Update on the Nuclear Crisis in Japan

with Olli Heinonen, David Sanger and Frank N. von Hippel
in Current Affairs
on Monday, March 14, 2011 * * * * *

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Update on Japan with Olli Heinonen of Harvard University, Frank von Hippel of Princeton University and David Sanger of 'The New York Times'

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Keywords:
Asia
Japan
meltdown
nuclear
earthquake
earth quake
tragedy
emergency

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  • Comments 5
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    1. writersblock25  12/04/2011 12:29 AM Report

      Thank you for posting this, Charlie Rose, LLC.

    2. blank  03/18/2011 06:06 AM Report

      i wonder if you could build a nuclear power plant deep underground and have water tanks that could completely flood the whole system from above and vent into holes deep into the earth's crust after being filtered in an event of an emergency

      have flexible canals or tubes for pumping water or other things from a distance in the case of an "unforeseen" situation

      also what happens if you pump radio active materials into the earth's core and could they not spread adequately and then erupt concentrated in a volcano or be released in other ways

      http://www.eoearth.org/article/Naturally-occurring_radioactive_materials_(NORM)

      (i would take note of the authors of the above)

      http://www.world-nuclear.org/

      solar panels that the robots on mars use supposedly are good enough but they cost millions of dollars to make this issue has existed my entire life

      what is the half life of this stuff how long does co2 exist in the atmosphere everybody always underestimates everything in life that's been my experience so far

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12766930

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12762608

      they made computers and everybody bought them and they made a whole lot of money there was competition and so they spent a lot of money making better computers

      they make solar panels and nobody buys them i think if you don't have an organization in place to regulate environmental contaminates that is world wide it's going to be pretty hard

      (tired almost didn't post this)

      ps - money is just a hypothetical concept it only exists for the purpose of convincing other people to do things for you

      they banned flavored tobacco except for menthol because it's more addictive and they might ban menthol

      what is the true cost to society of not keeping people healthy and instead trying to address the issues after the catastrophes strike

    3. MichaelYoung  03/16/2011 11:42 AM Report

      I am not an expert ; the following suggestions may be wrong .

      Per Wikipedia on Class D, (metal), fires, powdered copper has "come into use" "in recent years" . If applied to a nuclear accident, its melting point, 1084.62°C, being below the ~2000?C expected for a full meltdown, and its boiling point, 2562°C, as likely above, may allow the copper to melt, mix with and coat the fuel .

      Powder boron carbide, (melting point 2763°C, boiling point 3500°C), could be blended with the copper, adding its neutron absorption quality . Together, i hope these might be able to bring a nuclear meltdown (or fire) under control .

      Circumstances at the site are complicated ; but if airdrops are being considered for the drying spent-fuel ponds, such a mix might be considered as an alternative to water once and if fire has broken out . In such an application, the mix could have the advantage of not boiling off in clouds of, (what may be or become radiologically dirty), steam . However, it would have the disadvantage of allowing temperatures in the spent fuel to climb -- perhaps to the point where it became a threat to the supporting steel .

      I do not know the potential for the fuel within the reactors, if fully molten, to chew through the bottom of their vessels -- in whatever condition these are . If such seems imminent, and as the basements of the reactor buildings are flooded, it may be considered whether robots, (perhaps of the type used to clear mines), could carry hoses in to drain them ; and then to blow the mix in below the vessels .

    4. doodah  03/16/2011 08:22 AM Report

      From hearing the talk from the hodge-podge of 'experts' on this Nuclear Power issue. Here and from other sources, some say everything is fine (environmentally), it's constructed to handle this situation, it CAN'T contaminate the environment and human health. No more Chernobyls; Relax. And then there's the doomsdayers (perhaps another opportunity for Jimmy Carter to strike fear in the hearts and minds of his detractors).

      The

    5. REMant  03/15/2011 11:39 AM Report

      Part of the reason for the devastation is that many of the buildings were made of wood, to withstand earthquakes, not tsunamis, but at least that will make them easier to clean up. The GE-built reactors are not like Chernobyl's and ought to be safer, provided they are not severely damaged. You can think of them somewhat inaccurately like your home water heater if the thermostat gets stuck, and whose pressure relief valve (like most) is no longer working. Ppl are saying this kind of system is antiquated, but there have to date been no containment failures, tho I think it is clear no one expected the tsunami on top of the quake to wipe out systems intended to cope with the problem. One thing that hasn't been lacking in this crisis, however, are first-class pictures and videos of it.

      NB- Wrong picture here dudes.