RantCrush Top 5: December 9, 2016

For the first time, radiation from the nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011 has reached the U.S. coast. The substance Celsium-134 was found in seawater samples from the American West coast, researchers said. As they analyzed the substance, they found it could have only come from Fukushima, because of its short half-life. For those of us who snoozed during high school chem class, half-life is the time it takes for the radioactivity in a substance to drop to half of its original value. In this case, the levels are low enough to not pose a danger to humans or the environment anymore. But the substance was also found in Canadian salmon for the first time, and it begs the question: what would happen if another disaster occurs closer to home?

Fukushima radiation has reached U.S. shores https://t.co/QTSg2JRfC7 pic.twitter.com/mM9sXmPP1T

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 9, 2016

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.