Japanese earthquake / tsunami discussion

BluePlanet

So does anybody else wonder WHY there are posters here trying to play-down this situation?

I think it's because they are pro-nuclear power, and therefore anything that threatens that policy must be defended against.

On the other side of the aisle are anti-nuclear power people, but in fairness nobody is here saying this is Chernobyl.

I for one, advocate major skepticism of Japanese press releases, since they have a history of not being forthcoming with the truth about their nuclear accidents.

PeakOutput

if this is true it truly is amazing, 8 feet is some distance for a country to have moved

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/japan.earthquake.tsunami.earth/index.html

amacachi

Darius.Tr wrote: »

I'we read that these accidents could be caused by the moon as it is getting closer to earth...any ideas on this?the moon will be at its closest to earth since 1993...just wondering if this could be true

No.

BluePlanet wrote: »

So does anybody else wonder WHY there are posters here trying to play-down this situation?

I think it's because they are pro-nuclear power, and therefore anything that threatens that policy must be defended against.

On the other side of the aisle are anti-nuclear power people, but in fairness nobody is here saying this is Chernobyl.

I for one, advocate major skepticism of Japanese press releases, since they have a history of not being forthcoming with the truth about their nuclear accidents.

You're claiming that people are playing it down, I'd say I'm being realistic. And plenty have said it could be worse than Chernobyl. If nothing else what's annoying me is the "this could be a huge disaster" and the doom scenarios some are putting forward which isn't going to happen unless the plants are also hit with some massive explosive devices.

Seaneh

I'm actually pro nuclear, I have stated it a million times on here.

However, I wouldn't trust japanese corporations or governmental departments as far as I could spit a rat.

So there is a very real chance they are down playing this a fair bit.

clln

PeakOutput wrote: »

Telling you your listening to the wrong sources is not squabbling, listen to whatever makes you happy but if you keep trotting out propoganda from a ridicolous organisation like greenpeace im going to keep calling you out on it

I am listening to all sourceswith an open mind.
Greenpeace it seems is a much bigger danger to the world trying to save the whale etc,
They must be France blew up the rainbow warrior and murdered its crew they are such a danger to a fast buck!

i agree but there is a difference between skepticism and taking one side over the other

as i said above i have an open mind to all sources.










i personally dont believe the japanese will have any opportunity to cover any of this up simply because of the sheer magnitude of it all. I also believe that the people who are trying to stop the worst from happening are doing their best because their lives are at risk as well.[/QUOTE]

Thrill

Quake with preliminary magnitude of 6 hits Fukushima in northern Japan - Reuters via NHK

PeakOutput

BluePlanet wrote: »

So does anybody else wonder WHY there are posters here trying to play-down this situation?

Well I assume you are talking about me, and while I dont think I am playing anything down I will simply say that I think people who have no idea what they are talking about(not posters in the thread now but 'expert commentators') talking crap is wrong and should not be allowed.

the facts should be reported and right now those facts appear to be that there has been an explosion at a nuclear power plant in a non containment building caused by the cooling system. saying anything else or hypothesizing anything else is just fruitless scaremongering imo. I dont think either side should be allowed score political points the day after this tragedy.

when the situation has been resolved and the time for investigation begins if there is any impediments to the investigation then by all means shout from the roof tops that there is a cover up.

for what its worth im pro renewable energy first whenever possible, then nuclear if some other form of energy is necessary (which it shouldnt be if renewables are used affectively) and lastly non renewables.

Rob A. Bank

It gets worse by the moment... all those fishing towns north of Sendai, where the geography will have focused and increased the size of the wave are beginning to report.

Minamisanriku has reported 9,500 people missing, that is roughly half the population.

God help them.

PeakOutput

Darius.Tr wrote: »

I'we read that these accidents could be caused by the moon as it is getting closer to earth...any ideas on this?the moon will be at its closest to earth since 1993...just wondering if this could be true

the moon couldnt cause something like this but in theory it could amplify the affects of something like this.

for example i believe tides will be stronger as a result of the proximity of the moon. if a particularly high tide happened to have been occuring at the time of the tsunamis then the damage could have been worse but as for the idea that the moon could cause the earthquake which caused the tsunamis inthe first place, i dont believe that for a second.

