# Nuclear meltdown! Holy Godzilla NOOOO!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 12, 2011, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389 "2011-03-12T08:19:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 75
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1481 "2011-04-10T22:30:45Z")
Are you referring to the fellow who entered the overheated Chalk River reactor nearly sixty years ago and is now an extremely active eighty-six year old? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1482 "2011-04-10T22:43:24Z")
Tepco announced today that maybe by some time tomorrow they may be able to stop pumping radioactive water into the sea. They are still doing it at this time. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1483 "2011-04-11T01:15:29Z")
The water they have been pumping into the ocean was low level waste from the storage and surge tanks (that they filled with the higher level waste from the basements of the facilities). They fixed the leak that was leaking high level waste last week. You seriously need to keep up, gonzo…this is old news. [QUOTE=gonzomax] That is a poor argument. The Japanese are putting dyes in the water to track the flow. It does not just disperse around the whole ocean. It goes into currents and pockets. It does not automatically disperse into the world oceans. [/QUOTE] You really have no idea what you are talking about. [Here](http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html)…again…is what the IAEA is reporting. Granted, it’s not some off the wall web site or blog, but you could at least make an effort to TRY and read something besides the crap that you generally seem to favor. If nothing else to try and understand what folks who disagree with you are actually saying. > [@](#): > > 1. Radiation monitoring > > On 9th April, deposition of both iodine-131 and cesium-137 was detected in 5 and 6 prefectures respectively. The values reported for iodine-131 ranged from 7.8 to 650 becquerel per square metre and for cesium-137 from 3.3 to 370 becquerel per square metre. The highest deposition was reported for both, iodine-131 and cesium-137, in the prefecture of Ibaraki. > > Gamma dose rates are measured daily in all 47 prefectures, the values tend to decrease. Dose rates are also reported daily for the Eastern part of the Fukushima prefecture, these values are decreasing as well. As of 9th April, the gamma dose rates, reported for distances of more than 30 km to Fukushima-Daiichi, ranged from 0.2 to 26 μSv/h. > > In an additional monitoring programme, set up by MEXT in cooperation with local universities, measurements are made in 27 cities in 14 prefectures. As of 9th April, in 19 cities, the gamma dose rates were below 0.1 μSv/h. In 7 cities, gamma dose rates range from 0.13 to 0.21 μSv/h. In Fukushima City, a value of 0.46 μSv/h was observed. Typical normal background levels are in the range of 0.05 to 0.10 μSv/hr. > > As of 7th April, iodine-131 and cesium-137 was detectable in drinking water in a few prefectures at levels far below those that would trigger recommendations for restrictions of drinking water. As of 7th April, one restriction for infants related to I-131 (100 Bq/l) is in place as a precautionary measure in only one village of the Fukushima prefecture. > > On 9th April, the IAEA Team made measurements at 8 different locations in the Fukushima area at distances of 32 to 62 km, North and North West from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. At these locations, the dose rates ranged from 0.4 to 3.7 microsievert per hour. At the same locations, results of beta-gamma contamination measurements ranged from 0.03 to 0.19 Megabecquerel per square metre. > [@](#): > > 1. Marine Monitoring > > As reported in the brief of 8th April TEPCO is conducting a programme for seawater (surface sampling) at a number of near-shore and off-shore monitoring locations as illustrated in Map 1 (You would actually have to click on the link to see the map…why not give it a try?) > [@](#): > > Until 3rd April a general decreasing trend was observed at the sampling points TEPCO 1 to TEPCO 4. After the discharge of contaminated water on 4th April, a temporary increase has been reported. On 10th April new data (7th April sampling day) for all TEPCO sampling points have been reported. At the near-shore sampling points TEPCO 1, TEPCO 3 and TEPCO 4 a further decrease with respect to the results for the sampling day 5th April, in the concentration of I-131 and Cs-137 have been reported. At the sampling point TEPCO 2 a further increase in the concentration of I-131 (from about 40 kBq/l on 6 April to about 150 kBq/l) and Cs-137 (from about 25 kBq/l on 6th April to about 65 kBq/l) was observed. > > For the six sampling points TEPCO 5 to TEPCO 10th on April 7th the following has been reported: as TEPCO 5, TEPCO6 and TEPCO10 a further decrease of the levels of I-131 below 0.2 kBq/l and of Cs-137 below 0.1 kBq/l were measured. > > At TEPCO7 an increase of the level of I-131 has been recorded. At TEPCO8 and TEPCO9 an increase in the levels of both I-131 and Cs-137 has been measured. The reading at TEPCO 9 is from about 0.07 kBq/l (6th April) to about 0.37 kBq/l for I-131 and from about 0.05 kBq/l to about 0.21 kBq/l for Cs-137. -XT ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1484 "2011-04-11T02:41:37Z")
