Massive earthquake hits Japan

[Daircoill]

I hope Japan is okay. I wonder how the NSers and Mods in Japan are doing. I actually forgot that Japan got a lot of earthquakes.

About 1500 a year actually.

[Nobel Hobos]

I'm not opposed to building more nuclear plants, of more modern design. But I'm also glad that Western nations didn't go further with the first and second generation of nuclear plants, because those plants would still be there and they'd be widespread around the world too. If they hadn't been burdened by regulation (born of political opposition) in the developed countries, there would now be thousands of sixties and seventies-technology reactors operated unsafely throughout the developing world. An unregulated market would sold early generation reactors cheaper and cheaper and there would be no way of funding their decommissioning.

Both reactor design and waste reprocessing have certainly improved. But the deal that has to be done now is this: for every new design nuclear plant approved and built, at least one of these dinosaur plants under the same jurisdiction has to be taken offline. We know that decommissioning plants is expensive, so those costs should be directly accounted to the cost of a new plant. Not just dismissed as "someone else's problem" thirty years from now.

In fact, perhaps the lifecycle costs of nuclear reactors should be incorporated into the purchase price. The manufacturer should lease, not sell, them. The manufacturer should operate them, bear all liability for their malfunction, and when the lease ends they should dispose of them. Oh, but they couldn't make a profit that way could they?

[Sibirsky]

8 feet is quite a bit of distance to move almost instantly.

Mother nature is a fickle being.

She can be a real bitch sometimes.

*braces for lightning to strike him, on a sunny day*

[Sibirsky]

I'm not opposed to building more nuclear plants, of more modern design. But I'm also glad that Western nations didn't go further with the first and second generation of nuclear plants, because those plants would still be there and they'd be widespread around the world too. If they hadn't been burdened by regulation (born of political opposition) in the developed countries, there would now be thousands of sixties and seventies-technology reactors operated unsafely throughout the developing world. An unregulated market would sold early generation reactors cheaper and cheaper and there would be no way of funding their decommissioning.

Both reactor design and waste reprocessing have certainly improved. But the deal that has to be done now is this: for every new design nuclear plant approved and built, at least one of these dinosaur plants under the same jurisdiction has to be taken offline. We know that decommissioning plants is expensive, so those costs should be directly accounted to the cost of a new plant. Not just dismissed as "someone else's problem" thirty years from now.

In fact, perhaps the lifecycle costs of nuclear reactors should be incorporated into the purchase price. The manufacturer should lease, not sell, them. The manufacturer should operate them, bear all liability for their malfunction, and when the lease ends they should dispose of them. Oh, but they couldn't make a profit that way could they?

Sure they could. Electricity would be a bit more expensive though. Do nuclear plants ever refuel? If so, the cost of uranium or whatever they use would be extremely isolated from the consumer. Not like oil and gas. Because the fuel itself is a much smaller component of the total cost, uranium can double in price and the electricity would not move as much.

[Risottia]

U-238 might work too! Pretty desperate measures, but perhaps in case of a containment breach and meltdown a military helicopter could hover nearby and pump the whole mess full of DU bullets.

Well... maybe SHOOTING ²³⁸U would be even worse because of the structural damage... but using ²³⁸UF₆ in water could be an idea. It's highly toxic, though.

[Teddymania]

A couple of the people in my region are from Japan, waiting to see if they are ok.

[Vonners]

they just got hit by a 5.8 aftershock...

[Nobel Hobos]

-snip-

Also, if you look over the official statements that have been made here or incidents like Tokaimura, there's been a pattern of officially announcing that things aren't as bad as they actually are, hence my wait and see skepticism.

It's not just Japan of course.

Imagining myself as the manager of an evacuation, I wouldn't immediately declare that everyone within 30 km should evacuate (even if the transport system was working properly which clearly it isn't just now on the east coast of Japan). I'd set the evacuation zone as wide as possible for people to actually get out and for emergency services to get in and help people without transport to leave. That wouldn't be wide enough to keep everyone safe, but fairness comes into it too: the people at most risk (nearest the plant) shouldn't be obstructed by those at less risk who would block the roads and fill the trains if I told them about the risk. And I'd advise those more widely to take some precautions (like staying inside), and only when those at most risk had evacuated would I widen the zone where people should leave and my emergency services could help them leave.

