Fukushima comparisons to Chernobyl are nonsense

[gsabc]

Article by a nuclear physicist who has worked on nuclear power plants. Warning, some serious science is included:

http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/13/f ... planation/

And as one of the members of the message board from which this article was linked said, I am shocked, SHOCKED, that the news media has gotten their facts incorrect.

[megaaddict]

Thanks for posting this link, gsabc.

The contrast between this factual, objective article and the reports flying around the media is mind-boggling. It reinforces my belief that one can't trust anything one hears from mainstream ratings/driven news reporting.

[mrkelley23]

I finally had to turn off the TV yesterday morning before I threw my shoe at it. Can't afford a new TV right now, regardless of what Fox News says about us ridiculously wealthy teachers.

[Jeemie]

The worst part about all this is while the sensationalist headlines were being blasted all over the news and Web, the reporters would be interviewing officials who were explaining why there would be no significant Chernobyl-like danger from these light-water pressure-type reactors.

Yet the media still kept parroting the "worst nuclear disaster in 25 years" headlines even as the very officials they were interviewing them were saying this.

[etaoin22]

the comparisons are rational in the sense that "free enterprise" news media on TV have no choice but to search for the scariest scenario in order to increase ratings. Truth is irrelevant.

As for myself, at the time of the 41'st or so anniversary of the "Bridge over Troubled Water" album I find that, indeed:

"I can gather all the news I need on the weather report".

[gsabc]

the comparisons are rational in the sense that "free enterprise" news media on TV have no choice but to search for the scariest scenario in order to increase ratings. Truth is irrelevant.

As for myself, at the time of the 41'st or so anniversary of the "Bridge over Troubled Water" album I find that, indeed:

"I can gather all the news I need on the weather report".

And given the inaccuracy of many weather reports, maybe the reporting about Lindsay Lohan's latest problems IS all the news I need.

[ItsAMadMadMadMadSwine]

Enjoy the spotlight while you can, Fukushima! You'll be yesterday's news before long.....


OINK!

[etaoin22]

the comparisons are rational in the sense that "free enterprise" news media on TV have no choice but to search for the scariest scenario in order to increase ratings. Truth is irrelevant.

As for myself, at the time of the 41'st or so anniversary of the "Bridge over Troubled Water" album I find that, indeed:

"I can gather all the news I need on the weather report".

And given the inaccuracy of many weather reports, maybe the reporting about Lindsay Lohan's latest problems IS all the news I need.

something like a mid-afternoon high with frontal instability, radar images to follow?

[silvercamaro]

something like a mid-afternoon high with frontal instability, radar images to follow?

Stop talking about Charlie Sheen!

[Queen Fantine VIII]

something like a mid-afternoon high with frontal instability, radar images to follow?

Stop talking about Charlie Sheen!

WINNING!!!!!1

[SpacemanSpiff]

something like a mid-afternoon high with frontal instability, radar images to follow?

Hey, I don't mind looking at her frontal instability!

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

And apart from acronym poisoning, you’ll be fine. The danger is incalculable.

http://wormme.com/2011/03/12/incalcuable-danger/

[silverscreenselect]

Unfortunately, since that article was written, there have been more problems, including another explosion and additional water loss which has led to continud melting of the fuel rods. Admittedly, I don't know how serious the whole situation is, but one thing has become clear... that every time someone says the situation has been stabilized, something else happens to indicate it isn't.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... 1&iref=BN1#

The Japanese meltdown isn't another Chernobyl primarily because the Japanese are probably the most safety conscious people in the world, while the Soviets didn't spend a whole lot of time and energy on safety measures. But the combination of a tsunami on top of an extremely powerful earthquake along with explosions and other safety steps that haven't gone as well as anticipated has proved to be the very essence of a worst case scenario.

Barry Brook is a consultant for the nuclear energy industry and he is a longtime advocate for increased use of nuclear reactors. He is not an unbiased scientist looking at the issue. I certainly hope this incident has or will be contained without further damage, but I wouldn't accept what he has to say as gospel, especially when things continue to go wrong.

[Bob Juch]

My best friend and trivia teammate is a nuclear safety engineer for a power plant near here.

He's worried.

[ten96lt]

My best friend and trivia teammate is a nuclear safety engineer for a power plant near here.

