# Fukushima Reactors Have Melted Down



## Makalakumu (Mar 30, 2011)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/japan-lost-race-save-nuclear-reactor



> The radioactive core in a reactor at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power  plant appears to have melted through the bottom of its containment  vessel and on to a concrete floor, experts say, raising fears of a major  release of radiation at the site.



I'm at a loss for words.  This might be the biggest man made disaster in history...


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## seasoned (Mar 30, 2011)

maunakumu said:


> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/japan-lost-race-save-nuclear-reactor
> 
> 
> 
> I'm at a loss for words. This might be the biggest *man made* disaster in history...


 
Earthquake??


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## Makalakumu (Mar 30, 2011)

seasoned said:


> Earthquake??



It's debatable.  Nuclear power could be safe, but when it is built the way it was in an Earthquake/tsunami zone, how much can Mother Nature really be blamed?  I personally consider this to be a man-made disaster because of that.

Anyway, we seriously could be looking large sections of Japan being completely depopulated.  We could be looking at fallout on the West Coast of North America.  We could see millions of people dying from this over the years.


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## Sukerkin (Mar 31, 2011)

As I have been saying all along with this, being alarmist about the problem doesn't help in the slightest.  The situation is serious but we didn't see anything like this kind of reaction when a certain Russian reactor blew up in an incident several orders of magnitude worse.

We've even had news reports of Japanese radiation reaching Scotland ... well, that just shows the sensitivity of the detectors in use, the levels involved are miniscule.  But you'd never know that from how the headlines are presented (even tho' in this case the actual story was presented more rationaly).


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## elder999 (Mar 31, 2011)

maunakumu said:


> Anyway, we seriously could be looking large sections of Japan being completely depopulated.


 
Japan's not that "large" to begin with, and yes, we could have an exclusion zone _for a while._ The area around Chrenobyl is quickly becoming safer and safer, and repopulated.

Hell, seems there are two cities in Japan that suffered much worse nuclear devastation 66 years ago......



maunakumu said:


> We could be looking at fallout on the West Coast of North America.


 
We *are* looking at fallout on the West Coast of North America.

Using granite countertops in your kitchen is potentially more dangerous, radiologically speaking....:lfao:



maunakumu said:


> We could see millions of people dying from this over the years.


 

We will see people dying from this over the years, though it won't be "millions," or even "thousands," and, with the exception of those Japanese workers directly involved, and a few cases in the general populace near the site, it will be virtually untrackable:there are very few forms of cancer that are directly attributable to radiation, but things like breast cancer, testicular cancer and melanoma can be from radiation-or not. If a woman in California gets breast cancer, there's no way of determining whether it was from Japanese fallout or not.

Every person now on the planet has molecules of radioactive particles from Chernobyl in their body, as well as decades of nuclear testing. The same might be true for Fukashima, eventually. Deal with it.


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## elder999 (Mar 31, 2011)

maunakumu said:


> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/japan-lost-race-save-nuclear-reactor
> 
> 
> 
> I'm at a loss for words. This might be the biggest man made disaster in history...


 
Melted? Almost certainly. Out of the vessel and into the drywell? There likely won't be any concrete way of determining this for quite some time-possibly years, which is what we're talking about in terms of controlling this event. While it's entirely possible, a statement like this is premature, especially based on the isotopic evidence.

And, of course, let's not lose sight of the fact that it's simply not over yet. Worse could still be coming.....

on the other hand, John, I think you'er just being a big old Nancy! :lfao:

[yt]CsDomUQ-fYM[/yt]


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## Makalakumu (Mar 31, 2011)

It's interesting how this is being spun in the media.  They are definitely trying to downplay the magnitude of this disaster and tell people what they want to hear.

For example, here is a clip of Ann Coulter on Fox telling us that radiation is actually good for us.  We have nothing to worry about.






How can anyone trust what the MSM is telling us in this matter?  This is the level of disinformation we are dealing with.


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## Xue Sheng (Mar 31, 2011)

Actually Radiation is good for us...bit of solar radiation... about 10 minutes a day for all out vitamin D needs.. oh and it is good for growing stuff too 

The stuff from Fukushima ... well that is a whole different ballgame


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## Bruno@MT (Mar 31, 2011)

maunakumu said:


> It's interesting how this is being spun in the media.  They are definitely trying to downplay the magnitude of this disaster and tell people what they want to hear.



