Japan says battle to save the nuclear reactors has failed [Scrap 1-4]

guardian.co.uk, ^ | Thursday 31 March 2011 04.43 BST | Justin McCurry in Tokyo

[Vaquero]

they need rugged individuals in Japan, not committee driven hemming and hawing...

a nuclear equivalent of “Red” Adair...

or they should have brought someone it...like the guys who plugged up Chernobyl

[driftdiver]

Why do you need a place to live?

[Defend Liberty]

So, when does the evacuation of Japan begin?

Which country would take them in knowing they could have radiation contamination?

[jmcenanly]

We have learned quite a bit since these reactors were built. Hyperion Power systems has been studying and building small reactors
http://www.hyperionpowergeneration.com/about.html
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/03/nuclear-power-to-go-undergroun.html

[TSgt]

We should be quietly increasing our H1-b immigration levels to accommodate some of these.

Yeah with 10%+ unemployment that's a great idea!

We don't need more H1-B's, we need to put AMERICANS to work in AMERICA.

[mad_as_he$$]

I hope that picture gives people the idea of just how big these reactors are. The piece sitting in he middle bottom of the picture is the top. Looking just above it is a catwalk over the wet well. Sometimes I think people - even here - think these are garage size units. They are massive. Thanks for posting it.

[mad_as_he$$]

Japanese society does not develop and mostly will not tolerate Red Adair's.

[Paradox]

When I’ve done it, and people get it wrong (as the majority of people do - I’m deadly serious, only about one in three people get it right - that there are a million millions in one trillion),

Depends on if you are asking Americans, or, say British..

[Vaquero]

Japanese society does not develop and mostly will not tolerate Red Adair's.

exactly....that's their problem, is it not????...

[RipSawyer]

I want to move to West Virginia where there are country estates complete with private natural gas wells and limestone caverns and springs for sale at very reasonable prices. My wife isn’t too crazy about this idea though. What better place to be when TSHTF than your own cavern with endless natural gas for energy? Of course I could blow myself up but what the heck, it would be swift and painless, right?

[listenhillary]

We can give them Detroit.

[Red in Blue PA]

Ann Coulter: This isn’t such bad news.....embrace a meltdown. (if she really believes the nonsense she says, why doesn’t she head on over there?)

Prayers for the people of Japan.

[mad_as_he$$]

In my opinion yes. In some ways it is their strength. However, when $hit goes bad and the manual does not work they get into trouble very fast because groupthink does not git it done.

[eak3]

This tragedy just shows that nooone can ever prepare fully for every possible worst case scenario. The plant held through a 9.1 earthquake. The coast had a tsunami wall of some 20 ft, I think, they just didnt expect a tsunami to blow through those defenses. Everyone is monday morning quarterbacking the heck out of this situation, when it ultimately comes down to the idea that sometimes things just happen that are beyond our control. The goal now is to contain this mess as much as they can and keep the people safe.

[jurroppi1]

Impressive! Thanks for posting the pic, I had no idea they were that big (hard to put into perspective from animations and cross-section drawings without a frame of reference).

[jurroppi1]

See my #55... ask and you shall receive :)

[freebilly]

The left coast has room.

One of the few immigrant groups we should welcome with open arms. The Japanese as a culture group have always assimilated with relative ease into American society....

[Red in Blue PA]

What the chicken littles don’t realize or do not want to read or hear, is that OUR nuclear plants have back-ups for cooling, which Japan obviously did not!!!

The Japanese had bakcups!

Amazing the ignorance of many who post here.

[GQuagmire]

"We apologise for causing the public anxiety, worry and trouble due to the explosions at reactor buildings and the release of radioactive materials," he said. "Our greatest responsibility is to do everything to bring the current situation to an end and under control.."

Apologize? It's not their fault a tsunami happened....

[bill1952]

It is obvious that there are a million millions in a trillion but I was educated in a different era.

Today’s kids do know all about diversity being strength - which I cannot follow - and how homosexuality is not a negative genetic trait, not to mention all kinds of junk science for which they have zero understanding.

But Jesus, they do know how to follow orders!