He's worried.

Worried about people getting hurt or about the future of the nuclear industry? According to some of my NukeE (nuclear engineering) classmates, according to what they've learned and what they're told (assuming professors and teachers) there shouldn't be so much panic about a melt down since at worst as long as the steel basin that will hold the molten fuel hasn't cracked, it will pool the fuel and will just become a ruined waste that will become an expensive cleanup, but don't expect chernobyl since Japan is more into safety than Soviet Russia was.

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

[TheConfessor]

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

The media gave us flu? Guess I'd better get some Lysol for my laptop and TV screens.

[silverscreenselect]

My best friend and trivia teammate is a nuclear safety engineer for a power plant near here.

He's worried.

Worried about people getting hurt or about the future of the nuclear industry? According to some of my NukeE (nuclear engineering) classmates, according to what they've learned and what they're told (assuming professors and teachers) there shouldn't be so much panic about a melt down since at worst as long as the steel basin that will hold the molten fuel hasn't cracked, it will pool the fuel and will just become a ruined waste that will become an expensive cleanup, but don't expect chernobyl since Japan is more into safety than Soviet Russia was.

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

There have now been four major explosions at the plant damaging four of the six reactors there. Even the prime minister is saying that the danger of radiation leaks is increasing. Now, based on what I've read, the levels of radiation that have been reported don't seem to be Chernobyl-serious, but the more explosions they keep having, the more danger of a breach in one or more of these reactors.

Japan is much more safety conscious than the Soviets were, but still, what hit this power plant was a far greater stress than what occurred at Chernobyl. This earthquake (not to mention the tsunami) was the fourth or fifth most severe earthquake that's ever been measured (obviously, this means in the last century or so only) and by far the most severe earthquake ever recorded in proximity to a nuclear power plant.

There isn't reason for out-and-out panic, but there's considerable reason to be concerned, if for no other reason than the fact that they haven't figured out how to stop explosions that might either breach the containment vessels or damage the water pumping system beyond repair.

[etaoin22]

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

The media gave us flu? Guess I'd better get some Lysol for my laptop and TV screens.

SARS was real. We just got lucky. Those who believe it was media spin, have succumbed to media spin themselves.

[Bob Juch]

My best friend and trivia teammate is a nuclear safety engineer for a power plant near here.

He's worried.

Worried about people getting hurt or about the future of the nuclear industry? According to some of my NukeE (nuclear engineering) classmates, according to what they've learned and what they're told (assuming professors and teachers) there shouldn't be so much panic about a melt down since at worst as long as the steel basin that will hold the molten fuel hasn't cracked, it will pool the fuel and will just become a ruined waste that will become an expensive cleanup, but don't expect chernobyl since Japan is more into safety than Soviet Russia was.

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

Worried about considerable radioactive release.

[Bob Juch]

My best friend and trivia teammate is a nuclear safety engineer for a power plant near here.

He's worried.

Worried about people getting hurt or about the future of the nuclear industry? According to some of my NukeE (nuclear engineering) classmates, according to what they've learned and what they're told (assuming professors and teachers) there shouldn't be so much panic about a melt down since at worst as long as the steel basin that will hold the molten fuel hasn't cracked, it will pool the fuel and will just become a ruined waste that will become an expensive cleanup, but don't expect chernobyl since Japan is more into safety than Soviet Russia was.

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

There have now been four major explosions at the plant damaging four of the six reactors there. Even the prime minister is saying that the danger of radiation leaks is increasing. Now, based on what I've read, the levels of radiation that have been reported don't seem to be Chernobyl-serious, but the more explosions they keep having, the more danger of a breach in one or more of these reactors.

Japan is much more safety conscious than the Soviets were, but still, what hit this power plant was a far greater stress than what occurred at Chernobyl. This earthquake (not to mention the tsunami) was the fourth or fifth most severe earthquake that's ever been measured (obviously, this means in the last century or so only) and by far the most severe earthquake ever recorded in proximity to a nuclear power plant.

There isn't reason for out-and-out panic, but there's considerable reason to be concerned, if for no other reason than the fact that they haven't figured out how to stop explosions that might either breach the containment vessels or damage the water pumping system beyond repair.

Don't worry, the reactors in the U.S. can withstand a 6.5 quake.

