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The Radioactive Superpower Villain: Fly Ash
By George Bell
Watch out Dr. Doom, because there‘s a new superpower villain in town: Fly Ash.
He’s radioactive and he’s mean.
But what you don’t know, is that he’s in the air you breathe, on your streets, perhaps even in your walls…
At least, according to a 1997 report published by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey. For your information: Fly Ash is really a radioactive byproduct from the coal burned in electricity generation…and it is in many things that touch our lives daily.
Selective Media Hardly Ever Reports the True Villains
In the report titled, Radioactive Elements in Coal and Fly Ash: Abundance, Forms, and Environmental Significance, the USGA states:
“Coal is largely composed of organic matter, but it is the inorganic matter in coal—minerals and trace elements— that have been cited as possible causes of health, environmental, and technological problems associated with the use of coal. Some trace elements in coal are naturally radioactive. These radioactive elements include uranium (U), thorium (Th), and their numerous decay products, including radium (Ra) and radon (Rn). Although these elements are less chemically toxic than other coal constituents such as arsenic, selenium, or mercury, questions have been raised concerning possible risk from radiation.”
Here’s what the report doesn’t say: Fly ash is, without a doubt, substantially more radioactive than nuclear waste.
In terms of superpower villains, Nuclear Waste sounds like he would be a mean one. But compared to Fly Ash, he’s really about as tough as Bette Midler. In terms of radioactive superpowers, Fly Ash is 100 times more radioactive than his ostracized super-pal, Nuclear Waste.
Yet, Nuclear Waste is the hated villain, even though he’s not the one you should be worried about. Nuclear Waste isn’t in the walls of your house, in the walls of your children’s rooms, in the cement on your streets, like Fly Ash.
In December of 2007, Scientific American published the article, Coal Ash Is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste. The author, Mara Hvistendahl wrote:
“Over the past few decades, however, a series of studies has called these stereotypes into question. Among the surprising conclusions: the waste produced by coal plants is actually more radioactive than that generated by their nuclear counterparts. In fact, fly ash—a by-product from burning coal for power—contains up to 100 times more radiation than nuclear waste.”
Fact is, the radioactive elements uranium and thorium are already in coal…in its “natural state.”
Scientific American goes on to assert, “But when coal is burned into fly ash, uranium and thorium are concentrated at up to 10 times their original levels.”
And when fly ash uranium soaks into the soil surrounding coal power plants, or disposed in landfills, it can affect the people in the surrounding area. Moreover fly ash is sometimes eighty-sixed into old mines and quarries, where it threatens to soak into water tables.
Media Super-Manipulation-Powers: You Deserve The Truth
At this point, some may be wondering what the true point is behind what they’ve just read? Here it is: Over the past 20 years, nuclear power and uranium mining have been given a bad name bad name by the media.
Often, when people think of nuclear power and/or uranium mining, they think “dangerous.” They might even worry for their safety and health. But the truth is, the coal plant burning in your city threaten your family’s health 10-fold, over nuclear power, nuclear waste and/or uranium mining.
But considering 55% of the United States’ power comes from burning coal, its really no wonder the media isn’t reporting the truth…
Knowing the real facts might shut down a few of those coal-power plants. And then we would have to live in the dark.
But perhaps that’s exactly where the mainstream media has those - who think uranium and nuclear are more dangerous than what’s actually taking place in their backyard - now anyway.
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