http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...R_HP_LO_MST_FB
Before and after pics.
Drag the bar across the photos to see how the landscape has changed.:eek:
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http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...R_HP_LO_MST_FB
Before and after pics.
Drag the bar across the photos to see how the landscape has changed.:eek:
yes it is just terrible what these poor people are having to deal with,i think to say the japanese are resilient people is true, but i also think we all are when it really comes down to it, i have been truly proud of the way the kiwis have handled our earthquake, minus a few morons,which i am ashamed to even mention.
Yes the aftershocks just keep coming down here too, and that is the worst of it,already damaged buildings are at so much risk with further aftershocks,but to have a tsunami and eruption and nuclear blasts on top of everything else, it just unimaginable how bad that can really be.,this is one time i am glad my country is nuclear free.
Prayers and good thoughts to all over in Japan.
Wow, just read that reactor 4 is burning again, and that two workers are missing. :( And obviously experts fear explosions in reactor 5 and 6, the last two intact reactors.
One does not dare to go to sleep these days. The last 4 days, the first thing I did in the morning was turning on the tv to see what happened during the night, and every time, the situation in Fukushima had taken a turn to the worse. :(
Man! All this stuff creeps me out!!! :eek::eek: I hope the country recovers soon and fast! :eek:Prayers for all hurt and all the people in Japan..:love::(
We get big subsidies here for installing solar units, and for a while they insulated homes for free.Quote:
Originally Posted by sasvermont
We do get some money back for solar installation, Wom. It's just that at our house, we do not get enough sun to make it remotely useful. I grow moss better than anything else, because of the position of the house, the hill behind, and the trees across the street, etc. etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by wombat2u2004
Sas, the problem is that solar cells are still currently pretty expensive to make, but they are getting better, more efficient and less expensive as time goes on. I keep hoping they'll get to the point that they are more affordable. My church, for instance, has a huge slate roof that could probably power the whole building if we could get solar cell up there, but it would have to be the side not facing the street because of being in a "historic district."
Back to the original topics, the news coming from Japan is increasingly scary, especially if you listen to enough news sources to get a more complete picture. It is truly tragic for Japan, and I hope anyone anywhere near the plant evacuated when they were told to do so.
The situation in Japan with the nuclear plant seems to be spiraling out of control. There are "spent" rods sitting open to the sky, leaks from reactor #2 - we can see smoke pouring out a hole in the building, and the radiation is so high they have had to pull the workers away, they sent them back afterwards, but they are not able to do many things because of the radiation.
Most telling? American officials have told all Americans within 50 miles to evacuate, and said if this were happening here, they'd evacuate everyone to that point. Japanese officials have just evacuated to 12 miles away, but the US obviously feels that is not safe.
Sad, sad, sad and scary for the people and animals of Japan.
This is an update my friend just posted on facebook. Please keep her and her teaching team in your thoughts and prayers (and everyone in Japan)
"my friends: i can't leave. trains aren't operating. highways are closed. we are planning to leave tomorrow morning by vans and taking back roads. i'm asking everyone to remain calm and pray. help me remain peaceful."
http://www.mercurynews.com/californi...nclick_check=1
The Los Angeles County Fire Department, on the move again.:(
Richard, I saw something on the news about that earlier in the week. I think they were coordinating everything in your city, before shipping out.Quote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
And they are doing water drops by helicopter???? To me, that seems like fighting a forest fire with a garden hose. :mad: How the heck is that going to cover any exposed rods???
And those poor workers that have stayed behind to "try" to fight this monster. For them, it's pretty much a death sentence. I heard that the Japanese government was looking for older workers to volunteer to stay, since they probably would die from old age rather than the effects of the radiation, which can take many years to show up. It was reported that one man that stayed was only 6 months from retirement. And in interviews with their family members, they just accept it and move on. I can't imagine, but that's just how they live their lives - so much different than ours, for sure.
What makes me angry, is that the Japanese government downplayed the whole situation from day one, and felt that they could keep things under control. Yes - they are a proud people - but this was just reckless - simply lies to try to hide the truth from the world, and not look vulnerable, as they truly are. If they had brought in the "big guns" and fought fire with fire from the start, then they probably wouldn't have such a hideous, dangerous monster on their hands right now.
I pray for ALL of Japan, not just the stricken areas. Their way of life, and their faith in their leaders has been compromised. How can they believe anything that they are told now??? :confused::mad:
They cannot get close enough to cover the rods with water any other way, the radiation is too high. And even this seems to be a hit-or-miss situation. Remember, Pom, the information we have been getting is mostly from the company that runs the power plant, not the Japanese government. This is a company that has lied to the world in the past, sadly. They are also trying to use water cannons from ground level. I hope somehow they can get things under control without too much more damage and sacrifice.
