While the U.S. media now seem to have lost interest in what's happening at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, major problems continue.
Al Jazeera has a long article: Fukushima: A 'nuclear sacrifice zone'
Some experts believe Japan's nuclear disaster could become worse than Chernobyl. "The situation is very concerning," Dr MV Ramana, a physicist specialising in issues of nuclear safety with the Programme on Science and Global Security at Princeton University told Al Jazeera, "They are finding it very difficult to stabilize the situation."
Given the reluctance of TEPCO, the company in charge of the power plant, and the Japanese government to give out much information, and our own media's fickle coverage - from obsessive to invisible - how will we ever know what's really going on?
Operators of the plant are no closer to regaining control of damaged reactors, as fuel rods remain overheated and high levels of radiation are being released. . . .
Mary Olson [director of the Southeast Office of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS)] . . . expressed concern over the fact that in the aftermath of the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in the United States, "All the contaminated material generated from that was released to our environment in a planned and 'regulated' way. It was dumped in rivers or boiled off into the atmosphere."
"All of those [Fukushima] reactors have been in a catastrophic level of radioactive release that exceeds Chernobyl," she said,."Two of these have exploded, No. 2 is in meltdown, and we believe it has gone back into criticality and that there is a nuclear chain reaction coming and going."
She also pointed out that the fuel core in reactor No. 4 was offloaded for refueling at the time of the earthquake and tsunami, "So none of the fuel was in containment and was all in the pool and that's why it's gotten hotter faster and there has been very little attention to this. All of these are catastrophic in themselves. Having them in one place in one month is truly catastrophic." . . .
"Since unit two is showing signs of fission happening, the chances of something more catastrophic happening at that site are increasing," Olson added, "People are acting like the worst is over, and that is just not understanding the real issues here as far as the radiological impacts."
She also pointed out that the fuel pool in reactor No. 3 "is gone, according to recent photos. There is no fuel there. The reactor fuel pool in No. 3 is gone. Where did it go?"
Just wait till Godzilla shows up in Manhattan. Then some questions will be asked.
This recent photo, taken outside of Piscataway, New Jersey, may offer evidence that the situation at Fukushima nuclear power plant is still not under control - and that its effects around the globe have not been fully determined.
7 comments:
Are you serious? You're expecting the US... ahem.... "media".... to take a long term interest in this story? It's not surprising to me that Al Jazeera is the bureau writing the most trenchant articles on it. At least they actually have stringers and journalists around the world doing sonme work.
As I was saying to Crystal on this subject - The scariest thing is, a meltdown was once considered unthinkable and unacceptable under any circumstances. Now it's another "one of those things we'll need to learn to live with." If we can learn to live with a nuclear meltdown, could we learn to live with a nuclear war?
Better send Rodan over there to get this thing straightened out. Or Raymond Burr.
If Godzilla is coming to Manhattan, that means he's threatening our kids, so Romelle will take him out.
Jeff,
Call me silly and naive. I thought, perhaps, that a nuclear catastrophe might jolt the media out of their normal routine.
Yes, I've found Al Jazeera to be one of the most interesting news outlets available. They do stories on a lot of things I never see anywhere else. Their coverage of the congoing nightmare of the BP oil spill - many people being affected in horrible ways by the dispersants - has been completely absent, it seems in the U.S. media. And I've read very interesting articles on Mexico, as well.
Yes, I can see how Fukushima could lead to a re-appraisal of using nuclear weapons. If people are this passive, then maybe they won't mind if we use a fgew of these cool missles we have. The U.S. and England have already gotten away with using depleted uranium in Iraq. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6105726.stm
And while it's not the same thing, I would say it's related.
Liam, Thank you for that reminder. Of course, that might drive Godzilla out on the island...
The depleted uranium thing is something else. Obviously too complicated for the media to report, but it's tremendous. I wonder if in the future we'll look back on it with horror and shame, like the syphilis trials.
It is just creepy that the place where Mothra and Godzilla originated (after we dropped the bombs) now has to worry about radiation again. I read somewhere that the problem in Japan only causes people already concerned about nuclear power to be more concerned - those that are for nuclear power instead find it reassurring that such a big earthquake caused only this much damage to reactors :(
Liam, I think there will be a lot of things in the aftermath of 9/11 that people will look back on and say, "What were they thinking?" Depleted uranium, torture, invasions, Homeland Security, Patriot Act...
Crystal, Yes, I read an interesting article (and can't remember now where I saw it) on the history of nuclear power in Japan and how people there have reacted to Fukushima. The two points I remember: 1) Japan has looked on nuclear power as a source of pride and pragmatism - they don't have many natural resources and didn't want to get caught up in the problems of oil. 2) The U.S., when we ruled Japan after World War II, helped push nuclear power and helped suppress information on the effects of the atomic bombs. But the article did a lot to explain why Japanese see the situation differently than we do. If I eventually remember the source (one of the problems with the internet!), I'll post a link to the article.
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