[ RadSafe ] NYC symposium on biomedical/environmental impacts of Fukushima at New York Academy of Medicine - Gathering on "Real" Science?

Fri Feb 1 05:12:05 CST 2013

Dear Mark:  Thank you very much for sending the News Release.  - I wonder
what will come out of this suspicious mélange of people running the show.
Good science will win in the end.  Best regards, Ludwig

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] Im Auftrag von Miller, Mark L
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 31. Januar 2013 17:04
An: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] NYC symposium on biomedical/environmental impacts of
Fukushima at New York Academy of Medicine - Gathering on "Real" Science?
Wichtigkeit: Hoch

 Source:
www.helencaldicottfoundation.org<http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org/>
NEWS RELEASE

Contacts:  Josh Baran, jcbaran at gmail.com<mailto:jcbaran at gmail.com>,
917-797-1799

      Stephen Kent, skent at kentcom.com<mailto:skent at kentcom.com>,
914-589-5988

FUKUSHIMA TWO YEARS LATER
Global symposium to address mounting medical & ecological consequences March
11-12 - New York Academy of Medicine

[New York - January 25, 2013]  Two years after the March 11, 2011 triple
meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, new research and new
information continues to come to light about its continuing bio-medical and
ecological consequences, how they compare with Chernobyl, and what they
indicate about the impact of nuclear power on public health, safety, and the
environment.

A unique public symposium, "The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the
Fukushima Nuclear Accident," will be held on March 11-12  at the New York
Academy of Medicine to explore the latest data and its implications. A
project of The Helen Caldicott Foundation, the symposium is being
co-sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility.

The Japanese Prime Minister during the Fukushima crisis, Naota Kan, will
open the symposium with a special videotaped message.  He will be followed
by another video message from the Special Adviser to the Prime Minister
(2010-2011), Hiroshi Tasaka, Ph.D.  A nuclear engineer and Professor at
Japan's Tama University,  he counseled the Kan government on how to stop the
acute phase of the Fukushima accident, and on reforming nuclear regulation
and energy policy in its wake.

Then an international group of some of the world's leading experts -
including several from Japan and the U.S. --  in radiation biology,
embryology, epidemiology, oceanography, nuclear engineering, and nuclear
policy will make presentations and participate in panel discussions.  Among
them are Dr. Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute;  Dr.
Hisaku Sakiyama,  a member of the Japanese Diet's Fukushima Accident
Independent Investigative Commission; Dr. Alexey Yablokov of the Russian
Academy of Sciences; and many others (see below for a list of presenters).

Much of the information and analysis that the participants will present is
new.  All of it is highly relevant to the current debate about the future of
nuclear power in Japan, the U.S. and globally.

"The Fukushima crisis is actually an issue of global public health," said
Dr. Helen Caldicott, the symposium's organizer.  "As a physician, I've been
distressed about the lack of general understanding of the medical science
that should be part of any discussion of nuclear power, but isn't."

"For example, cancers in humans take from five to seventy years to develop
after radiation exposure, so it takes time to actually see the effects in
populations," she said. "But we are  already observing a demonstrable
increased incidence of thyroid abnormalities in children in the Fukushima
Prefecture. This may be an early indicator of an eventual increased
incidence of thyroid cancers.  Further, plumes of radioactivity from
Fukushima are currently migrating in the Pacific Ocean towards the West
Coast of the U.S."

"This crisis is far from over. Large radioactive releases into the ocean
continue, and thousands of tons of radioactive waste are set to be
incinerated in cities throughout Japan.  And worst of all, Fukushima
Daiichi's building #4, which holds 100 tons of highly radioactive spent
fuel, was seriously damaged during the earthquake and could collapse in
another large quake.  This would

cause the fuel pool to burn, releasing even more massive amounts of
radiation.  All of these have profound medical and public health
implications."

Confirmed speakers at the symposium include:

