Japan Earthquake/Tsunami

If a 9.0 earthquake and a 30+ foot tsunami directly striking a ~50 year old last-gen nuclear plant doesn't result in a full-blown massive disaster, it's pretty hard to argue that nuclear energy isn't relatively safe.

I'd like to see any other facility on this planet hold up to that.

I know how it works I know other things they could've done. I've kinda studied this for a few years and actually operated one ya know?
That's exactly what I'm talking about. They waited to vent for awhile because of the small public safety risk. Or at least it sounded like that from the earlier news releases. I seem to recall them waiting till pressure was like 3X normal operating pressure and stuff was pretty much already at the breaking point.

didnt they get hit with another after that one? tsunami that is o.o

Nothing else would. THere isn't a need to construct other things that tough lol. And construction like that is very expensive. It is most the cost of the reactors. Which is why despite the fact the fuel goes on forever that they are only slightly more cost effect than most coal plants. But once it's been up and running for awhile....But you never know how people will react. TMI wasn't that bad but it set us back a good 2 decades.

They will see the news and fear stuff they don't understand and completely ignore all the huge problems with other stuff. I mean gulf stream oil spill anyone? At this point this situation probably can't even get that bad unless someone bombed the reactors... or all the major mine accidents.

Or just how much more radiation is released from burning fossil fuels than from nuclear plants... even with this accident there is still probably more released this year from burning coal than all of nuclear power total.

But people love big stories and talking about stuff. However I don't this will cause a huge return to fossil fuels. I doubt we will reverse all the huge restrictions that we have been placing on them for so long. No one wants to have there air look like chinas. Which makes them much less cost efficient.

^

I've always felt Nuclear power is safe, I don't live particularly far from the San Onofre power station either, so it's not like I say this as "Hey, I'm not near it so whutevs lol!"

I personally agree, that such a disaster couldn't cause an uncontrollable catastrophe is just testament to how safe Nuclear Power is, on top of the perfect storm of cascading *** afterward. The "go to" for Nuclear catastrophe is of course, Chernobyl, but if you read a little bit into it, you can't help but think it was designed to explode in the first place.


however, we seem to be sane, rational people, and in America, that's a minority.

I wonder how bad it is...

How far away is Tokyo?

I'm not even talking about lack of regulation or understanding either. Even fully regulated and trying to keep stuff safe you could attribute alot more bad stuff to all the other non "green" sources of energy and even alot of them... I mean imagine what would happen if even a 6.0 earthquake hit hoover dam?

Again with the no real useful data that can do nothing but stir up fear... they really need to stop that

Heh. Me neither.

However, I believe the architects of the San Onofre station have imbued it with the power of Dolly Parton, which should protect us from any significant natural disasters.

Yeah. I feel bad for any of the Teachers from Japan and exchange students who's families were hit with all of this.

Wonder if they are hiring... so hard try to find much of anything in my field anywhere near the west coast. :(

My bad, I had taco bell earlier and i let one rip =(

Yeah I use that too. But it doesn't always work the best. And sometimes things aren't listed on it... and alot of the stuff is old and outdated lol

Someone probably was standing too close to there smoke detector or was wearing a divers watch :). The fire going on could potentially increase radiation lvls even if it was just wood burning...

CNN is interviewing Yoko Ono now... <.< Because she was in Tokyo years ago during an earthquake... >.> Think I'm done watching that channel now.

What's wrong with Yoko Ono!?

She done nothing wrong!

ut oh

She broke up the beatles!

Assuming that's what they are using for there "normal" lvls. Also think the NRC uses higher numbers.