Tsunami hits Japan after 8.8 magnitude Earthquake : (

Post Reply New Topic

Because this thread needs at least one positive:

http://www.seattledogspot.com/2011/03/1 ... -reunited/

if dropping water on them is futile, what is the thing that should be done about the spent fuel? reports are conflicting, but some say all water has evaporated from at least one of the pools.

If the reactor pool was bone dry as was claimed, the core would of melted down by now. The situation is still serious but it has stabilized:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ef21e3ea-50ed-11e0-8931-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Gqv892Ls

Seriously though, no one has died from radiation poisoning but thousands died from the earthquake and tsunami. Yet, people are going nuts over the Fukushima nuclear situation. The tsunami and earthquake are actually the worse disaster.

Yeah, they really are. I think people are simply worried about the unknown. They don't understand radiation; so it scares them.

Personally, I think it makes a lot of sense to put in some common-sense preparations for natural disasters like this one. It really doesn't take much; and if you do prepare, you'll take a load off the rescue workers that are trying to help out in your area.

This is from the US government:
http://www.fema.gov/

There are a lot of links there regarding what you need to have to weather natural disasters in general. Quick rundown:
--Food and water for everybody in your household for a couple of weeks (more if you can).
--A source of heat if it gets cold enough in the winters to need it (if you can go camping in January without special preparations, you're probably fine with just extra blankets.)
--A month's supply of any meds you need to stay alive/sane.
--A good first-aid/medical kit, plus basic first-aid training for everybody twelve years old or older (or sensible enough to learn at a younger age).
--A bag or backpack for everybody, that they can carry, if you have to evacuate. Be prepared for everything from a cushy hotel room to a blanket on the floor of a gym to a random cornfield.
--A way to get out of your immediate area if you need to. A car, a bike, or just a good pair of shoes.
--Anywhere you go, have with you supplies you will need to get home. For example, if you work in an office, bring a pair of tennis shoes. (I don't know if you guys remember 9/11; a lot of people had the problem of walking across glass and such in formal shoes. Thick-soled running shoes kept at one's desk make much more sense, and allow you to walk from the parking garage without killing your feet.)

If you have problems with unexpected events, drill through the likely disasters in your area. Memorize what you will do so you don't get stuck or go into meltdown. That kind of thing can be anywhere from embarrassing to deadly, so make sure you know what you're going to do before things go nuts. If you live in a group home or with family, make sure you know their emergency procedures.

Really doesn't take much effort, but can save your life...

I'm in tornado country, so I learned this early

I heard on CNN the workers cannot encase the spent fuel in reactor 4 in sand. The pool that holds the rods has a leak in it, which is why the water level keeps dropping. Still have no clue how they are going to solve this problem...Can someone get close enough to patch up a leak without experiencing radiation sickness and/or death?
If they can manage to get the electricity connected, perhaps they can continuously refill it, maybe with seawater, they have plenty of that.
So far, reactor 2 is the only one intact enough to reconnect the power. It looks pretty good compared to the others.

BtW, earthquake has been upgraded to a 9.

can't get to that article, but i've heard nothing to that effect. the most promising thing i heard was that they managed to connect reactor 2 to the power grid, but had no idea whether the cooling systems would even still work.




some people will undoubtedly die directly from acute radiation poisoning. the tsunami and earthquake claimed many more lives, and may be as you say bigger disasters, but the fukushima power plant issue is not yet resolved and attempts to restore water into the pools have failed, the Japanese have not been communicating effectively or honestly about what is going on at the plant, and it is still unknown how much radiation could be released if all of the spent fuel melts down. of course people are scared.

...and now radiation is being detected in spinach grown 75 miles away, in beans exported elsewhere, in tap water in Tokyo, and in milk.

If the food supply gets contaminated, and the fish too, that will be another big problem on top of everything! They got through the earthquake with great building codes. The tsunami was catastrophic. But to have the nuclear problem on top of that... Could there be huge future ramifications?

This whole thing is just getting more and more frustrating... I can understand a shortage of gas and food... but now this tainted water and vegetables, I think I am reaching my limit. I have a baby to think of, and this is not looking good.

They claim the amount of radiation in the milk, spinach, water, is at minisicule levels...they are only reporting on it now because it happens to have been effected. What it means for health is about the same as the amount of radiation you get from one CT scan.

Oh Joy! I get a free CT scan all day, with nothing to show for it.

I made the hugest order of stuff from a Japanese company, some days ago, of things I've wanted to get, for long, anyway, to support Japan. They would even donate part of what I paid to the Japanese Red Cross.

I had to use credit to pay for it, but I will be able to pay it back, and it was fun stuff that would brighten my days for a long time; things I should've already gotten. I hope the money comes to good use.

I hope the radiation in most areas becomes totally irrelevant, soon enough, for anyone's health, regardless of age.