Fukushima Fate

[liveonearth]

Nuclear power sounds like a good idea, until something like this happens. The cleanup process at the Fukushima reactors is slow going and high stakes. Humans must in essence give their lives to save the lives of others, and while this sounds glorious in some military venues I don't think many of us would volunteer. The fuel rods need to be removed, the normal systems for their removal have been destroyed, and a mistake could cause a meltdown that would additionally contaminate the immediate area severely and the planetary atmosphere as well, though at what level it is impossible to know. There is talk, and some movement by those who have the means, away from higher risk areas. The southern hemisphere is likely to be far safer than the northern with regard to radiation for the foreseeable future. What interests me is how few people here in the US seem to care one whit about it. Radiation is invisible, and we already have cancer, so how much worse could it get? And will we continue to sell nuclear reactors around the world for the purpose of powering televisions and washing machines? Is there any movement toward less dangerous low tech solutions? I'm not seeing it.

Comments

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Have you heard about the new designer drug from Russia that has arrived in Arizona? It's called Krokodil because your skin turns green before it falls off. The zombia apocalypse is started already.

There are four, or is it five, different reactors at the fukushima site. You sound very certain of your conclusions, however your certainty does not convince me. Too many people with more specialized training in the area of nuclear power generation have come forward with comments too the contrary. I am not easily swayed by anyone's opinion, which is why I'm still mulling on it. I will watch and wait, and continue to study on the medical side of the equation which is where I do have a chance of understanding.

For your risk calculator: People get their highest doses of radiation, and the most lung cancers, from breathing radon gas in their basements. So before you start building anything zombie proof, test the air in your home. =-]

[ford-prefect42.livejournal.com]

If you're sitting in your radon filled basement, watching a CRT tv from 2 feet away, using acetone to remove nail polish, wearing freshly dry-cleaned clothes, talking on your cell-phone, and eating saccharine sweetened coffee, do you know which of these things has the strongest correlation to cancer? The answer is sitting.

For the nuclear stuff, I guess we'll see. Still, I find it quite telling that, for all the scare-mongering that was going on during the event, not one person is sick, nor is one person expected *ever* to die. People on the *east coast* were buying iodine tablets!

Krocodil being codeine pills mixed with *gasoline* (or other fuel products), yeah, I can see where that's pretty bleeding harmful! But they don't shamble through the streets biting people, and even if they did, they'd spread aids, not zombieism. Dammit, zombie apocalypse would be SO much cooler than most of the other doomsday scenarios!

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

And since ten out of ten people die irregardless of disasters, perhaps we ought to just enjoy ourselves?

Have you seen the (current) move: The World's End?? Speaking of Zombia apocalypse-----it had me laughing harder than a movie has in some time. I recommend.

You can see the trailer here but maybe it would be better not to spoil it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213663/