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Big quake near Fukushima would ‘decimate Japan, lead to US West Coast evacuation

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The stricken nuclear plant at Fukushima in northern Japan is in such a delicate condition that a future earthquake could trigger a disaster that would decimate Japan and affect the entire West Coast of North America, a prominent scientist has warned.


“Fukushima is the most terrifying situation that I can imagine,” Suzuki said, adding that another earthquake could trigger a potentially catastrophic, nuclear disaster.


“The fourth [reactor] has been so badly damaged that the fear is if there’s another earthquake of a 7 or above then that building will go and all hell breaks loose,” he said, adding that the chances of an earthquake measuring 7 or above in Japan over the next three years were over 95 percent.


Certain phrases by Suzuki, however, aren't the kind of stiff formal talk you'd come to expect from a scientist speaking on grave matters, such as the use of "lying through their teeth" to describe the Japanese government on its handling of the Fukushima disaster; and when describing the potential future catastrophe he described it as "bye bye Japan." This kind of vernacular tends to set off my bull**** alarms. Indeed...


Suzuki, a prominent environmental campaigner and scientist from the University of British Columbia, whose television science programs and books have gained a wide international audience, has been very vocal in his criticisms of Japan in its handling of the disaster.


Despite his prominence in Canada, Suzuki has been criticized in the past by the media for double standards and his credentials as a scientist have been queried. While his television programs encourage society to consume less fossil fuel and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, Suzuki reportedly lives in one of Vancouver’s most exclusive areas and has faced criticism over his globetrotting airplane travel.


Then again...


However, with regard to the current situation at Fukushima, a number of scientists have echoed Suzuki’s concerns. Nuclear technology historian Robert Jacobs told RT that there could easily be more destruction at the plant’s fourth reactor.
Big quake near Fukushima would ?decimate Japan, lead to US West Coast evacuation? ? RT News


So is the good doctor a sensationalist and an alarmist? Or is this a good time to check out some worthless Nevada and Utah real estate?
 
So is the good doctor a sensationalist and an alarmist? Or is this a good time to check out some worthless Nevada and Utah real estate?

Oh. That is not in question. He is. The question is: Is he right?
 
I like how they try to add credibility with "scientists" echoing Suzuki's concerns, and then go with a "Nuclear technology historian."

To answer joG's question: no, he isn't right.
 
Certain phrases by Suzuki, however, aren't the kind of stiff formal talk you'd come to expect from a scientist speaking on grave matters, such as the use of "lying through their teeth" to describe the Japanese government on its handling of the Fukushima disaster; and when describing the potential future catastrophe he described it as "bye bye Japan." This kind of vernacular tends to set off my bull**** alarms. Indeed...





Then again...



Big quake near Fukushima would ?decimate Japan, lead to US West Coast evacuation? ? RT News


So is the good doctor a sensationalist and an alarmist? Or is this a good time to check out some worthless Nevada and Utah real estate?

Since the day it's been news I've said how this is a BIG deal... Not only a power plant, but had literal tons of nuclear waste in the facility.

That radiation all builds up, and eventually the "safe" background limit is not so safe anymore.

Especially with how much of the radioactive water gets dumped into the ocean, it's still smoldering away...

At this point; there should be international collaboration and volunteers from around the world out doing everything possible to contain the problem... If things get much worse there, it very well could lead to a point where the pacific ocean becomes toxic...

It may become prudent to, if possible move to the southern hemisphere... Now, to north america represents a minor increase in background radiation, but that becomes cumulative in the long term...
 
Since the day it's been news I've said how this is a BIG deal... Not only a power plant, but had literal tons of nuclear waste in the facility.

That radiation all builds up, and eventually the "safe" background limit is not so safe anymore.

Especially with how much of the radioactive water gets dumped into the ocean, it's still smoldering away...

At this point; there should be international collaboration and volunteers from around the world out doing everything possible to contain the problem... If things get much worse there, it very well could lead to a point where the pacific ocean becomes toxic...

