Why what's happened in Japan should be an ENDORSEMENT of nuclear power

[Fledermaus]

Anyone reading the oceans of coverage given to the Japanese catastrophe could be forgiven for thinking that the biggest story, among all the terrible, terrifying heart-rending stories that have emerged in the last week, is that of the impending nuclear apocalypse, invocations of Chernobyl; the ultimate atomic nightmare.

The real story is of whole communities literally sluiced away, families shattered, economies ruined. This is, truly, a disaster on a biblical scale, a true apocalypse not the hysterical nuclear-version alluded to by, among others, Gunther Oetinger of the European Commission (who is talking of an ‘apocalypse’), the French government (which has told its nationals to evacuate Tokyo), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (who has put Germany’s nuclear programme on hold) and many other people who should know better.

Because the other real story, which is a much happier - yes happier - one, is how the Japanese nuclear plants have performed magnificently in the past few days despite being hit by a disaster vastly greater than they were designed to withstand.

What has happened in Japan should in fact be seen as a massive endorsement of nuclear power. But of course, people being what they are, it will not be.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1367289/Japan-truly-disaster-biblical-scale-right-worry-nuclear-angle.html#ixzz1Gslgy4Jh

[SharonAnn]

1. Oh, good heavens.

[bear425]

2. This is the first time I have ever unrecced a post.

Congratulations!

[elocs]

4. Congratulations to you for realizing that the use of UnRec does have merit.

And be thankful that its use was there for you to register your disapproval of the OP.

[Scuba]

3. Bovine fecal matter. n/t

[Vincardog]

5. What a load of BAT SHIT CRAZY

[abelenkpe]

8. +1 couldn't have said it better. nt

[DCKit]

6. Then Chernobyl would rank as humankind's greatest accomplishment.

Who knew?

"You can't go home, generations of your children will get sick and die, but it's all good."

[AnOhioan]

7. Two simple letters....B and S

[villager]

9. "We've always been at war with Oceania!"

n/t

[Wilms]

10. Recommended!

So all know about insane endorsements.

[hatrack]

11. Ah! A fresh load of dung from the Daily Mail!

What a surprise!

[jpak]

12. Never in my life did I ever expect to see multiple reactor building explosions/fires

This disaster is NOT over

The clean-up costs and lost economic activity due to power shortages will be in the tens of billions of dollars.

and consequences for Japan's food supply are not known.

nukes suck

yup

[FBaggins]

18. All true.

Right up till the end that is.

Nice to see you sticking to facts. :)

The disaster isn't over... the cleanup costs will be incredible (though not comparable to the tsunami/earthquake) and the food supply will be impacted (though again, more by the tsunami).

Hard to complain about power shortages caused by the lack of something you didn't want in the first place... but that's another discussion. :)

[SpoonFed]

25. show me the math

"The disaster isn't over..." but, "costs will be incredible (though not comparable to the tsunami/earthquake".

You're amazing. it's not over but you already know the cost is less than the quake/tsunami. How about if all everyone's worst fears happen and this becomes worse than Chornobyl in the end? So did you work in dealing with a radioactive Japan for 10,000 years into your cost analysis?

I'm not saying this is going to happen. I am arguing that you have no basis except your unwaving faith in the nuclear industry that this could not be the case.

(Please show your full work when answering this mathematics question.)

[FBaggins]

13. It's only an argument that could be made AFTER the event is over.

As long as things continue to get worse, you can't say that they "performed magnificently". The people have performed heroically, but we don't know how many errors they made. Either way, we can't say yet how well the reactors themselves behaved.

Some have claimed that the MKI containment really isn't capable of containing a meltdown. Well... even in a case with limited (or even no) cooling, they appear to have held so far...

...but this isn't over yet by any stretch.

[Fledermaus]

14. Me big brained nuclear expert. You tiny brain with no good brain cells.

I fart in your general direction!

[SpoonFed]

26. hahahahahah

Always need a good laugh every day as this thing is still unfolding. Thanks.

[GliderGuider]

15. Is codswallop the same as tripe?

Of course it's from the Daily Flail. If I was a "Science Editor" I would be monumentally embarrassed to wake up and realize I'd let them put my name at the top of a steaming heap like this.

[nosmokes]

16. good grief, WTF are they dropping over there, and can i get some?

that's gotta be some powerful shite.

[CRH]

20. I think it is probably some of them glowing mushrooms, n/t

[Zoeisright]

17. That's got to be the dumbest thing I have ever read.

And I've read a lot.

Good christ, anybody who believes that should be sent to live right next door to those stricken plants.

[OKIsItJustMe]

19. Honestly, the Nuclear Power Apologists have been at this for days

I saw some guy from the Heritage Foundation on MS-NBC last Saturday, spouting off about how everything was just fine.

One of my favorite statements was that releasing steam from a nuclear reactor happens pretty every day somewhere in the US.

[PavePusher]

21. I agree. Recc'ed to counter "The Sky Is Falling" crowd. n/t

[wtmusic]

23. +1

We've not a chance. :D

[OKIsItJustMe]

22. U.S. nuclear advocates try to limit political impact of Japan reactor crisis

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-nuclear-advocates-try-to-limit-political-impact-of-japan-reactor-crisis/2011/03/17/AB6sr0k_story.html

U.S. nuclear advocates try to limit political impact of Japan reactor crisis

By Dan Eggen, Thursday, March 17, 12:37 PM

Nuclear power advocates are waging an intense lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill this week in an attempt to limit the political fallout from the reactor crisis in Japan, which threatens to undermine already shaky plans for expanded nuclear capacity in the United States.

Lobbyists with the Nuclear Energy Institute and some of the United States’ largest energy firms, including Exelon Corp. of Chicago, are holding meetings with key lawmakers and standing-room-only briefings for staffers in an attempt to tamp down talk of restrictions in response to the Japanese disaster.

The efforts come as lawmakers held hearings Wednesday focused on the impact of the worsening catastrophe at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, where at least three reactor cores are believed to be imperiled following a major earthquake and tsunami last week.

…

Nuclear industry lobbyists are telling lawmakers of both parties that the severity of the calamities facing the Japanese plant are virtually impossible to replicate in the United States. They also say that two plants located in quake-prone areas of California are built to higher standards than the decades-old Fukushima facility.

…

[abqmufc]

24. Mining, milling, storage issues have not been addressed (n/t)