51 replies to this topic

[spielchekr]

Here's a mind-boggling list of all the current seismic activity in Japan:

http://www.iris.edu/...mon/last30.html

[spielchekr]

Yikes!

[ysop]

if an American nuclear plant melts down, the core will melt through the Earth until it reaches China

check out whats nuclear meltdown mean before speaking out!!

http://en.wikipedia....uclear_meltdown

[Rogerdodger]

if an American nuclear plant melts down, the core will melt through the Earth until it reaches China

check out whats nuclear meltdown mean before speaking out!!
http://en.wikipedia....uclear_meltdown

You may have missed it in translation but that was an explanation for the 1979 movie title "The China Syndrome".
Obviously a meltdown to the earth's core would miss China just a bit, and Godzilla isn't real.
http://en.wikipedia...._China_Syndrome
"The title refers to the concept that, if an American nuclear plant melts down, the core will melt through the Earth until it reaches China (see China Syndrome). China is simply a popular metaphor, as the opposite side of the globe from the USA is actually the Indian Ocean."

Edited by Rogerdodger, 12 March 2011 - 01:43 AM.

[dcengr]

In modern reactors, all a meltdown is going to do is prevent the operator from using that reactor ever again. That means the power generation is out, the company that owns it takes a big loss in revenue plus clean up costs. And I've heard all kinds of idiots say how gas and oil prices will go up because the nuclear plants are out of service. Think for 5 seconds.. those gas/oil burning plants are probably operating at 80% or more capacity. You can't make them work any harder by giving it more oil. DUH. It takes years to build a plant. The loss in power for japan is pretty severe. They can't make it up by buying more oil. They can't even import power from overseas. The country will need to build some new plants quickly because I'm willing to bet they don't have that kind of spare capacity. Now if that happened in US, we'd be able to fall back on Canada or Mexico. And we had in the past when those greedy energy traders shut down the power plants for 'maintenance' in hopes of causing a shortage.. and california governor ended up buying electricity at extortion prices.. forgot the idiots name, but he was voted out or impeached out.. forget which.. grey davis?

Edited by dcengr, 12 March 2011 - 02:01 AM.

[arbman]

What do you think the odds for the most outer containment to get breached? It looks like to me they won't be able to get more enery quickly to cool down the reactor...

[CLK]

Explosion, partial meltdown, leak at another plant, not looking good.


http://www.cnn.com/2...1...T1&iref=BN1

[stocks]

In modern reactors, all a meltdown is going to do is prevent the operator from using that reactor ever again.

That means the power generation is out, the company that owns it takes a big loss in revenue plus clean up costs.

It takes years to build a plant. The loss in power for japan is pretty severe. They can't make it up by buying more oil. They can't even import power from overseas.

The country will need to build some new plants quickly because I'm willing to bet they don't have that kind of spare capacity.

I worked at a nuke plant for 24 years.
Ignore the hysteria listen to dcengr.

The probable outcome is a core melt & a destroyed reactor like TMI.

Nuclear power plants are not nuclear bombs.
Nuclear cores do not melt through the earth.
Global warming does not cause earthquakes.

"I am a better actor than Jane Fonda is a nuclear engineer"
Edward Teller

[Rogerdodger]

Nearly 5.1 million Japanese homes without power, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company - CNN http://bit.ly/hPdfcg I see reports of explosions and then denials, radiation, no radiation.
No doubt many rumors are floating about.
"Japanese authorities are making plans to distribute stable iodine, a treatment to prevent radiation poisoning, to residents near two damaged nuclear plants, the International Atomic Energy Agency says."

Here's one story which I can believe after watching the videos:

Officials: Nearly 9,500 people unaccounted for in the town of Minamisanriku -
CNN via Kyodo News Agency http://bit.ly/hPdfcg

Nearly 5.1 million Japanese homes without power, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company -
CNN http://bit.ly/hPdfcg

So very sad.

Edited by Rogerdodger, 12 March 2011 - 12:53 PM.

[dcengr]

It's a diaster and it's sad, but keeping things in context... Many major disasters in the past.. the tsunami that killed 100k people. Look at Libya, people getting killed by their own government.. not even a natural disaster. # people killed by tobacco every year.. but we still sell 'em. # people killed by drunk drivers every year.. but we still sell 'em.