It may become prudent to, if possible move to the southern hemisphere... Now, to north america represents a minor increase in background radiation, but that becomes cumulative in the long term...

The radioactive water issue isn't an issue because math.
 
The radioactive water issue isn't an issue because math.

Is that an equivalent argument to; co2 isn't an issue because tree??

Couldn't help it...

Anyway, you mean because of the sheer volume of the ocean water?

Yes, it's much less of a direct issue in north america. That said, the radioactive contamination DOES go through the food supply making it toxic.

Also, what's the half-life of plutonium?? 30000 years?? Well, that means that the more that spills in for the next 30k years is a BUILDUP of what has been there for the past 30000 years...

That said, it's the Japanese people that should be worried before us... But you need to also consider that it takes about 6 weeks for the jet stream to cross the pacific and start dropping any hot particles that got into the upper atmosphere... Which again the brunt is into the oceans, but will also land on the west coast...


It really feels as though radioactivity is nutritious and delicious....
 
Certain phrases by Suzuki, however, aren't the kind of stiff formal talk you'd come to expect from a scientist speaking on grave matters, such as the use of "lying through their teeth" to describe the Japanese government on its handling of the Fukushima disaster; and when describing the potential future catastrophe he described it as "bye bye Japan." This kind of vernacular tends to set off my bull**** alarms. Indeed...





Then again...



Big quake near Fukushima would ?decimate Japan, lead to US West Coast evacuation? ? RT News


So is the good doctor a sensationalist and an alarmist? Or is this a good time to check out some worthless Nevada and Utah real estate?

It doesn't say how this so called Japanapacolypse would unfold.

I was in living in Tokyo at the time and the people certainly don't trust their government or TEPCO on this one. That being said, there is pretty much no risk to the US from this. The only thing I can think of would be nuclear fallout carried in the jet stream, but that would be so dissipated that it really wouldn't be much of a concern.

FYI a quake of greater than 7.0 DID happen relatively near the plant a few months ago. We're still here, and they're still there.
 
It doesn't say how this so called Japanapacolypse would unfold.

I was in living in Tokyo at the time and the people certainly don't trust their government or TEPCO on this one. That being said, there is pretty much no risk to the US from this. The only thing I can think of would be nuclear fallout carried in the jet stream, but that would be so dissipated that it really wouldn't be much of a concern.

FYI a quake of greater than 7.0 DID happen relatively near the plant a few months ago. We're still here, and they're still there.

Yes, and really is just a lucky situation... All the more reason to have an international effort to clean that mess up BEFORE a worst case scenario happens... (this is already a worst case scenario depending on how you look at it).

I agree with you that this, is not a big concern as of yet, but all that radiation released isn't going away any time soon, and just continuing o build up.

Also, it's not so much the EXPOSURE to radiation that the general population needs to be concerned with; instead the concern is how many radioactive particles are taken in internally....

That's where the real damage happens...

This is also not the last we hear of Fukushima.... But really, even if Japan needs to be evacuated, where are you going to put 125 million people??
 
Is that an equivalent argument to; co2 isn't an issue because tree??

Couldn't help it...
Not at all equivalent.

Anyway, you mean because of the sheer volume of the ocean water?
Yes.
Yes, it's much less of a direct issue in north america.
The radioactivity is a complete non-issue in North America. Because seriously, math. The sheer volume of water. Even millions of gallons of contaminated water diluted into that volume become less than measurable.

That said, the radioactive contamination DOES go through the food supply making it toxic.
Bananas are radioactive too. Significantly more so than the "safe" levels that Japan sets for fish.

And you're using the word "toxic" wrong.

Also, what's the half-life of plutonium?? 30000 years?? Well, that means that the more that spills in for the next 30k years is a BUILDUP of what has been there for the past 30000 years...
A long half-life means something is less dangerous, not more dangerous.

