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Official MJJC Support Thread - Japanese Tsunami

With every new nuclear power plant, we give future generations something to remember us by. They will have to deal with OUR problems, that we are avoiding and can't find solutions for, for a very very long time:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/nuclear/waste/

Nuclear waste is produced at every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining and enrichment, to reactor operation and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Much of this nuclear waste will remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years, leaving a poisonous legacy to future generations.

Decommissioning nuclear facilities will also create large amounts ofradioactive wastes. Many of the world's nuclear sites will requiremonitoring and protection for centuries after they are closed down.

The global volume of spent fuel was 220,000 tonnes in the year 2000, and is growing by approximately 10,000 tonnes annually. Despite billions of dollars of investment in various disposal options, the nuclear industry and governments have failed to come up with a feasible and sustainable solution.

Most of the current proposals for dealing with highly radioactivenuclear waste involve burying it in deep underground sites. Whether thestorage containers, the store itself, or the surrounding rocks willoffer enough protection to stop radioactivity from escaping in the longterm is impossible to predict.

An example of where industry plans have been exposed as flawed is the proposed dump site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, US. After nearly 20 years of research and billions of dollars of investment, not one gram of spent fuel has so far been shipped to the site from nuclear reactors across the US. Major uncertainties in the geological suitability for waste disposal at the site remain, with on-going investigations into manipulation of scientific data and the threat of legal action by the State government.

In addition to high-level waste problems, there are numerous examplesof existing disposal sites containing low level waste which are alreadyleaking radiation into the environment. Drigg in the UK and CSM in LeHague, France being just two.

Currently no options have been able to demonstrate that waste will remain isolated from the environment over the tens to hundreds of thousands of years. There is no reliable method to warn future generations about the existence of nuclear waste dumps.
 
Japanese Officials at Odds If Water Dumps Helped Crippled Nuclear Plant

Read more: http://foxnews.com/world/2011/03/17...s-crippled-nuclear-power-plant/#ixzz1GrZ6HbFP

Japanese officials are at odds over whether water dumps on the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Thursday has worked.
A spokesman for the Tokyo Electric Power Company told Japan news agency NHK that "it appears the mission was successful," while a spokesman for the Nuclear And Industrial Safety Agency says the water cannons failed in their attempt to cool the unit when the water failed to reach its target from safe distances.


Japanese military helicopters dumped water onto the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant’s damaged reactors and emergency crews tried to douse the reactors with water cannons.


An official from the Tokyo Electric Power Company told Japan news agency NHK "that there is a greater possibility they will be able to fill the spent fuel rod pool" for the Unit 3 reactor.


The pool requires 1,200 tons of water to be filled, but the power company official says "you only need one-third that amount to cover the spent fuel rods." Without water, there's nothing to stop the fuel rods from getting hotter and ultimately melting down.

Japan nuke plant operator begins operation to connect power

(Reuters) - The operator of Japan's troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-power plant said it had started work on Thursday to connect outside power cables to the plant and that electricity could be connected on Thursday. Tokyo Electric Power Co had hoped to connect the cables by Thursday afternoon to two of the plant's six reactor units to restart cooling pumps knocked out by last Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami.
Japan's nuclear agency said the No.2 reactor will be the first to receive electricity because it has a roof and will try to use power for internal mechanisms.



Japan's nuclear crisis DAY 1 - 6: A timeline of key events

Day 1 – Friday, March 11

  • At 2:47 p.m. local time, Japan is struck by the largest recorded earthquake in its history off the coast of the northeastern city of Sendai. Meteorologists log it at 8.9 on the Richter scale.
  • 11 nuclear reactors shut down automatically.
  • A powerful tsunami triggered by the earthquake sweeps away cars and homes and knocks out regular and backup cooling systems at the six-reactor Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Several reactors are affected.
  • The government orders everyone within a three kilometer radius of the plant to leave the area.
  • Japanese authorities report that a fire at the Onagawa nuclear power plant is extinguished.
Day 2 – Saturday, March 12