I don’t have any egg on my face. You think everyone who disagrees with you is stupid and lying. I think nuclear power is dangerous and expensive and hides most of that danger and expense in the future in the form of cancers and waste storage costs. You disagree. Am I to conclude that you are lying about the obvious? Or just plain stupid? I don’t think either is necessarily the case, but rather that you have adopted a number of circular arguments to come to the conclusion that cancer cannot be caused by ionizing radiation and does not bio-accumulate because it cannot be proven to you to your satisfaction. Same with the costs. Your own ego interest (the egg factor) makes you think that everyone else’s real world doubts are nothing compared to your certainty. Most of the rest of the real world has doubts because we have been told that nuclear is safe and see that it is not. You see an exclusion zone and think it is a prudent precaution, we see it and see a disaster. A lot of the truths we hold dear depend on your point of view. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1485 "2011-04-11T03:12:30Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I don’t have any egg on my face. You think everyone who disagrees with you is stupid and lying. I think nuclear power is dangerous and expensive and hides most of that danger and expense in the future in the form of cancers and waste storage costs. You disagree. Am I to conclude that you are lying about the obvious? Or just plain stupid? I don’t think either is necessarily the case, but rather that you have adopted a number of circular arguments to come to the conclusion that cancer cannot be caused by ionizing radiation and does not bio-accumulate because it cannot be proven to you to your satisfaction. Same with the costs. Your own ego interest (the egg factor) makes you think that everyone else’s real world doubts are nothing compared to your certainty. Most of the rest of the real world has doubts because we have been told that nuclear is safe and see that it is not. You see an exclusion zone and think it is a prudent precaution, we see it and see a disaster. A lot of the truths we hold dear depend on your point of view. Still no admission that you were wrong regarding Carter, oh well. Incidentally, I also know that it is really a shitty situation what the Japanese are going trough in the nuclear plant, I did post a long time ago that it was likely to be more serious than TMI and it is, but even Carter knew about the Chernobyl disaster and the one he confronted and he was on the record of still going forward in 2005. Seeing a disaster does not mean that then we should stop all nuclear power. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1486 "2011-04-11T05:01:49Z")
> [@](#): > > BRIDGMAN, Mich., June 24, 2005 – Former President Jimmy Carter affirmed his optimism for the future of nuclear energy while highlighting the important role it has played in the United States during a visit to American Electric Power´s (NYSE: AEP) Cook Nuclear Plant this morning. > > “I am very proud of what nuclear power has done for our nation´s security and well-being," Carter told a group of Cook employees before exiting the plant. “I think the future holds great opportunities for nuclear power because safety has improved, technology has improved and environmental quality has improved." Okay, what has nuke power done for the US’s security and well-being? If Russia or China invades, they’ll be repelled by our nuclear power plants? No. Nuke has reduced terrorism? No. It made us energy independent? No. Got us off foreign oil? No. “The future holds great opportunities for nuclear power because safety has improved, technology has improved and environmental quality has improved.” The keyword here is “future.” The last nuke plant built in the US was a Gen-II. Those are widely considered obsolete. We haven’t built any Gen III nuke plants, and Gen IV plants are still theoretical. Improved environmental quality? What does he mean by that? Has nuclear power resulted in a significant reduction in coal-powered plants? Emission controls on everything have resulted in a better environment, not nuke plants. That’s a pretty vague comment. If nuke has resulted in a better environment, where is it? I thought our environment was going to pot, and not the good kind. Carter’s TMI commission found all sorts of problems not only with TMI, but with the whole nuclear power industry. He didn’t mention anything about long-term storage