While the current events most certainly do not qualify as 'good', they are also not catastrophic. If I understood it correctly, this is not near the same level of catastrophe as Chernobyl. And -as Aaron already said- if that fuel stays inside the containment cell, then this is of course still bad, but again not a catastrophe.

The sad thing imo is that this will kill new nuclear initiatives, even though modern reactor designs are all but impossible to melt down. Aaron is this correct?


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## Steve (Mar 31, 2011)

maunakumu said:


> It's interesting how this is being spun in the media.  They are definitely trying to downplay the magnitude of this disaster and tell people what they want to hear.
> 
> For example, here is a clip of Ann Coulter on Fox telling us that radiation is actually good for us.  We have nothing to worry about.
> 
> ...


I agree with you that the Ann Coulter clip is misleading, but radiation CAN be beneficial.  My MIL has undergone radiation treatment twice for breast cancer and is alive today as a result.  

I don't completely disagree with you.  Just clarifying this one point.


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## Archangel M (Mar 31, 2011)

Considering Japan was nuked twice, I can't see how this will equate to a doomsday scenario. Not good by any means, not to be downplayed as "nothing to worry about", but I'm not too concerned with end of the world predictions.


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## Makalakumu (Mar 31, 2011)

Bruno@MT said:


> If I understood it correctly, this is not near the same level of catastrophe as Chernobyl.



http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/world/asia/31japan.html?_r=1&src=mv


> The isotope, cesium 137, was measured in one village by the International Atomic Energy Agency  at a level exceeding the standard that the Soviet Union used as a gauge  to recommend abandoning land surrounding the Chernobyl reactor, and at  another location not precisely identified by the agency at *more than  double* the Soviet standard.



Twice as bad as Chernobyl.


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## Makalakumu (Mar 31, 2011)

Archangel M said:


> Considering Japan was nuked twice, I can't see how this will equate to a doomsday scenario. Not good by any means, not to be downplayed as "nothing to worry about", but I'm not too concerned with end of the world predictions.



http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/30/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html



> The level of radiation in ocean waters off Japan's embattled Fukushima  Daiichi plant has risen to new highs -- measuring 4,385 times the  standard -- an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial safety  agency said Thursday.



How much radioactive waste can be dumped into the ocean before it affects the whole world's food chain?


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## Archangel M (Mar 31, 2011)

Dude how many nukes were detonated in the Pacific in the 50's? Go back to your fallout shelter.


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## Makalakumu (Mar 31, 2011)

elder999 said:


> Japan's not that "large" to begin with, and yes, we could have an exclusion zone _for a while._



http://abcnews.go.com/International...ke-detected-evacuation-zone/story?id=13262326



> Meanwhile, radioactivity in the water underneath the Fukushima plant measured 10,000 times the government standard.
> 
> Officials said earlier this week that dangerous plutonium was found in soil near the reactors.
> 
> ...



This is just the tip of the iceberg and we haven't seen the end of it.



elder999 said:


> Deal with it.



I understand what you are saying here.  Once the radioactive materials are out, they are out.  However, perhaps some measure of justice should be considered?  It's not like this scenario could not have been envisioned.  My fear is that this is what governments are going to tell people affected by this and the people responsible will just back away into the shadows with their money.


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## Makalakumu (Mar 31, 2011)

Archangel M said:


> Dude how many nukes were detonated in the Pacific in the 50's? Go back to your fallout shelter.



Is this different then a nuke?


