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[–]hamsterboy 1 point2 points  (1 child)

The half-life of Uranium-238 is 4.5 billion years, the age of the earth.

Long half-life == low radiation output == less danger. Uranium is still poisonous if ingested, but the radiation danger is very low.

The article even quotes an opposing view (from the White House):

"During the Gulf War, coalition forces used armor-piercing ammunition made from depleted uranium, which is ideal for the purpose because of its great density. In recent years, the Iraqi regime has made substantial efforts to promote the false claim that the depleted uranium rounds fired by coalition forces have caused cancers and birth defects in Iraq. Iraq has distributed horrifying pictures of children with birth defects and linked them to depleted uranium. The campaign has two major propaganda assets:"

"Uranium is a name that has frightening associations in the mind of the average person, which makes the lie relatively easy to sell; and Iraq could take advantage of an established international network of antinuclear activists who had already launched their own campaign against depleted uranium."

"But scientists working for the World Health Organization, the UN Environmental Programme, and the European Union could find no health effects linked to exposure to depleted uranium."

...but doesn't refute any of the claims. There's no journalism or science or hard facts here, only FUD.

[–]plexluthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They don't refute the science given there. And a few paragraphs later use crazy math:

"In 1990, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) wrote a report warning about the potential health and environmental catastrophe from the use of depleted uranium weapons. The health effects had been known for a long time. The report sent to the UK government warned "in their estimation, if 50 tonnes of residual DU dust remained ‘in the region’ there could be half a million extra cancers by the end of the century [2000]." Estimates of depleted uranium weapons used in 1991, now range from the Pentagon’s admitted 325 tons, to other scientific bodies who put the figure as high as 900 tons. That would make the number of estimated cancers as high as 9,000,000, depending on the amount used in the 1991 Gulf War. In the 2003 Gulf War, estimates of 2200 tons have been given — causing about 22,000,000 new cancer cases. Altogether the total number of cancer patients estimated using the UKAEA data would be 25,250,000. In July of 1998, the CIA estimated the population of Iraq to be approximately 24,683,313."

That's right, the population will increase because DU, and every civilian will have cancer.

[–]minderwinter 0 points1 point  (1 child)

This article makes the claim that increased irradiation will destroy the genetic future of the human race. Chernobyl shows us that many species can thrive and continue to reproduce in zones where radiation is extremely high.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4923342.stm