"Why I am not worried about Japan's nuclear reactors"
The post linked below is by a research scientist at MIT, who explains why there will be no significant release of radioactivity. He adds that not a single news report he's seen (as of yesterday) has been free of massive errors, from errors in basic physics, to gross misinterpretations of facts.
He lays out all the basic facts, and why you really shouldn't worry. These plants are well-designed, and they're doing pretty much what they're meant to - bringing in backup systems to solve problems.
This is how serious the radiation is:
"A very small amount of Cesium was released, as well as Iodine. If you were sitting on top of the plants’ chimney when they were venting, you should probably give up smoking to return to your former life expectancy."
There's a lot to worry about in Japan right now, and one of the worries is having less electricity available due to these reactors being offline. But nuclear meltdown shouldn't be on the radar.
His post is here.
He lays out all the basic facts, and why you really shouldn't worry. These plants are well-designed, and they're doing pretty much what they're meant to - bringing in backup systems to solve problems.
This is how serious the radiation is:
"A very small amount of Cesium was released, as well as Iodine. If you were sitting on top of the plants’ chimney when they were venting, you should probably give up smoking to return to your former life expectancy."
There's a lot to worry about in Japan right now, and one of the worries is having less electricity available due to these reactors being offline. But nuclear meltdown shouldn't be on the radar.
His post is here.