Japan situation

[gregmoeck]

My wife's family lives in Japan. We are visiting there June 22nd. What is everyone's thoughts on this power plant situation. My wife seems to think it's no big deal but the news makes it out to be worse than Chernobyl

[(213)GMT]

If I had a choice between possibly being exposed to radiation and not being exposed to radiation, I’d choose the latter. Why even risk it? Even though the there’s no definitive answer yet as to the extent of the problem, the simple fact that radiation leakage is a concern would keep me home for sure.

[Medtech]

IMO, by the end of June it will be worked out.

I think after what we did to them in WWII, the Japanese know how to effectively deal w/ radiation contamination. So if your wife's family says it's ok, then it's ok.

In the US we make wayy too big a deal about the whole nuclear thing. Not that there aren't dangers, but as a nation we take safety to some ridiculous extremes.

[smartson]

This particular nuclear plant has 4 reactors, 3 of which already exploded. Chernobyl has only 1 reactor, but suffered total meltdown with radioactive material totally exposed to the air. Russian was able to 'seal' it by pouring concrete and radiation absorbing material right ontop of the core.

Japan reactors has not yet reached that stage. If or when it does, the environmental and health damage could be much worse than Chernobyl.

Japanese official is taking a bravery act to contain the situation as well as the media. They need to get the water pump working quick. They are battling against time. The latest act of pouring water above indicates they are desperate and running out of option. Unless water is pumped continuously in and out the core, otherwise, water just evaporates at mere 100 C.

I studied nuclear engineering in univ, and took part in safety system design in Canadian nuclear plants. The Japanese' design employs only active control/safety system, e.g. it requires powered equipment to feed water and control rods into the core to modulate temperature. If the control system fails, which is the case now, the core can reach critical in minutes. There is no passive system to cool things down like the CANDU or other newer design. If critical condition continues, nuclear reaction goes like a run-away train. By that time, even if the built-in control system (water pump) is operational it will be unable to cool down to safe level, thus the total meltdown.

Japan official is suggesting a 20 miles range evacuation. I agree to the US recommendation to extend that to 50 miles. From what I read so far, the chance of a major disaster is still very real.

Let's continue to send good thoughts and prayers there.

[Demosthene]

Originally Posted by smartson

This particular nuclear plant has 4 reactors, 3 of which already exploded.

I assume you mean the reactor buildings and not the reactor vessel’s, which currently are not breached.

[PhilM]

It should be fine, Fukashima will not be another Chernobyl by a long way as they are 2 very different situations.

Chernobyl was in full operation at the time and litteraly blew up while all of these reactors have been switched off for over a week.

[1675-David]

Chuck Norris has been contacted, and is standing by with a crate of Budweisser so as far as the reactors are concerned they will soon have them under control. I think the biggest problem is infrastructure, roads electricity water food and shelter are all very scarce in the effected areas and it's going to take a long time before any level of normality returns. If my family had gone through something like this I would definetly want to go visit. It's at such time that family is important. They have experience a huge earthquake, a giant tsumami and have had the threat of nuclear meltdown hanging over them for a week, they are going to be over the moon to see you

[blackmsport]

a bit of cover up on Japanese nuclear saga

we won't know the truth for months / years .... so don't risk it

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by blackmsport

a bit of cover up on Japanese nuclear saga

we won't know the truth for months / years .... so don't risk it

Agree

[bayerische]

It's a serious situation, no doubt, but the long term effects will likely be much worse than what's happening now. (Regarding Nuclear power)

Ignorant (respectfully), angry and scared people will stand the barricades against Nuclear power, which is perfectly safe if designed in the right way, obviously the Japanese plant of Fukushima was not. The design faults now being seen in Fukushima were known to the world for years, nothing was done to improve the safety.

What we will see in the long-term as Nuclear power will be seen as the devils advocate by the general public is energy prices rising across the board, with devastating effects on economy, and ultimately our way of life. What should we replace nuclear power with? Our scientist's better get to work PRONTO, as there isn't any replacement as of yet.

[unclesallie]

Originally Posted by bayerische

It's a serious situation, no doubt, but the long term effects will likely be much worse than what's happening now. (Regarding Nuclear power)

Ignorant (respectfully), angry and scared people will stand the barricades against Nuclear power, which is perfectly safe if designed in the right way, obviously the Japanese plant of Fukushima was not. The design faults now being seen in Fukushima were known to the world for years, nothing was done to improve the safety.

What we will see in the long-term as Nuclear power will be seen as the devils advocate by the general public is energy prices rising across the board, with devastating effects on economy, and ultimately our way of life. What should we replace nuclear power with? Our scientist's better get to work PRONTO, as there isn't any replacement as of yet.

I live right near TMI, and evacuated south to Washington, D.C. for a few days. That was 1979. Then there was Chernobyl, now Fukishima. I keep hearing about how safe nuclear energy is, and how the design defects can be remedied, and how safe nuclear energy is, and I even heard Ann Coulter yesterday on O'Reily about how 'radiation is good for you.' I guess the facts just don't matter to people who won't pay attention. To all those who feel that nuclear energy is safe, think about this: we have two US reactors sitting right on the San Andreas Fault: Diablo Canyon and San Onofre. They will both withstand a quake of around 7.0 on the Richter scale, which means that if we have a quake like the one in Japan, look out.