That said, it's the Japanese people that should be worried before us... But you need to also consider that it takes about 6 weeks for the jet stream to cross the pacific and start dropping any hot particles that got into the upper atmosphere... Which again the brunt is into the oceans, but will also land on the west coast...


It really feels as though radioactivity is nutritious and delicious....

A magnitude 7 earthquake is not going to cause the problems this article describes.
 
Yes, and really is just a lucky situation... All the more reason to have an international effort to clean that mess up BEFORE a worst case scenario happens... (this is already a worst case scenario depending on how you look at it).

I agree with you that this, is not a big concern as of yet, but all that radiation released isn't going away any time soon, and just continuing o build up.

Also, it's not so much the EXPOSURE to radiation that the general population needs to be concerned with; instead the concern is how many radioactive particles are taken in internally....

That's where the real damage happens...

This is also not the last we hear of Fukushima.... But really, even if Japan needs to be evacuated, where are you going to put 125 million people??

There just isn't enough material in that reactor to badly contaminate a country of that size. Math.
 
There just isn't enough material in that reactor to badly contaminate a country of that size. Math.

Ok, run through the numbers you are using...

Did you consider the nuclear waste that was stored on the site; that there was tons of plutonium in the facility?

That the ld50 rate for plutonium is 5*10^-6g / kg...

Let's see some of your math here...
 
Ridiculous.

How exactly would this horrible apocalypse transpire ?

How exactly would a Earyhquake threaten all of Japan or even the US for that matter ?

This "scientist" is a kook.
 
There just isn't enough material in that reactor to badly contaminate a country of that size. Math.

I always understood the risk as being bioaccumulation in our oceanic food sources. The higher order species like tuna are already testing positive for higher amounts of radioactive material. It's kind of ironic that a country such as Japan who refuses to moderate its over-fishing of the ocean is now being faced with having to consume radioactive food.

Besides, it is too early to just say "math" anyway. Humans understand natural systems better than they used to but there is still a lot to be desired, and we don't know how events will chain react. The projected time for the most nuclear fallout to reach the west coast, if it happens, will be in spring 2014. I will be keeping my eye out on the independent research sources, since I don't trust government or green organizations anymore to be honest.
 
Not at all equivalent.
I almost missed this gem of misinformation.


Yes.[/quote]

It was analogous however; but mostly it was funny, at least to me.


The radioactivity is a complete non-issue in North America. Because seriously, math. The sheer volume of water. Even millions of gallons of contaminated water diluted into that volume become less than measurable.

On the scale of issues in north America, up to this point, this issue would be at a 2 or 3 out of 10 in severity... But if the absolute worst happens; the west coast may need to take preventative measure.
In Japan however; this issue should be a 8-10 out of 10.

Bananas are radioactive too. Significantly more so than the "safe" levels that Japan sets for fish.

That's where the misinformation starts. This is a false equivalence; radioactive potassium can still be processed by the body, and cycles through your body fairly quickly.

Also; we are exposed to alot of radiation in a given day, that doesn't go away, the extra radiation exposure is in addition to that normal radiation.

And you're using the word "toxic" wrong.

Plutonium debris along with all the rest of the facility when it blew up went into the atmosphere. All it takes is 5 micrograms / kg o body weight to kill 50% of people within 40 days.

A long half-life means something is less dangerous, not more dangerous.

Thank you; yes, but uranium for example has a half life in the millions of years.

Radioactive iodine is half-gone in 8 days.

Now; you also seem to be misinformed on the variables involved;

First; you gotta look at the concentration of radiation, which when you look at pure numbers the banana looks worse than the fish.

Next, you gotta consider the type of radiation; whether it's alpha, beta or gamma radiation. They each have different impacts.

Also, there is the difference between exposure and ingestion; if you get a hot particle on your arm it will wash off before any real impact. However, if you inhale that hot particle and it lodges in your lung; or is swallowed will each have different impacts.

