[Arktwo] Understanding Radiation - Three

[Bruce Beach]

This is Part Three 
concluding the three-part series 
on understanding radiation.

In part one 
we discussed how nuclear radiation 
is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum -
and a part of the invisible waves 
like radio waves 
which is why we call its activity 
radioactivity.

In part two we discussed the three types 
of radioactivity with which we are concerned -
alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. 
We pointed out that gamma radiation 
which we receive from fallout 
is our greatest concern 
immediately following a nuclear war. 

In this third-part of the presentation 
we are going to concentrate on
how to protect oneself from 
the radiation generated by nuclear weapons. 
This is the important information 
that you must know ahead of time - 
and that you will have 
by reading this presentation.
If the time comes that you need the information 
you will not have time to learn it then.

First let us focus on building a shelter.
When we build a shelter 
it is most often the amount of thickness (weight) 
over the top that is the problem -
because we have to support it up there. 

The other problem is the doorway, 
because the door needs to have the same thickness 
as the rest of the shelter. 

In actuality - 
we usually just build a barricade 
of the desired thickness 
in front of the door 
and also on one side out from the door -
and on a ceiling from the barricade 
to the shelter.

So long as we extend the open side 
of the barricade far enough away from the shelter 
to one side of the doorway
such that from just inside the shelter itself
we can't see a light bulb 
held at the outside entrance to the barricade 
then we are okay. 

The reflected light from the bulb 
is not a problem.
Nuclear radiation energy -
because it is so penetrating -
continues on in more of a straight line 
than the light from a light bulb 
and therefore it won't reflect 
very much into the shelter.

When people ask me 
about blast doors 
I often tell them 
that they probably don't need a door. 
If there is too much dust 
blowing through the shelter 
a wet bed sheet hung in the entrance 
will probably solve the problem. 

The above is also the answer 
to the subject of air filters. 
A good air intake 
is one that is four feet above the ground - 
facing downwards. 
The fallout will fallout 
on the ground 
and air (with a slight amount of fallout in it) 
will pass up into the air intake, 
but most often I just have the air 
come in the doorway.

To finish the subject of 
shelter design 
it is a good idea to have an exhaust 
at the opposite end of the shelter 
than that of the air intake. 
If the exhaust is near the roof 
then body-heat in the shelter 
will give one natural air circulation. 

The exhaust near the ceiling of the shelter 
should protrude out three feet from 
the top edge of the shelter 
before turning upwards 
through the thickness of radiation barrier 
towards the surface.

Back now - 
to the subject of gamma radiation. 
The only real way to tell 
how much radiation there is -
is to have a radiation detector. 
Buy one or make one now. 
You can even make it out of free parts 
that you will find around the home.
I have done this -
and they will work.

You can find out how to make one 
at locations such as:

	http://tinyurl.com/y8sp3n

Radiation in North America 
is measured as Roentgens, Rads, or Rems -
essentially all the same.
600 of any of them will kill you. 
450 of them and you will probably die. 
200 or less and you will probably live - 
if you are an adult healthy male. 
Best to get less than 100 - 
which is way, way, way above 
the civilian peacetime standard.

Fewer the better for children 
and women of child bearing age.
But there are a lot of variables. 
I know one fellow over eighty 
who has gotten over 3,000.
That is lifetime exposure. 
The body heals - 
just like from any burn - 
sunburn - 
or tan. 
You can take a lot - 
a little bit at a time - 
over years.

To understand more about that 
look at:

	http://tinyurl.com/ygldy4

There is NO magic pill that will stop radiation. 
I hear about them all the time -
from people that have had them recommended 
instead of a fallout shelter. 
That is as much a fraud 
as telling people 
that all they need to do 
is take some particular pill 
and they don't need to wear a seatbelt 
in the car.

On the other hand - 
at the very outset of a nuclear event 
you want to take Potassium Iodide (KI) 
because the nuclide of radioactive Iodine-131 
is also a special case
and children ESPECIALLY need to have it.
People need to continue to take it 
until about 30 days after the last bomb falls.

In the US you can get KI from 

	www.ki4u.com 

and in Canada you can get it from 

	www.kicanada.com

There is lots more 
that I could tell you about radiation 
and the defenses against it - 
but by reading this 
you now have a basic understanding 
of how it works. 