It's quite a balancing act, and even if I knew at noon on Saturday that the reactor would do the worst kind of meltdown within two days, and given the dire limits on transport there at present, I think I'd handle it just the same: get the most-at-risk away, then the next-most-at-risk, and so on for as long as possible while holding off the disaster. When it's all over nothing should remain secret, but to manage the disaster it is justifiable to withhold information or even to lie to the public.

[Zarchic]

Well I hope that Japan gets better, but California is screwed.

[Sungai Pusat]

Well I hope that Japan gets better, but California is screwed.

Hopefully, California is as prepared as Japan. However, with their fiscal situation now, I can't agree more.

[Vonners]

latest news -

The Australian Gold Coast surfing championship has just been won in controversial circumstances by a man called Akihito Fukukushi on a wardrobe.

[Sibirsky]

latest news -

The Australian Gold Coast surfing championship has just been won in controversial circumstances by a man called Akihito Fukukushi on a wardrobe.

[Sibirsky]

Radiation levels decreasing.

[Kandorith]

latest news -

The Australian Gold Coast surfing championship has just been won in controversial circumstances by a man called Akihito Fukukushi on a wardrobe.

You sir.... WIN!

Though earthquakes have now been reported in Chiba...

[Nobel Hobos]

I only have it second hand (BBC) but apparently the reactor and its pressure containment are inside the building which blew up.

Four buildings, six reactors. 1:3:1:1 or 1:2:2:1? The second building along from the one which blew up does look bigger than the others.

[Sibirsky]

Seen some home videos of the events. Those are a bit closer to home, like my 1990s experience, except it lasted so much longer in Japan.

[Imsogone]

Well I hope that Japan gets better, but California is screwed.

Hopefully, California is as prepared as Japan. However, with their fiscal situation now, I can't agree more.

I left California four years ago, the state of preparation then was woefully inadequate, I doubt it's better now. The pols their do a lot of talking and posturing, but when it comes to actually doing anything constructive, they don't know where to begin, so they tear up freeways.

[Kiryu-shi]

Thanks to people who were updating early on. I've heard word from most of the people I know in the region - everyone I am close to in Iwate is okay, my family throughout Japan is okay, and family friends from inside Sendai are okay. I haven't heard from a close friend of mine from inside Sendai yet, but it looks like where he lives and works was not hit the hardest, so we're optimistic. Close friends of mine living in Ishinomaki haven't been able to send contact, but their neighborhood was shown several times on television, and it looks relatively undamaged, although it is uncomfortably close to an industrial fire.

[Sibirsky]

Thanks to people who were updating early on. I've heard word from most of the people I know in the region - everyone I am close to in Iwate is okay, my family throughout Japan is okay, and family friends from inside Sendai are okay. I haven't heard from a close friend of mine from inside Sendai yet, but it looks like where he lives and works was not hit the hardest, so we're optimistic. Close friends of mine living in Ishinomaki haven't been able to send contact, but their neighborhood was shown several times on television, and it looks relatively undamaged, although it is uncomfortably close to an industrial fire.

That's encouraging. Everyone in Japan is in my prayers.

[Kiryu-shi]

Thank you. My 80 year old grandmother, who lives around 200 miles southwest of the epicenter, said it was the strongest earthquake she's ever been in, and seems rattled, but is physically okay.

[Milograd]

-snip-

[Christantle]

The Nuclear Reactor blew up...its unbearable to watch...

Yup. If I read right, they hope there's no meltdown.

[The Corparation]

The Nuclear Reactor blew up...its unbearable to watch...

Yup. If I read right, they hope there's no meltdown.

There probably is. The big question is is how bad the leaks are.

[Sibirsky]

Yup. If I read right, they hope there's no meltdown.

There probably is. The big question is is how bad the leaks are.

Reports are saying that a meltdown was avoided, although risk remains. Radiation levels have dropped of, and they are going to use sea water to cool the reactor.

[Pope Joan]

There probably is. The big question is is how bad the leaks are.

Reports are saying that a meltdown was avoided, although risk remains. Radiation levels have dropped of, and they are going to use sea water to cool the reactor.

Did I hear that Japan received technical assistance and supplies from both Russia and the US to contain this potential explosion?

One bright moment within this dark tragedy is seeing how people pull together, even enemies.