[PublicAnimalNo9]

In Cambridge it was pronounced, "Newfie rigging".

[BartSimpson]

Brenda Brenda:

Taking Iodine pills yet?

Nope, but I've got them just in case.

If we end up not needing them, then no big deal.

If we do end up needing them we'll be damned happy we have them.

[BartSimpson]

A random thought occured to me as I was reading the news today:

The Japanese are reportedly pouring water onto the nuclear reactors, right? As I read it, they're pouring millions of gallons of water onto the reactors.

Of course, some of that is predictably running off into the storm drains.

So we've got a radioactive plume in the air and now I'm wondering what about the radioactive plume in the water?

[Brenda]

They are using sea water, which means there is no way they can grow crops on the ground that absorbes that water.
I am sure they won't use groundwater for drinking water there anytime soon, if it wasn't for radio activity, then for the fact it is sea water.

[BartSimpson]

Brenda Brenda:

They are using sea water, which means there is no way they can grow crops on the ground that absorbes that water.

For a while. Seawater from the tsunami is expected to be dilute enough to allow farming in some areas to resume next season.

Brenda Brenda:

I am sure they won't use groundwater for drinking water there anytime soon, if it wasn't for radio activity, then for the fact it is sea water.

Actually, the groundwater would be safer to drink than surface water with radioactive stuff in the air.

[Brenda]

Why would you want to drink surface water at all?

[martin14]

Daily report....


http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_imag ... 96691P.pdf

[BartSimpson]

Brenda Brenda:

Why would you want to drink surface water at all?

You probably do it every day. "Surface water" refers to water that comes from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. "Ground water" comes from a well or a spring.

And this morning the radio here said that radiation levels in the Fukushima area were now 1600 times that of normal and that radiation in the ocean water (from that runoff I mentioned) is 'unhealthy'.

The next impact of this disaster then is that thousands of square kilometres of fishing grounds along with thousands of square kilometres of farmland are now useless.

If you're the investing type then now is the time to buy futures in food and I'd do a six month put against the yen (which I have already done).

[djakeydd]

This catastrophe is not going away - my question: why is the world community, IAEA et al, not demanding they start (with all assistance possible) entombing this whole place as was done with Chernobyl? They are fiddling around trying to determine exactly what is taking place in the core, what does it matter, its a write off - entomb the thing NOW.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/rad ... story.html

[Guy_Fawkes]

If reactions are still going on, entombing it will only increase the pressure.

[BartSimpson]

This morning the new crisis is that the Japanese are slowly admitting that one of the reactor vessels has ruptured or possibly melted through and that radiation levels around the facility are as much as 100,000 times that of normal. Over the weekend the plant was evacuated when sensors spiked to ten million times normal - the Japanese government then said that the ten million number was an anomaly and nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, elements of the Japanese government are being noted as moving to Kyoto and Osaka from Tokyo because, of course, everything is fine and there's nothing to worry about and no reason to panic.

[BartSimpson]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/ma ... ar-reactor

The Guardian is confirming what I heard yesterday. The core of one of the reactors has, indeed, melted through the containment vessel.

Stick a fork in 'em, they're done.

Next up is going to be the evacuation of Tokyo. Maybe not today or the next few weeks, but I'd say by summer they're going to have to give thought to evacuating some 32-40 million people out of the affected areas.

[Bruce_the_vii]

Amazing. Sad and unfortunate.

[Proculation]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/japan-lost-race-save-nuclear-reactor

The Guardian is confirming what I heard yesterday. The core of one of the reactors has, indeed, melted through the containment vessel.

Stick a fork in 'em, they're done.

Next up is going to be the evacuation of Tokyo. Maybe not today or the next few weeks, but I'd say by summer they're going to have to give thought to evacuating some 32-40 million people out of the affected areas.

The level of plutonium they detected is very low and not dangerous outside the area. I think you are overfreaking a little bit.

[Bruce_the_vii]

Aw, gawwd. Lets hope so. Melting through the containment does not sound good.