Posted on 03/14/2011 1:45:20 PM PDT by americanophile
Japan has asked the US for help to stop a quake-damaged nuclear reactor plunging into uncontrollable meltdown. The plea comes after a second hydrogen explosion occurred at a nuclear plant where officials warned that three nuclear rods in a cooling-starved reactor appeared to be melting.
Plumes of grey smoke billowed into the air after the blast at the Fukushima Daiichi plant's number 3 unit, injuring 11 people.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano confirmed the fear of rods melting inside all three of the site's most troubled reactors.
"Although we cannot directly check it, it's highly likely happening," he said.
Officials insist the inner reactor's container remains intact - but concern was raised when number 2 unit's fuel rods were left fully exposed by a falling cooling water level.
Workers managed to raise water levels after a second drop on Monday night, but they began falling for a third time, according to nuclear agency official Naoki Kumagai.
Specialists are now considering spraying water directly on the hermetically-sealed container in an attempt to cool it.
The former deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told Sky News that the status of the faulty reactor may deteriorate even more.
"I think the situation is still very, very grim - we are by far not over the worst," Olli Heinonen said.
Harvard-based Mr Heinonen said it is now important for US expertise to be employed to minimise the risk of a catastrophic failure.
"They are the best people to know their (reactors') behaviour, particularly when you go into this phase and assess the consequences."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
So you think Obama should become more involved in this?
The situation would be made better by Obama involvement?
THIS is the time we should be praising his apathy and ineptness.
Stay out of it, Obama!
Ponder the irony of this for a moment...
You fly in the experts from the U.S. that built that reactor; you get a sky crane and fly in generators to provide the ac power they need; you fly in back up pumps or new pumps to keep the water flowing; you provide filtration equipment to make sure you can keep clean water flowing to the reactors; you provide emergency power distribution towers if necessary; etc., etc. You don’t go golfing!
That tells you everything you need to know about that POS in the Whitehouse.
American experts have been consulting/helping since day one. This is another “sky is falling” article.
“Lots of reporting necessary. Very complicated things going on down there. Impossible for laymen to know exactly what we’re looking at.
“
Good points.
Too many of us think we understand the complexities of nuclear power plants when in fact we don’t.
That includes the media..
This government under Obama is shameful. Why are the Japanese having to ASK for our help? We should have already offered anything necessary to the Japanese in their time of need.
Listen Japan, Michelle has a garden party gala planned tonite. Your petty problems are of no concern to her.
Besides, it’s nuclear energy, the essence of all that is evil, so double no to you.
Well first of all, I read the article and nowhere does it say that the Japanese have asked for help from the U.S.
Now maybe they should or like you say, if they did, what the hell could America do?
Still and so, this is an example of Journalism run amok. The only person asking for U.S. help is some guy at the UN.
What they got to do, it ain’t rocket science, is cool down those fuel rods. The reactors did all “scramble” when the earthquake struck but the tsunami destroyed the pumps that would pump coolant in to stop the reaction.
I dunno, maybe America can get decent diesel generators in there to run those pumps...the Japanese are having a hell of a time, plugs don’t fit, they’ve no power to run the installed pumps.
Supposedly, SUPPOSEDLY, the reactors are fitted with a doomsday container that will, in the event of total meltdown, hold all the spent fuel and radioactive carcass stuff. At that point you say a prayer and bury it forever.
This is what happened on 3 Mile Island by the way.
If this is true, it will be an economic killer for Japan to lose all those reactors and will greatly slow their recovery from this. But it will not be a nuclear disaster.
And I’m no expert. But I can read, have pretty good reading comprehension, can wield a keyboard, know the language. I been reading up these past few days and it’s not all that difficult to understand.
They can’t get those fuel rods cool. At some point the fuel will be gone like a car runs out of gas. But what’s left will be dangerous stuff. Again, it will be contained if the Japanese are to be believed.
Just speculating I imagine they’re interested in input on minimizing post-emergency clean-up costs.
Our experience with Three Mile Island xould help on that.
better off to just try closing one eye...and f@rt
You're correct. I suggest you quit your job, grab the family and move to where the fallout will not effect you. There is no time....GO NOW!
Then count on it.
Any way Obama can alienate another important ally, he will.
Guarenteed, nothing will be done by THIS White House.
Is uranium still fissioning there? I thought they had stopped it, but all these problems and multiple statements saying they’re not sure what’s happening are beginning to make me wonder. They would know if the fission chain reaction was still going on, from the neutron flux, right?
The US military has logistics capacities beyond any other group on the planet, for starters.
Let’s say they needed a genset, ready-to-go, of the size they need. OK, one of the larger Fairbanks-Morse sets might run 100 metric tons.
Who can haul that around the world in a day? The USAF.
Did we have this stuff last week? Of course we did.
But as you’ve no doubt noticed from the events in the middle east: the world is now getting to see what a post-American world looks like. Now everyone gets to see what happens to the planet when “America sits this one out.” You get developments like France taking the lead on using military force Libya.
Think about that for a second: France is talking about using military force.
We’re still “pondering” whether no-fly zones are a good idea.
People and nations who used to rag on the US for “butting in” to other people’s business should be greatly relieved at how we’re hanging back and doing jack-all on these major international issues, right? That’s what they wanted. That’s why they hated Bush. That’s why they cheered when Obama won.
Elections have consequences, and this is one of them.
Obama, slow to respond.... Oh yea.. Japan isn't a muslim country. This is where the world should unite and help, because a nation, in a few days, will be pushed into starvation. look how calmly and united the Japanese people are handling this tragedy.... That could never happen here.
I am so embarrassed that the POTUS is teleprompting golfing and campaigning. PLEASE FORGIVE US JAPAN, our President is an idiot. Just call Harvard.
You silly laymen. Both of you are exactly right. Things are going according to plan, which means we need to panic and die, and cool the reactors with our families.
Then we can dance and revel and yell and cast fallout about, and the Elders will teach us new ways to dance and revel and yell and cast fallout about.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
Dear Japan, we are very sorry, but Obama is a very busy guy and he needs his relaxation time on the golf course. Besides, Obama likes to see how things turn out before acting.
Now, if you would like to speed this up, please announce how many black folks and how many American democrat voters live there, that could make a difference in Obama’s response.
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