Foreword — March 2015
So, what is The Safecast Report?
This report is not intended to be all things to all people, rather, we expect it to be some things to many people. Contained within is a collection of information about Safecast and our activities, as well as the larger situation in Japan. Not everything in here will be interesting to everyone, but we’ve tried to anticipate and reply to the most burning questions.
Now, at the 4th Anniversary of Safecast, we’re excited to present the first volume of THE SAFECAST REPORT. But, why a report? And why now? When we started Safecast in March, 2011, in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, our prime questions were, “What are the radiation levels?” and, “Is it safe?” These concerns became and today are still the major drivers for the Safecast project. This has led us on a journey in which Safecasters around the world have developed open hardware, open software, visualizations, methods, and community to answer these basic questions. We now boast a host of mobile radiation sensors worldwide and have amassed the largest open data set of radiation measurements. However, along this journey we’ve learned a lot, seen our limitations, seen the strengths of others, gotten requests to do more, and gotten many more questions we struggled to find answers for, and this has slowly refined our mission. Though we started by measuring radiation levels in the streets of Fukushima, our mission has expanded to the wider quest for more open data about the environment everywhere. To do so we’ve reached out to all corners of society: citizens young and old, companies, educational institutions, and local governments. We’ve made it our mission to make everything we do “open,” to encourage others to participate in our projects, and to be inspired by the Safecast Code.
As we’ve collected and shared more data, we’ve been better able to gauge the true scale of the problems we’ve tackled, have gotten a better idea of what else is out there, seen what is working, and more importantly, areas where we could do better. In this report, we want to share what Safecast is doing today, in Japan and globally. We also want to share what we have learned from other projects, studies, and initiatives. Importantly, we also want to take the opportunity talk about where we feel others, specifically governments, universities, and companies, can do more to make their data sets openly available and to recognize the importance of third party verification by open, citizens-powered projects like Safecast.
Why now? A lot has happened in the past four years. As the Safecast project has grown, more and more people both inside and outside of Japan have decided to take part, and some have been inspired to start their own citizen science projects. People are seeking answers to many questions but often lack access to the data they need, or find it’s in a proprietary format, and we have evangelized open data as the best solution for most data projects, especially those that seek to encourage citizen involvement. When we hear of governments or organizations gathering large amounts of data about radiation, pollutants, climate change, or demographics, to mention a few areas, we always urge them to make their data open. Unfortunately few do.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is far from over. Four years may seem like a long time, but the half-life of Cs-137 is many times longer than this, and it will take generations before the radiation levels are really back to normal. Over the past few years, The Internet of Things has become a major buzzword, and despite the hype, the technology and applications that are making it possible are helping usher in the age of open data and citizen empowerment. With the Safecast Report we want to show what we’re doing now and what others are doing that we feel are worth sharing, and hopefully will inspire others to participate in this exciting project, to learn, and to take action.
We have split the Safecast Report in two sections: an update about the Safecast project itself, and an in-depth examination of the status of measurement and monitoring at the Fukushima Daiichi plant and in the wider environment, as well what we know about radiation in food and in people’s bodies, and the consequences for the health of individuals and communities. We intend to issue updates to the Safecast Report twice a year, and plan to add information about air and water pollution in future installments. We also welcome your feedback and suggestions, as well as your questions.
None of this would have been possible without the support of our many passionate and generous volunteers!
THANKS!!!
THE SAFECAST REPORT TEAM:
Azby Brown, Pieter Franken, Sean Bonner — March 2015
TO OTHER SECTIONS:
FOREWORD
2.1- Issues at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Powerplant (FDNPP)
