Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Sun, March 13, 2011 -- 9:36 PM ET
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Experts Say Radioactive Releases From Japanese Plants Could Last Weeks or Months
As the scale of Japan's nuclear crisis begins to come to light, experts in Japan and the United States say the country is now facing a cascade of accumulating problems that suggest that radioactive releases of steam from the crippled plants could go on for weeks or even months.
The emergency flooding of two stricken reactors with seawater and the resulting steam releases are a desperate step intended to avoid a much bigger problem: a full meltdown of the nuclear cores in two reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. So far, Japanese officials have said the melting of the nuclear cores in the two plants is assumed to be "partial," and the amount of radioactivity measured outside the plants, though twice the level Japan considers safe, has been relatively modest.
Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/japan-fukushima-nuclear-reactor.html?emc=na
- Guest083011
- 03-13-2011, 08:45 PM
- Mazomaniac
- 03-13-2011, 09:00 PM
I actually did some work with a big nuclear utility, so I understand a bit of the economic issues. The problem is that they didn't build cheap. The existing nukes in this country were horrendously expensive to build -- largely because of endless regulatory reviews and delays. In many cases the regulators forced more complex Rube Goldberg designs instead of looking at simpler ideas such as are now becoming available as you suggest from Sweden.HOLY SHIT PJ!!!
This was more than 10 years ago and the sunk cost in those puppies was well north of a couple bill each -- so something like $100M wouldn't break the bank. Besides, if those designs became standardized, the cost would drop. Also, the other big cost in a nuke is the periodic take down and maintenance work when the thing is down for 2-4 months. A design like what you are talking about would cut the hell out of those times.
No, I think this is a classic bureaucratic case of making perfect the enemy of good. Originally Posted by pjorourke
Did you and I just agree on something?!?!?!?!?!
I better go turn up the heat. Hell's about to freeze over.
Cheers!
Mazo.
- pjorourke
- 03-13-2011, 09:02 PM
Yup we did. But it might also be the earth off its axis from that big quake. 
- discreetgent
- 03-13-2011, 09:03 PM
- Mazomaniac
- 03-13-2011, 09:10 PM
- Guest083011
- 03-13-2011, 09:11 PM
- pjorourke
- 03-13-2011, 09:20 PM
- Guest083011
- 03-13-2011, 09:51 PM
Video:
https://www.facebook.com/video/video...=1605260179420
And this is not good:
Breaking News Alert: Officials believe a hydrogen explosion occurred at Japanese plant
March 13, 2011 10:43:11 PM
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Nuclear officials believe a hydrogen explosion has occurred at stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant. A massive column of smoke was seen belching from the plant’s No. 3 unit, the Associated Press reports. There's no information yet on the extent of damage or whether the containment vessel was damaged.
http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/3873VC/725JBO/LQS4UI/S5TN1M/PA8RW/UP/h
https://www.facebook.com/video/video...=1605260179420
And this is not good:
Breaking News Alert: Officials believe a hydrogen explosion occurred at Japanese plant
March 13, 2011 10:43:11 PM
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Nuclear officials believe a hydrogen explosion has occurred at stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant. A massive column of smoke was seen belching from the plant’s No. 3 unit, the Associated Press reports. There's no information yet on the extent of damage or whether the containment vessel was damaged.
http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/3873VC/725JBO/LQS4UI/S5TN1M/PA8RW/UP/h
- gnadfly
- 03-13-2011, 10:06 PM
Everybody RUN! (closer)
- pjorourke
- 03-13-2011, 10:19 PM
Oh shit! There is reportedly another 10 ft tsunami on its way to japan.
- I B Hankering
- 03-13-2011, 10:28 PM
Volcano in southern Japan erupts
The Shinmoedake volcano on Japan's Kyushu island, after lying dormant for a couple of weeks, resumes activity in a blast heard miles away. It was unclear if the eruption was linked to Friday's massive earthquake in the north.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2486939.story
The Shinmoedake volcano on Japan's Kyushu island, after lying dormant for a couple of weeks, resumes activity in a blast heard miles away. It was unclear if the eruption was linked to Friday's massive earthquake in the north.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2486939.story
- Rakhir
- 03-13-2011, 11:55 PM
I you want to see the new reactors that make sense look up Hyperion reactors. They ate about the size of a commercial refrigerator and are closed systems. Each one can powers about 2k home for twenty years and once used can be recycled again.
- Wayward
- 03-14-2011, 12:00 AM
Not completely topical but at least this picture has water, the tsunami is in my neither regions. This is all so sad, just needed to take a break sorry.
- charlestudor2005
- 03-14-2011, 10:13 AM
The debate has already started. Liberals on the left, conservatives on the right:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/...wer/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/...wer/index.html
- Marcus Aurelius
- 03-14-2011, 10:24 AM
It was just reported that "It is most likely that all three reactors fuel rods are exposed and are melting down."