CNN An 8.8-magnitude earthquake has struck Japan

[J. J.]

The winds are blowing WSW inland/towards Tokyo for the next 2-3 days. Jezus, they can't catch a break.

Plus a possibility of rain.

If it rained, it'd greatly reduce the amount that the radiation spreads.  It'd be more concentrated and harmful in that area, but it'd be more manageable to deal with.

The cooler rain might help lower the temperature.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Radiation increasing.  All workers evacuated.  Japanese government - Fox


This has to be a full meltdown. 

What can be done?  Dump stuff from above (via heliocopter?)

Nothing, for now.  Let it meltdown, which might stop the reaction. 

The US should send all of their unmanned drones from Afghanistan or whereever to drop coolants. We could do something useful with the hundreds of billions a year that we waste on these dumb wars.

A literal drop in the bucket.  Each one would probably carry less than 100 gallons of water.

I was thinking about fire boats, but I don't know if they'd have the range.

They are considering helicopter drops, but I'd suspect you'd need thousands.

I know that it's not the most efficient, but it's far more useful than what we're using them for now.

[bullmoose88]

Can we erm...leave out some of the white noise as to whats the proper role for a predator drone?


I wonder how much ceasium is being released...that $hite takes the place of potassium in the food chain.

[J. J.]

Radiation increasing.  All workers evacuated.  Japanese government - Fox


This has to be a full meltdown. 

What can be done?  Dump stuff from above (via heliocopter?)

Nothing, for now.  Let it meltdown, which might stop the reaction. 

The US should send all of their unmanned drones from Afghanistan or whereever to drop coolants. We could do something useful with the hundreds of billions a year that we waste on these dumb wars.

A literal drop in the bucket.  Each one would probably carry less than 100 gallons of water.

I was thinking about fire boats, but I don't know if they'd have the range.

They are considering helicopter drops, but I'd suspect you'd need thousands.

I know that it's not the most efficient, but it's far more useful than what we're using them for now.

Probably not.  Water cannon would be effective.

BTW:  You didn't get any damage?

[J. J.]

Forgive my ignorance, but if you stop the reaction, the heat will eventually dissipate, correct?

If so, could you drop boric acid on it?  If you had enough, and the was a breach, you could even pour it on it, if you had enough.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Radiation increasing.  All workers evacuated.  Japanese government - Fox


This has to be a full meltdown. 

What can be done?  Dump stuff from above (via heliocopter?)

Nothing, for now.  Let it meltdown, which might stop the reaction. 

The US should send all of their unmanned drones from Afghanistan or whereever to drop coolants. We could do something useful with the hundreds of billions a year that we waste on these dumb wars.

A literal drop in the bucket.  Each one would probably carry less than 100 gallons of water.

I was thinking about fire boats, but I don't know if they'd have the range.

They are considering helicopter drops, but I'd suspect you'd need thousands.

They took the helicopter drops off the table quite quickly.

Any of the ideas in this thread are really not going to work.  The reason is that it will result in water being poured in at a very high pressure...

The thought is that the force of the water hitting the exposed nuclear fuel rods could displace them enough to touch the rod next to it... which would likely result in a nuclear reaction.  Then we'd really be fücked.

As of now, all of the workers have abandoned the facility.  There is nobody at the plant now because radiation levels are simply too high.

Pretty much all hope is lost... this thing is gonna melt down completely and there will be massive releases of radioactivity. 

It's pretty much a worst case scenario... and even the experts are starting to say this will be much worse than Chernobyl.

[Ban my account ffs!]

It seems the workers were allowed to return again (probably different workers?).

They're desperately trying to build a road to the plant so that fire trucks can get there and pump water into the areas that need it.

Arnie Gunderson was already saying this event is much worse than Japanese officials are letting on... calling it a likely 6 on the nuclear accident scale (which runs 1-7... Chernobyl was the only 7 event).

[J. J.]

