<p>Japan nuclear plant is dumping radioactive water into the ocean. They said that “the ocean will diluate the effect rapidly so they will not be harmful to human”. </p>
<p>Do you believe US and Japanese governments are telling the truth about how much radiations are coming out of those reactors?</p>
<p>Japan is a developped country. I must say that their government’s response to the situation is questionable at the best. </p>
<p>However, what surprised me the most is the reaction or the lack of from the world.</p>
<p>They’re between a rock and a hard place. Either they release radioactive water into the ocean, or they risk having the equipment they’re using to try and circulate and pump water flooded and not work, with the potential for enormously greater release of radiation and radioactive particles into the air. </p>
<p>I don’t like the water release, but there is no other feasible option at this point. It isn’t a question of money – while it is no longer occupying the majority of the front page news in the US, this is still a situation fraught with enormous, enormous danger for the people of Japan. Water release is by far the lesser of evils in this case.</p>
<p>And I would hope they would interdict the area from fishing and require testing of fish even from outside that area. I think that there is going to have to be a lot of environmental monitoring in the ocean nearby for many years.</p>
<p>To answer the OP’s question, I don’t have much confidence in the information being released. I am sure that people are really scrambling to avoid the worst outcomes of a situation in which there are no good outcomes, they don’t always have good information, and they are trying to avoid causing panic. Ocean discharge worries me somewhat less than discharge to the air, and it is better than contaminating the groundwater. There will be a lot of dilution. The problem is that Cs-137 has a half-life of 30 years.</p>
<p>My impression in the first couple of weeks was that the Japanese government and the electric company were not being very forthcoming with information. US agencies who had boots on the ground after a few days were providing more/better information on readings from various sources. </p>
<p>Dad II, what do you want “the world” to do? Certainly citizens around the world are watching with concern. Goverments (like the US) have offered help (experts, robots, etc.). Political discussions regarding the future of nuclear power are in process in many countries now (I believe there was an election in Germany that went to the “Greens” primarily based on this issue several days ago). </p>
<p>But, see, “the world” is… us. If we want change – in more investment in tsunami/earthquake warning research and technology, in plant design/construction, in safety regulations, in investment in other forms of energy – we need to engage in our political process to make it a top priority. Those might not be the types of actions you would want to see (don’t want to get this thread shut down, so we shouldn’t get too political). But we are the ones who elect the officials who decide how to regulate and invest resources in these things. We can only really control what goes on in our own country, but certainly new technologies and processes developed here can be exported to the rest of the world. We have the right to campaign, vote, and assemble to work for this if we choose to. </p>
<p>We are also the ones who decide what we are willing to pay for energy. Cheaper isn’t always better… we don’t do a great job at looking at the possibly consequences/long term costs like this.</p>
<p>Sometimes, all of the options are bad ones. We can argue all day long about whether or not this person has been open enough or not, but the simple fact is that whoever it is who is having to choose between options A, B, C, and D does not have a single one on the table that can lead to a “good” result. The best they can hope to do is choose the one that is the least awful.</p>
<p>I’m glad the hyperbole over the nuclear issue is calming down. Yes a serious concern but is was not that long ago there were frequent nuclear bomb tests all over the Pacific. This is literally a drop in the ocean compared to those tests. You at least heard (ad nauseum) about the nuclear plant problems in Japan. Nothing has been said about the millions of tons of potential toxins washed into the ocean from the farms, machinery, refineries, industries etc with the receding tsunami. No sushi from Japan for me. I’ll drink my mercury from a thermometer thank you very much.</p>
<p>I agree with you. I am reminded of the scene in Shaun of the Dead when the “heroes” are watching tv, flipping past those annoying news channels, while the audience can see zombies coming closer and closer through the windows. When I am reading this site, I am also usually switching between several news and blog sites. It has been amazing to me how quickly the Japan nuclear story wasn’t front page news and what it took for it to get back there. For quite a while I’ve felt I’m definitely living in very interesting times but it just gets more and more interesting.</p>
<p>I have lived in Japan, for 4 years, about 15 years ago. I am not sure it has changed all that much. it is a very different culture from USA’s. People want authoritarians to make decisions. Do not “expect” transparency and honesty. “For the greater good” is much more important that “for the individual.” Definition of the “greater good” is “for the good of Japan.” They do not feel responsible for other countries. Individuals do not feel it is right to questions and complain.
I am not saying this is right or wrong or good or bad. It is just different.
Unfortunately, it may negatively affect the level of honesty/transparency and global responsibility/cooperation in their handling of the situation.
However, it is really an impossible situation, no matter how it is handled culturally…</p>
<p>The rest of world is probably wondering how close they were (again) in believing the well-funded lobbyists who push for futher development of nuclear energy. Ultimately, we will have to realize that the cost associated with this type of energy are always understated and that the cost of decomissioning and handling of waste conveniently buried. As far as the true cost of safety, those are simply ignored.</p>
<p>However, the US appears to remain blind and deaf when corporate interests are in play. </p>
<p>In a cynical way, one could hope that Japan will have the courage to look beyond its own utility company’s liabilities and goes after GE and Hitachi. Only bringing the GE Nuclear division to its knees will save us from getting sucked into this boondoggle in the US.</p>
<p>///However, the US appears to remain blind and deaf when corporate interests are in play.///</p>
<p>You may be incorrect.
I was in favor or at least neutral before this Japan disaster.
I am firmly opposed to nuclear power now.
Honestly, I wish they were mandated to be shut down by 2020.</p>
<p>At first I was shocked by the complete silence on this issue, too. But, I think we are all still staring at the disaster in shock. I felt this way, too, with the gulf oil spill. It seems our energy needs, as humans, are becoming incredibly destructive to the ocean. And, now, I will go back to being silent, because I have no solution.</p>