And in press conferences, Japanese leaders were echoing what power plant big wigs were saying. So IMO - they are even more guilty. :mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen
Quote:
Originally Posted by pomtzu
The other day, I heard on tv that 1986 in Chernobyl, the Russians sent an entire army to stop the fire, and they all died. I saw a discussion on tv whether something like that would be possible in Germany, in case of a nuclear disaster. Our mentality is obviously different, more individual, and it would probably be hard to find someone who'd be willing to sacrifice his own life. :(
Yes - I heard that most were dead in about 3 months. Chernobly had no containment vessels, so the radiation that was released in the explosion and fire, was mega times what it is in Japan, where they are having leaks in the containment vessels, but at a much slower and lower rate. I also heard that the biggest danger is from the spent fuel rods that are stored in these reactor buildings, and they are not in any kind of containment. That however, doesn't diminish the seriousness of the whole mess. That area is now useless and will be for hundreds of years, slow/low leaks or not.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirsten
The thing about Chernobyl they only had one reactor messing up, Japan has four. :love:
10:47 a.m. ET Thursday, 11:47 p.m. Thursday in Tokyo] Actress Sandra Bullock sent a $1 million donation to the Amerian Red Cross this week to help with earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan, the organization said Thursday. It is the largest celebrity donation to the Red Cross to be announced since the disaster struck last Friday, although the charity may have gotten large contributions that were kept confidential at the donors' request.
I have always liked Sandra but like her much more, now.
And the water drops from the helicopters were an effort in futility, and those efforts have been abandoned. Very little of the water ever made it's target, and most was dissipated by the wind - after it picked up all kinds of radiation and then rained down on the earth. :(
Wonder what they'll try next??? :rolleyes: It seems that they are grasping at straws.
They are.Quote:
Originally Posted by pomtzu
The problem that Japan will face is the dead zone that will have to be created like in Chernobyl, it will probably impact millions of people. Chernobyl was just a dot in the Russian landscape, and if a dead zone the size of Chernobyl is created it will take up more than 15% of the country. We are just seeing the tip of the iceburg of Japans problems related to these reactors.
True. I wonder how big Japan's dead zone will be, and how many people will never be able to return to their homes. All I know, is that it's a LOT of people that will be forced to relocate, in a country that is already short on liveable space, even before the earthquake and tsunami.Quote:
Originally Posted by kokopup
I don't understand why they don't dump sand on the fuel rods. The heat from the rods would melt the sand, vitrifying it into glass. This is how spent fuel is treated already; this would be in effect "abandoning it in place". Maybe the little water that is there would pressurize and now you'd have radioactive glass going sky high? I dunno.
the problem with nuke plants is that sooner or later the small probability but severe risk profile will catch up with you.
If I remember correctly, she did the same thing after Katrina and Haiti.Quote:
Originally Posted by sasvermont
The problem is, getting close enough to do that with the radiation that they are emitting. Eventually they will probably encase it all in concrete, like they did with Chernobyl, I hope they can rig some cranes and chutes and start doing that soon. This is Japan, where they make amazing robots - I am surprised they don't have robots they can send in, instead of human workers.Quote:
Originally Posted by smokey the elder
The whole area needn't be a dead zone - people moved back to Hiroshima 6 months after the bombing, and that has been highly studied of course. But before anything, they need to control those reactors, which is looking less and less likely.
I heard one report that they were going to try to put sand on one of the reactors. I don't know if they've started it.
Chernobyl was major in size, compared to this mess and it was a total meltdown, without containment at all. I know that they can entomb the reactors in Japan and deal with the removal of radioactive material much later. Of course, this will prolong and delay the total correction by years and years. I don't know what it would do to the area. I think there would be a zone totally off limits to life as we know it. I said early on that I thought they should have loaded up the concrete trucks and poured the concrete in and over the mess, to avoid anymore uncontrolled leaks.
I wonder if they were trying to save the reactors for later use, early on? Once they went to the salt water, the reactors were toast. They seem like the Keystone Cops at this point. It isn't funny, for sure.
We don't know how much or if at all, they conferred with other companies etc. about the problems they were and are having. We only know what some of these half wits have been telling us, however true or false. I want to believe the government people more than the private industry people, but not sure that reasoning is sound either.
Why didn't they bring power into the site before now? Aren't there huge portable generators that could be brought in? As I have heard said for some days now, there is no book on how to deal with this situation. I wonder why not? Such a mess and growing mistrust.
Difficult to watch, isn't it? I hope these jokers get their acts together and come up with more backup plans for future use.
Cable reaches Japan nuclear plant
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12779512
Supposedly they are attempting to run in electricity and get the pumps working again, and if their pumps don't work, the U.S. has pumps on the way. But is it already too late??? - who knows, since we know only what they care to reveal to the public. I also heard early on, of the plan to dump in sand, and then concrete on top to that. Wonder why that never happened before it got so out of control?