  • A blast caused by a pressure buildup blows the roof off the containment structure of the Fukushima Daiichi plant's Unit 1 reactor, but reports say the nuclear fuel rods are not affected. Four workers are reported injured.
  • Residents within a 6-mile radius of the plant are evacuated. Kyodo news agency estimates that 20,000 people are being evacuated.
  • Workers begin injecting seawater and boric acid into the reactors in what experts say is a last-ditch attempt to prevent a meltdown after the backup cooling systems for reactors 1 and 3 fail completely.
Day 3 – Sunday, March 13

  • Fukushima reactor No. 3 is vented again.
  • There is believed to have been a partial meltdown in the reactor.
  • A company spokesman states that the radiation released thus far does not pose a health risk to humans.
  • The cooling system in reactor 2 fails and more radioactive steam is released.
  • The government evacuates more than 200,000 residents from homes within a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) radius of the plant and tests 160 people for radiation exposure, authorities said Sunday.
  • IAEA rates the accident as a level four out of seven on the scale of international nuclear disasters. Three-Mile-Island was rated a five, Chernobyl a seven.
  • Meanwhile, in southwestern Japan, Shinmoedake volcano erupts for the second time in 2011, sending ash and rock more than two miles into the air. Analysts say it was the biggest volcanic activity there in 52 years.

Day 4 – Monday, March 14

  • An explosion caused by pressure buildup blows away the roof and walls of the building housing the Fukushima Daiichi plant's No. 3 reactor and injured 11 people. The plant's No. 2 reactor loses its cooling capabilities after the explosion. Workers begin injecting seawater and boric acid into that reactor.
  • A fire is extinguished, but Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says that more radiation was released as a result and that "now we are talking about levels that can damage human health."
  • The US Geological Survey upgrades the earthquake from an 8.9 to a 9.0.

Day 5 – Tuesday, March 15

  • An explosion hits Fukushima Daiichi's No. 2 reactor in the morning. Readings indicate some damage to the No. 2 reactor's suppression pool, a donut-shaped reservoir at the base of the reactor's containment vessel.
  • A fire is ignited in the No. 4 reactor building Tuesday, but is later put out, according to officials.
  • The plant is emitting as much radiation in one hour as it normally would in six months, but government spokesman Yukio Edano says: "The possibility that a large amount of radiation has been released is low."
  • The head of France's Nuclear Safety Authority, upgrades the international alert from a level 4 disaster to a level 6 incident.
  • Foreign companies begin to order evacuations of their employees.
Day 6 - Wednesday, March 16

  • A fire breaks out at the building housing the No. 4 reactor. It's believed to be the same spot where a fire broke out Tuesday.
  • The roof of reactor No. 4 is believed to be cracked.
  • Japan suspends operations at Fukushima after a surge in radiation makes it "too dangerous for workers to remain at the facility."
  • After a brief suspension, workers are allowed back on site.
  • Japan's emperor makes a rare national appearance, officials say it is his first ever TV appearance
  • The US ambassador in Japan issues a statement to American citizens living within 50 miles of Fukushima to evacuate.
Some key numbers as of Wednesday, March 16:

  • Death toll: 3,676
  • Injured: 2,043
  • Confirmed missing: 7,845
  • Unaccounted for: at least 15,000
  • Evacuated: about 500,000
  • Houses damaged: 68,231
  • Houses destroyed: 4,648
  • Countries offering aid: 102




​

​
 
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http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_646210.html

ONE lone voice has emerged from the group of heroic workers at Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which runs the quake-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, where workers are scrambling to cool the nuclear plant and avoid a meltdown.

Michiko Otsuki - a female worker at Tepco - has written on her blog, speaking up for her 'silent' colleagues who remained behind at the plant.

She had been quoted a little in some overseas English reports but The Straits Times Online tracked and translated her blog to find out her full story when she first posted on popular Japanese social networking site Mixi.

By Thursday however, her post had been taken down, but the entry had already been reproduced by several online blogs and in Japanese language forums.

"As a worker at Tepco and a member of the Fukushima No. 2 reactor team, I was dealing with the crisis at the scene until yesterday (Monday)."

"In the midst of the tsunami alarm (last Friday), at 3am in the night when we couldn't even see where we going, we carried on working to restore the reactors from where we were, right by the sea, with the realisation that this could be certain death."