[etaoin22]

My best friend and trivia teammate is a nuclear safety engineer for a power plant near here.

He's worried.

Worried about people getting hurt or about the future of the nuclear industry? According to some of my NukeE (nuclear engineering) classmates, according to what they've learned and what they're told (assuming professors and teachers) there shouldn't be so much panic about a melt down since at worst as long as the steel basin that will hold the molten fuel hasn't cracked, it will pool the fuel and will just become a ruined waste that will become an expensive cleanup, but don't expect chernobyl since Japan is more into safety than Soviet Russia was.

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

There have now been four major explosions at the plant damaging four of the six reactors there. Even the prime minister is saying that the danger of radiation leaks is increasing. Now, based on what I've read, the levels of radiation that have been reported don't seem to be Chernobyl-serious, but the more explosions they keep having, the more danger of a breach in one or more of these reactors.

Japan is much more safety conscious than the Soviets were, but still, what hit this power plant was a far greater stress than what occurred at Chernobyl. This earthquake (not to mention the tsunami) was the fourth or fifth most severe earthquake that's ever been measured (obviously, this means in the last century or so only) and by far the most severe earthquake ever recorded in proximity to a nuclear power plant.

There isn't reason for out-and-out panic, but there's considerable reason to be concerned, if for no other reason than the fact that they haven't figured out how to stop explosions that might either breach the containment vessels or damage the water pumping system beyond repair.

The fact that for now only a trivial level of radiation release has happened is to my mind good. This is the "big one" crisis always envisioned, and so far we don't see any Godzilla. Generating an equivalent amount of energy in any fashion will also have risks, if such an earthquake happens nearby. For example, In an area, say, of 90 coal mines, with 30 to 40 thousand miners underground, all of them would likely be squished in the first sixty seconds.

[ten96lt]

Worried about people getting hurt or about the future of the nuclear industry? According to some of my NukeE (nuclear engineering) classmates, according to what they've learned and what they're told (assuming professors and teachers) there shouldn't be so much panic about a melt down since at worst as long as the steel basin that will hold the molten fuel hasn't cracked, it will pool the fuel and will just become a ruined waste that will become an expensive cleanup, but don't expect chernobyl since Japan is more into safety than Soviet Russia was.

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

there's always going to be concern, however they aren't changing their majors either thinking there's now no longer going to be nuclear power because of this incident. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

There have now been four major explosions at the plant damaging four of the six reactors there. Even the prime minister is saying that the danger of radiation leaks is increasing. Now, based on what I've read, the levels of radiation that have been reported don't seem to be Chernobyl-serious, but the more explosions they keep having, the more danger of a breach in one or more of these reactors.

Japan is much more safety conscious than the Soviets were, but still, what hit this power plant was a far greater stress than what occurred at Chernobyl. This earthquake (not to mention the tsunami) was the fourth or fifth most severe earthquake that's ever been measured (obviously, this means in the last century or so only) and by far the most severe earthquake ever recorded in proximity to a nuclear power plant.

There isn't reason for out-and-out panic, but there's considerable reason to be concerned, if for no other reason than the fact that they haven't figured out how to stop explosions that might either breach the containment vessels or damage the water pumping system beyond repair.

Don't worry, the reactors in the U.S. can withstand a 6.5 quake.

The reactors themselves maybe be built for 6.5, but the basin is what counts. They're built to basically handle anything.

[Bob78164]

Japan is much more safety conscious than the Soviets were, but still, what hit this power plant was a far greater stress than what occurred at Chernobyl. This earthquake (not to mention the tsunami) was the fourth or fifth most severe earthquake that's ever been measured (obviously, this means in the last century or so only) and by far the most severe earthquake ever recorded in proximity to a nuclear power plant.

I thought we just found out what really happened at Chernobyl. --Bob

[littlebeast13]

Remember this is the same media that gave us SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and whatever else they can scare us with.

You forgot West Nile, or do I have to put up the Ultrathon again.....?

lb13

[dimmzy]

Wonder what the article author is thinking about the fire and the current situation now.

Cynics would probably call the author "a highly paid industry consultant" regardless of his credentials.

Hey, my brother has a master's in NUCLEAR ENGINEERING from MIT and HE'S worried ...