According to experts, Japan’s nuclear nightmare may just be beginning.
WASHINGTON — As the scale of Japan’s nuclear crisis begins to come to light, experts in Japan and the United States say the country is now facing a cascade of accumulating problems that suggest that radioactive releases of steam from the crippled plants could go on for weeks or even months.
1 |
Sol Berdinowitz Mon, Mar 14, 2011 10:57:26am |
The Japanese just need to drill for more oil…
| 2 |
Targetpractice Mon, Mar 14, 2011 10:57:53am |
Release of nuclear steam for months…or a one-time release of nuclear material that could render the surrounding area uninhabitable for decades…
Not the most desirable of choices, no.
| 3 |
Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance Mon, Mar 14, 2011 10:58:22am |
Godzilla will wake up again
//
Srsly I hope the worst doesn’t happen but everything I’ve read seems to suggest it’s going to.
| 4 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 10:59:02am |
#
1757: More from that IAEA news conference in Vienna: Nuclear safety director James Lyons says there is no indication that fuel is melting at the Fukushima plant “at this point”.
| 5 |
abolitionist Mon, Mar 14, 2011 10:59:48am |
Meltdown alert at Japan reactor
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said there were signs that the fuel rods were melting in all three reactors at Fukushima Daiichi.“Although we cannot directly check it, it’s highly likely happening,” he told reporters.
However, he insisted that radiation around the plant remained at tolerable levels.
The decisions to locate them on the Pacific coast is a mixed blessing.
| 7 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:01:07am |
#
1800: The situation at the quake-damaged Fukushima plant is a “very dynamic situation”, IAEA nuclear safety director James Lyons says.
| 8 |
reine.de.tout Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:01:40am |
re: #6 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)
Obviously its HAARP.
///
What is HAARP?
I’ve obviously missed something.
Does it shriek?
| 10 |
Kragar Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:02:22am |
re: #8 reine.de.tout
What is HAARP?
I’ve obviously missed something.
Does it shriek?
The conspiracy theorists favorite secret superweapon.
| 11 |
Targetpractice Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:02:27am |
re: #7 commadore183
Translation: “We don’t know what’s going to happen next, so don’t come to us looking for predictions.”
| 12 |
Simply Sarah Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:02:43am |
re: #2 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds
Release of nuclear steam for months…or a one-time release of nuclear material that could render the surrounding area uninhabitable for decades…
Not the most desirable of choices, no.
The real question now is on the condition of the fuel materials. If they’ve remained (And continue to remain) intact and no melting occurs, this venting shouldn’t have much environmental impact. If a lot of melting and breakdown has occurred and the radioactive materials are free inside the core…then there are going to be serious problems.
| 14 |
Targetpractice Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:04:14am |
re: #12 Simply Sarah
The real question now is on the condition of the fuel materials. If they’ve remained (And continue to remain) intact and no melting occurs, this venting shouldn’t have much environmental impact. If a lot of melting and breakdown has occurred and the radioactive materials are free inside the core…then there are going to be serious problems.
So long as they remaining inside the containment vessel, than the worst we’ll get a Three Mile Island on steroids, but hopefully be spared a true Chernobyl-style event. At least, that’s what all indications are.
| 15 |
reine.de.tout Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:04:42am |
re: #13 commadore183
Ah.
Thanks.
Now I feel like a complete idiot; I could have easily found that myself.
*hangs head in shame*
| 16 |
Obdicut Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:05:40am |
re: #14 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds
Right now it’s being listed below TMI in terms of significance of crisis.
| 17 |
Sol Berdinowitz Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:08:28am |
So the Socialist/Green government in Germany passed a law that would have phased out nuclear power over the next 20 years, the current conservative government tried to wriggle out of it and extend the life of some nuclear plants, but now they are backing away from that plan, at least for the next three months.
And if those Japanese plants are still leaking then, they will have to abandon their plans entirely.
| 18 |
Simply Sarah Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:08:33am |
re: #16 Obdicut
Right now it’s being listed below TMI in terms of significance of crisis.
I’m still a bit confused by that. Was that rating given by the IAEA or by the Japanese authorities? I’ve seen stuff suggesting both directions. It also seemed to have come much earlier on in the process, so has it been updated? I guess I just find it really hard to see how this *isn’t* worse than TMI, based on what I know about that event and what seems to be going on here.
| 19 |
Targetpractice Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:08:45am |
re: #16 Obdicut
Right now it’s being listed below TMI in terms of significance of crisis.
I’d say that’s part wishful thinking, part assumption. So long as the cores haven’t melted down, then there’s no risk of a significant radiation release, just some irradiated steam. The cores becomes slag, then you’ll see it bumped up to TMI level, perhaps even one notch above.