"The machine that cools the reactor is just by the ocean, and it was wrecked by the tsunami. Everyone worked desperately to try and restore it. Fighting fatigue and empty stomachs, we dragged ourselves back to work."

More at link.
 
From orf.at:

German nuclear power plant Isar I will be shut down this afternoon (which means right now), nuclear power plant Unterweser will be shut down tomorrow.

Shutting down a nuclear power plant takes half a day to a day.

From derstandard.at:

Singapore told its citizens living in Japan to leave the area around Fukushima in a 100 km radius. The USA, South Korea and Australia decided on a 80 km radius earlier.
 
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Japan nuclear reactor water-bombing has little effect

Attempts to cool down a stricken reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan have suffered a further setback with radiation levels rising rather than falling after attempts to douse it with high-pressure hoses.


Six fire engines and a police water cannon were sent in on Thursday evening to spray the plant's No 3 reactor.



But afterwards radiation emissions rose from 3,700 microsieverts per hour to 4,000 per hour, the Kyodo news agency quoted Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) as saying.


An earlier attempt in which military helicopters dropped thousands of litres of water on the plant also appeared to have failed.
 
The statistics: Post Primer: The situation on the ground in Japan


In a situation report released Wednesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs identified food, water and fuel shortages as the primary concerns facing the Japanese right now. After the jump, the Post takes a look at life post-earthquake in Japan.



Chris McGrath / Getty Images
A man looks for food beside empty shelves on March 17, 2011 in Ichinoseki, Japan

FOOD and WATER


  • The Japanese government estimated that at least 1.4 million homes do not have water.
  • Queues snaked across hard-hit Sendai city on the northeast coast as people waited patiently to stock up on essentials. Customers were allowed to buy up to two grapefruits, two oranges, chocolate, five bags of chips, and up to two tins of tuna.
  • In Tokyo, many stocked up on food and stayed indoors or simply left, transforming one of the world’s biggest and most densely populated cities into a shell of its usual self.
  • The government of Japan has requested that franchised supermarkets stay open in affected areas to ensure access to essential supplies.
  • The Japanese government has also asked the private sector to increase production of food products including rice balls, water bottles, bread, formula and instant food.
  • Radioactive materials spewed into the air by Japan’s earthquake-crippled nuclear plant may contaminate food and water resources.
  • People without water and electricity extend well beyond the four most affected prefectures.


Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
Japanese people fill an evacuation center trying to keep warm as winter weather made a miserable situation worse on March 17, 2011 in Minamisanriku, Japan

SHELTER

  • 210,000 people have been evacuated from a 20 kilometre radius around the Fukushima nuclear plant.
  • Half-a-million people are currently living in evacuation centres.
  • Schools, sports centres, community centres and other public buildings are being used as temporary shelter.
  • The Japanese government has ordered the construction of 600 temporary shelters in the next two weeks. Another 4,200 shelters will be built in four weeks and 30,000 in two months.


Reuters / Kyodo
Lights are turned off to save energy in Tokyo, March 17, 2011

POWER


  • Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) announced Wednesday that multiple units in the company’s thermal power stations remain shut down. TEPCO’s hydro stations have all been restored.
  • In total, 11 of the roughly 50 nuclear reactors in Japan shut down following the earthquake.
  • The Japanese nuclear industry provides around 30% of Japan’s power needs and TEPCO expects to be about 25% short of normal power supply for the time of year.
  • The government on Thursday warned Tokyo’s 13 million people to prepare for a possible large-scale blackout but later said there was no need for one. Still, many firms voluntarily reduced power, submerging parts of the usually neon-lit city in darkness.
  • The biggest portion of Japan’s electricity is generated at coal-fired plants. However, Japan’s coal-fired generators are already working close to capacity and can’t boost output or imports to make up for any shortfall.
  • 843,000 households serviced by TEPCO and Tohoku Electric Power Company experiencing power shortages.
  • About five million households are affected by rolling blackouts – lasting three hours per day by rotation – as TEPCO struggles to offset the drop in power capacity.
  • Japan will have a shortfall in output of ultra-low sulphur diesel of at least about 100,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) after one-quarter of its refinery capacity was knocked out by the quake.
  • Countries such as South Korea and Russia have pledged to supply the country with extra oil and gas.
  • With mobile signals patchy in the disaster zone, lines stretched from the few remaining phone boxes.
 
