Japan 8.8 Earthquake

[PeteC]

It's bad to talk down about things like this but some of the news doesn't sit well with me. In particular, there may be a 'face saving' game going on with the power companies who own the facilities who are not giving the full scoop to the Japanese Government, and in turn the Government is not informing the population correctly. Amazing today that the US came out openly and criticized that the situation is far worse than the Japanese government is admitting. That is a thunderbolt between allies as close as they are. The situation appears to be entering the catastrophic stage. All 6 of the reactors have severe problems and I don't know what will happen if all six melt down. It's never happened before but I'm afraid if they do, it becomes a world wide crisis concerning radiation. Pete

[dozer]

This is a real tragedy and it does seem that we all could be touched by it in some way.
I fly out tonight to St Louis, via Tokyo and Chicago, can’t say I am looking forward to the three hour transit in Tokyo.
Not surprisingly ANA has advised that only one business class lounge is open and food & beverages on some international flights will be restricted, but really that is of no concern to me considering the magnitude of the tragedy.

[PeteC]

The Post just reported Dozer that all outbound passengers to Japan are being given Iodine to take. Don't know if optional or mandatory? Pete

[dozer]

^
Yes I saw that, I suppose it’s a reasonable reaction, don’t know if I will take them or not, can’t see how they can make it mandatory.

I travel extensively with my work, and I can tell you it’s a long time since I have felt so depressed about a up and coming trip.

[PeteC]

↑ I quote from the below article: "Adults over 40 years of age have the lowest risk of developing thyroid cancer or injury after contamination and have a greater chance of experiencing an allergic reaction. They should not take iodine tablets unless a very large dose of radioactive iodine is expected and they are told to do so."

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/03/14 ... -exposure/ Pete

[dozer]

^

Well I won't be taking them, thanks for that.

[Korkenzieher]

pjharvey:

A little far fetched.......

Why? Japan has lost a few percent of its generating capacity and today, as the snow falls, has rolling power cuts. It is pretty much by definition suffering exactly what I suggested.

Although the cause might be different, I certainly don't find it hard to see supply shocks to oil, given the rolling situation in the middle east; and of course, the most likely time you are going to get a capacity constraint is when demand is higher - at night, in winter when it is cold. Renewables aren't even remotely close to the point of making up any gap for on-demand power generation in those conditions.

We should just be grateful that we aren't likely to have to face the death and destruction of a mag 9 and accompanying tsunami to get to that point!

[MrPlum]

Unsurprisingly, panic buying of iodine and radiation monitors has led to online suppliers selling out. They've waited a long time to make their fortunes.



It's too early say whether there will be any kind of problem here but I note the Iodine Tincture in pharmacies is Sodium Iodide, not Potassium Iodide. Since they both deliver elemental iodine they can provide protection to the thyroid. Apparently, painting some tincture on your skin gives a rough and ready check to see if you are deficient. If the stain disappears quickly, you probably are. If it takes hours you are fine.

Personally I would take a different approach and remove radiation from the whole body using products like Bentonite Clay, fruit pectin and seaweed soups. There are a few more besides. You can look them up.

I have the clay, making your own fruit pectin is easy but have not had a go at making the soup yet.

[Korkenzieher]

Coriander has also been shown to remove heavy metals from the body. I don't know how specific it is - radioisotopes of caesium, for example - but it doesn't do any harm to up the intake a bit. And it tastes pretty good too! (without wanting to appear paranoid, I actually make Coriander Pesto for use with pasta. A 5 baht bunch from Tesco is about enough for a serving for a decent amount of pasta).

[dozer]

↑ I quote from the below article: "Adults over 40 years of age have the lowest risk of developing thyroid cancer or injury after contamination and have a greater chance of experiencing an allergic reaction. They should not take iodine tablets unless a very large dose of radioactive iodine is expected and they are told to do so."

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/03/14 ... -exposure/ Pete

Checked in, no sign of iodine tablets, maybe only for Thai passport holders.

[pharvey]

Chinese panic-buy salt over Japan nuclear threat

Beijing supermarkets run out of salt after false rumours circulate that iodised salt can help ward off radiation poisoning
Worried shoppers stripped stores of salt in Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of China on Thursday in the false belief it can guard against radiation exposure, even though any fallout from a crippled Japanese nuclear power plant is unlikely to reach the country.
Full Story http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/ma ... salt-japan

Truly frightening how easily completely inaccurate rumours spread so quickly with quite possibly dangerous consequences. You have to see these daft buggers shopping at a sale, let alone panic buying!! Two were killed in Chongqing a couple of years back in a Carrefour Market when there was a stampede for low price cooking oil!!

[sandman67]

Lets see.... you live in a country that is regularly shaken by severe earthquakes and then hit by tsunamis. Your country has also the distinction of being the only one ever hit by two nuke weapons, both of which devastated cities, killed hundreds of thousands and resulted in generations of cancer and deformity struck citizens.

So... you go and build a stack of reactors next to the coast in an earthquake zone.....

Som Nam Na comes to mind.

Hmmm.... next time maybe windmills, wave farms and solar is the way to go? Geothermal perhaps...works for Iceland, another volcanic country on a plate boundary?

You know....

power sources that dont kill people when they go wrong?

Nuke reactors are NOT clean, environmentally friendly, safe or cost effective. They are frickin ticking timebombs, especially when you are f ing stupid enough to build em in earthquake zones.

Screw em.... the War On Stupidity just chalked up another victory.

[pharvey]

Appears that the panic buying is spreading..........

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... world.html

The Russians have it right though.... red wine and seaweed - excellent choice, eat lava bread and get pissed until it's all over!!

[STEVE G]

On CNN they've just been interviewing a man who apparently resigned from his job at General Electric 35 years ago over concerns about the safety of the design of this type of reactor.

[Big Boy]

On CNN they've just been interviewing a man who apparently resigned from his job at General Electric 35 years ago over concerns about the safety of the design of this type of reactor.

His type always come out of the woodwork at times like these looking for their 5 minutes of fame.