solutions, which cost many billions. He didn’t mention the cost of nuclear coming down. Because it hasn’t. It’s skyrocketing. Those are some pretty vague, specifics-free comments he made there, to a group of nuke plant workers. I’m not seeing a ringing endorsement the US should rush forward with nuclear power. “Great future opportunities” is about as vague a compliment a politician could give something. Our space program is filled with great future opportunities, yet we’ve dropped the Space Shuttle and have no plans to replace them. Now we’re relying on private industry to take us to space. We’re also relying on private industry to help with the global warming problem, but private industry isn’t doing it with nukes, they’re doing it with everything else they can think of. Gen-III nuke plants have so far proven expensive and problematic, with few actually having been built yet. How is that going to help with GW in any reasonable time-frame? By all means, keep studying nuclear power. Don’t abandon the technology altogether. But, let’s be realistic about its chances, and its future promise. China by the way, is mainly building Gen-II nuke plants. They haven’t completed a single Gen-III yet, while they have[57 Gen-IIs on the books.](http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP_Maintain_nuclear_perspective_China_told_1101112.html) Gen-II are already obsolete and considered unsafe, and they’re going to be operating in China, in large numbers, until the 2070’s. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1487 "2011-04-11T05:05:44Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > China by the way, is mainly building Gen-II nuke plants. They haven’t completed a single Gen-III yet, while they have[57 Gen-IIs on the books.](http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP_Maintain_nuclear_perspective_China_told_1101112.html) Gen-II are already obsolete and considered unsafe, and they’re going to be operating in China, in large numbers, until the 2070’s. I think, outside of **Der Commissar** or whatever his name is, you’ll have a tough time finding any folks on the boards who think that the Chinese government is terribly good a long term planning, especially when it comes to the safety of the people or environment. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1488 "2011-04-12T00:07:25Z")
[http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/84721.html](http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/84721.html) Well, this non-event has finally gone to number 7! Do you know what number 7 means? Yes, it is normally one before 8, but in this case, it is the maximum number because from here all the lies start over again at zero! 7, lucky number 7! Nuclear power, coming soon to a seaside resort near you! Don’t worry about Godzilla, he heads directly to Tokyo. You will have to move at least 20 miles away from your local nuke plant, but what the hell, it’s owners profit now! Don’t start in again with the fucking windmills and sun power. Damnit! ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1489 "2011-04-12T00:23:34Z")
It’s actually level 28, because four reactors at 7 equals 28 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1490 "2011-04-12T00:48:56Z")
[QUOTE=The Second Stone] Well, this non-event has finally gone to number 7! Do you know what number 7 means? Yes, it is normally one before 8, but in this case, it is the maximum number because from here all the lies start over again at zero! [/QUOTE] From your cite: > [@](#): > > Japan may raise nuke accident severity level to highest 7 from 5 > > TOKYO, April 12, Kyodo > > The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan released a preliminary calculation Monday saying that the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant had been releasing up to 10,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials per hour at some point after a massive quake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan on March 11. > > The disclosure prompted the government to consider raising the accident’s severity level to 7, the worst on an international scale, from the current 5, government sources said. The level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale has only been applied to the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe. > > The current provisional evaluation of 5 is at the same level as the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in 1979. > > According to an evaluation by the INES, level 7 accidents correspond with a release into the external environment radioactive materials equal to more than tens of thousands terabecquerels of radioactive iodine 131. One terabecquerel equals 1 trillion becquerels. So…the government is considering raising it from the provisional level 5 it was at to 7. The key word there being ‘may’. Just wanted to point out that you and FXM are jumping the gun here a bit, though it looks like raising it to a level 6 at least would be warranted. Whether it’s a 5 or 7, though, really is just a label, since the situation is what it is…and from what I’ve read it’s getting better, not worse, despite your and FXM’s constant chicken-little BS…and despite the fact that the plant was hit by yet another earthquake over 6.0. -XT ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1491 "2011-04-12T01:10:33Z")