Sandra Bullock donated 1 million dollars to the American Red Cross for Japan. (derstandard.at via CNN)

P.S. Hi Webbie!
 
In his phone call to Kan, Obama said the United States "is determined to do everything possible to support Japan in overcoming the effects" of last week's earthquake and tsunami.
by Barack Obama - 1 hour ago - Voice of America
Click to expand...

China suspends nuclear plant construction - March 17, 2011

China has temporarily suspended work on 26 or so nuclear reactors currently under construction, pending revision of its safety standards.
The decision was made at a meeting of China’s State Council today, and reflects the country’s increasing concern about safety following the nuclear accident at Fukushima, Japan.
A statement from the State Council said that existing nuclear plants would also be checked for safety. Medium- and long-term plans for expansion of its nuclear programme would be re-considered, it said.
China has 13 reactors in operation and plans to increase that number to 110 in the next decade or so, to reduce its current dependence on coal. There are currently 440 nuclear power stations operating in the world in 30 countries.

Hi back @ you, Milka!
 
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*Little Suzie*;3299716 said:
Guys, what about the helpless animals?? Do you think about them too?!
Click to expand...

Of course we do, sweety.
But sadly, I can't seem to find any news related to the poor animals...

Another update:

China Urges Full Disclosure on Japan Radiation Leaks

The Chinese government on Thursday urged its crisis-hit neighbor Japan to issue prompt and accurate information about radiation leaks from a nuclear power plant ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami. Concerned by rumors circulating in China about nuclear fallout and radiation exposure, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu called on Tokyo to issue prompt and accurate details about stricken nuclear power plant ravaged by last week’s earthquake and tsunami.

She also issued a call to worried Chinese who are panic buying salt in a false belief it can guard against radiation sickness. Japan should release detailed and accurate information about the about radiation leaks as soon as it’s known, said Jiang. And she urged the public to stay calm, saying it was not necessary to panic.
 
Milka said:
Someone posted a link a couple of days ago. Maybe they can post it again?
Click to expand...

Awtch, I'm sorry, haven't been able to follow the forum much these last 2-3 days.

Edit: Did a Google search myself:

To Help Animals in Japan. There are several organizations that will take your donations to help the animals affected by the devastation in Japan.

Go to the Conscious Cat website to find the following organizations:

World Vets, American Humane Association's Red Star Animals Emergency Services, The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, The Animal Refuge Kansai, Japan Cat Network with Heart Tokushima and Animals Friends Niigata which has formed the Japan Animal Rescue and Support, and finally, the Animal Miracle Network Foundation.
 


Rescue workers pull a small dog from rubble in the wake of Japan's earthquake and tsunami. Photo: Associated Press.

And this is from the Conscious Cat website:

The scale of the devastation in Japan is horrifying, and as rescue organizations from around the world rally to assist the recovery efforts, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people and animals affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

The organizations below specifically help with animal rescue efforts in the affected areas.






World Vets is a non-government organization (NGO) providing veterinary aid around the globe in collaboration with animal advocacy groups, foreign governments, US and foreign military groups and veterinary professionals abroad. They are getting supplies and a first responder team ready to deploy to Japan.


March 15 update: World Vets is also accepting donations of veterinary supplies and medications at their Fargo, ND headquarters.


The American Humane Association’s Red Star Animal Emergency Services Team is monitoring the situation closely and is reaching out to its international partners in order to provide a joint response to this global emergency.


The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has deployed search and rescue teams to Japan.


The Animal Refuge Kansai is an organization in Kansai, Japan, that is preparing for a huge influx of animals from the disaster areas.


Japan Cat Network, together with Heart Tokushima and Animal Friends Niigata has formed Japan Animal Rescue and Support. They are providing frequent updates of rescue efforts on their Facebook page.


March 15 update: they’ve posted a wish list of items for in country donations, but ask that you contact them before shipping anything from overseas.


Please note that the donation links for the organizations in Japan take you to the Japanese language version of PayPal. Once you enter the amount of your donation in Japanese yen (4000 yen is roughly $50 US), and enter your PayPal login information, it takes you to an English PayPal page and you can complete the donation.