It seems the workers were allowed to return again (probably different workers?).

They're desperately trying to build a road to the plant so that fire trucks can get there and pump water into the areas that need it.

Arnie Gunderson was already saying this event is much worse than Japanese officials are letting on... calling it a likely 6 on the nuclear accident scale (which runs 1-7... Chernobyl was the only 7 event).

This is far worse than TMI.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I am outraged at the US media and our leaders in Washington for going along with the official Japanese statements.  Since Saturday, it has been obvious to any half-brained observer this situation was out of control and was a full-fledge international emergency of first order.  A true leader would have stood up to Japanese nationalistic pride and refused to distinguish between American and Japanese until this crisis was over.

Obama has stood idly by during defining events in Iran, Egypt, Libya.  That past inaction may be excusable, but now he has stood by while Japan, a nation we remade in our image, crubles in the span of a week due largely to events beyond their control.  They needed our best effort last Saturday, whether they wanted it or not.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

They needed our best effort last Saturday, whether they wanted it or not.

For better or worse, we're the United States of America, not the United States of Earth.  We're neither omnipotent nor omniscient and our previous administration left our country in a worse condition that when they took power because they thought they were both.

[bullmoose88]

Meanwhile, closer to home

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN1610498020110316?sp=true

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Nuclear power's had a Charlie Sheen sort of week.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

japan is a very close friend...if we're not willing to intervene when our friend's house is on fire, then we are a sorry group of people

[opebo]

They needed our best effort last Saturday, whether they wanted it or not.

For better or worse, we're the United States of America, not the United States of Earth.  We're neither omnipotent nor omniscient

'
'
Very true.. even more to the point there is nothing to be done about the reactors. We may be a powerful country and a close friend but still there is nothing we can do that they haven't tried.

[bullmoose88]

japan is a very close friend...if we're not willing to intervene when our friend's house is on fire, then we are a sorry group of people

Framed that way...sure.  I dont think youll find many that would disagree...assuming we as the neighbor have the power to do any good...which we do.  I think.  I hope.

Arguably it, initially, could have been framed, at the crucial points during the onset of the crisis, that this was a more internal matter...ie the smiths next door have trouble with their finances...is it our place to offer help...would it be too embarassing for them if we offered help...etc so forth.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

japan is a very close friend...if we're not willing to intervene when our friend's house is on fire, then we are a sorry group of people

Framed that way...sure.  I dont think youll find many that would disagree...assuming we as the neighbor have the power to do any good...which we do.  I think.  I hope.

Arguably it, initially, could have been framed, at the crucial points during the onset of the crisis, that this was a more internal matter...ie the smiths next door have trouble with their finances...is it our place to offer help...would it be too embarassing for them if we offered help...etc so forth.

No, a better analogy would be the neighbor’s have a corner of their roof on fire and are too proud to ask for help in putting it out.  You should realize the fire has the potential to engulf their entire house and ignore their pride.

[bullmoose88]

japan is a very close friend...if we're not willing to intervene when our friend's house is on fire, then we are a sorry group of people

Framed that way...sure.  I dont think youll find many that would disagree...assuming we as the neighbor have the power to do any good...which we do.  I think.  I hope.

Arguably it, initially, could have been framed, at the crucial points during the onset of the crisis, that this was a more internal matter...ie the smiths next door have trouble with their finances...is it our place to offer help...would it be too embarassing for them if we offered help...etc so forth.

No, a better analogy would be the neighbor’s have a corner of their roof on fire and are too proud to ask for help in putting it out.  You should realize the fire has the potential to engulf their entire house and ignore their pride.

At this point you'd probably want to toss in the whole...fire on their roof...could jump to your house etc.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

japan is a very close friend...if we're not willing to intervene when our friend's house is on fire, then we are a sorry group of people

Framed that way...sure.  I dont think youll find many that would disagree...assuming we as the neighbor have the power to do any good...which we do.  I think.  I hope.