Topper Harley01

Ficheall wrote: »

Linky?

#
1320: Noriyuki Shikata, from Japanese PM's office tweets: "TEPCO's [Tokyo Electric Power Company] efforts to depressurize the container was successful. Additional measures are now taken tonight using sea water and boric acid. "


Took me a while to find, but I got it.

CNN now reporting that 9,500 people are confirmed missing in one town alone in Japan!

http://edition.cnn.com/

amacachi

PeakOutput wrote: »

Well I assume you are talking about me, and while I dont think I am playing anything down I will simply say that I think people who have no idea what they are talking about(not posters in the thread now but 'expert commentators') talking crap is wrong and should not be allowed.

the facts should be reported and right now those facts appear to be that there has been an explosion at a nuclear power plant in a non containment building caused by the cooling system. saying anything else or hypothesizing anything else is just fruitless scaremongering imo. I dont think either side should be allowed score political points the day after this tragedy.

when the situation has been resolved and the time for investigation begins if there is any impediments to the investigation then by all means shout from the roof tops that there is a cover up.

for what its worth im pro renewable energy first whenever possible, then nuclear if some other form of energy is necessary (which it shouldnt be if renewables are used affectively) and lastly non renewables.

Another issue for me is the huge focus being given to the nuclear plants as opposed to other issues which will probably be more important. I heard about a dam cracking yesterday and I'm sure there are others but can't find out much about them. A dam collapsing would probably be worse than what's going to come of the nuclear plants.
And as you pointed out, which I wish was being made more clear, the explosion wasn't in the reactor. Same as yestterday when it was being reported that there was a fire, they didn't put much emphasis on the fact it was a good way from the reactor etc.

BluePlanet

Did anyone know there were problems at other nuclear power plants as well?

The earthquake has tested Japan’s nuclear industry to its limits.

So far, early fears of a leak, notably at the Fukushima reactor have not materialised. The US Air Force said it had delivered coolant to the power plant. ---Say What??--

In all, four sites continue to cause concern. Euronews spoke to Nuclear Safety Expert, Jean Mathieu Rambach.
He told us: ‘‘At the Onagawa power plant there was a fire in the engine room where electricity is produced. At two other sites, Fukushima N1 and N2, there was apparently difficulty in cooling the reactors’‘

http://www.euronews.net/2011/03/11/japan-s-nuclear-emergency/

Maybe the other plants might be ok, but what's that about the US AF "delivering" coolant?

amacachi

BluePlanet wrote: »

Did anyone know there were problems at other nuclear power plants as well?

http://www.euronews.net/2011/03/11/japan-s-nuclear-emergency/

Maybe the other plants might be ok, but what's that about the US AF "delivering" coolant?

When were those quotes from? It was being reported yesterday that the USAF delievered coolant but it was corrected then that it was offered and the japs said they didn't need it.
There are problems all over but there are many procedures in place for such problems.

Sierra Oscar

BluePlanet wrote: »

Did anyone know there were problems at other nuclear power plants as well?

http://www.euronews.net/2011/03/11/japan-s-nuclear-emergency/

Maybe the other plants might be ok, but what's that about the US AF "delivering" coolant?

A state of emergency has been declared in five other nuclear power stations now aka meaning the normal cooling systems have failed in five other nuclear power stations.

EDIT: No need to be alarmist about those other stations though, it seems everything is under control.

shadowninty

Malty_T wrote: »

And
GM Foods.
And
Climate Change.
And
Well just about anything related to science.:D

i never looked up their stance on AGW, whats the issue with it.. they are hardly against it

the GM issue is another mass hysteria issue
sure there are problems but in reality its necessary for the rapidly growing popluation
/OT

tricky D

baalthor wrote: »

And we don't ?

Did you notice our recent banking crisis/economic disaster ?

Everybody does, but eastern cultures to a greater extent.

We are much more willing to admit to problems. Most here, bar FF and some of the other creators of our mess, openly admit that we are screwed. That would not happen so much in Japan. Have a read of some of the Google results I suggested. Some interesting stuff there.

