Official: Japan's nuclear situation nearing severity of Chernobyl

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   AnnCeeposted 13 years ago

   http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 … n.nuclear/

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      CHRIS57posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes it is block no. 4 that is the real threat. Blocks 4 to 6 were shut down for maintenance at the time of the earthquake.
      Only block 4 had its full load of fuel elements removed and placed in an almost unprotected water pond above the reactor vessel. Those fuel elements require cooling and if the water overheated and evaporated the fuel elements are exposed to the atmosphere, roofs are blown off or pinched.
      If those elements really dry up, then things get worse than Chernobyl, sad to say so.

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         drdspervezposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I feel sorry for the Japanese people,May GOD give them the strength to build up their country.
         
         
                  DR.DURRESHAHWAR PERVEZ

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   SandyMcCollumposted 13 years ago

   This disaster just keeps getting worse and worse!

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3. 66

   Joy56posted 13 years ago

   this is surely a big one.....
   
   If it snows here in Ireland for one day, the whole country stands still, hope we never get a disaster.

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   tritrainposted 13 years ago

   I pray for those nearby. 
   
   I hope Japan and the rest of the nuclear powers learn from this and improve their nuclear power facilities.

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   knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

   "I hope Japan and the rest of the nuclear powers learn from this and improve their nuclear power facilities."
   
   "Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the US doesn't need to suspend work on new nuclear permits while investigating the crisis in Japan,..."
   
   They never learn.

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      IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Not when there are huge corporations standing to make money from nuclear power, or anything else for that matter. Money talks! I'm beginning to think the worst thing man ever developed for nuclear power/weapons anything to do with it.
      This is huge. This is awful. In many ways this is worse than the horrific disaster which has hit Japan.
      
      And all I can see in the Press is talk of how Wall Street or the money-market is faring. Like who cares.
      
      We, the people, have allowed money to become everything, but it really isn't. we have to get our priorities right, and that is human life...above everything!

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   WryLiltposted 13 years ago

   If it's going to be worse than Chernobyl (theoretically) how far could the nuclear fallout spread? This could be a very big crisis much bigger than just Japan.

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   knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

   "how far could the nuclear fallout spread?" Worldwide which is why iodine is selling out everywhere. The question in such a scenario is the toxicity.

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8. 83

   IzzyMposted 13 years ago

   There was panic earlier on today because someone passed on a text that supposedly came from the BBC to say that the fallout had already spread to surrounding countries like the Philippines. It was later denied and said to be caused by a prankster.
   
   http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 … text.hoax/
   
   I would question whether or not it was really a hoax?
   
   The BBC in my experience are tightly controlled, but are made up of genuine people who believe news should be released.
   
   I used to watch BBC news 24 through the night and the big news stories changed radically in the morning.
   
   Controlled!

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   I was flipping through channels last night and landed for just a minute or so (all I could stomach) of Glenn Beck. Glenn was going on and on about how the nuclear meltdown in Japan was NOT news -- didn't even belong in the top 5 news stories. He talked about how it's basically just propaganda against the nuclear energy INDUSTRY and should be ignored.
   
   Gee. I'm really glad we have people like Glenn Beck to tell us here in America what is or isn't serious.
   I'm sure there are millions of Japanese who are relieved to hear it's a "non-news" story.

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      IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Who is this guy Glenn Beck? I take it he is a TV personality, or is he a politician?
      
      Whatever, you do know that the nuclear industry will be sending in the big guns now to reassure everyone that nuclear power is safe.
      
      Any doubts you ever had...voice them. Be heard.
      
      Edit: I'm not in the US and never have been, so please excuse my ignorance on who Glenn Beck is.

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    IzzyMposted 13 years ago

    Actually just googled his name, and this was the first item offered in Google
    
    http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar … 892420.f01
    
    We have a name for people like him
    
    Pajero!

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11. 76

    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Please, IzzyM. Never apologize for not knowing who Glenn Beck is!! He is a Fox News commentator. I would post a link to his show, but then you could no longer live in blissful ignorance of the man and his ultra-right-wing ideas!
    
    And yes, you're darned tootin' the nuclear energy industry is not going to take this Japan situation lying down. I do wonder, however, how many Chernobyls, Three Mile Islands and Japans it will take to convince the world otherwise (?)

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       IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       It will only take this one. Because Three Mile island and Chernobyl happened in pre-internet days - well the internet was around but very of few of us could afford it.
       
       The world has changed - people can communicate freely now - we are no longer dependent on what the news broadcasters choose to bring us.
       
       We can make damned sure this can't happen again...anywhere... except maybe communist China..

