Reply to: Some Perspective On The Japan Earthquake

[Sysman]

Inteesting read unril I read this

The instant response — scramming the reactors — happened exactly as planned and, instantly, removed the Apocalyptic Nightmare Scenarios from the table



Oh really ?

I have an update on that. From the author's link to a so called expert Why I am not worried about Japan’s nuclear reactors (see quote below), that post has been moved to the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering who are hopefully providing more knowledgeable input.

Background to the original post here on Jason’s Blog and the current version at mitnse.com by Josef Oehmen, who really was the author

I am a mechanical engineer and research scientist at MIT. I am not a nuclear engineer or scientist, or affiliated with Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT, so please feel free to question my competence. The text is based on an email that I send to family and friends in Japan the night of March 12. It was posted on this blog by my cousin Jason, went viral and has been equally popular with people who hate it and love it ever since. It aimed at explaining the events surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi-1 reactor. Great lengths of the text are dedicated to explaining how the reactor works, what the different types of radiation sources are, and what safety features have been implemented. I then continue to describe how these safety features were operated to secure the reactor. To the extent that I could, I have verified this information with experts in the field, while the responsibility for any errors remains with me. The version on mitnse.com is the most accurate, and as you can tell in many parts different to the version that appeared here on Jason’s blog. This post is not keeping track of or explaining events after Mar 12. Events kept developing, and many people keep sharing their discovery with me that one is always smarter after the fact.

[shaunbhoy]

Only because of knee-jerk reactions in the media and people with an ideological aversion to nuclear power because of their association with nuclear weapons (idiots). Britain should get on with building more reactors now.

What I think we will find is the even if the fuel rods do melt, they will be contained within the containment vessel. The 50 operators left at the plant will suffer no more or no less incidence of cancer than the rest of the population.

The reactors (which were at the end of their lives anyway) are knackered and will require a few zeroes to cleanup. The fact that they shutdown properly and didn't explode (Chernobyl like) is a testament to the nuclear industry safety and engineering standards.

To compare the very professional behaviour of the Japanese operators to the idiots who covered up and caused Chernobyl to explode is naive at best.

+1

[amcdonald]

Due to the Luddite nature of the public and the irrational mindset of linking nuclear weapons to nuclear power, Britain will return to the dark ages.

HTH

Alexei the Winker

Still on the bright side, the beeb might show repeats of Edge of Darkness, a good watch despite the lefty politics

[Sysman]

Due to the Luddite nature of the public and the irrational mindset of linking nuclear weapons to nuclear power, Britain will return to the dark ages.

Something I recall from one of the documentaries on nuclear power in the UK recently shown on BBC 4 was that the cold war introduced that association. Nuclear power in the UK was held back by endless public inquiries; in contrast France just ploughed on and built them.

[Moscow Mule]

Due to the Luddite nature of the public and the irrational mindset of linking nuclear weapons to nuclear power, Britain will return to the dark ages.

HTH

Alexei the Winker

[AtW]

Spent fuel rods at reactors #4, #5 & #6 are playing up now.

That's perfectly safe and you'll get a 0.1% discount on your next months energy bill for the "inconvinience" caused.

Nuclear power is perfectly safe you know.

HTH

Moscow Moron

[TimberWolf]

Spent fuel rods at reactors #4, #5 & #6 are playing up now.

[AtW]

Interesting reading for you

http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/publica...Commentary.pdf

Nuclear just below coal in their example, and higher than clean gas fired.

Set zero taxes on North Sea exploration, give Norway big stake on the condition of supplying enough gas to keep UK independent from foreign supplies and the problem is sorted - no need to pay for French nuclear technologies (which I give them they managed to develop and keep over years).

Nuclear is only cheap before something seriously wrong happens.

[Moscow Mule]

Japanese are very professional indeed and I think they have managed (with what no doubt will be cost of their own lifes) avert much worse disaster than Chernobyl.

Nuclear is nowhere as cheap to generate power, constant terrorism risk, hard to deal with waste, and high insurance after this accident.

Bring on any power generation even if it's "dirty" - coal or gas plant can blow up and it won't contaminate half the country for centuries.

Interesting reading for you

http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/publica...Commentary.pdf

[AtW]

To compare the very professional behaviour of the Japanese operators to the idiots who covered up and caused Chernobyl to explode is naive at best.

Japanese are very professional indeed and I think they have managed (with what no doubt will be cost of their own lifes) avert much worse disaster than Chernobyl.

Nuclear is nowhere as cheap to generate power, constant terrorism risk, hard to deal with waste, and high insurance after this accident.

Bring on any power generation even if it's "dirty" - coal or gas plant can blow up and it won't contaminate half the country for centuries.

[Moscow Mule]

I'd say the nuclear industry is done for the next decade or two - that short assuming nuclear situation in Japan will be brought quickly under control.

What I think we will find out soon that those heroes that stayed at that reactor got more or less fatal dozes of radiation whilst trying to cool it down - more or less same thing was done in Soviet Union, only people were lied to about dangers, but how many people in the west would risk their lifes in such situation?!?!! Not with current Health and Safety laws as they stand now

Only because of knee-jerk reactions in the media and people with an ideological aversion to nuclear power because of their association with nuclear weapons (idiots). Britain should get on with building more reactors now.

What I think we will find is the even if the fuel rods do melt, they will be contained within the containment vessel. The 50 operators left at the plant will suffer no more or no less incidence of cancer than the rest of the population.

The reactors (which were at the end of their lives anyway) are knackered and will require a few zeroes to cleanup. The fact that they shutdown properly and didn't explode (Chernobyl like) is a testament to the nuclear industry safety and engineering standards.

To compare the very professional behaviour of the Japanese operators to the idiots who covered up and caused Chernobyl to explode is naive at best.

[AtW]

If we burnt coal Japan would be flooded by rising sea water level

Not with the mini ice age approaching, remember you heard it on here first...

[TimberWolf]

That's the same kind of b0ll0x as airplanes safer than trains/cars.



P.S. I've been near Chernobyl sometime before it blown up...

Maybe, they clean coal power station exhaust gases these days I gather. But in the old days it must have been the cause of premature death of millions. Maybe still is in the third world. I would say second world but it seems there is no such thing, you go straight from 3rd to 1st.

Okay, another try. If we burnt coal Japan would be flooded by rising sea water level

[AtW]

Bollocks, bollocks and maybe.

I'd say the nuclear industry is done for the next decade or two - that short assuming nuclear situation in Japan will be brought quickly under control.

What I think we will find out soon that those heroes that stayed at that reactor got more or less fatal dozes of radiation whilst trying to cool it down - more or less same thing was done in Soviet Union, only people were lied to about dangers, but how many people in the west would risk their lifes in such situation?!?!! Not with current Health and Safety laws as they stand now

[Moscow Mule]

Then it's inherently unsafe and not worth the risk and cost - .

Bollocks, bollocks and maybe.