  *   Dr. Herbert Abrams, Emeritus Professor Radiology, Stanford University,
Member of Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation Committee, National
Academy of Sciences (BEIR VII), presenting on "The Hazards of Low-level
Ionizing Radiation: Controversy and Evidence."
  *   Robert Alvarez, former U.S. Department of Energy Senior Policy
Advisor, now Senior Scholar, Institute for Policy Studies, presenting on
"Management of Spent Fuel Pools and Radioactive Waste"
  *   Dr. David Brenner, Higgins Professor of Radiation Physics, College of
Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, presenting on "Mechanistic
Models for Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Living Systems"
  *   Dr. Ken Buesseler, Marine Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute, presenting on "Radionuclides in Ocean, Fish and the Seafloor"
  *   Dr. Ian Fairlie, independent consultant on radiation risks, former
Secretary to UK Government's Committee Examining the Radiation Risks of
Internal Emitter, presenting on "The Nuclear Disaster at Fukushima: Nuclide
Source Terms and Initial Health Effects"
  *   Cindy Folkers, Beyond Nuclear, presenting on "Post Fukushima Food
Monitoring   in the USA"
  *   David Freeman, engineer and attorney, former Chairman, Tennessee
Valley Authority, who was in charge of energy and the environment while
serving in the Office of Science and Technology under Presidents Johnson and
Nixon, presenting on "My Experience with Nuclear Power"
  *   Arnie Gunderson, Nuclear Engineer, Fairewinds Associates, which
consults on U.S. nuclear safety, presenting on "What Did They Know and When
Did They Know It?"
  *   Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear, Specialist in High Level Waste Management
and Transportation, presenting on "Seventy Years of Radioactive Risks in
Japan and America"
  *   David Lochbaum, Union of Concerned Scientists, presenting on "Another
Unsurprising Surprise"
  *   Dr. Donald Louria, Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Preventive
Medicine and Community Health of the University of Medicine and Dentistry,
New Jersey, will chair the symposium.
  *   Joe Mangano, Executive Director, Radiation and Public Health Project,
presenting on "Post-Fukushima Increases in Newborn Hypothyroidism on the
West Cost of USA"
  *   Akio Matsumura, Founder of Global Forum for Parliamentary Leaders on
Global Survival, presenting on "What did the World Learn from the Fukushima
Accident?"
  *   Dr. Tim Mousseau, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of
South Carolina, presenting on "Chernobyl, Fukushima and other Hot Places:
Biological Consequences"
  *   Dr. Marek Niedziela, Professor of Pediatrics, Poznan University of
Medical Sciences, Poland, presenting on "Thyroid Pathology in Children with
Particular Reference to Chernobyl and Fukushima"
  *   Mary Olson, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, presenting on
"Gender Matters in the Nuclear Age"
  *   Dr. Hisaku Sakiyama, Doctor of Medicine, former Senior Researcher at
National Institute Radiological Sciences, Japan, member of Fukushima
Accident Independent Investigative Commission, presenting on  "Risk
Assessment of Low Dose Radiation in Japan: What Became Clear to the National
Diet of Japan's Fukushima Investigation Commission"
  *   Steven Starr, Senior Scientist, Physicians for Social Responsibility,
Clinical Laboratory Science Program Director, University of Missouri,
presenting on "The Implications of the Massive Contamination of Japan with
Radioactive Cesium"
  *   Dr. Wladimir Wertelecki, former Chairman Department of Medical
Genetics and Birth Defects Department at the University of South Alabama,
presenting on "Congenital Malformations in Rivne, Polossia associated with
the Chernobyl Accident"
  *   Dr. Steve Wing, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Gillings School
of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, presenting on
"Epidemiological Studies of Radiation Releases from Nuclear Facilities:
Lessons from Past and Present"
  *   Dr. Alexey Yablokov, Russian Academy of Sciences, presenting on
"Lessons from Chernobyl"

"The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident"
symposium will be held March 11 - 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine,
located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street, beginning at 9am on
March 11.  The symposium program is posted at
www.helencaldicottfoundation.org<http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org>.
Members of the public can obtain information and register for the event
online at: http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org/symposium.html

#  #   #

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS AND BLOGGERS:  Members of the media are invited to
attend all or part of the symposium free of charge. Journalists and bloggers
need not register online but should simply RSVP to this email.  FYI the
first session 9:00- 10:45am on Monday, March 11 includes former Prime
Minister Kan, Dr. Tasaka, David Lochbaum and Arnie Gunderson.  For dates and
times of all symposium presentations and panels, please see the posted
agenda (online at http://www.helencaldicottfoundation.org/symposium.html,
bottom of the page). Dr. Caldicott and other symposium presenters are
available for advance or side interviews on request. To arrange an
interview, or to RSVP for the symposium, contact Josh Baran,
jcbaran at gmail.com<mailto:jcbaran at gmail.com>, 917-797-1799 or Stephen Kent,
skent at kentcom.com,<mailto:skent at kentcom.com>  914-589-5988  (working media
only please).

About The Helen Caldicott Foundation

The goal of The Helen Caldicott Foundation is far-reaching public education
about the often underestimated and poorly understood medical hazards of
nuclear weapons and nuclear power.

About Physicians for Social Responsibility

PSR is the largest physician-led organization in the U.S. working to prevent
nuclear war and proliferation and to slow, stop and reverse global warming
and toxic degradation of the environment.
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