Again, as long as the containment vessel remains intact, then we’re in no serious danger of this becoming another Chernobyl. The longer-lived, more dangerous isotopes might get mixed into the steam, but so long as pieces of core material aren’t raining down on the surrounding neighborhoods, things should be (relatively) fine.
| 20 |
What, me worry? Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:09:01am |
re: #14 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds
So long as they remaining inside the containment vessel, than the worst we’ll get a Three Mile Island on steroids, but hopefully be spared a true Chernobyl-style event. At least, that’s what all indications are.
I don’t know. The plants are state of the art and being built on fault lines to begin with, they have many safety precautions. But as these things go, you don’t know until it happens. And this was a HUGE quake.
They had 3 meltdowns so far? Another this morning. It’s going from bad to worse.
| 21 |
Fat Bastard Vegetarian Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:10:24am |
Just looked at the Drudge main page (DON’T JUDGE ME!); there’s a picture there of a guy at one of the nuke plants with a sign (of course, all in Japanese characters) but at the end of the sign there’s a large exclamation point drawn.
Apropos of nothing, just thought it was interesting.
| 22 |
Vicious Babushka Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:11:12am |
re: #21 Fat Bastard Vegetarian
Saw your new avatar. Don’t you like cake anymore?
| 23 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:11:45am |
#
1806: The European Commission has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to convene an extraordinary meeting in Vienna next week following the nuclear crisis in Japan, AFP news agency reports.
Posted this in the wrong thread. Oops.
| 24 |
Simply Sarah Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:13:11am |
re: #20 marjoriemoon
I don’t know. The plants are state of the art and being built on fault lines to begin with, they have many safety precautions. But as these things go, you don’t know until it happens. And this was a HUGE quake.
They had 3 meltdowns so far? Another this morning. It’s going from bad to worse.
Well, it’s really hard to tell how bad the situation is right now, since there seems to be little clear information that we can reliably go on. I’m not even sure the experts on the ground know the scope of it all and they may not know for sure until well after everything is (hopefully) brought under control. I admit, that isn’t exactly a reassuring statement, though.
| 25 |
Sol Berdinowitz Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:15:05am |
One meltdown might be a “containable catastrophe” in terms of PR for nuclear energy, but three at once is a worst-case scenario for all involved.
| 26 |
abolitionist Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:16:11am |
re: #24 Simply Sarah
Well, it’s really hard to tell how bad the situation is right now, since there seems to be little clear information that we can reliably go on. I’m not even sure the experts on the ground know the scope of it all and they may not know for sure until well after everything is (hopefully) brought under control. I admit, that isn’t exactly a reassuring statement, though.
Four of the five firetrucks being used for pumping seawater were rendered inoperable by the most recent explosion. Serious loss of redundancy/backup there.
| 27 |
darthstar Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:20:24am |
God is so good! No, if god answers your prayers like that, then god is an asshole.
I don’t advocate violence against anyone, but this girl needs to get some new influences in her life and fast.
| 28 |
Simply Sarah Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:20:25am |
re: #26 abolitionist
Four of the five firetrucks being used for pumping seawater were rendered inoperable by the most recent explosion. Serious loss of redundancy/backup there.
Granted. The problem is, we really don’t know for sure what that will mean. Thankfully, this isn’t the kind of situation that we need to deal with very often, but that also means there isn’t exactly much in the way of similar situations from which to pull expectations.
| 29 |
Simply Sarah Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:22:53am |
1820: The French ASN nuclear safety authority says the incident at the Fukushima plant could be classed as level 5 or 6 on the international scale of 1 to 7. It is currently rated at level 4.
Well, I guess that somewhat answer my questions…maybe.
| 30 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:23:13am |
1820: The French ASN nuclear safety authority says the incident at the Fukushima plant could be classed as level 5 or 6 on the international scale of 1 to 7. It is currently rated at level 4.
INES levels explained here (.pdf format).
| 31 |
HappyWarrior Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:25:01am |
Sounds awful. Related but I promised to keep everyone updated on my brother who is living in the island of Kauai. Talked to him Saturday night. He’s doing fine. Again I appreciated everyone here who thought of him.
| 32 |
darthstar Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:25:15am |
Then again, sometimes god does answer prayers.
[Link: www.politico.com…]
| 33 |
BishopX Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:25:46am |
re: #25 ralphieboy
Espcially since once one melts down they will likely have to clear the area, hindering the response to the other two reactors.
| 34 |
makeitstop Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:25:52am |
re: #27 darthstar
God is so good! No, if god answers your prayers like that, then god is an asshole.
I don’t advocate violence against anyone, but this girl needs to get some new influences in her life and fast.
