Fookoosheemah Raydeeayshun

Alex Jones recently ran with the headline "Despite Dangerously High Radiation Levels, No Caution Signs at Surfer’s Beach" which was a follow up to "Has Fukushima’s Radioactive Wave Already Hit California?"

Watch the video at the second link if you want to see what all the fuss is about.  

The article itself states:

The video shows a man measuring radiation readings at different spots on a beach south of Pillar Point Harbor. Background radiation in the areas immediately surrounding the beach are normal, but once the man approaches the water itself, the radiation spikes to at least 500 per cent safe levels and the Geiger counter’s alarm goes off.

 Yet if you watch the video itself you'll see the levels return to normal at the water's edge.

A curious note that I found researching the Geiger Counter used in the video is as follows:

Note: Recently there was a firmware bug that calculated totals incorrectly. These items are all brand new manufactured units with the latest firmware that does not have this problem. Purchase with confidence!

First, I wonder if he updated his firmware. 

Second, the stated accuracy of the device is: Accuracy (Referenced to Cs137): Typically ±15% from factory, ±10% with NIST Source Calibration and Built-In Efficiencies are: 5Sulfur (S35), 90Strontium (Sr/y90), 137Cesium (Cs137), 32Phosphorus (P32), 14Carbon (C14), 131Iodine (I131), 60Cobalt (Co60), and Alpha.

The California Department of Public Health states:

“Recent tests show that elevated levels of radiation at Half Moon Bay are due to naturally occurring materials and not radioactivity associated with the Fukushima incident,”

San Mateo County health officials also say:

"after testing the sand on Dec. 27 that higher levels of radiation on Half Moon Bay and Pacifica beaches appear to be from naturally occurring minerals, typically found in coastal geology"

Dan Sythe, CEO for International Medcom, which designs and manufactures Geiger Counters had the following to say:

The radionuclides are in the NORM class of radioactive substances, Radium and thorium, which are naturally occurring radioactive elements, not from Fukushima. The radiation level is elevated, but roughly equivalent to some granite counter top material from Brazil.  If the sand were contaminated by radiation from Fukushima it would show Cesium-137 a product of nuclear fission.

 So, Go to the Beach...Stay Out of your Kitchen

Alex Jones describes himself as a libertarian and a conservative... me, as a libertarian and a conservative, just describe him as an idiot and a braying jackass.