japan just yet, however if the Reactors continue to leak and the wind changes toward our direction then we may get hit a little.

It'll be more worrisome for those on the West coast of the U.S. and Canada than in other places, however, it all depends on the weather at the time and if the radioactivity stays in the upper atmosphere or is pushed down towards the ground.

At the moment we are safe here in the Mid-West U.S., yet those on the west coasts of North America may want to go an buy a bottle of over the-counter Thyroid supplement at places like GNC. This contains iodine which is supposed to when taken help prevent harmful Radiation from inserting itself into our bodies in any extreme manner as well as a way of protecting your Thyroid from the Radiation as well.

Obviously there are no sure fire ways of protection, even if you have a Radiation Suit, however O-T-C Thyroid supplements are probably the cheapest effective way to protect yourself.

In Japan people are wearing masks; this is a fairly normal occurrence over there, especially if someone is sick, (they wear them in this instance to prevent others around them from getting sick; signs of a respectful and common sense laden society), however many more are now wearing them to prevent radiation from being breathed in.

I personally do not see how a cloth mask will prevent radiation from irradiating your body, since the particles can pass through stone, dirt, clothes, skin, bone, etc. Any one who has taken a science class should have at least that knowledge, yet it may be possible to block heavier particles from entering your lungs directly... but without research into this, it sounds more like a false security blanket being force-fed to the people in Japan and the News Reporters to make everyone feel better or safer.

The only effective means I know of from my EMA experience, is a gas mask rated for radiation exposure.

In any case, my heart goes out to those in Japan, and I hope this incident wraps up sooner than later for their sakes, as well as the rest of the World.

But we can at least do something, even if it is just a little something; if you view my earlier article on this at:

Crisis Nihon!!! 日本危機!!!

I have a list of places in that article that are all working to bring help to the Japanese people, via clothing, food, and other articles necessary for basic Human survival.
Visit the link above to find an organization to use, to send help today!

R. William Holzkopf Jr.