With the continued focus on Libya at the moment, The subject of the nuclear reactors in Japan has fallen by the wayside. Furthermore, the point has been beaten to death of late. Honestly, I must say that a reactor that can withstand and earthquake, then a tsunami, then multiple explosions..... is a pretty safe reactor. Albeit, they are still in the process of cooling the reactor (it takes a few weeks for reactors to reach a normative level of "coolness")
We aren't out of the water yet, but instead of dwelling on how dangerous and unstable nuclear power is (as the media keeps pounding us with) why not look at how unlikely this situation is (huge earthquake + tsunami) and how the safety procedures at the power plant have held at least mostly. Everyday it is getting better with regard to the safety around the plant. So I say: congratulations to all the engineers, technicians, scientists etc... who have thought of these creative strategies to keep us safe from contamination. You aren't done yet, but we are behind you all the way!
We aren't out of the water yet, but instead of dwelling on how dangerous and unstable nuclear power is (as the media keeps pounding us with) why not look at how unlikely this situation is (huge earthquake + tsunami) and how the safety procedures at the power plant have held at least mostly. Everyday it is getting better with regard to the safety around the plant. So I say: congratulations to all the engineers, technicians, scientists etc... who have thought of these creative strategies to keep us safe from contamination. You aren't done yet, but we are behind you all the way!
Here are some interesting articles on thorium-based nuclear power. I had never heard of this before!
ReplyDeletehttp://scienceblogs.com/mikethemadbiologist/2010/01/is_thorium_an_answer_to_global.php
http://scienceblogs.com/mikethemadbiologist/2010/09/more_on_thorium-based_nuclear.php
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8393984/Safe-nuclear-does-exist-and-China-is-leading-the-way-with-thorium.html
Something else to keep in mind along the lines of what you're saying is that this was the *fifth* most powerful earthquake we've ever recorded.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I have never heard of it before! and it is sad (as said in one of the articles you have up there) that it will take 50 years before we see its use due to the slow political "verification" process..... Sometimes I want to start my own socialist country that takes advantage of technology like this. In fact, I have another post for tomorrow about that.
ReplyDelete