HOLY CRAP EARTHQUAKE THREAD

[Atma]

Wow, a badly worded, years old, incredibly factually incorrect article that even has its own massive corrections added onto the end. Almost every charity has some corruption and overhead, and it's unfortunate that they are, but we can argue about fixing them when we're not in the middle of a crisis. They are proving they are doing things there right now, so let's not be greedy because one poor article told you to. There are people in need who are getting results because of us right now. When the crisis is past, then we can argue about this.

This also has nothing to do with Red Cross or UNICEF, who are there right now getting results and need every penny we can spare.

(Though Greenpeace and Salvation Army can still rot in the underworld but that's another topic entirely.)

Looks like they got external power hooked up to all 6 reactors now. 1 and 2 are set to go on to some extent Wednesday. 3 and 4 sometime Thursday. Come on, results! For reference, it's about 6 AM Tuesday when I post this, and almost 10 PM in Tokyo on Tuesday, so we'll be hearing about any success soon enough.

And now a depressing story. My faith in CNN is pretty dead given how they're handling the Daiichi situation but gods, at least she had a heroic final act. May her and all others who were taken rest well.

And now an uplifting story. These guys are awesome.

Let's pray for success!

[Ike]

Mar 20, 2011 3:01:19 GMT -5 Atma said:

EDIT: I dunno if I've ranted about this or not yet, but if I have, sorry. Coal and Oil plants are much filthier than nuclear reactors. They give off stuff normally that's more dangerous and radioactive than Daiichi is doing now when damaged. The only reason we don't hear about it is PR. Look up flyash and oil/coal plant related incidents and you'll see that not even Chernobyl compares. The only reason any of this immense worldwide bullshit is happening is shit PR.

Fuck the world. Fuck the panic. Fuck the scaremongers and misinformers. I didn't know shit about reactors or how any of it worked until this week and everything I've learned has made me want to put my faith in it after this. But no. We had to get bullshit.

If anyone overseas gets sick from this incident it's by their own damn worry and fault and self medicating. Fucking idiots.

Sorry I'm so mad but I have just had it. I'm at my limit.

thank you

[Atma]

I see I'm not the only one who's head is about to burst then? It's so lonely here. You're welcome Ike and I'm sorry that it's getting to you too.

I just hope the power gets switched on and it gets cold on its own and switches off without further incident. The world needs to see it end well at this point.

[Warchief Onyx]

I think it says something when a fucking 9.0 earthquake is what it takes to cause this trouble with a nuclear plant. I don't think people realize just how powerful that is. It literally tears the earth asunder. An earthquake of that magnitude happened a few years ago underwater and wiped out about a hundred thousand people or so with a cataclysmic tsunami in Indonesia, Thailand, and other SE Asian countries.

Nuclear energy is so clean. Yes, there's the potential for meltdowns and radiation, but imagine if a coal plant or oil refinery was having the problems the Fukushina Daiichi plant was having? The aftermath would be a lot more sudden, and dare I say worse.

I can't help but think all these fears over nuclear energy are leftover boogeymen from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Cold War.

[Feynman]

Mar 22, 2011 12:09:28 GMT -5 Warchief Onyx said:

I can't help but think all these fears over nuclear energy are leftover boogeymen from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Cold War.

That's exactly what it is, at least in the US. "Radiation is super ultra scary and we shouldn't have anything to do with it" has been the general public opinion ever since nuclear bombs first became a thing. Society seems incapable (or perhaps unwilling) to detach the concept of nuclear energy from nuclear explosives. Incidents like Chernobyl have linked them together somehow, so the population at large thinks of nuclear reactors largely as giant stationary time bombs.

[kal]

Reading that article about those gentlemen helping out in the effort makes me wonder if this whole incident and the outpouring of international (and non-native nationals) relief efforts might alleviate some what the supposed xenophobia that allegedly is associated with aspects of Japanese culture.

Hope those reactors get under control - it'd be nice for the Nuclear lobbiests some material to show it's safe.