Arguably it, initially, could have been framed, at the crucial points during the onset of the crisis, that this was a more internal matter...ie the smiths next door have trouble with their finances...is it our place to offer help...would it be too embarassing for them if we offered help...etc so forth.

No, a better analogy would be the neighbor’s have a corner of their roof on fire and are too proud to ask for help in putting it out.  You should realize the fire has the potential to engulf their entire house and ignore their pride.

At this point you'd probably want to toss in the whole...fire on their roof...could jump to your house etc.

Even if your own house isn’t in danger, you still have to help.  Obama should have told American resources to act as if they were being called in, formed response teams for different scenarios, and flew whatever equipment they saw fit into the US bases in Japan while he worked on for forming basically a unity government with the Japanese leadership.

Remember David and Jack at the Slaughtered Lamb?

                         WOMAN
               You can't let them go.

                         DART PLAYER
                    (angry)
               Should the world know our
               business?!

                         CHESS PLAYER
               It's murder then.

                         DART PLAYER
               Then murder it is!  It's in
               God's hands now.

[bullmoose88]

Werewolf in London is in my netflix queue.  I am ashamed to say this reference buzzed the tower...wiping coffee off as I type.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

There currently is a Commission of the French Assemblée Nationale being broadcast on the Parliamentary Channel, in which deputies can ask questions to experts and leaders of French nuclear authorities. Just before it, the President of the French Agency for Nuclear Safety, which has been a 'worst sayer' so far, saying that, in case we come to imagine the worst of the worst that could happen, then the dose of released radioactivity would at worst be equal to Chernobyl, but that given geography there, the fallout could only be smaller than around Chernobyl, during this commission, the leader of the Institute of Radioprotection said that what we could expect would be a circle of 60 km in which the fallout could be nasty. Apparently it also seems that the North American west coast could have a taste of it, but to lesser extents.

[J. J.]

All three reactors have partially melted down (IAEA).  About 170 workers are back; the withdrawal was due to a spike of radiation.

[opebo]

No, a better analogy would be the neighbor’s have a corner of their roof on fire and are too proud to ask for help in putting it out.  You should realize the fire has the potential to engulf their entire house and ignore their pride.

In the first place there is nothing we can do about the nuclear issue that they can't do, and in the second place we can't just 'ignore their pride', as they are still technically a sovereign nation.

Besides, they really don't need our help even for the logistical issues.  What is it precisely that you propose we do?

[Mechaman]

They needed our best effort last Saturday, whether they wanted it or not.

For better or worse, we're the United States of America, not the United States of Earth.  We're neither omnipotent nor omniscient and our previous administration left our country in a worse condition that when they took power because they thought they were both.

Quoted for truth.

[bullmoose88]

Who do you believe?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/NRC-No-water-in-spent-fuel-apf-2091500355.html?x=0&.v=1

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

They needed our best effort last Saturday, whether they wanted it or not.

For better or worse, we're the United States of America, not the United States of Earth.  We're neither omnipotent nor omniscient and our previous administration left our country in a worse condition that when they took power because they thought they were both.

Quoted for truth.

So, Obama is using Bush43’s overreach to justify his under reach?  I guess that is why:
1) the mobs in Iran/Egypt/Libya chanted for Bush43’s help, even though they knew he wasno longer in office, 2) the mullahs are still in charge in Iran, 3) Gaddafi is crushing the opposition while Obama waits for “world to act”, 4) the leaders of Egypt’s revolt wont meet with Sec. Clinton, 5) and our sister nation of Japan is in self-denial while her nation crumbles.

We are unwilling to attempt to coax our friends we love the most into seeking help during their darkest hours, and we are unwilling to help the distant masses who beg for our help in the face of tyranny.  Wow.

Proverbs 26:13 “A sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’”

[Lief 🗽]

I... kind of agree with... jmcsft's post?