Topic: Japanese Quake and Pacific Tsunami

[Nichi]

Now, snow ...



Here is a thoughtful article:

Body Blows to Test Japanese Spirit

[Builder]

Possible?

http://www.pakalertpress.com/2011/03/11/videos-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-caused-by-haarp-evidence/

Never heard of this HAARP thing before.

What HAARP is about

If there were a causal connection between the earth quake and ionospheric research, its mechanism would be currently completely unknown. With my knowledge about earth quakes (tectonic plates moving and colliding) I am hard-pressed to see a connection with research of upper layers of atmosphere.

[Builder]

They tried dropping sea water from helicopters on heating reactors, but apparently to no avail (lack of precision and mass). It looks very desperate - trying to cool reactors from the altitude of 100-300 metres.

They showed on TV several fire and rescue trucks ready to go and start pouring water in from water cannons. That activity is bound to give workers/policemen high doses of radiation. Brave guys, these Japanese!

Looking at these men preparing for their mission, I remembered a story about Japanese police anti-terrorist unit. To my knowledge, they are pretty much the only ones who have ever accomplished hostage rescue unarmed. They were told that going in armed would pose very high risk to hostages. So they went in unarmed. They took serious casualties, but rescued nearly all hostages.

[Muffin]

They took serious casualties, but rescued nearly all hostages.

And why is that so admirable? What makes the lives of the hostages more precious then those of the rescuers?
Brave men died so some probably mediocre can live on. Stupid way to do natural selection.

[Builder]

And why is that so admirable? What makes the lives of the hostages more precious then those of the rescuers?
Brave men died so some probably mediocre can live on. Stupid way to do natural selection.

So are brave men going to die because somebody hoped that tsunamis in Fukushima region would be maximum 6 metres high. The same way will brave men die over and again to rescue some person who did not think his actions through or to save a situation caused by some superficial character.

This is what the human life is all about. Welcome to the real world and you try to escape that...!

However, it all does not take away anything from those who do their job regardless.

You talk about natural selection - well, we all are merely passing by in this life.

[Jahn]

I think it is wise to list a few facts about what is happening at the Fukushima power plant. There are four active reactors and two dormant with used nuclear fuel-cells.

What happened?
When the Earth quake hit the plant the automatic secure system released the active fuel-cells in the four running reactors. So far so good. But at the same time, their electricity supply was shut down. Much because the earth-quake was seven times intense than what the plant was built for. Let that sink in – this earth-quake last week was one of the three most intense earth-quakes since the 18th century, worldwide.

Well, at the plant they started the backup electricity system that is run by diesel engines. The electricity is very much needed to cool the nuclear fuel-cells. All went well until the Tsunami hit the Fukushima power plant, the wave flooded the plant and the diesel generators short circuited.

Heh, suddenly the situation was out of control and now we can watch the result. All four active reactors are damaged and it is quite sure that this breakdown will be recorded as the most severe nuclear catastrophe in history.

But is this dangerous for the population? I would say a general No, to that. The radioactivity goes up with the heat from the fuel-cells and then moves with the upper air layers away from the island. Precipitation in the form of rain or snow may increase the risk on the island of Japan, and there has been snow lately. But the radio-activity levels for the population will not be harmful. The problem with the radio-activity is more an International problem than a local one.

However, all the rescue workers at the plant are at high risk for over doses, and it is rumors that a sort of Kamikaze worker’s, now get enlisted to do maximum time in the reactors. The radio-activity is uneven and outburst of cesium and other active particles can come suddenly. This together with a high risk for explosions makes it almost impossible to do manual work within the plants today. Not unless you are ready to die (The old warrior stance).

[Jahn]

They tried dropping sea water from helicopters on heating reactors, but apparently to no avail (lack of precision and mass). It looks very desperate - trying to cool reactors from the altitude of 100-300 metres.

The radio-activity was too high above the reactors for such operations, so they had to resign. It is a desperate action, but there was no lack of precision what I know.

[Jahn]

The radioactivity goes up with the heat from the fuel-cells and then moves with the upper air layers away from the island.

This is why the helicopters had to retire, the activity was far too high above the reactors. Even 20 seconds up there would give you a life-time dose of radio-activity. The military helicopters are not built for excluding air streams.

[Michael]

I heard they covered the helicopters with lead and the men were dressed up in special gear. They had only 50% success, as the distance above was too great to be sure of accuracy. I thought I heard they only did four sorties, and tow hit, two didn't.

I still haven't heard what a 'meltdown' will mean. They are saying it will create a huge radiation ball, which will then move according to the wind. If the wind blows it over Tokyo, then the consequences could be very serious. If it blows it out to sea, it will likely go over Canada and north US, but apparently it will be very low radiation by then.