Then there's the nature of the radioactive material; is it a heavy metal that is will not be easily processed by the body and will work it's way through your bones, blood, brain, or kidneys;
or is it like the potassium in the banana that gets quickly processed and maintained at balanced levels within your body?

Then there is the matter of bioaccumulation; radioactive debris gets in the cow; plus what it eats from what's landed on the same field... Tainting food.



All these factors vary and have an impact that is not so simple to determine as the simple numbers (which are based on EXPOSURE only)

A magnitude 7 earthquake is not going to cause the problems this article describes.

Well, there's been a new set of leaks; including photos that show steam boiling through the ocean water (not ocean water boiling as was reported in some places), which according to at least one expert means that there is now fusion going on outside the confinement in the reactor.

http://rt.com/op-edge/fukushima-radiation-threat-level-288/

No matter how you slice it; Fukushima is a big deal for the entire northern hemisphere. Until the site itself is completely capped and stopped, but still with one shot, Fukushima will cause more overall damage then all co2 ever released by man.
 
I almost missed this gem of misinformation.


Yes.

It was analogous however; but mostly it was funny, at least to me.




On the scale of issues in north America, up to this point, this issue would be at a 2 or 3 out of 10 in severity... But if the absolute worst happens; the west coast may need to take preventative measure.
In Japan however; this issue should be a 8-10 out of 10.



That's where the misinformation starts. This is a false equivalence; radioactive potassium can still be processed by the body, and cycles through your body fairly quickly.

Also; we are exposed to alot of radiation in a given day, that doesn't go away, the extra radiation exposure is in addition to that normal radiation.



Plutonium debris along with all the rest of the facility when it blew up went into the atmosphere. All it takes is 5 micrograms / kg o body weight to kill 50% of people within 40 days.



Thank you; yes, but uranium for example has a half life in the millions of years.

Radioactive iodine is half-gone in 8 days.

Now; you also seem to be misinformed on the variables involved;

First; you gotta look at the concentration of radiation, which when you look at pure numbers the banana looks worse than the fish.

Next, you gotta consider the type of radiation; whether it's alpha, beta or gamma radiation. They each have different impacts.

Also, there is the difference between exposure and ingestion; if you get a hot particle on your arm it will wash off before any real impact. However, if you inhale that hot particle and it lodges in your lung; or is swallowed will each have different impacts.

Then there's the nature of the radioactive material; is it a heavy metal that is will not be easily processed by the body and will work it's way through your bones, blood, brain, or kidneys;
or is it like the potassium in the banana that gets quickly processed and maintained at balanced levels within your body?

Then there is the matter of bioaccumulation; radioactive debris gets in the cow; plus what it eats from what's landed on the same field... Tainting food.



All these factors vary and have an impact that is not so simple to determine as the simple numbers (which are based on EXPOSURE only)



Well, there's been a new set of leaks; including photos that show steam boiling through the ocean water (not ocean water boiling as was reported in some places), which according to at least one expert means that there is now fusion going on outside the confinement in the reactor.

Fukushima open air fission? Radiation surge can?t be blamed just on random leaks ? RT Op-Edge

No matter how you slice it; Fukushima is a big deal for the entire northern hemisphere. Until the site itself is completely capped and stopped, but still with one shot, Fukushima will cause more overall damage then all co2 ever released by man.

NO, there is NOT "FUSION" happening outside of the Fukishima conatainment structure.

Fukishima was NEVER a FUSION reactor and the only existing FUSION reactor close to providing a positive theoretical power output is the ITER reactor in France.

The way we have historically produced a FUSION reaction was to use a FISSILE trigger to fuse the atomic nuclei of two Hydrogen isotopes, Deuterium ( Hydrogen-2) and Tritium ( Hydrogen-3) into Helium-4.

It takes the energy and more specifically the HEAT of a FISSILE trigger ( an ATOM bomb Comparable to the weapon dropped on Hiroshima ) to initiate that fusion reaction.

