Earthquake & tsunami hits Japan

[outragous76]

So obv that Gatso's remark was a celebration of survival and life I can't believe people are making a spectacle of themselves trying to tell him how he should express himself - utter bollocks

I think this was aimed at me keith

I wasnt offended by the remark although I did think it was very insensitive. Continuing to justify it rather than just say " i probably didnt mean what you interpretted it as" and maybe a "sorry if i offended you" is obv not in gatso's  make up.

but apparently im the villain here - obv

so I should apologise for offending you even though you weren't offended?

I would point out that I was offended by you making things up that I'd said, putting your own spin on them and then accusing me of being 'a sicko' for my comments but doubt an apology is in your make up either

I make no apology for what I said as the rational 99% of the forum could understand what was written

I make no apology for my (now deleted) attack on you. I actually think I underreacted

surprised that your sicko post is still up tbh seeing as it caused the deletions

the mark of the man right there

[Robert HM]

Time out, there are bigger things happening in the world today.

[kinboshi]

The 'Meltdown alert at Japan reactor' story is still the focus for the media (that's the headline on the BBC site) - even though compared to the damage caused directly by the tsunami the 'fear' is almost totally unfounded.

These photos give an idea of the terrifying damage the tsunami left behind:

[Tonji]

The Boston Globe, latest picture update

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/03/japan_earthquake_aftermath.html

[tikay]

The Boston Globe, latest picture update

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/03/japan_earthquake_aftermath.html

Incredible. Did you see those shipping containers?

I still can't get my head round this.

The "clear-up" will eventually become a massive project in itself.

[kinboshi]

The Boston Globe, latest picture update

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/03/japan_earthquake_aftermath.html

Just wow.

[outragous76]

Rather worryingly the sky news nuclear expert has had a huge turn around in the last 2 hours (in light of new info) that rods are exposed and not covered

basically said if they cannot keep rods "covered in water/coolant" that melt down was inevitable (to paraphrase)

this still wouldnt be chernobyl-esque - but worrying nonetheless

[kinboshi]

Rather worryingly the sky news nuclear expert has had a huge turn around in the last 2 hours (in light of new info) that rods are exposed and not covered

basically said if they cannot keep rods "covered in water/coolant" that melt down was inevitable (to paraphrase)

this still wouldnt be chernobyl-esque - but worrying nonetheless

They were uncovered previously as well.  There is an 'increased' risk as the MOX reactor core (mixed oxide that uses plutonium as well as uranium) has a lower melting point - but the risk is still VERY small.

Compare (both on the BBC website):

1648: Yukiya Amano, head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, says Fukushima's reactor vessels "have held and radioactive release is limited" despite the effects of the earthquake and tsunami.

1617: BBC News website reader Mark Kemp, who lives near the Fukushima nuclear plant, says: "We have a bit of information but we're not sure how much is being told. It's all fairly worrying."

[rex008]

Properly written summary (ie not by a journalist) of the nuclear situation here:

http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/13/fukushima-simple-explanation/

Cliffs: Bad, but not terribad, risk probably all gone now, actually performed amazingly well considering it was only designed to withstand an 8.2 earthquake. Risk of any part of core escaping to atmosphere = 0.

Totally minor in the context of the wider situation in Japan.

[Woodsey]

We've got nuclear power plant experts on here too now have we? Fk me this forum has everything 

[gatso]

the thing that impressed me most on the link boshi posted before http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm was how much of the nuclear plant survived compared to other areas. I'm assuming that the round white things are pretty important and they look to have got through it fine despite taking one hell of a battering

[kinboshi]

We've got nuclear power plant experts on here too now have we? Fk me this forum has everything 

No one on here is an expert as far as I know, but what we're trying to do is find the best sources of information - as opposed to the sensationalist headlines.

These comments seem to be less worrying than the 'Meltdown' headlines (on the same page interestingly enough) don't you think?

"The explosion at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant sent a plume of smoke into the air but the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday that the reactor had not been damaged. The World Health Organisation said there was a minimal public heath risk.

However the power company that runs the nuclear plant said later on Monday that fuel rods at one of its reactors had become fully exposed again, meaning the water being pumped in to cool the reactors is evaporating due to the heat.

Japanese nuclear officials worked to quell concerns and announced the distribution of 230,000 units of stable iodine. Iodine can be used to help protect against thyroid cancer in the case of radioactive exposure.

Yukio Edano, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, said that a large-scale radiation leak was unlikely. Edano said the reactor's inner containment vessel holding the nuclear fuel rods was intact, allaying some fears of the risk to the environment."

(source: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/03/20113144314279315.html)

[kinboshi]

and from the beeb:

1747: UK energy consultant Prof Ian Fells tells the BBC that widespread power blackouts across Japan pose a bigger problem for the population than radioactive leaks from broken nuclear reactors.

[kinboshi]

From the Red Cross (http://blogs.redcross.org.uk/international/2011/03/):

I’ve just got off a conference call with the Japan Red Cross, who shared with us some headline figures about the disaster and their response to it. Some of them are staggering. All figures are approximate and will no doubt change quickly, but this is a snapshot of the current situation.

The disaster

-2,000 people confirmed dead

-10,000 more people expected to be confirmed dead

-2,000 people injured

-530,000 people displaced, staying in 2,500 evacuation centres, such as schools and public halls

-24,000 people still completely isolated and cannot be reached

-1.2 million homes without power

-1.4 million homes without water

-4,700 destroyed houses

-50,000 damaged houses

-582 roads cut off

-32 bridges destroyed

[TightEnd]

Bbc1 7 30pm bang goes the theory, the science of earthquakes and how to limit their effects