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       logic,commonsenseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       How many people died or got seriously ill from TMI?
       How many people die in car accidents in the world every year?  Are you going to ban all cars?  How many people die in plane accidents every year?  Going to ban all planes?  How many people die from home accidents every year?  Going to ban all homes?  More people get sick and are affected by radon in their home than radiation from Nagasaki, Hiroshima,TMI and Chernobyl combined.
       Fear of nuclear power is irrational.  Respect for what nuclear reaction can do is required.  Nothing is foolproof.  There are no guarantees when you step out of your door you won't be killed or injured by something.  The best you can do is try to make sure things are as safe as reasonably possible. 
       Combined worldwide, nuclear power plants have operated equivalent to 14,000 years and we've had 3 accidents.  Chernobyl shouldn't count cause the Russians were just inept when they built that plant.  In Japan, if it weren't for the earthquake and the tsunami combined there would be no issue.  Guarantee you that the Japanese will make sure that it does not happen again. 
       The Japanese have excess power production capacity that had been offline, as soon as they can get the offline capacity up to speed they should have enough generating capacity to make up for the damaged plants.
       Along with the seawater, they are pouring boron in the reactors to poison the neutrons and eliminate a chain reaction.

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          IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Your argument is illogical captain!
          
          Yes I am aware of radon in homes naturally occurring but this is quite different, and extremely scary for all of mankind. There is not a lot of difference between a leaky nuclear power plant and an atomic explosion, death and future illness wise, IMO.
          I hear this morning that the technicians are back inside the plants trying to stop a disaster from happening. These people deserve medals!

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Pajero. It sounds so much more "civil" (a huge word for the TP/neocons) in Spanish.

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       Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       It sounds quite funny in Russian, something like dicky, if you get my drift

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       IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       They had to rename the Mitsibushi Pajero 4 x4 vehicle in Spain, because people kept falling about laughing!
       
       Had to go look it up, its called the Montero here.
       
       http://www.yelp.com/topic/seattle-mitsu … -countries

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          Kangaroo_Jaseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Still called the Mitsubishi Pajero in Australia. Not a big deal here as about 1-2% of the population speak Spanish.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    LOL. The Mitsubishi car name came up with I googled the meaning of "pajero."
    It's called the Montero here in the US as well, quite likely because we have so many Spanish speakers!

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       IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       You spelt Mitsubishi - Mitsubushi - Mitsubishi correctly. Good thing that google knows what we mean when we type words in!

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    God bless Google. It always corrects my spelling.
    I type a query about "XZY" and it responds with, "Did you mean XYZ?"
    
    Lesson of the day: Never buy a car from a company you can't  spell (or pronounce) without assistance!

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    AnnCeeposted 13 years ago

    Didn't take long for this thread to jump the shark.
    
    oooh shiny. . .

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       IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       yeah Ann you are right, sorry got sidetracked talking about some mental American right wing a*shole. Please keep the thread updated if you hear anything new.
       I am watching this site http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12754883
       (fresh fire has broken out at nuclear plant?)
       and pressing the refresh button for latest stories. (Don't have English TV).

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    wildernessposted 13 years ago

    An interesting article that would seem to defuse the hysteria:
    
    http://theenergycollective.com/barrybro … xplanation
    
    What is reported there makes sense to me; there has been at least a partial meltdown, but the containments are still intact and in no real danger of being damaged.  The reactors are now so much junk as seawater was let in, but are cooling down all the time.
    
    The reactors shut down during the earthquake and emergency diesel generators operated to run cooling pumps, but the tsunami took them out.  Batteries took over, but died after 8 hours.  Temperatures and pressures rose inside the containment and gases had to be vented to prevent a pressure (NOT nuclear) explosion with some radiation release.  It also released hydrogen, which exploded when in contact with the air outside the containment and damaged the surrounding building, but not the containment.
    
    Sea water was added for cooling to replace water lost to steam and has ruined the reactor, but has also cooled it to below the real danger point.
    
    A bigger question than radiation poisoning may be where will Japan get it's power?  Where will they get fresh drinking water?  How will they operate sewage treatment plants?  Four nuclear plants in a small country has to be a large percentage of their power production and like all developed countries Japan runs on energy.

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    IzzyMposted 13 years ago

    Good points wilderness.
    From what I gather, Japan had 55 nuclear power stations providing 20% of their power. I've no idea if all their nuclear stations are closed, or what means they had to provide the other 80%, but they are desperate for fresh water and power just now. No power, no food, no water. And its cold.
    These people are suffering greatly and I don't know what to do to help apart from donating to charity.
    Are goods being delivered? Is help reaching these folk?

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    sasta10posted 13 years ago

    I wonder if this nuclear power plant exposion is worse than the earthquake, I pray to God to help the people of Japan.

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    JASON NICHOLSposted 13 years ago

    Right now this radition that is spreading from that nuclear power plant in Japan will cover japan in some days maybe in some hours! My god! Why these people have to face such disasterours suitations? This will not only affect them but if the radation reaches here, It will affect us! The amount of nuclear chemicals spreading in this radation is equal to a nuclear atom bomb to start a world war 3!!!
    Lets pray that everything will become normal soon.

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       logic,commonsenseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       An article on MSN said at the current rate of exposure, one would have to be exposed constantly for 3 years before there would be any health issues.

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    JASON NICHOLSposted 13 years ago

    I forgot to add that this radition also reached TOKYO some hours ago!

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    IzzyMposted 13 years ago

    According to Scottish newspaper The Daily Record, fallout from Japan has reached Scotland
    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/03/29 … -23024190/

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    2uesdayposted 13 years ago

    Izzy, there was a mention about that on the BBC News this evening but they said the levels were very low.
    
    Here is a link that lists the parts of the plant they currently have problems with.
    
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12896690

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