Light easterly winds forecast near Japan nuclear plant (radioactive plume to blow inland)

[jpak]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/20/japan-wind-idUSTOE72I00N20110320

(Reuters) - Light easterly winds are forecast for the area around quake-stricken nuclear reactors on the northeast coast of Japan, the weather agency said on Sunday.

The direction of the wind is important in gauging the likelihood of light levels of radiation leaking from the plant reaching heavily populated areas, especially Tokyo to the south.

So far the wind has blown mainly out into the Pacific.

<snip>

The easterlies are expected to change to light westerlies, again heading into the Pacific, later in the day, according to the forecast.

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[LAGC]

1. Has much radiation been detected in Tokyo?

I heard it was only trace amounts.

We are all really fortunate that the safe-guards at the plant worked as well as they did to prevent a real serious level of radiation leakage.

We definitely need to retire those old GM MARK I reactors though. Modern designs are much safer.

[kristopher]

2. 1 and 2

6 Standard lies of the nuclear industry

1. nuclear power is cheap;
2. learning and new standardized designs solve all past problems;
3. the waste problem is a non-problem, especially if we’d follow the lead of many other nations and “recycle” our spent fuel;
4. climate change makes a renaissance inevitable;
5. there are no other large low-carbon “baseload” alternatives;
6. there’s no particular reason to worry that a rapidly expanding global industry will put nuclear power and weapons technologies in highly unstable nations, often nations with ties to terrorist organizations.

[jpak]

3. The plume models suggest the plume will blow south toward Tokyo for several hours

and we do not know the full extent of this accident

or the true exposure of Japanese citizens to radionuclides from the damaged reactors

The UK is distributing iodine tablets to Brits in Tokyo

yup