Tsunami hits Japan after 8.8 magnitude Earthquake : (

Post Reply New Topic

There is now a fourth fire burning at the Fukushima Plant.

A radiation leak has occured. Radiation levels in the immediate vicinity appear to be rising.

From this I believe it is reasonable to think that a containment breach has occured.



Meltdown, here it comes?

Seems like things are taking a turn for the worse now.

Reactor 3 is smoking and is suspect of containment vessel failure. Radiation has got to the point of being too dangerous for the remaining personnel to stay and they have evacuated.

Reactor 3 is the one with the MOX fuel BTW.

I was told the Japanese government has pulled the 50 workers left at the plant, and leaving the plant desolate. The evacuation is something like 60 miles from the plant .. which is understandable considering the gamma ray bursts from a complete and utter explosion would cause havoc within that vicinity. After 5 days, the Japanese government have asked the US military to intervene, I've read that the military may carpet bomb the entire site. Also I've read that Japan has been keeping the spent nuclear fuel rods at the same site, and they've blown sky high also, 40 years worth.

It can't explode. At least not the way you're apparently thinking, in an atomic fireball. Power plants use the wrong isotope of uranium, the reaction mass isn't the requisite shape, there's no TNT blanket to slap the whole thing together fast enough - it just doesn't work as a bomb.

Spent fuel is even worse for that - the radiation levels are high enough to be hazardous, and give off enough heat to be dangerous and potentially flammable to a degree, but they have even less potential as the nucleus of an atomic bomb than unspent fuel.

Why in the name of sanity would anyone carpet-bomb a power plant?? That'd make about as much sense as dropping napalm bombs on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig - maybe even less, as the napalm might have burned off some of the spilled oil...

Where on earth are you getting your information from?

I'm getting mine from my husband who is a nuclear scientist. He says the biggest threat at the moment is the hysteria. Take that video someone posted earlier. My husband was actually laughing watching it because the guy was so wrong. It was more comedy than science. Not only that but the bloke was lying. If he had taken a dose of iodine of the recommended level for radiation exposure he would not be sat there chatting like he was. He'd have his head down the bog, puking his guts up. Plus, contrary to what he suggests, you should never give iodine to children unless under strict medical supervision. Oh and iodine is not disappearing off the shelves in Europe. I can vouch for that.

My husband says it isn't a good situation but the only real threat to human life is to those inside the exclusion zone. But even then, based on the last radiation level figures given out, you could be there for nearly 2 weeks before receiving a fatal dose.

I wouldn't take potassium iodine unless it was confirmed that Japan's fallout poised a significant threat and radiation levels did sky rocket. I'm hoping it gets better for the Japanese , my friend in outside Tokyo said things are getting somewhat normal , her child went to school for half a day today

Where on earth are you getting your information from?

I'm getting mine from my husband who is a nuclear scientist. He says the biggest threat at the moment is the hysteria. Take that video someone posted earlier. My husband was actually laughing watching it because the guy was so wrong. It was more comedy than science. Not only that but the bloke was lying. If he had taken a dose of iodine of the recommended level for radiation exposure he would not be sat there chatting like he was. He'd have his head down the bog, puking his guts up. Plus, contrary to what he suggests, you should never give iodine to children unless under strict medical supervision. Oh and iodine is not disappearing off the shelves in Europe. I can vouch for that.

My husband says it isn't a good situation but the only real threat to human life is to those inside the exclusion zone. But even then, based on the last radiation level figures given out, you could be there for nearly 2 weeks before receiving a fatal dose.

It's not worse than Chernobyl. The worst-case scenario is not worse than Chernobyl.

No, the reactors cannot explode.

No, the radiation will not reach areas outside Japan.

It is a serious problem, but it is not a doomsday scenario and can never be one.

If you are in the US, you do not need to be worried for your family; we are simply too far away. We are not too far away to help, though; there are quite a few reputable relief organizations already in Japan and working on keeping people warm, fed, and safe.

CNN made available a quick rundown of the people currently helping, who would appreciate your donations:
Tsunami Aid and Relief: How You Can Help

I have been following the Japan situation since 4am the day of the earthquake/tsunami, and have learned a lot of details about nuclear power and radiation.

Here there was a conference at MIT with panelists including someone conferencing in from Geneva. Two of my former colleagues attended and posted their summaries and thoughts for the rest of us on our mailing list. The main disappointment they seemed to have is that nobody on the panel seemed to have inside news or any more updated information than any of the rest of us; they just explained the science and so forth. I could post sections of the synopsis if you wish.

The news has been surprisingly calm today regarding the nuclear situation over in Japan but I will still lose sleep over it. You never know what insanity is likely to happen at those plants tomorrow.