ScribbleLive

@bo, do you feel like your getting accurate info on food safety where you are? The govt. in the US won't officially test seafood here and only did a few tests on milk. They keep claiming there is no reason to test.

@Nancy absolutely not. There is no information about food safety here. And since some dairies that were initially kept from bringing products to market have since been allowed to, there is little reason to be assured. There is a lot of talk here, in the press as well as person to person, about the need to "support" the farmers, fishermen and dairies in the stricken area, even though no one says they would knowingly buy products from Fukushima. I am convinced that what will happen is that these products will simply find their way into processed foods where we are unable to identify the sources.

@bo oh that is so not reassuring. :-( Do you have the ability to "buy local" like at farmers markets where your at?

@dean they do, but personally I don't read Japanese. I have learned the kanji for each prefecture so I can tell in terms of produce. There is a LOT of pressure to support the farmers there and purchase goods from there. @Nancy there aren't really farmers markets here, but they do promote local produce, and everyone is flocking towards those things. That is why I am convinced the food from up there will end up in processed food.

I have noticed people standing and looking at the produce, and reading labels (like a health food store in the 70s) which I never saw here before. Everyone is worried, but there is little information to go by

I think that everywhere, and especially here in Japan, we are very dependent on the govt. providing extensive monitoring. That is not happening, and I have heard no public calls for it here. Clearly it is not happening in the states. It is one of the most proactive things we can do to protect public health and the governments don't seem inclined to do it on their own.

@dean @bo, seems the same mentality everywhere. They tell people to ignore it and don't test. I think we will need to push with other groups together and make the FDA test. The "our models don't show any risk" is BS they used that as an excuse to not test here. We need to get some sort of push to test it to prove your right. Maybe something along the same lines could happen in Japan?

I have been telling my friends here who wonder what to do that they should avoid processed food and try to eat as low on the food chain as possible. Hiroshima is on the Seto inland sea and people prefer small fish here since they are fresher. They also will have less radiation concentrated in them than fish higher up on the food chain. These are little steps but some of the only things available to us.

@fitter Good morning. I can get it translated, but probably not until midday on Friday (Wed night here). Tomorrow is (wait for it)...children's day (actually boy'
s day) so my friends are all away from work. Back in the office on Friday and can get it done then.

@dean no just checking back pages while having coffee... but i did enjoy trhe birds this moring

I think we should get with some of the others on the list that have been working on the radiation levels and personal risk protection tactics today and get some basic info together. We can set up a single page somewhere for now with all the info listed. I will see how to set up a twitter bot. We can send that info out in English and Japanese periodically and push people to that page for more info. Things like how to filter your water to make it safe etc.