Most of the radiation problem will be over within 
thirty days - 
but there may remain some radiation hot spots 
where people dare not go. 
These will need to be marked - 
and just like you would walk 
around the edge of a lake - 
you will need to walk around these.

The biggest concern that I have 
in the long run 
will be contamination of food 
by the radioactive cesium and strontium isotopes. 

Some reviewers have asked me 
to deal with that here - 
but there is just too much detail. 
Those isotopes have a half-life 
of approximately 30 years 
which means they may remain a problem 
for a century or more. 

While I have written elsewhere 
about 14 agricultural defenses 
I am going to leave it to the reader 
to look at those other sources 
which they can download 
in such resources as:

	www.webpal.org/reconstruction.pdf

Hopefully, in the time of need 
there will be experts 
who will study into the problem 
and teach and apply the solutions 
for everyone.

In the last many decades 
I have written hundreds of web pages 
on various aspects of nuclear survival, 
the recovery period following, 
and the eventual restoration of society. 
These are available at:

	www.webpal.org 

What I have selected here 
is simply what I consider to be 
the first essential to survival - 
and that is understanding 
how radiation works.

In case of a nuclear war 
there can be lots of fallout 
everywhere. 
People always ask me where 
a safe place to go is. 
I always tell them 
they have to have shelter 
no matter where they are. 

There are places where the radiation 
may be 3,000 R or higher outside.
Without a shelter -
about ten minutes and you would be cooked.
Easy to tell that you are. 
People start vomiting within 12 hours or less. 
Then they may feel better for a few days 
but they will be dead in a couple or three weeks 
if they got over 600 R. 
They will wish that they were dead sooner.

If they got less than 500 R - 
but more than 400 R -
some may survive - 
but most will be dead in about 6 months - 
and will probably envy those who got more.

Less than that - 
say around 300 R 
and one may die of cancer from it - 
twenty years later. 

Doesn't take much to get 300 R. 
If the radiation outside is 10 R 
and you are out walking in it 
for a little over a day 
then you will have gotten that much. 
If you lie down to sleep on the ground - 
where it is - 
or are built closer to the ground 
like a child 
then you will get that much sooner - 
because we measure the intensity 
at waist height for an adult. 
(That is because that is where 
the vital organs are).

Anyone can understand these things. 
In Russia every high school student 
is taught them in high school. 
It wouldn't take more than 
a couple of classroom periods  
to even teach it in American high schools.

However, 
the American government has decided 
that Americans should remain ignorant 
of these things, 
not have any radiation detection equipment - 
or shelters. 

If you wish to follow that path - 
that is your choice.
I certainly do all that I can do 
to give people an alternate path.

Initially, 
I had planned to just explain 
about the nature of radiation - 
but those who reviewed the first attempt - 
insisted that I explain more about 
how one could protect themselves from it. 

You have them to thank 
for the lengthiness 
of what has been presented 
in this series of three newsletters.

Radiation is but one aspect 
of the threat of nuclear weapons. 
There are many areas 
which I have not touched upon here, 
such as:
EMP
Blast Effect 
Fireball and the extent of thermal radiation. 
Nor have I discussed the distinctions between -
sub-surface 
surface and 
air bursts. 
We have no idea of the ingenious ways 
an enemy may modify or deploy the weapons. 
Some have suggested using 
nuclear weapons as energy sources 
for other weapons:
X-ray lasers, 
extremely high energy microwave generators 
	(to cook everything in an area)
and of course principally as a neutron source.

The biggest problem will be 
the collapse of society. 
After forty years of study in this field 
I have probably forgotten more 
than many of my readers know, 
about the threat of nuclear war -
but here I have boiled down for you 
the essentials to two things 
that I tell you repeatedly.

1. Get out of the cities
2. Have a fallout shelter

If you have some questions after this - 
write to me at DawnSayer@webpal.org 
and I may try to put the responses 
in a fourth newsletter - 
because probably some other people 
will have the same questions. 

All of this information 
is available elsewhere 
and may be presented better elsewhere - 
but I am doing this at this time - 
because I think it is important for people to know.
I hope that it may save some lives.

Peace and love,
Bruce 
DawnSayer@webpal.org