How many bananas would 10,000 terabecquerels per hour be? ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1492 "2011-04-12T01:10:37Z")
It’s been level 7 for some time now. Poor nuclear deniers. First they had the “but nobody died” thing, then they had the “it’s not as bad as TMI”, now what is a poor lover of the nuclear mythos to do? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1493 "2011-04-12T01:13:11Z")
[QUOTE=FXMastermind] It’s been level 7 for some time now. Poor nuclear deniers. First they had the “but nobody died” thing, then they had the “it’s not as bad as TMI”, now what is a poor lover of the nuclear mythos to do? [/QUOTE] Man, you lie like a rug. It’s not even 7 NOW…it MIGHT be 7 if the government decides to bump it up to that level. :rolleyes: [QUOTE=levdrakon] How many bananas would 10,000 terabecquerels per hour be? [/QUOTE] Enough to kill everyone in the area several times over. How many have died again? I forget what the number is up to now…could you remind me? 😛 -XT ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1494 "2011-04-12T01:13:40Z")
Yes, it is what it is. Level doesn’t matter at all. It is a clusterfuck. But hey, think of all the people that get new homes and new “stuff”. It will be smaller and cheaper, but we all need to tighten our belts, especially the little people. Little fat fuckers. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6rDWqjnW7w) And here is a more local incident. [http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/\_news/2011/04/11/6452465-three-workers-exposed-to-radiation-at-nebraska-nuclear-plant](http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/11/6452465-three-workers-exposed-to-radiation-at-nebraska-nuclear-plant) Don’t worry, nothing to see here. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1495 "2011-04-12T01:15:01Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Enough to kill everyone in the area several times over. How many have died again? I forget what the number is up to now…could you remind me? 😛 > > -XT Well, there are still 14,000 people missing. I’m blaming them on Fukushima. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1496 "2011-04-12T01:19:10Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > How many bananas would 10,000 terabecquerels per hour be? [Bupu] Two, not more than two. [/Bupu] ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1497 "2011-04-12T01:20:41Z")
> **[Japan Crisis Fuels Duel at Diablo](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704843404576250841142507266)** > > Japan's unfolding nuclear crisis is fueling a battle over nuclear power an ocean away, in earthquake-prone California. Will Diablo Canyon, two nuclear reactors in a canyon owned by Satan himself be re-licensed? Stay tuned. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1498 "2011-04-12T01:21:23Z")
Did you see “the video” of the wave hitting the plant yet? I’m almost ready to believe that a nuclear power plant in Japan, that has six reactors, and sits right on the ocean, I’m almost ready to believe the fucker didn’t have any security cameras. Much less feeding them to a remote location. As unbelievable as that sounds, it might actually be the truth. No security cameras. None. Not one. That is so fucked up, it’s really hard to beleive. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1499 "2011-04-12T01:24:11Z")
It is only just a number when it indicates the level is at the highest possible. before that it was proof that Chernobyl was worse and this did not measure up. There are plenty of scientists who say no amount of radiation is safe. They mutate your genes. To many it wont carry on to developing cancers. To some it will. But since it takes some time, you can always deny the connection. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389/1500 "2011-04-12T01:24:55Z")
It’s hard to believe what a knee jerking idiot you really are. Just when I think that you’ve plumed the depths of idiotdome, you go and one up yourself. I’m constantly trying to figure out which of you is more stupid…you or gonzomax. It’s…really tough, to be honest. I didn’t think that anyone was at his level of stupidity (well, besides Le Jac of course), but I think you are seriously giving him a run for his money, FXM. It’s a race to the bottom…who will win? As TSS says, stay tuned… -XT [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389.md?page=74) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-meltdown-holy-godzilla-noooo/574389.md?page=76)