Challenge: Read this about the Nuke disaster, it may calm you.

This is long and doesn't address the problem with the spent fuel but it does put things in perspective with regard to the other ways we generate power.

http://plainenglishnuclear.blogspot.com/2011/03/yet-another-japan-reactor-post.html#more

Here is an excerpt
A Success for Nuclear Power
First, at magnitude 9.0, this was one of the top ten strongest earthquakes in recorded history. (Wow!) The subsequent tsunamis, combined with the earthquake, make this one of the worst natural disasters EVER. (Also Japan is apparently having a minor problem with a volcano, now. Guys can’t catch a break.)

The reactors were designed 40 years ago, and in 2008 were certified for ground motion corresponding to about a magnitude 6.7 earthquake right under the plant.<11> The reason this ground motion was selected was that Japan’s regulatory agency expected (rightly so!) that a ground motion stronger than that had a chance of happening only once in 10,000 years. We lost the statistical gamble on that one. But here’s the amazing thing: the reactors did exactly what they were designed to do: and so did the other nuclear units all over Japan. Only 7 of the 55 units in Japan <7> had any trouble shutting down, and they were the ones closest to the epicenter. And the trouble wasn’t even in the reactor, or the containment structure, or the piping – all of these things performed exactly as designed! The trouble was the tsunami that took out the fuel supply for the backup diesel generators. Let’s recap with a statement from Steve at Neutron Economy: “What this proves is that in the very worst scenario - a once-in-a-lifetime earthquake beyond the design basis - that the systems can safely contain the integrity of the reactor, particularly with well-trained personnel”. <5>

Second, these plants are 40 years old. They don’t incorporate all of the safety advances we’ve made since then. As a matter of fact, I read that these particular plants were already planned to be replaced with newer designs – designs that have passive cooling and wouldn’t have required any electricity to cool the core at all.

Sure, the patient died, but let's not get hung up on that.

Here's a bit more:

"let’s keep this in context with regards to the damage to, and impacts of, the other energy sources in Japan.

Damage from the earthquake and tsunami includes a fire at an oil refinery that is still burning; breaks in a hydroelectric dam, explosions in natural gas systems, and tons and tons of battery and gasoline spills. There is damage to the environment and danger to people from every form of energy that we use today."

Next time an earthquake-driven tsunami with 30 foot waves overtakes you, sweeping you out to sea, never to return ... whether I should remind you you should have taken better care of yourself, and your house. Let me know when that happens, and I'll decide just how holier than thou I should get.

Anyone who takes glee in extracting lessons from a tragic natural disaster of epic proportions is behaving wrongly, in my opinion. I'm a long-time oponent of nuclear energy, and remain so, but I'm not stupid enough to not put this thing into context. This was not a nuclear accident self-contained, out of the blue: this was a perfect storm of natural-disaster induced incidents. It's tragic, and our focus should at this time be on the victims of that tragedy, not on smugly reifying our own beliefs.

I get the sense a lot of people are actually happy this happened, to prove they were "right." And they don't mind any amount of hyperbolizing or skipping-over of details in order to do so. I have close family in Japan. I'm not in the mood for this.

punch.

I wish the best for your family -- have you heard from them?

Sorry if I was sounding harsh. It's just hard enough to separate out fact from fiction and reality from hyperbole right now.

We've heard from my nephew quite a few times and everything is okay, though somewhat stressful because of all the unknowns and public reactions. But he says life is getting back pretty much to normal in Tokyo. They had quite a few adventures during the earthquake, but they were all okay and sustained little damage in their apartment. An aunt who was working in Sendai was missing for two days, but turns out she is alive and okay. The latest is that his company decided--not because they feel there is any real danger, but because the atmosphere is so crazy that no one can work--to move the offices to Osaka ... for I don't know how long. This seems pretty kooky, but it's Japan.

It is mostly my nephew who is angry about the level of panic and disaster being promulgated by the media. He is apparently planning to write something about it soon, and I will post extracts if it is helpful at all to people here to hear a voice of reason from someone who is living through this.

It's not at all kooky to move the company to Osaka. Tokyo is only 150 miles from the plants and is receiving some radiation. Many people are evacuating. Corporations have been flying in private jets and removing their executives for a couple days now.

sides -- some are relaying dire messages, others are saying pretty much what you are.

Glad to hear it's getting back to normal in Tokyo - I can't even imagine what ANY of these people are going through!

Ignore this. It was uncalled for.

The myopia on the condition of the cores is, I suppose, one way to view this situation- but it's a terribly narrow view. This doesn't, as you said, cover the issue of the spent nuclear fuel. And it's the disposition of that fuel which is going to cause some major problems.

Like a helicopter crash, we can focus on the fact that the injured's backs were not broken on impact because of the design of the shell- but overlooking the fact that they're getting fuel sprayed all over them and the rotors are still spinning makes it difficult to promote this as a success of any sort. This industry is made of many interlocking systems, many of which I'm sure performed admirably- but anything outside of the narrowest views recognizes this as a catastrophic failure.

Another thing, I find the same cock-sure smarm which also downplays radiation exposure too be repellent.

I don't consider this persuasive in this circumstance.

PB

Explode and catch fire?


So since the problem wasn't precisely with the reactors (at least to start) we shouldn't be concerned about any release of radioactive materials? I don't see the point here. Why does it matter which part initially failed? When the safety of nuclear plants is touted, a big deal is always made about the backup systems. Well, the backup systems failed!

And, as you say, it doesn't address the spent fuel issue, but it turns out that that's a pretty damned important issue.

I apologize for the snark, but I'm a wee bit upset about this issue right now.

Something like 100,000 pounts of spent fuel were in the upper floors of this:

you like the play?

:sarcasm:

"that the systems can safely contain the integrity of the reactor, particularly with well-trained personnel”. "


One of the reactors is believed to have been breached, I think #2.
Well-trained personnel on a suicide mission.
We've had 3 "once in a lifetime" earthquakes in the past 6 months? 9 months?
We have multiple 40 year old reactors of identical design in this country. How many sitting on San Andreas waiting for the "once in a lifetime?" How many sitting on New Madrid waiting for "once in a lifetime?"

And, btw, it ain't over yet. There is still plenty left to go wrong. I don't think it's by chance that the Pentagon is evacuating troops.

Until we render any final judgements about it. It is a bit premature to say that things aren't so bad.

Doesn't pass the smell test.

Besides, the oils etc, won't be contaminating the landscape as broadly or as deadly as the possible/likely radiation.

The industry has screwed the pooch by telling us all along they had it all under control and we needn't worry. Fuck those bastards. They did it to themselves. They could have insisted all along that the right thing be done, and they didn't.

Their bottom line is: "We couldn't afford to do the right thing"

What happens if you lose local and grid power to keep the coolant pumps running? I know: Fukushima.

They don't shut down, they still need power to keep from having the same exact problems with cooling the core. It's all a bunch of nonsense, this disaster shows us the Achilles heel. You never really shut them down, even with a SCRAM, you still need power to cool the damn thing.

And what about the waste? Another problem that cannot be solved. It simply cannot. No way to put it.

Decay heat, waste, and good old human error make this technology too dangerous for general use.

Why, then, did 10 of 11 "functioned exactly as designed" fail-safes...er, fail?

No thanks.