As an educated Fan of both Nuclear FISSION AND FUSION ( Weapons and power applications ) I have to say there has been a serious amount of misinformation reported concerning the Fukishima disaster and the clean up. I've even read read on whako eco websites that there was the chance of a atomic explosion comparable to Hiroshima during clean up.

NONSENSE. FIRST, the Nuclear fuel they use for power plants isn't weapon grade fissile material. Not even close. It's enriched up to 4-6% where weaponized material is enriched in excess of 90%. Now some power plants DO create highly enriched plutonium as a % of it's waste but that Plutonium would have to be processed and isolated in order to create the "Pit" OF A fissile Atomic weapon.

Second, in order to produce that type of explosion a highly weaponized form of Uranium or Plutonium has to be compressed until it reaches it's critical mass. That's difficult to accomplish even by design. Nuclear weapons are very high tech pieces of equipment.

I read that there was a chance the fuel rod would ignite when exposed to air during clean up. Also nonsense. Fukishima used a "MOX fuel" or Metal Oxide fuel clad in ZIRCONIUM that according to another whack eco website, "Explodes on contact " with air.

Zirconium powder can detonate when it comes into contact with air but not solid zirconium, it's bought and sold as a solid metal like steel or aluminum.

Melted core material is usually contained if not by the Containment vessel then by redundant materials that are specifically used to dilute the core material. The Chernobyl core melted into a channel created for a core run off and melted into the basement and by then had been diluted, cooled and isolated.

Reactors have been decommissioned before. Three Mile Island clean up took 14 years.

There's no doubt Fukishima was a disaster with damage to the surrounding area and years of decommission and clean up to follow. But to classify it as a Nation Killer or to characterize a possible outcome that would adversely affect the entire Wet coast of the United State is a HUGE exaggeration.

It's as bad as saying "FUSION" is currently happening outside the containment vessel when that's simply impossible.
 
Typo + autocorrect made that mistake... Which appeared just once, and was my typo... So I'll delete that part and respond to the rest, since I obviously agree and am aware of the difference.

NO, there is NOT "FUSION" happening outside of the Fukishima conatainment structure.

That was speculated as the best explanation as to how the steam appears as though the ocean next to the facility is / was boiling... That the attempts to keep the reacting material cool has failed and is now fissioning into the ground beneath the facility.

As an educated Fan of both Nuclear FISSION AND FUSION ( Weapons and power applications ) I have to say there has been a serious amount of misinformation reported concerning the Fukishima disaster and the clean up. I've even read read on whako eco websites that there was the chance of a atomic explosion comparable to Hiroshima during clean up.
I get that; and you clearly are more well versed in the material than I am...

NONSENSE. FIRST, the Nuclear fuel they use for power plants isn't weapon grade fissile material. Not even close. It's enriched up to 4-6% where weaponized material is enriched in excess of 90%. Now some power plants DO create highly enriched plutonium as a % of it's waste but that Plutonium would have to be processed and isolated in order to create the "Pit" OF A fissile Atomic weapon.

Whether its possible or not, I don't know (tend to doubt that type of explosion would be possible regardless), but the logic was if the core melts down, just like you melt any other metal where the heavier metal concentrates at the bottom, this melted down core could concentrate to higher levels.... Again, that's the logic explained whether that's possible I don't know.

Second, in order to produce that type of explosion a highly weaponized form of Uranium or Plutonium has to be compressed until it reaches it's critical mass. That's difficult to accomplish even by design. Nuclear weapons are very high tech pieces of equipment.

I read that there was a chance the fuel rod would ignite when exposed to air during clean up. Also nonsense. Fukishima used a "MOX fuel" or Metal Oxide fuel clad in ZIRCONIUM that according to another whack eco website, "Explodes on contact " with air.

Zirconium powder can detonate when it comes into contact with air but not solid zirconium, it's bought and sold as a solid metal like steel or aluminum.

Melted core material is usually contained if not by the Containment vessel then by redundant materials that are specifically used to dilute the core material. The Chernobyl core melted into a channel created for a core run off and melted into the basement and by then had been diluted, cooled and isolated.