The Animal Miracle Network Foundation is collecting cell phones to send to volunteers helping animals in Japan.


As we’re mourning the loss of life with Japan’s citizens, and praying for those who’ve lost so much, cat lovers around the world are also wondering about the fate of the cats of Japan’s Cat Island.



Sadly, it is believed that the island became fully submerged during the tsunami.


March 13 update: see Paula’s comments below for the latest on Cat Island.


March 14 update: the NASA photo Paula referenced in her comment, and additional updates on the Pet Captain’s blog.


March 15 update: Yet another hopeful update about Cat Island on The Cat’s Meow from Betty: “My brother’s wife is Japanese and she knows a girl whose parents live in the Cat Island and they were able to get in touch with them. They said that the island sank around 30 centimeters in the water and there was some damage to property, but cats and people are ok! They need help, of course, but the Island is still there.”
 
According to the newspaper Mainichi Daily the Iwaki Kyoritsu Hospital, about 45 km away from Fukushima I, only has food left for 5 days and medication for 3 days. The survivors and rescue teams in the prefacture Fukushima are facing serious lack of food reserves, even rice is a luxury in some areas.

Source: derstandard.at

Edit: Remember that Japan is one of the best prepared countries in the world when it comes to disasters. There are 1,500 earthquakes every year. And it only took them a week to run out of food and medication, also water.
 
Japan Almost Doubles Nuclear Workers as Radiation Exposure Reaches Limits

More workers were drafted for the frontline of Japan’s biggest nuclear disaster as radiation limits forced Tokyo Electric Power Co. to replace members of its original team trying to avert a nuclear meltdown.

The utility increased its workforce at the Fukushima Dai- Ichi plant to 322 yesterday from 180 on March 16 as it tried to douse water over exposed nuclear fuel rods to prevent melting and leaking lethal radiation.

Levels beside the exposed rods would deliver a fatal dose in 16 seconds, said David Lochbaum, a nuclear physicist for the Union of Concerned Scientists and a former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission safety instructor.

Japan Nuclear Disaster Caps Decades of Faked Reports, Accidents

The unfolding disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant follows decades of falsified safety reports, fatal accidents and underestimated earthquake risk in Japan’s atomic power industry. The destruction caused by last week’s 9.0 earthquake and tsunami comes less than four years after a 6.8 quake shut the world’s biggest atomic plant, also run by Tokyo Electric Power Co. In 2002 and 2007, revelations the utility had faked repair records forced the resignation of the company’s chairman and president, and a three-week shutdown of all 17 of its reactors.

Nuclear engineers and academics who have worked in Japan’s atomic power industry spoke in interviews of a history of accidents, faked reports and inaction by a succession of Liberal Democratic Party governments that ran Japan for nearly all of the postwar period.

Water Appears to Have Reached Fukushima No. 3 Reactor

<cite>By Tomoko Yamazaki, posted 12 min ago.</cite>
<cite>
</cite>March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Japan’s bid to spray water on to the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant No. 3 reactor appears to have had some success, state broadcaster NHK reported, citing a defense official. Some water reached the reactor building, it said, adding that it wasn’t clear whether water made it to the pool used to cool spent nuclear rods.
 
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Webbie;3299729 said:


Rescue workers pull a small dog from rubble in the wake of Japan's earthquake and tsunami. Photo: Associated Press.

And this is from the Conscious Cat website:

The scale of the devastation in Japan is horrifying, and as rescue organizations from around the world rally to assist the recovery efforts, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people and animals affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

The organizations below specifically help with animal rescue efforts in the affected areas.






World Vets is a non-government organization (NGO) providing veterinary aid around the globe in collaboration with animal advocacy groups, foreign governments, US and foreign military groups and veterinary professionals abroad. They are getting supplies and a first responder team ready to deploy to Japan.


March 15 update: World Vets is also accepting donations of veterinary supplies and medications at their Fargo, ND headquarters.


The American Humane Association’s Red Star Animal Emergency Services Team is monitoring the situation closely and is reaching out to its international partners in order to provide a joint response to this global emergency.


The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has deployed search and rescue teams to Japan.


The Animal Refuge Kansai is an organization in Kansai, Japan, that is preparing for a huge influx of animals from the disaster areas.