That is one very confused person.
| 35 |
Sol Berdinowitz Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:26:11am |
re: #27 darthstar
I hope that slash of sunlight across her face was meant as a sarc tag, but I fear that there are people who would take this all too seriously…
| 36 |
What, me worry? Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:26:14am |
re: #27 darthstar
God is so good! No, if god answers your prayers like that, then god is an asshole.
[Video]I don’t advocate violence against anyone, but this girl needs to get some new influences in her life and fast.
We want people to believe how good God is so he killed 1000s of innocent people.
Oh dear….
| 37 |
zora Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:27:22am |
re: #8 reine.de.tout
What is HAARP?
I’ve obviously missed something.
Does it shriek?
that was new to me too. per wiki:
HAARP is the subject of numerous conspiracy theories, with individuals ascribing various hidden motives and capabilities to the project. Journalist Sharon Weinberger called HAARP “the Moby Dick of conspiracy theories” and said the popularity of conspiracy theories often overshadows the benefits HAARP may provide to the scientific community.[14][15] Skeptic computer scientist David Naiditch called HAARP “a magnet for conspiracy theorists”, saying the project has been blamed for triggering catastrophes such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and devastating earthquakes in Pakistan and the Philippines aimed to “shake up” terrorists.
| 38 |
dmon Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:27:45am |
re: #26 abolitionist
Five fire engines, if they were pumping in relay (one engine pumps to the next, which pumps to the next, etc. used when moving water over a long distance) would be moving 1500 gallons per minute.
If they had two relays set up 3000 gpm
Thats a lot water being pumped in
| 39 |
What, me worry? Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:29:02am |
God is always behind two things. And don’t you ever forget it.
God is always behind a natural disaster which kills many 1000s.
God is also always behind a prize fighter who beats the living hell out of his opponent or winning athletes in general. Oh and the winners of American Idol.
Just once I’d like to see a Satanist stand up and say, “The Devil is SO good! He really answers prayers!”
*sigh*
| 40 |
abolitionist Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:29:04am |
I’ve never seen a monster like this —cartoon
| 41 |
Targetpractice Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:30:08am |
| 42 |
darthstar Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:30:51am |
re: #39 marjoriemoon
There was one NFL player last season who blamed god after they lost a game…he caught holy-hell from the media about it, too. How dare he!
| 43 |
What, me worry? Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:31:38am |
re: #39 marjoriemoon
God is always behind two things. And don’t you ever forget it.
God is always behind a natural disaster which kills many 1000s.
God is also always behind a prize fighter who beats the living hell out of his opponent or winning athletes in general. Oh and the winners of American Idol.
Just once I’d like to see a Satanist stand up and say, “The Devil is SO good! He really answers prayers!”
*sigh*
Those people curing cancer, feeding the hungry, adopting orphaned babies? Eh, God has no time for that small stuff!! (yeesh)
| 44 |
abolitionist Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:32:27am |
re: #38 dmon
Three reactors in critical state, one firetruck (of five) operating. Very dicey.
| 45 |
zora Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:32:56am |
re: #32 darthstar
Then again, sometimes god does answer prayers.
[Link: www.politico.com…]
[Link: nymag.com…]
Going Rogue on Ailes Could Leave Palin on Thin Ice
Palin told Ailes she wanted to respond, according to a person with knowledge of the call. It wasn’t fair the media was making this about her. Ailes told Palin that she should stay quiet.
“Lie low,” he said. “There’s no need to inject yourself into the story.”
Palin told Ailes that other people had given her that same advice. Her lawyer Bob Barnett is said to have cautioned her about getting involved. The consensus in some corners of Palin’s camp was that she faced considerable risks if she spoke out.
But, this being Sarah Palin, she did it anyway.
| 46 |
Killgore Trout Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:33:00am |
re: #32 darthstar
From the link…
This year, the conservative intelligentsia doesn’t just tend to dislike Palin — many fear that her rise would represent the triumph of an intellectually empty brand of populism and the death of ideas as an engine of the right.
Uh, I think it’s too late to start worrying about the “death of ideas” on the right.
| 47 |
MarkAM Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:33:10am |
There’s so much conflicting information (even coming from official sources) out there that it’s very hard to tell what’s going on.
One big question that no one seems to be addressing is: what happened to the spent fuel rods in the explosions?
On a brighter energy note:
[Link: news.stanford.edu…]
| 48 |
Kragar Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:34:02am |
re: #43 marjoriemoon
Those people curing cancer, feeding the hungry, adopting orphaned babies? Eh, God has no time for that small stuff!! (yeesh)
If babies wore more giant gold plated crosses around their necks, maybe God would have more time for them.
| 50 |
Varek Raith Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:34:44am |
I’m hearing what sounds like a fighter flying around. Did some jackass violate airspace around DC again?
| 51 |
Killgore Trout Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:35:57am |
re: #47 MarkAM
There’s so much conflicting information (even coming from official sources) out there that it’s very hard to tell what’s going on.