Reactors have been decommissioned before. Three Mile Island clean up took 14 years.

There's no doubt Fukishima was a disaster with damage to the surrounding area and years of decommission and clean up to follow. But to classify it as a Nation Killer or to characterize a possible outcome that would adversely affect the entire Wet coast of the United State is a HUGE exaggeration.

It's as bad as saying "FUSION" is currently happening outside the containment vessel when that's simply impossible.

So you are aware also that there's now over a million deaths that can be attributed to Chernobyl now??
 
Typo + autocorrect made that mistake... Which appeared just once, and was
my typo... So I'll delete that part and respond to the rest, since I obviously agree and am aware of the difference.



That was speculated as the best explanation as to how the steam appears as though the ocean next to the facility is / was boiling... That the attempts to keep the reacting material cool has failed and is now fissioning into the ground beneath the facility.


I get that; and you clearly are more well versed in the material than I am...



Whether its possible or not, I don't know (tend to doubt that type of explosion would be possible regardless), but the logic was if the core melts down, just like you melt any other metal where the heavier metal concentrates at the bottom, this melted down core could concentrate to higher levels.... Again, that's the logic explained whether that's possible I don't know.



So you are aware also that there's now over a million deaths that can be attributed to Chernobyl now??

Chernobyl was far worse than Fukishima, it was a different type of reactor and when it exploded it generated a massive cloud of radioactive material.

The numbers of deaths attributed really depend on who you ask and I tend to not go to eco extreme websites to find my data unless I need a laugh.

Also, I have yet to read anywhere that the efforts to cool the remaining fuel rods at Fukishima have "failed". That implies theyv'e given up all hope and left the site to burn.

I guarantee THATS not happening.

And melted runaway core would have to be coming from the damaged reactors. Reactors that had redundant containment systems built in that are designed to dilute the core material as it makes its way through the containment layers.

Fissile material thats used in Nuclear reactors doesn't melt through the earth as described in the China Syndrome.

Again, the fuel used for Reactors is enriched to around 3-5%. Thats up from the natural enrichment of uranium ore of .72 %. It heats up, spreads out and starts to cool as did the core material at Chernobyl.

MOX fuel is a compound of very small amounts of plutonium 239 and Depleted Uranium. Its NOT pure weapons grade plutonium or even the type of core material used at Chernobyl.

Molten core material made it of the reactor containment vesel ? So ? It will cool, and they will contain and remove it.

Its not the first time thats happened.

Two advantages of MOX fuel. It uses left over plutonium from decomishioned Nuclear weapons, so that plutonium is taken out of the total inventory all together and its nearly impossible and totally impractical to remove any left over plutonium out of spent MOX fuel.

The danger that comes from a Nuclear melt down are radiation from the debris cloud left over after an explosion and radiation that might find its way into the water supply.

The Fukishima explosions were the result of the reaction of the Zirconium cladding coming in contact with steam which caused oxidation of the clad material which released Hydrogen.

Chernobyl's Explosion happened during a test. The controllers were trying to compensate for a 75 second lag on emergency generator startup by using the rotational momentum of the Turbines to run emergency power until the back up generators started.

They lowered the power output which caused a mass production of Xenon-135. This is known as " Reactor Poisoning" as Xenon-135 absorbs starts to absorb nuetrons in proportion to the rate of fission.

The operators panicked, because posioning a reactor shuts it down for several days if not weeks, and could probably get a Russian operator a train ticket to Siberia. They lowered the control rods too far, which caused a further loss of power, they panicked again and removed the rods Completely.

Extra pumps were brought on line but their prior actions had caused a unstable core condition. Even though a SCRAM was attempted, power output spiked and caused an explotion.

Chernobyl was a graphite moderator reactor, Fukishima is not. The burning exposed Graphite caused continuous highly radioactive debris to spread out over thousands of miles.
Fukishima was a huge disaster, but its not comparable to Chernobyl.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki created MASSIVE clouds of radioactive particles and killed hundreds of thousands of people. But today those Cities thrive.