Turtwig

Topper Harley01 wrote: »

#
1320: Noriyuki Shikata, from Japanese PM's office tweets: "TEPCO's [Tokyo Electric Power Company] efforts to depressurize the container was successful. Additional measures are now taken tonight using sea water and boric acid. "


Took me a while to find, but I got it.

CNN now reporting that 9,500 people are confirmed missing in one town alone in Japan!

http://edition.cnn.com/

Fair play to CNN their coverage of this whole event has been much rational than other new agencies. Fox News have been really taking the piss.

PeakOutput wrote: »

for example i believe tides will be stronger as a result of the proximity of the moon. if a particularly high tide happened to have been occuring at the time of the tsunamis then the damage could have been worse but as for the idea that the moon could cause the earthquake which caused the tsunamis inthe first place, i dont believe that for a second.

I don't think this is correct. In my opinion a low tide would be worse because what makes a tsunami "rise" if you will is the length of the shallows the wave passes through. As each successive crest is slowed down by the decreasing depth the trailing crests will gain height. So a lower tide would allow the wave to traverse even more shallow area.
I'm just speculating though.

shadowninty wrote: »

i never looked up their stance on AGW, whats the issue with it.. they are hardly against it

They're not against it, but in my book they're not for it either. Most of their claims about it are ideological bullsh1t. Just as bad as Anthony Watts, Ms Palin etc.

Rob A. Bank

This does not sound good...

"Japanese authorities have told the IAEA they are making preparations to distribute iodine to people living near the nuclear power plants."

gman2k

TEPCO press release;

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031225-e.html

On March 11, 2011, turbines and reactors of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Station Unit 1(Boiling Water Reactor, Rated Output 460 MW) and
Unit 2 and 3 (Boiling Water Reactor, Rated Output 784 MW) that had been
operating at rated power automatically shutdown due to the
Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake.(already announced)

Today at approximately 3:36PM, a big quake occurred and there was a big
sound around the Unit 1 and white smoke.
Our two employees and two subcontract workers working for the safety of
the plant were injured and transported to the hospital.

We are presently checking on the site situation of each plant and effect
of discharged radioactive materials.

We will endeavor to restore the units and continue monitoring the
environment of the site periphery.

amacachi

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

This does not sound good...

"Japanese authorities have told the IAEA they are making preparations to distribute iodine to people living near the nuclear power plants."

Ever heard of precautions?

Daegerty

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

This does not sound good...

"Japanese authorities have told the IAEA they are making preparations to distribute iodine to people living near the nuclear power plants."

maybe we can send them some of ours?

Thrill

Officials: Nearly 9,500 people unaccounted for in the town of Minamisanriku - CNN via Kyodo News Agency

shadowninty

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

This does not sound good...

"Japanese authorities have told the IAEA they are making preparations to distribute iodine to people living near the nuclear power plants."

standard procedures presumably
(again this is no Chernobyl)

Rob A. Bank

Iodine is fine for preventing radioactive I-131 being absorbed by the thyroid, but will do nothing to prevent the Cesium-137 being absorbed into the bones.

God help the poor Japanese people...

Thrill

1.42pm: This graphic, produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows how the tsunami spread across the Pacific Ocean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBZGH3yieLc

Mr.Boots

Can someone give me a link to CNN that works?

Turtwig

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

Iodine is fine for preventing radioactive I-131 being absorbed by the thyroid, but will do nothing to prevent the Cesium-137 being absorbed into the bones.

God help the poor Japanese people...

Unless the reactor core has been exposed to the air the Japanese should be more worried about everything else that happened during this tsunami. There's bound to be other more potent hazard material leaks.

Wait let me rephrase that, even if it has been exposed they should be more worried about everything else that happened.

LambsEye

I think there's come a point where I can't watch any more footage on this. It's too freaking scary and bleak.

ilovesleep

Thrill wrote: »

Quake with preliminary magnitude of 6 hits Fukushima in northern Japan - Reuters via NHK

It gets worse and worse for them.
First earthquake, then
tsunami
nuclear problems
dam breaking
big aftershocks
volcano erupting

My heart goes out to them.

Has there been a book of condolences opened here for us to sign?

Cionád

Mr.Boots wrote: »

Can someone give me a link to CNN that works?

http://edition.cnn.com/