8.9 Magnitude quake hits offshore Japan

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Itse

Why do you think that could happen, and what do you base it on?

All I'm saying is that no one thought a 9.0 earthquake was a possibility but here we are. What most people focus on is Taleb's black swan event. It's not out of the realm of possibility.

The containment shell can be breached, that's the last major issue we face. If the core meltsdown and the containment shell remains intact then the problem is largely avoided.

However, a Japanese cabinet member just said that they are detecting weaknesses in the containment shell of reactor unit 3.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by photon

And it'll have an impact on the public opinion too, rightly or wrongly. Decisions about future reactors could be impacted based on fear, rather than a good evaluation of these reactors vs. planned reactors.

I still think nuclear is the only option we have right now.

And part of the problem too is it's so easy to fall into the nirvana fallacy. Yes these accidents are terrible, but when people say "no nuclear", people rarely mean "no nuclear instead of x", they just mean no nuclear vs some imaginary world where the electricity will still be there, without considering how many people die from coal, how much radioactive waste and toxic materials are released into the atmosphere burning coal and the impact of that, or forgetting about oil accidents, etc.

Every form of energy will have an impact, every industrial enterprise will cost lives, everything has waste byproducts. The question isn't how good something is compared to no impact, it's how good is it compared to the alternatives.

We have lots of options. If you want to stick on strictly business as usual, status quo development path that closely mirrors the socio-econ-technological makeup of our current society then yes, mass nuclear deployment with hydrogen production for transportation fuel is really the only option if you want a decarbonized energy system.

But there are deep efficiency gains that we can also make that would not require near the scale of nuclear and could possibly run entirely on renewables with some type of backup energy storage.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

All I'm saying is that no one thought a 9.0 earthquake was a possibility but here we are. What most people focus on is Taleb's black swan event. It's not out of the realm of possibility.

The containment shell can be breached, that's the last major issue we face. If the core meltsdown and the containment shell remains intact then the problem is largely avoided.

However, a Japanese cabinet member just said that they are detecting weaknesses in the containment shell of reactor unit 3.

And just as I type this, an explosion at Reactor 2: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12740843

You really don't think it's a possibility that the containment unit can be breached?

[TheCommodoreAfro]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

To be fair, you also went after CNN for creating fear about another Tsunami too. They're not the ones creating fear, the sirens and loudspeakers do that.

That said, I won't try and tell you what to think, nor feel. I can't imagine what you're going through, and you have the right to vent about whatever you want, and if CP is an outlet for you to do that, go for it.

Actually, CNN anchors were continuing to talk about a tsunami when the reporter on the ground was saying "he couldn't see anything". The need to sensationalize everything ticks me off more than anything else.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by TheCommodoreAfro

Actually, CNN anchors were continuing to talk about a tsunami when the reporter on the ground was saying "he couldn't see anything". The need to sensationalize everything ticks me off more than anything else.

This is an American media problem. I don't think it's fair to use a widespread label like "western." The BBC is doing a much better job of it.

[TheCommodoreAfro]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

CNN's news coverage of this catastrophe is making me consider more and more the cessation of my watching that channel altogether, forever. American media is near an all time low in quality. What the hell happened?

They stopped paying their journalists well, and employing people full time locally (in Japan at least). BBC is also regional, but seems to be doing a much better job.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by TheCommodoreAfro

They stopped paying their journalists well, and employing people full time locally (in Japan at least). BBC is also regional, but seems to be doing a much better job.

Great minds think alike.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

And just as I type this, an explosion at Reactor 2: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12740843

You really don't think it's a possibility that the containment unit can be breached?

Seems to be some disagreement on the source of the explosion. Some are saying it's the same as the other two explosions from vented steam splitting to hydrogen gas which then explodes.

Others are saying this is an explosion related to the suppression pool likely caused by old age and the pressure of the steam.

If it's the latter, then it's more problematic. It indicates that there could be a leak from the actual reactor vessel as steam overwhelmed the suppression pool. Reports are that pressure from the pressure containment unit is way down. This also indicates a leak. Nothing is certain however, and I am not saying that this is the case.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

And just as I type this, an explosion at Reactor 2: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12740843

You really don't think it's a possibility that the containment unit can be breached?

They've evacuated the techies so it looks like it.

[Tinordi]

Yeah another update: The suppression pool was the piece that exploded. We wait with baited breath.

Some employees have been evacuated but not all, still 50 left.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Yeah another update: The suppression pool was the piece that exploded. We wait with baited breath.

Some employees have been evacuated but not all, still 50 left.

Where are you getting the info that it was the suppression pool that exploded?

[T@T]

To make matters far worst, the latest reactor explosion that is forcing an evacuation of all employees is said to be using weapons grade nuclear fuel bought from the Russians when they dismantled some bombs. Experts say this fuel is at least 25 times stronger than conventional reactor grade uranium.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Yeah another update: The suppression pool was the piece that exploded. We wait with baited breath.

Some employees have been evacuated but not all, still 50 left.

Cooper is saying that all are being evacuated.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by T@T

To make matters far worst, the latest reactor explosion that is forcing an evacuation of all employees is said to be using weapons grade nuclear fuel bought from the Russians when they dismantled some bombs. Experts say this fuel is at least 25 times stronger than conventional reactor grade uranium.

Lol, what?

[kipperfan]

CNN (Spitzer) just reported the containment shell may have been breached and "the word meltdown is now being mentioned over and over again".

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by T@T

To make matters far worst, the latest reactor explosion that is forcing an evacuation of all employees is said to be using weapons grade nuclear fuel bought from the Russians when they dismantled some bombs. Experts say this fuel is at least 25 times stronger than conventional reactor grade uranium.

I don't believe this for a second.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Where are you getting the info that it was the suppression pool that exploded?

A hydrogen explosion would be indicative of an empty suppression pool.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

CNN (Spitzer) just reported the containment shell may have been breached and "the word meltdown is now being mentioned over and over again".

Of course they would.

[GirlySports]

I don't say this very often, but god bless the workers who are staying there to try and fix this. Because the risk they are facing just went way way up, to the neighborhood of specifically sacrificing their lives to stop this tragedy. as surely as when a soldier jumps on a grenade. bless them.

[Caged Great]

All the workers at the plant are heroes. I hope that their efforts are not in vain.