Last year’s Fukushima March 11 event taught us one of the most important lessons ever: there’s no toying with tsunamis or nuclear power – they’re too powerful to be contained and controlled. Now, the butterflies from Fukushima, exposed to the harmful radiation, teach us something even more terrifying: they suffered genetic mutations and fears are that it could also happen to humans.
The researchers analyzed pale grass blue butterflies that were exposed to nuclear radiation and found out that 12 percent of them had smaller wings and damaged eyes. After they mated the butterflies in a lab outside the fallout zone, 18 percent of their offsprings had the same problems.
The effects on third generation of butterflies were even higher: 34 perfect of them displayed the issues, even though one parent from each couple was not irradiated. 52 percent of the offsprings of another 240 butterflies collected in September 2011 showed genetic mutations.
Nuclear power is good for the environment in the sense that it’s clean, doesn’t emit CO2 and any other gas, but when it hits, it hits big time.
This is scary. Could it happen to humans, how can this affect us in the long run and what can we do? These are the questions that need answers.
[via phys.org]