One big question that no one seems to be addressing is: what happened to the spent fuel rods in the explosions?
On a brighter energy note:
[Link: news.stanford.edu…]
Istapundit is claiming this morning that if a tsunami hit a solar plant the environment would be destroyed from lead and chemical poisoning. I shit you not.
| 52 |
abolitionist Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:36:18am |
re: #47 MarkAM
There’s so much conflicting information (even coming from official sources) out there that it’s very hard to tell what’s going on.
One big question that no one seems to be addressing is: what happened to the spent fuel rods in the explosions?
On a brighter energy note:
[Link: news.stanford.edu…]
Yes, the pools of spent fuel rods would be a major hazard if they were uncovered long enough to overheat.
| 53 |
Fat Bastard Vegetarian Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:36:22am |
re: #50 Varek Raith
They need to blow a couple of them out of the air. That should slow down the violators.
If they’re not smart enough to know they are flying over DC… should they have a pilots’ license?
| 54 |
Targetpractice Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:37:41am |
re: #51 Killgore Trout
Istapundit is claiming this morning that if a tsunami hit a solar plant the environment would be destroyed from lead and chemical poisoning. I shit you not.
Meanwhile, a tsunami could hit an oil refinery and absolutely nothing would happen!
///
| 55 |
dmon Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:37:48am |
I didnt realize the amount of water it would take to cool these things….. the amount of steam being released must be incredible
| 56 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:38:09am |
re: #53 Fat Bastard Vegetarian
You would think having a supersonic fighter jet staring you down would be enough to smarten pilots up and make them realize where they are going, but there’s always going to be dumbasses.
| 57 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:41:35am |
#
1839: UK nuclear expert John Large tells the BBC that the wind direction off the east coast of Japan is moving round to the south, which could take any radioactive plume from the Fukushima plant over the Tokyo region.
| 58 |
What, me worry? Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:49:40am |
re: #27 darthstar
They just posted her name, address and phone number.
So much for free speech on the internet!
| 59 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:53:00am |
According to Kyodo, they are resuming the pumping of sea water into one of the troubled reactors (didn’t say which one).
| 60 |
What, me worry? Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:55:58am |
re: #39 marjoriemoon
Darlington, what about my post you didn’t like? The God mocking or the Devil praising?
| 61 |
ProBosniaLiberal Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:56:51am |
| 62 |
Varek Raith Mon, Mar 14, 2011 11:59:26am |
re: #61 ProLifeLiberal
| 63 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 12:21:44pm |
#
1918: Technicians have resumed injecting seawater into the stricken reactor 2 at Fukushima after a steam vent of the pressure container was opened, Kyodo news agency reports citing Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco).
| 64 |
Fozzie Bear Mon, Mar 14, 2011 12:29:30pm |
This saddens me, because people will just knee-jerk in opposition to nuclear power, the single best chance humanity has to replace fossil fuels.
Yes, nuclear power has risks. But, if you compare those risks to the cost of fossil fuels overall, nuclear comes out so far ahead it isn’t even comparable. If thousands die from a meltdown, that sucks. How many billions will die if we stay on coal and oil for another century?
| 65 |
General Nimrod Bodfish Mon, Mar 14, 2011 12:33:47pm |
#
1927: With the nuclear crisis grabbing most of the attention, it is perhaps worth remembering that millions of people in north-east Japan are spending their fourth night without water, food or heating in near-freezing temperatures.
| 66 |
What, me worry? Mon, Mar 14, 2011 12:34:34pm |
re: #64 Fozzie Bear
This saddens me, because people will just knee-jerk in opposition to nuclear power, the single best chance humanity has to replace fossil fuels.
Yes, nuclear power has risks. But, if you compare those risks to the cost of fossil fuels overall, nuclear comes out so far ahead it isn’t even comparable. If thousands die from a meltdown, that sucks. How many billions will die if we stay on coal and oil for another century?
Building a nuclear plant on a fault line surely has its perils. Not that the Japanese had a lot of choices in energy.
| 67 |
Ojoe Mon, Mar 14, 2011 1:40:57pm |
The west coast of the USA is downwind, and although the distance across the Pacific Ocean will powerfully dilute any contamination, the food chain in nature is a powerful re-concentrator.
This is not over by any means, not for Japan, nor for the west coast of the USA either.
It is a supreme folly to build these things.
| 68 |
I Am Kreniigh! Mon, Mar 14, 2011 1:42:00pm |
If anyone here accidentally drank poison and is having difficulty vomiting it back up, here is a real ipecac of a page:
| 69 |
Ojoe Mon, Mar 14, 2011 1:43:38pm |
| 70 |
Ojoe Mon, Mar 14, 2011 1:55:52pm |
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