Japan's Apocalypse

[trainedobserver]

If people could just accept these two very obvious flaws in humanity and corporations. We could work with this knowledge and build systems that counter these paradigms or truths.

Fool-proofing is a noble goal but it constantly gets circumvented by those whose have something other than safety as a primary goal. That's why we have laws which in turn get circumvented for short term gain. Somethings we just shouldn't mess with. In my humble opinion a power source that creates deadly waste products that remain so for millions of years is one of those. The stiffer regulation of nuclear energy on a world-wide basis is the only sane reaction to the Japanese nuclear crisis. Logically these unsafe reactor designs around the world are going to have be shutdown and dealt with, there is no other rational way around it. However, in reality I expect just more of the same. Short sighted and greedy power brokers are going to see to it that we continue to create problems that threaten the long-term health and safety of the species to satisfy short term gains while the majority of humanity sits back and watches it happen powerless to change things.

 

[hak]

However, in reality I expect just more of the same. Short sighted and greedy power brokers are going to see to it that we continue to create problems that threaten the long-term health and safety of the species to satisfy short term gains while the majority of humanity sits back and watches it happen powerless to change things.

And unfortunately it will always be this way, at least, while we are alive.

 

[trainedobserver]

And unfortunately it will always be this way, at least, while we are alive.

I think the world will take proper notice of this situation only after the Japanese people begin to panic and flee in mass. As long as the Japanese continue to suffer through rather than run like hell the world is going to continue to take the lack of news in western media as a signal that everything is under control or in someway remotely manageable. It is past time to scream and run naked down the street, so to speak and yet no mass reaction to what is essentially Godzilla coming ashore.

Yesterday's earthquake has sprung leaks at yet another power plant. Things just get more grim with each passing day and yet we hear less and less about it on the national news. Fortunately, we have Japan's NHK available online.

 

[hak]

The contaminated water going into the ocean is a tad bit frightening. What's in it? What will it do to the immediate ecosystem? Scary, especially for a people that dependent on the ocean for food.

 

[dyingsun]

I'm glad that germany is debating a total cease of nuclear power, we actually have windfarms in the northsea and are planning to massively expand those. Big but...but what good will it do if countries around you still heavily invest into nuclear power ? And as mentioned, what about the waste ?Yearly, we have big demonstrations here because of transporting these (Dry cask storage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) to France and vice versa. The demonstrations are mainly a reason for a gathering of ultra-leftists though.

Anyhow, if one country stops using nuclear power, it will be expensive and it will demand a massive action economy-wise to deliver the same kind of 'power'.

All good and dandy, but what about a plant melts down in France or Belgium? We would be fucked as well. This is of course from a Fatalists standpoint, but reasonable I think.

 

[truthseeker]

The contaminated water going into the ocean is a tad bit frightening. What's in it? What will it do to the immediate ecosystem? Scary, especially for a people that dependent on the ocean for food.

I'd probably stay clear of fish for a while.

 

[trainedobserver]

Never heard of this guy before today. He is asking some of the same questions I am and displays a similar level of concern. Warning: The f-word gets liberal and arguably justifiable use.

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Well folks they got another aftershock again 6.1 Japan getting it pretty bad!

 

[trainedobserver]

Fukushima has now been grandfathered to a level 7 and that does not necessarily reflect what it is now. They are in effect saying, "We made a mistake originally, this was much worse at the inception than we indicated." While it is reported that this is still 10 times less severe than Chernobyl, you have to wonder how long does it have to continue unabated before it eclipses Chernobyl?

 

[boomerang]

The Fukushima disaster became worse for Japan than Chernobyl was for Russia almost from the get-go. Japan just doesn't have the real estate to spare for wasteland.

 

[trainedobserver]

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22352930" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/22352930">Fukushima Accident Severity Level Raised to '7': Gundersen Discusses Lack of US Radiation Monitoring Data</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6415562">Fairewinds Associates</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

 

[trainedobserver]

We can design strict safety measures into the nuclear industry, we can over engineer the mechanics of the Republic itself until we are blue in the face, but we cannot circumvent the short sightedness of ignorant and stupid human beings of which I am certainly one. If humanity dies from a self inflicted wound, it will be from cutting its nose off to spite its face.



---------- Post added at 03:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:12 PM ----------

Newsclick interviews Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board in India on March 24, 2011. He speaks about the primary reasons for the continuing disaster in the Fukushima reactors following a major earthquake and tsunami in Japan

 

[trainedobserver]

Kevin Blanch lets off some more f*n steam over the f*n Japanese f*n situation. No news. More radiation. Idiots drool and point.

WARNING: language