Japan Cat Network, together with Heart Tokushima and Animal Friends Niigata has formed Japan Animal Rescue and Support. They are providing frequent updates of rescue efforts on their Facebook page.


March 15 update: they’ve posted a wish list of items for in country donations, but ask that you contact them before shipping anything from overseas.


Please note that the donation links for the organizations in Japan take you to the Japanese language version of PayPal. Once you enter the amount of your donation in Japanese yen (4000 yen is roughly $50 US), and enter your PayPal login information, it takes you to an English PayPal page and you can complete the donation.


The Animal Miracle Network Foundation is collecting cell phones to send to volunteers helping animals in Japan.


As we’re mourning the loss of life with Japan’s citizens, and praying for those who’ve lost so much, cat lovers around the world are also wondering about the fate of the cats of Japan’s Cat Island.



Sadly, it is believed that the island became fully submerged during the tsunami.


March 13 update: see Paula’s comments below for the latest on Cat Island.


March 14 update: the NASA photo Paula referenced in her comment, and additional updates on the Pet Captain’s blog.


March 15 update: Yet another hopeful update about Cat Island on The Cat’s Meow from Betty: “My brother’s wife is Japanese and she knows a girl whose parents live in the Cat Island and they were able to get in touch with them. They said that the island sank around 30 centimeters in the water and there was some damage to property, but cats and people are ok! They need help, of course, but the Island is still there.”
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for posting this information on animal rescue! Given the incredible human loss of life and suffering . . . . some people may not be thinking of the animals that much. But, they suffer, too. I'm so glad that there are at least some organizations trying to help! We should also think of the heroic rescue dogs. Some of these come from my home state of Virginia, with the Fairfax team. The dogs are invaluable in locating survivors, and endure great risk in climbing over the rubble to do so.
 
US President Barack Obama announced an official statement this evening about the situation in Japan.

(derstandard.at)
 
You're most welcome, Autumn.

This is local news:

Smoke is coming out of reactor number 2:

media_xl_4105693.jpg


And another story:

France sends planes for departures from Japan
(AP) – 1 hour ago

The French government and Czech military have evacuated some of their citizens from Japan on special flights and Britain is planning the same, as international worries grew about health risks from Japan's leaking nuclear plants.The United States has authorized the first evacuations of Americans out of Japan, warning U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to any part of the country as unpredictable weather and wind conditions risked spreading radioactive contamination.
Japanese authorities are trying to cool down damaged nuclear reactors and pools of spent fuel at the Fukushima Dai-chi plant, damaged by last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The radiation threat appears so far limited. Risks from possible radiation exposure remain greatest for the workers scrambling to cool the reactors. Those who have been evacuated from the site are considered safe, as are the 39 million people who live in the greater Tokyo region.
Still, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that it "strongly advises against trips to Japan" and urges French citizens in the Tokyo region to head south or return to France.
Two French government planes are bringing home French people who want to leave Japan. One left Tokyo on Thursday for Seoul, with 241 people aboard.
Air France has also increased the capacity of its twice-daily flights in and out of Tokyo.
France's nuclear manufacturer Areva and utility EDF sent a plane on Thursday with 100 tons of boric acid to help contain radiation leaks, 10,000 protective uniforms, 20,000 pairs of gloves and 3000 protective masks. France is a leading nuclear energy producer and has pledged to help Japanese authorities deal with their nuclear crisis.
Two Czech military planes landed in Prague on Thursday morning after evacuating 106 people from Japan, mostly Czechs but also several nationals of Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Korea. Also onboard were 41 members of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra that had been touring Japan since March 6, as well as 11 children.
Britain is advising its nationals in Tokyo and to the north of the city to consider leaving the area, and the Foreign Office has decided to organize charter flights from Tokyo to Hong Kong to supplement commercially available options for those wishing to leave Japan.
Some countries were more measured in their reactions.
"If you are in the larger Tokyo area, we urge you to consider to move away, southward or out. This is completely up to you," Denmark's Ambassador Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin said Thursday in a live webcast transmission from the Danish Embassy in Tokyo.
"The worst thing may actually be to join the panic situation and get outside, get stuck for three days outside Tokyo en route south and be exposed to unnecessary high levels of radiation."
Skjold Mellbin said the Danish Embassy would remain in Tokyo even with several meltdowns.
Italy is considering a special evacuation flight for Italians in special need, such as pregnant women, families with young children, those who might be ill or who just couldn't afford commercial flights. Switzerland is also considering charter flights if needed.
The Swedish government is working on a plan to help its citizens leave Japan, and is currently looking at air travel capacity.
In Washington, senior State Department official Patrick Kennedy said Wednesday that chartered planes will be brought in to help private American citizens wishing to leave.

