Japan's potential nuclear meltdown - what would be the ramifications worldwide?

[Kathryn]

OK, all you smart science geeks out there - what do you know about the effects of a nuclear meltdown in Japan? Where would the jet stream carry the radioactive waste? How would my son and daughter in law in Korea be affected?

They called last night and my daughter in law, who is Korean, said that the Korean people are absolutely distraught. Of course they will be sending a lot of aid. And of course they are very worried about the close proximity of a nuclear meltdown. I know that the jet stream would take the radiation in the opposite direction of Korea, but still - surface winds could cause some nuclear fallout to land even in the opposite direction, couldn't it? I hope not.

I wonder if my son's military unit will be deployed to help out? I forgot to ask.

This stuff is really getting out of hand. I feel so sad for the Japanese people. What an ongoing catastrophe!

I lived in Yokohama when I was a little girl, and the Japanese people are so uniquely pleasant. I have very fond memories of that beautiful country and I am so sad about the terrible events of the past few days. My prayers are with them.

My mother and me at a Japanese temple

Feeding koi in a Japanese garden

Street carnival in the village which our house overlooked

I guess if we wanted to give donations we could give to the Red Cross, but does anyone know of any other reputable organizations which are sending help to that region?

 

[Kathryn]

Here's a graph showing the jet stream:

Kinda scary when you look at it in light of a nuclear disaster.

You know what this whole nuclear accident in Japan tells me? It points to the fact that nature is stronger than man. No matter how well the Japanese have built structures to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, you can see that it could all be toppled in an instant.

Whatever made people think it is a good idea to build numerous nuclear power plants on such a faultline????????????????????

 

[atanu]

Kinda scary when you look at it in light of a nuclear disaster.

You know what this whole nuclear accident in Japan tells me? It points to the fact that nature is stronger than man. No matter how well the Japanese have built structures to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, you can see that it could all be toppled in an instant.

Whatever made people think it is a good idea to build numerous nuclear power plants on such a faultline????????????????????

I fully agree Kathryn.

Living beings are from nature and are servants of nature. But we forget and think we are the masters.

...

 

[Revoltingest]

I have only one prediction.
Power plant constructions methods & reactor designs will be scrutinized, & the building of new plants in saner countries will be delayed.
Initial reports strongly suggest that Japan didn't have enuf coolant system redundancy. That's critical for systems requiring active
controls & cooling. The ultimate is a fail safe system that can be passive, ie, failure of any or all systems result in safe reactor shut down.
Scary stuff, eh?

I tried a couple times to get work in the nuclear power industry, but never found a job or contract. It would've been interesting stuff to see
up close. But I'm very skeptical of our ability to use it safely. I don't know much about the Japanese reactors, but the US plants lack good
design management, & the French do a surprisingly good job.....for cheese eating surrender monkeys.

 

[Kathryn]

You know what - it's never a good idea to make something you can't really get rid of.

 

[Revoltingest]

You know what - it's never a good idea to make something you can't really get rid of.

I don't know. It could be worth it, since alternatives have their costs & risks too.
Nuclear power just demands very intelligent design & stringent management control,
things which have been lacking.

 

[Kathryn]

Well, yes. But in the case of nuclear power accidents, hindsight may be 20/20 but meanwhile, you've got a catastrophe on your hands.

I mean, experience is the greatest teacher but at what price?

 

[Revoltingest]

Well, yes. But in the case of nuclear power accidents, hindsight may be 20/20 but meanwhile, you've got a catastrophe on your hands.
I mean, experience is the greatest teacher but at what price?

Experience is the only way we learn. The problem is that only recent experience is meaningful to us mentally defective humans, so we must re-learn the lessons of history on a regular basis. Nuclear catastrophes are so scary because they're so sudden, & portend such massive damage. But compare that to burning coal, the deaths due to mercury, CO, CO2 & who knows what else is death by a thousand cuts, so we adapt & allow with minimal concern. I don't like nuclear power, but it might be safer than burning fossil fuels. This isn't something I can evaluate quantitatively, but I'm sure others have.