I GET Fukishima was a total disaster, and who ever decided to build it on a coast line that was susceptable to Tsunamis should be hung up by their toes, but its no Nation Killer. Nor does it have the potential to take out Japan or all of the West Coast.

Those reactors were put into a SCRAM condition almost an hour before the Tsunami hit, and MOX fuel is mostly depleted uranium.
 
Below is a few pics of the dreaded "Elephants Foot". That's what's left of the ACTUAL #4 Reactor' Core at Cherrnobyl after it breached the containment vessel and made it into a basement where it cooled. Notice the Russian technician.


chernobyl-elephants-foot.jpg
UKRAINE-CHERNOBYL_001.jpg
elephant foot.jpg

Chernobyl was a Graphite Moderated light water tube reactor that used Uranium-235 enriched to about 2 to 3 %.
 
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Here are a couple of YouTube films documenting the clean up and the accident in general. In the film it states that the men had no idea of what they were getting into although interviews with personnel who were on the scene contradict that. Firefighters new that this was a suicide mission but felt it was their duty to continue on.

Notice the "Bio-Robots" actually shoveling burning graphite moderator off of the roof of what was left of the reactor. They were receiving millions of Rotogens per hour and were the first of the rescue and clean up crew to die.

The Cameraman in the first video climbed to the roof to film inside the exposed reactor. That decision cost him his life.



 
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I always understood the risk as being bioaccumulation in our oceanic food sources. The higher order species like tuna are already testing positive for higher amounts of radioactive material. It's kind of ironic that a country such as Japan who refuses to moderate its over-fishing of the ocean is now being faced with having to consume radioactive food.

Besides, it is too early to just say "math" anyway. Humans understand natural systems better than they used to but there is still a lot to be desired, and we don't know how events will chain react. The projected time for the most nuclear fallout to reach the west coast, if it happens, will be in spring 2014. I will be keeping my eye out on the independent research sources, since I don't trust government or green organizations anymore to be honest.

Those "higher levels" of radioactivity in the fish are still less radioactive than your average banana.

Brazil nuts are a couple orders of magnitude more radioactive.
 
Below is a few pics of the dreaded "Elephants Foot". That's what's left of the ACTUAL #4 Reactor' Core at Cherrnobyl after it breached the containment vessel and made it into a basement where it cooled. Notice the Russian technician.


View attachment 67156648
View attachment 67156649
View attachment 67156650

Chernobyl was a Graphite Moderated light water tube reactor that used Uranium-235 enriched to about 2 to 3 %.

Wait; are you going to tell me the version where:

Fukushima-Daiichi-reactor-3-explosion-images1.jpg


Was caused by a hydrogen explosion?

Seems to me that there would need to be substantial amounts of hydrogen to explode that big?

They also found debris over five km away... Not to mention that the spent fuel rods were on the roof.
 
Wait; are you going to tell me the version where:

Fukushima-Daiichi-reactor-3-explosion-images1.jpg


Was caused by a hydrogen explosion?

Seems to me that there would need to be substantial amounts of hydrogen to explode that big?

They also found debris over five km away... Not to mention that the spent fuel rods were on the roof.

*Sigh*....

That explosion was the result of Hydrogen gas build up inside the containment vessels due to a process called "Zirconium Fuel Fuel Cladding Water Reaction ". The exterior of the MOX Fuel rods used at Fukishima ( and many other light water reactors ) are made out of a Zirconium Alloy. Zirconium is used because of it's corrosion resistance and because it's transparent to neutrons.

BUT, if the clad coating comes in contact with steam at super high temperatures and starts to oxidize, it produces Hydrogen. Hydrogen builds until it find an ignition source and the BOOM. Same thing happened at 3 Mile Island but to a much smaller degree.