I seriously don't know how ANY nuclear plant is allowed to start up and go on line, without a backup for the backup for the backup, and on and on, when each one fails. Isn't there some agency that takes into consideration ALL of the worst case scenarios?
pomtzu
Backup plans, yes these are the same people that wrote the plans for deep oil drilling. There is someone looking the other way, so someone can make the big bucks.Quote:
Supposedly they are attempting to run in electricity and get the pumps working again, and if their pumps don't work, the U.S. has pumps on the way. But is it already too late??? - who knows, since we know only what they care to reveal to the public. I also heard early on, of the plan to dump in sand, and then concrete on top to that. Wonder why that never happened before it got so out of control?
I seriously don't know how ANY nuclear plant is allowed to start up and go on line, without a backup for the backup for the backup, and on and on, when each one fails. Isn't there some agency that takes into consideration ALL of the worst case scenarios?
Karen
There is a major difference in an atom bomb and a reactor that melts down. The bomb gives off radiation only at the source of the blast and then it is over.Quote:
The whole area needn't be a dead zone - people moved back to Hiroshima 6 months after the bombing, and that has been highly studied of course. But before anything, they need to control those reactors, which is looking less and less likely.
The radiation from this source will diminish very rapidly. Most of the people that were injured or died were injured from the intense flash of xray and neutrons given off by the bomb. With these reactors we have an active source of radiation with a half life of 700 million years. Even the spent fuel is still an active radiation source and it has a half life of 159,200 years. I think
that japan has a problem that will last much more than 6 months.
I spent 3 months at a neutron reactor in Georgia when I qualified the Saturn
telemetry for the Apollo project. There is a dead zone around this reactor that
will really get your attention. Every living thing for as far as you can see is dead. It looks like a forest fire consumed every thing. I'm talking about trees that only had a charred stump sticking out. The reactor is in a pool of heavy water when it is not running and when it is raised out of the heavy water it gives off neutrons that kills everything in sight. We tested in lead lined underground bunkers or we would have died instantly from the neutrons.
I wonder how much Charlie Sheen donated ....:rolleyes::rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by sasvermont
February 2nd 2011
In Pictures: Inside the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
I heard on the radio yesterday that only $49 million had been donated to the Red Cross so far. Sounds like a lot to me, but I guess that is a lot lower then historically donated in the 6 days following a major event like this.Quote:
Originally Posted by sasvermont
My friend has made it Tokyo. Hopefully she will be back in the US soon.
Japan earthquake/tsunami relief donations
Why Donors Should Wait Before Giving to Japan
Are charities taking advantage of the urge to help Japan?
On a personal note, so far, I have only given to animal charities, simply because I think creatures are often the last to be thought of in such horrible situations.
Thanks for posting. I was surprised tho, to see that some work is going on inside the building. I thought no one could go anywhere the place.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisH
I heard it said that it is due to the Japanese economy being what it is, since they are a big player in the world market. Compare that to Haiti, and it certainly does make sense. None the less, they still need help, and the donations so far have been pretty meager.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cincy'sMom
I'm not sure why this is. Maybe because they're seen as a First World country, and wealthy. The US didn't get a lot of foreign donations after Katrina, for example. I don't think there's the push to donate like there was with Haiti. Who knows?
I see now that they are planning to entomb the reactors after all.
Wow, these pictures are truly haunting!Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisH
One thing that concerns me is they say that the radioactive stuff heading for the US won't hurt us. But what about the animals and fish? They are way smaller than humans. Will it hurt them? :( And will it harm any plant life? We do need safe food after all.
I just read that there was a higher radiation in California today.Quote:
Originally Posted by momoffuzzyfaces
I'm sure we'll have to be careful as far as the food is concerned, especially fish. After all, most of the fallout hit the Pacific, didn't it? I remember that in 1986, after Chernobyl, we weren't allowed to drink milk, and lots of our harvests had to be destroyed. The mushrooms in the south of Germany are still slightly radiated, same goes for the wild pigs in that area. And it's 25 years ago!
I'm also very worried about the wildlife in the affected areas.
I also worry about pets!!! My brother lives in Las Vegas so they are bound to get some of it. Whatever California gets, goes over the mountain to his place. He has 9 cats. :love:Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirsten
On tv, they showed pictures of a shelter where refugees could bring their pets with them. But it's only one of many shelters that allows pets.Quote:
Originally Posted by momoffuzzyfaces
Found some articles related to that subject:
Choosing Between Your Pet or Shelter: a Reality for People in Japan
Japan's Animals Are in Peril
Hope your brother and his 9 cats will be safe!
The radiation hitting the lower States now is very, very slight, and nothing to really worry about. Germany is much closer to Chernobyl than the US is to the West Coast of the US. For example, Los Angeles is 5363 miles or 8629.07 Kilometers from Fukishima, but Frankfurt Germany to Kiev Ukraine is just 983 miles or 1581.65 Kilometers - so 3 times closer. What hit California was only trace amounts, and the mountains between LA and your brother in Los Angeles would likely take most of even that trace amount.