Always remember that history teaches us that history teaches us nothing.

 

[Kathryn]

Well, back on topic - does anyone out there have any information on how a nuclear meltdown in Japan would affect the rest of the world? Besides economically of course.

THE POOR JAPANESE PEOPLE - this blow to their economy is absolutely catastrophic. The US just promised Libya $10 million in humanitarian aid - maybe we need to reroute some of that largesse to Japan.

 

[Revoltingest]

Building housing reactor blows up.
News from The Associated Press

 

[Valjean]

With prevailing winds usually blowing across the Pacific I'd expect most of the radioactivity to head toward the West coast of the US. However, after a journey of thousands of Km I'd expect most of the particulates to have precipitated into the sea and the radioactive gasses to be considerably diluted.

Economically and politically, I'd expect the same result we got from the Three Mile Island incident -- public fear and prohibitively high financing and insurance rates.

 

[Revoltingest]

With prevailing winds blowing across the Pacific most of the time I'd expect most of the radioactivity to head toward the West coast of the US. However, after a journey of thousands of Km I'd expect most of the particulates to have precipitated into the sea and the radioactive gasses to be considerably diluted.

There looks to be a very real risk that eddy currents & wind shifts could deliver concentrated radioactivity to parts of Japan.
But this ain't my field. I know enuf to worry, but not to predict.

 

[Valjean]

True. Weather can be capricious. Chernobyl, for instance, contaminated areas you wouldn't have expected.

 

[LuisDantas]

You know what - it's never a good idea to make something you can't really get rid of.

Is that so? Are children an exception then?

I guess if we wanted to give donations we could give to the Red Cross, but does anyone know of any other reputable organizations which are sending help to that region?

Mark Evanier, all-around nice and wise guy, recommends Operation USA in his blog.

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2011_03_11.html#020349

As for power plants, I realize that the costs are comparatively discouraging, but I still have a hard time understanding why there isn't more development and use of wind-powered plants.

 

[Starsoul]

Well, yes. But in the case of nuclear power accidents, hindsight may be 20/20 but meanwhile, you've got a catastrophe on your hands.

I mean, experience is the greatest teacher but at what price?

Totally agree. Its a colossal risk to human lives, building these Nukes, whether or not they get used for wars, power generation and etc. They consumes huge natural resources and capital of a country, the number of people who cant get a decent meal a day is ever on the increase, i see no good in nuclear installations, which only serve the measly purpose of protection of this rich global elite which neither of us will ever be a part of, and yet work for, so diligently.

At the end of the day , why risk one's life, its always humans who Have to protect the nuclear plants instead of the nuclear plants offering protection to the humans. A deal of complete loss for the humanity. The nuclear emission released even in the nuclear tests, and the unforeseen experimental disasters, has caused innumerable incurable hazardous spread of fatal diseases (like cancers and genetic deformities) and rising human suffering.

 

[Kathryn]

Text "japan" to 80888 to donate $10 to the Salvation Army for humanitarian aid to Japan.

 

[atanu]

Japan Nuclear Fallout: How Bad Could It Get? - The Daily Beast

 

[TJ73]

Japan Nuclear Fallout: How Bad Could It Get? - The Daily Beast

That was a good article, answers a lot of what I've been wondering. I can only imagine that in the long run, this may actually increase the failsafe technology and lead to better use of nuclear power.

I for sure am heartbroken for the residents of Japan. How scary.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Here is a link to a forum discussing the nuclear power station situation in Japan. Many of the posts include technical and other pertinent information including reference links....

rigorousintuition.ca - View topic - Nuclear Meltdown Watch

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

The scare factor whenever the word "nuclear" is involved is extremely powerful. I don't know exactly what the real risks and dangers are, but I expect that the public will greatly overreact as usual. Power plants are not "nukes." They cannot blow up. My opinion, and it is just that, is that nuclear power is a great alternative to burning carbon.