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## elder999 (Mar 31, 2011)

P
	
	



```

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maunakumu said:


> Is this different then a nuke?



Vastly and substantially different

.....and, since it isn' over, potentially worse.
And way beyond my 'droid capabilities,  o it'll probably have to wait
Except, perhaps, that you're in HAWAII,  John.
So much for paradise....:lfao:


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## Archangel M (Mar 31, 2011)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...on-exceeds-tokyo-even-after-japan-crisis.html



> &#8220;The situation in Japan looks set to follow the pattern of Chernobyl, where fear of radiation did far more damage than the radiation itself,&#8221; Bury said in an e-mail referring to the 1986 accident in the former Soviet Union, the world&#8217;s worst nuclear disaster. &#8220;Whatever the radiation in Tokyo at the moment, you can be fairly sure it is lower than natural background levels in many parts of the world.&#8221;
> 
> Tokyo Exceeds New York
> 
> Tokyo&#8217;s radiation level is only slightly higher than New York, where an average of 0.095 microsieverts an hour was recorded in the seven days to yesterday, according to a real- time Geiger counter reading set up as part of the Background Radiation Survey, a project where owners of the equipment feed their readings into a central database. The level in Tokyo before the nuclear accident was 0.0338 microsieverts an hour.


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## Makalakumu (Mar 31, 2011)

elder999 said:


> PVastly and substantially different
> 
> .....and, since it isn' over, potentially worse.
> And way beyond my 'droid capabilities,  o it'll probably have to wait
> ...



I suddenly envision mutated sea monsters swarming the beaches of Waikiki...


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## Makalakumu (Mar 31, 2011)

Archangel M said:


> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...on-exceeds-tokyo-even-after-japan-crisis.html



http://gramercyimages.com/blog1/2011/03/25/chernobyl-a-million-casualties/

​


> *A million people have died* so far as a result of the 1986 Chernobyl  nuclear plant accident, explains Janette Sherman, M.D., toxicologist and  contributing editor of the book Chernobyl: Consequences of the  Catastrophe for People and the Environment. Published by the New York  Academy of Sciences, the book, authored by Dr. Alexey Yablokov, Dr.  Vassily Nesterenko and Dr. Alexey Nesterenko, examined medical records  now available which expose as a lie the claim of the International  Atomic Energy Commission that perhaps 4,000 people may die as a result  of Chernobyl. Enviro Close-Up # 610 (29 minutes)



Don't worry, Ann Coulter says there's nothing to worry about.  Radiation is actually good for you...


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## Big Don (Mar 31, 2011)

maunakumu said:


> I suddenly envision mutated sea monsters swarming the beaches of Waikiki...








I'm sure the 25ID can handle it...


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## Master Dan (Apr 1, 2011)

Big Don said:


> I'm sure the 25ID can handle it...


 
This is too great my wife just said watching the news boy just wait Godzilla will be comming back.


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 1, 2011)

NAH... Not Godzilla...more likely Hedorah, the Smog Monster will hit Hawaii


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## Makalakumu (Apr 1, 2011)

Xue Sheng said:


> NAH... Not Godzilla...more likely Hedorah, the *Vog* Monster will hit Hawaii



There, I fixed it for you.  We don't really have smog in Hawaii.  Madame Pele chokes us with her gasses...LOL!  The locals call it Vog.  Volcanic Fog.


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## Makalakumu (Apr 3, 2011)

Here is a good break down of what is currently happening at the reactor.

http://www.infowars.com/analysis-of-new-photos-of-fukushima-reactors/

The story is going to disappear from the news cycle soon because we probably aren't going to see any more explosions.  However, leaking of deadly radiation from this sight, according to the article, will probably continue for years.


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## Makalakumu (Jun 6, 2011)

I was scanning for news on this the other day and look what I found now that it's not part of the news cycle...

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/a...Top+Stories)&utm_content=Google+International



> *3 nuclear reactors melted down after quake, Japan confirms*
> 
> 
> *Tokyo (CNN)* -- Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant  experienced full meltdowns at three reactors in the wake of an  earthquake and tsunami in March, the country's Nuclear Emergency  Response Headquarters said Monday.
> ...



Also, it looks like they knew it had melted down months ago and simply avoided using the term.



> Tokyo Electric avoided using the term "meltdown," and says it was  keeping the remnants of the core cool. But U.S. experts interviewed by  CNN after the company's announcement in May said that while it may have  been containing the situation, the damage had already been done.
> 
> 
> "On  the basis of what they showed, if there's not fuel left in the core, I  don't know what it is other than a complete meltdown," said Gary Was, a  University of Michigan nuclear engineering professor and CNN consultant.  And given the damage reported at the other units, "It's hard to imagine  the scenarios can differ that much for those reactors."
> ...



The people who live by this were thrown under the bus...


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