"Why I am not worried about Japan's nuclear reactors"

[vileseagulls]

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

Comments

[sloane_m]

Here's the thing. It's all very well for this person to state that based on what he's read and how these generators are designed there shouldn't be any problem but that's pre-supposing that we're getting ALL the facts coming from both TEPCO and the Japanese goverment. Quite frankly after living there for a number of years I honestly don't believe that they've released all the facts wrt to those reactors.

[vileseagulls]

The reactors are a standard, recognised design though, which work in a certain way. The containment chambers are the same every time they build that model. The back up systems are designed to work a certain way. They use a certain type of rod and nuclear material. We might not have all the facts, but physics doesn't stop working as a result.

And beyond any of that? There's no point in saying this is another Chernobyl, or any such nonsense like that - Chernobyl had no containment. These reactors, and AFAIK all reactors currently in use are fully shielded and another Chernobyl is pretty much impossible.

[erilyn]

I am so aggravated by the bullshit media coverage of this, I would punch pretty much any journalist I saw in the face with no further provocation.

[vileseagulls]

Oh my god, you and me both.

I started writing my own very detailed post about how this was all bullshit, and in doing the research I found that post instead. Compulsion satisfied.

God, there is some crap coming out of the news right now. And Greenpeace is seriously in my bad books too.