What I haven't heard is what happens to the molten matter after it releases this radiation ball. How long it goes on for, how they deal with the molten stuff, likelihood of a chain-reaction explosion?

The main hope now is that the water treatment will offer enough time for them to get the power on to the plant, which they can then use start the cooling system. I hope they succeed.

As for bravery: there is a big difference between courage and intelligence - rarely do they coincide. Courage has a bad name in spiritual development schools, except for pursuing the Path. Typically the role of the 'hero' is a dead end, and by definition a social role. Nonetheless, bravery is acknowledged as a fine character trait - I mean, if you have to die a futile death, better to do it bravely.

[Taimyr]

As much as i have read, they already have decades of work ahead to make it all "normal".

[Builder]

What I haven't heard is what happens to the molten matter after it releases this radiation ball. How long it goes on for, how they deal with the molten stuff, likelihood of a chain-reaction explosion?

I can give you some facts on Chernobyl (I was in the Red Army when it blew, we were at the field exercises and withstood the edge of radioactive fallout, and they recruited volunteers from all units).

In Chernobyl, the reactor blew open and there was an uncontrolled release of heat and accelerating chain reaction (no nuclear explosion is possible, though, as the fuel has too low an enrichment level). When the first firemen got to the roof of 4th energy block, they could actually look into the reactor and see how uranium burned. It had an extraordinary purple colour - they who saw it died in the next 36 hours and were buried in tin coffins.

The chain reaction in uranium fuel produces plutonium that is as toxic as cyanide in addition to being radioactive. Some other elements are produced as well. The fire in the nuclear fuel created an ascending air current that took all that radioactive and poisonous stuff up and carried far away.

Soviets had basically only one option - to extinguish fires in surrounding buildings (at a huge cost in lives) and fill the reactor with sand, clay and boric acid to slow down the chain reaction, stop the leak of radioactivity and gradually put out the fire in the nuclear fuel. They had to fly helicopters right over the reactor and drop their sand, clay and boric acid payloads onto the reactor. In other words - simply bury it. The assessment is that the nuclear fuel and graphite kept burning for two weeks in Chernobyl.  Having done that, they began erecting concrete sarcophagus.

For me, today's developments with helos show that Japanese are getting desperate - they simply have to fly in there. I interviewed one nuclear expert and his assessment was - they really have a little idea about what is happening there. What they know for sure is that temperatures keep rising and radioactive contamination levels of the plant as well.

Japanese have also another problem - their reactors seem to be intact and if anything is going to burn, then initially within the reactors. If the fuel and gaphite was to ignite, it is possible that the molten mass would break out of reactor and would have to be buried in fashion similar to Chernobyl. The worst option is if the spent fuel storage ignites - it is open, above the ground and has a high potential to contaminate large areas. In both cases Japanese would have to do what Soviets did at Chernobyl to check the disaster.

[Michael]

Thanks for this E.

The latest I hear is that everything is much, much worse than anyone has been admitting to.

One disturbing news piece, was about expatriates, who number in many thousands, are desperately trying to escape Tokyo. But to leave, and then return, you have to get a 'Re-Entry permit' before you leave. So, now we have literally thousands of people lined for block after block to get their permits.

At present, only thing can save them - getting the power back to the cooling pumps.

[Michael]

An extraordinary intervention by world financial bodies has sold off massive quantities of Japanese yen, to reduce the unstoppable rise of the yen against other currencies.

Not sure why this has occurred yet - previously I heard that the Japanese were bringing their money home to use in Japan.

just read:
"fuelling speculation and triggering the yen's appreciation on rumours that Japanese insurance companies are repatriating funds from abroad to brace themselves for a rise in insurance claims after the deadly quake."

[Builder]

At present, only thing can save them - getting the power back to the cooling pumps.

Yes, it is aboslutely essential that they try to turn these pumps on again, but the chances are that fires, hydrogen explosions and sea water have damaged them and the piping.

I noticed that in today's news even Japanese admit that they might have to simply bury the whole station and cast concrete sarcophagus around every reactor.

I have been looking at Russian opinions on the disaster. Two reserachers who were in charge of finding a technical solution for Chernobyl have been flown to Japan already.

Russians seem rather convinced that in a day or two the whole thing will be so radioactive that the only option left is to bury it. That is after the reactors have been more or less stabilised - or not - depending on the radiation levels. After a certain point nobody can work there without getting a lethal dose of radiation in 20-30 seconds.

[Michael]

I finally discovered something that had bypassed me - they actually make the electricity out of the heat of this stuff. It's from the steam, from the water pumped around the reactor.

So it's supposed to get hot - that's the whole idea. And while cooling it, they generate steam and thus electricity.