That has nothing to due with the "FUSION" of the two Hydrogen isotopes ( Tritium and Deuterium ), nor was that explosion a "atomic explosion ". We know from past disasters like The Hindenburg that Hydrogen accumulation inside a large vessel can lead to large explosions.

In most modern Nuclear reactors the presence of Steam Bubbles in the Primary cooling loop actually causes the Reactor Power output to drop and that's because the vast majority of Western Nuclear reactors are " Negative Void Coefficient " Reactors.

Chernobyl was a "Positive Void Coefficient " Reactor so as more and more steam bubbles appeared the power of that reactor climbed until it finally exploded.

The Reactors at Fukishima didn't melt down because of those Hydrogen-Air explosions, they melted down because the Tsunami knocked out their back-up Generators and there was no way to run the circulating pumps that cool the reactors. The explosions are irrelevant. The reactors were already compromised past the point of no return when the buildings blew apart.

If the Japanese had any sense they first, wouldn't have built a Nuclear Power Plant on a coast susceptible to Tsunamis ( the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant would still be in service today ) and second, they would have had a fail-safe that pumped Nitrogen into the reactor containment vessels when the presence of Hydrogen could be verified.

Pointing to those explosions as evidence that we're all doomed seems a bit disingenuous.

If you sincerely want to discuss the safety of Nuclear Power you have to educate yourself a bit and stop watching Shock videos on YouTube that claim we're all gonna die due to Cesium -137 poisoning.
 
You are still hung up on the ONE typo, where I is next to u on the keyboard and was a typo... You forgot the other mentions of fission to stick on that. I am aware of the differences.


*Sigh*....

That explosion was the result of Hydrogen gas build up inside the containment vessels due to a process called "Zirconium Fuel Fuel Cladding Water Reaction ". The exterior of the MOX Fuel rods used at Fukishima ( and many other light water reactors ) are made out of a Zirconium Alloy. Zirconium is used because of it's corrosion resistance and because it's transparent to neutrons.

You are confusing the first explosion with the second explosion... The first one looks like your description would be valid...



Not;




That has nothing to due with the "FUSION" of the two Hydrogen isotopes ( Tritium and Deuterium ), nor was that explosion a "atomic explosion ". We know from past disasters like The Hindenburg that Hydrogen accumulation inside a large vessel can lead to large explosions.

Yes, of course, and im not claiming to know WHAT exploded; however, that second one in no way appears like a "contained hydrogen explosion" (whatever the technical details are)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_xUaHRPgOM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Watch from 3:00-at least 5:00 and this guy tries to have it both ways. Won't back away from it being a hydrogen explosion; but admits that between himself and other scientists, cannot explain the power in that explosion.

If the Japanese had any sense they first, wouldn't have built a Nuclear Power Plant on a coast susceptible to Tsunamis ( the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant would still be in service today ) and second, they would have had a fail-safe that pumped Nitrogen into the reactor containment vessels when the presence of Hydrogen could be verified.

Pointing to those explosions as evidence that we're all doomed seems a bit disingenuous.

No, it's bad, and we can't delude ourselves that this isn't a big deal... Doomed is a bit strong; we don't know what will happen to all the radiation thats found it's way in the oceans...

If you sincerely want to discuss the safety of Nuclear Power you have to educate yourself a bit and stop watching Shock videos on YouTube that claim we're all gonna die due to Cesium -137 poisoning.

There's more than just cesium....

Now I do agree with you; nuclear power is extremely safe an clean power... Until something goes wrong.

Consider that nuclear waste takes millions of years to decay, and it's only a problem when that waste escapes, it's not even 100 years and there's been 3 MAJOR incidents with nuclear power...


The nice thing is that since most people receive only small doses if a person gets a cancer 10-15 years later it becomes difficult to attribute it to the exposure.
 
Those "higher levels" of radioactivity in the fish are still less radioactive than your average banana.

Brazil nuts are a couple orders of magnitude more radioactive.

False equivalence; I've explained this before...
 
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