The story of nuclear testing in Nevada in the 1950s and 1960s, and the subsequent health effects on the unsuspecting people downwind in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. The book is framed around the 1982 trial by cancer victims and their survivors, which the author, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, attended.
Recommended by Fairewinds board member Chiho Kaneko, “Refuge” is the powerful true story of a family in Utah who are experiencing the health effects of atomic bomb testing. Williams, a naturalist and writer, parallels the story of her mother dying of radiation-induced cancer with the environmental changes occurring simultaneously, as the Great Salt Lake rises to record heights and threatens local wildlife.
Biologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber studies the link between environmental toxins and cancer. “At once a deeply moving personal document and a groundbreaking work of scientific detection... that is as accessible and invaluable as Silent Spring.”
This book hypothesizes that medical radiation is likely the principal cause of cancer mortality in the United States in the 20th century, and that medical radiation is an important cause of death from Ischemic Heart Disease, also known as Coronary Heart Disease or Coronary Artery Disease.
“Our estimate in this book is that about 75% of breast cancer is caused by earlier irradiation. There is absolutely no doubt that reducing unnecessary x-radiation will prevent vast numbers of future breast cancers.”
Dr. Sherman writes in non-technical terms about the link between breast cancer and environmental pollution, and highlights means of prevention.
Fairewinds Energy Education is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to furthering public understanding of nuclear power and nuclear safety related issues.
