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Post by autumnmist on Aug 5, 2016 15:21:09 GMT -8
As much as it's an interesting story, it's also a depressing one. Took a nap as it's in the 90's again today and woke up thinking about this, wondering if there are other hidden sites across the earth. Now it really wouldn't surprise me. It's an unsettling feeling. But as lacking in forthrightness as it may be to the American people, I think it would be even more offensive to those countries that the US imposed on over the years. I would not want to live in a country with a hidden military base, especially with stored toxic waste and nuclear capability.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Aug 5, 2016 19:55:30 GMT -8
This story made my Google Play Newsstand feed today. Not in one of my Science categories, but in the main "News" category.
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BlueBear
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Post by BlueBear on Aug 8, 2016 9:01:33 GMT -8
So what was left by America will be distributed by currents to other countries, becoming like some other contaminated sites, a "gift" that keeps on giving? Yeah, that's basically the point. Although as you acknowledge, it's important to note this isn't a huge site compared to various industrial Superfund sites around the country/world. The Fukishima disaster in Japan, for instance, released far FAR more radiation into the Pacific (trying to cool down an active core meltdown) than the abandoned Camp Century site ever will. So some perspective is important to have. But still, most folks never knew this site existed. It's most poignant to the native villages that live along the coast where this stuff will most directly run off to sea when it begins to flow. BTW, I hope you don't open the door one day to find scowling men in uniform or black suits at your door! Seriously - it wouldn't surprise me if some element of our government tried to suppress knowledge of the potential dangers. This is one great factor about the Internet; information like this can spread so quickly that it can't be suppressed. That thought had crossed our minds several times, lol. But it's "out" now, it's been covered by 130 news outlets online at last count, several more in print (including USA Today and the front page of US News & World Reports), so there's little to bury at this point. Sunlight has hit it. But should I suddenly have an "accident", maybe look into it a bit? I say that in jest. Mostly. We've been working to get research funding to do a more-detailed survey of what's buried there, primarily using GPR (ground-penetrating radar) and shallow ice cores. I've developed methods recently to quantify volumes of refrozen ice buried within glacial firn, and it should be possible to get some more detailed numbers on, for instance, the volume of nuclear coolant wastewater left there. So far both the USA and Denmark have refused to fund that research. (I'll omit details for now.) Now the news is out there, we'll see what happens from here. The work isn't necessarily done. We shall see. - Mike
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BlueBear
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Post by BlueBear on Aug 8, 2016 9:37:07 GMT -8
This story made my Google Play Newsstand feed today. Not in one of my Science categories, but in the main "News" category. We knew this paper would get some press, but didn't know it'd get quite this big of coverage. It's been pretty extensive.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Aug 8, 2016 9:49:05 GMT -8
It was also on NPR the other day
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BlueBear
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Post by BlueBear on Aug 8, 2016 10:28:35 GMT -8
Thanks Lamebeaver , I hadn't seen that one. For those curious, that 3:00 video I showed before was just snippets of a longer video, all of which is here (31:48). Happy watching if you're interested:
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johnnyray
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Post by johnnyray on Aug 8, 2016 13:18:44 GMT -8
Came across this ar Climate Progress, didn't read all of it, too depressing as I had just read about DuPont contaminating the world with chemicals used in making Teflon. Happy Monday.
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Post by autumnmist on Aug 8, 2016 19:24:01 GMT -8
Just occurred to me... Wouldn't the USSR have had spying capability which could have detected the movement of people, materials and equipment as well as any excavation when the base was being built? Did some quick googling as I don't remember the specific dates of the US and USSR satellite aerial spying programs, but looks like a bit more research is appropriate to determine exactly what they had at the time the base was built.
Alister McLean's novel Ice Station Zebra about the US search for a USSR downed satellite comes to mind.
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