Hibakusha Worldwide, an IPPNW Poster Exhibition

In 3-4 weeks I'll be presenting two posters to 34 activists from around the world as well as hundreds of citizens and elected officials in Japan.

For those who haven't heard yet, yours truly has been selected to be the sole representative of the U.S. for the International Peace Bike Tour in Japan this August! I'll be cycling 550 km from Nagasaki to Hiroshima for peace, nonproflieration, and our shared environment. Along they way, I and 34 other activists, will meet with locals, more activists, elected officials to talk, hold demonstrations, etc. This is all with the nonprofit, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).  

Please consider contributing to this worldwide endeavors to teach and share knowledge. Donations can be made onlnie at www.psriowa.orgThe group of activists you will support are some of the future voices of the health field. And one in particular, Michelle Gin, will return to Iowa to make positive change. 

Two of the things I'll be presenting in Japan on are these nuclear weapons test sites, read on for fast facts:

Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan nuclear weapons test site:

Fast facts:

• Utilized from 1945-1990 when Kazak
• 467 atomic and thermonuclear devives were tested
• In 1991 Kazakhstan declared its independence, officially closed the Semipalatinsk site, and renounced the world's fourth largest nuclear weapons arsenal which it had inherited from the USSR
• Medical officials say that as many as 1.5 million peole were affected, genetics, cancer, birth defects and other deformities to name a few.
• Within the test site, several thousand  square  kilometers  of  land  remaincontaminated.  No  one  knows  for  sureabout the condition of water supplies andsoil throughout the region.

Nevada nuclear weapons test site:

Fast facts:

• Utilized between 1951-1962 (atmospheric testing) & 1951-1992 (undergroung testing)
• Located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas
• 1,021 nuclear tests were conducted between 1951-1992 releasing 222,000 PBq of radioactive material into the atmosphere
• Accidents did occur. For example, December 18, 1970, a 10 kiloton bomb released multiple plumes which caused radioactive fallout to rain down on the test site and personnel. 
• Americans living in Utah were among the most affected by radioactive fallout due to wind currents.
• Significant increases in of leukemia and thyroid cancer are prevalent in the populations living downwind of the test site.
• Nevada test site remains contaminated to this day.