And yet something else:

A brief glossary of nuclear terms (click)

For those who don’t work in the nuclear energy field, some of the terms being thrown around in news coverage of the events unfolding at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan are being heard for the first time. These definitions will provide some clarity.
 
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haven't looked through the whole thread, sorry if this was posted already.

here's a video of two dogs in the damaged area, one of the dogs is injured and the other one refuses to leave it. Both dogs were saved.

 
JMie said:
haven't looked through the whole thread, sorry if this was posted already.

here's a video of two dogs in the damaged area, one of the dogs is injured and the other one refuses to leave it. Both dogs were saved.
Click to expand...

:( Poor sweethearts...

Dogs... They're more reliable then (some) humans...
 
Milka said:
This is one of the smartest things I have read in days. It's from 1979 or 1980, the truth in the article is timeless.
Click to expand...

We had a voting about nuclearpower in Sweden 1980.We already had nuclearpower when we were allowed to vote for or against it and most people thought we had already had spent so much money on it .In Sweden we are not satisfied to vote only yes or no s we had another line that said we were going to have nuclearpower for 25 years and not longer.
The line with 25 years won but 2005 nothing happened......
 
JMie said:
haven't looked through the whole thread, sorry if this was posted already.

here's a video of two dogs in the damaged area, one of the dogs is injured and the other one refuses to leave it. Both dogs were saved.
Click to expand...

This is so heartbreaking ...

MIST said:
We had a voting about nuclearpower in Sweden 1980.We already had nuclearpower when we were allowed to vote for or against it and most people thought we had already had spent so much money on it .In Sweden we are not satisfied to vote only yes or no s we had another line that said we were going to have nuclearpower for 25 years and not longer.
The line with 25 years won but 2005 nothing happened......
Click to expand...

That's horrible ... but also typical. The people have to do something about that, write to politicians, newspapers, demonstrate, collect signatures, etc. Contact your green party.
 
IRSN update today 3pm CET

It's mostly the same as the last one, I'll just try to translate the new info :

http://www.irsn.fr/FR/Actualites_pr...Seisme-Japon_Point-situation-17032011-15h.pdf

Spent fuel pools :

reactors 1 & 2:

The water is not boiling

reactor 3 :

IRSN think the water is boiling. 7.5 tons of water were poured on it from helicopers. A large part of the water did not reach the pool, but since there was no steam cloud, it seems that the operation has been successful.

reactor 4 :

A helicopter flew over it , it has been confirmed that there is water in the pool. The water is boiling. Consequently, (some of ?) the water initially meant to be poured on reactor nr 4 was poured on 3.

reactors 5 and 6 :
the water temperature is rising slowly, the water level is under control.

Reactors :

There is very high radioactivity in all the control rooms. Staff can not stay in them for very long.

Reactor 2 :
the shell is damaged, but it is still "sealed" (hope you can understand this. It means there's nothing coming out of the shell). Depressurisations are scheduled.

Reactor 3 : the shell still seems to be "sealed".
 
Beautiful animals.. I feel these two precious dogs are God's way to show us (the ppl of Japan) most of all, that there is still some hope left out there.. and that digging deeper for it will pay off and it would reveal life...

Hard to stay hopeful trough all this news on devastation, though, but animals are wonders to me..
 
Webbie said:
:( Poor sweethearts...

Dogs... They're more reliable then (some) humans...
Click to expand...
Yes, (from a dog lover)

Autumn II said:
We should also think of the heroic rescue dogs. Some of these come from my home state of Virginia, with the Fairfax team. The dogs are invaluable in locating survivors, and endure great risk in climbing over the rubble to do so.
Click to expand...

Yes, they save lives.
 
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