[aruanan]

Something else the caller to Rush yesterday pointed out was that the reactors took a hit by a much more powerful earthquake than the specs called for them to be able to withstand and didn't fail until the tsunami, which was also much bigger than the Japanese civil authorities planned for. As far as the safety of nuclear power and earthquakes goes, the reactors operated just fine.

So, Joe Lieberman, Barry O, and related anti-nuke freaks, just bite it.

[tobyhill]

GE has been the biggest corporate pusher of “Green Energy” so it’s worth noting that just like oil and coal there are risk in everything.

[Doc Savage]

I assume then that you are ok with them burying the nuclear waste next door to you?

[EBH]

Exactly, there was a certain level of risk the Japanese authority assumed at the time in directing the engineering of the reactor.

Reiterate one more time...does one plan for a 100 year event, 1000 year event, or a million year event? Most plans I’ve ever seen require the 100 year event included as the speck of the design. This event was bigger than a 100 year event.

You get anything that exceeds the designed specs. it becomes an act of God...sh*t hit the fan....

The reality is if the tsunami had been the planned 7 meter event, none of this would be happening. The reactor would be performing beyond design specifications.

[fightinJAG]

A nuclear expert guest on Hannity yesterday (I think it was yesterday) said the reactors had been fine through the earthquake, that it was the tsunami — the size and scope of which was remarkable — that had caused the cracks and the backup power (cooling capacity) failures.

[o2bfree]

Seeing the GE designed and admittedly “flawed” reactors melt down on live TV will not be good for business. Sell your GE shares now.

The GE shills, and corporate goons are all over the place this week deflecting criticism. That caller was a PR guy from GE no doubt.

[newzjunkey]

As far as the safety of nuclear power and earthquakes goes, the reactors operated just fine.

Exactly right. The fission process shutdown as designed. It's the fossil fuel, global-warming causing diesel backup generators that *all* failed. Had that not been the case, the nuclear fuel would've been cooled normally. The engineers are doing a magnificent job in a very very difficult situation.

There are newer designs that effectively eliminate the need for power to water cool.

One time Rush fill-in Roger Hedgecock had one of Sandia National Laboratories nuclear power failure/accident experts on yesterday for his national show.

The guy had two important points: One, even worst case (fuel melts through containment) this is a local problem for Japan and not a threat to the U.S.

Two, even Sandia's simulations never considered multiple, simultaneous cooling failures like this. In other words: the scope of the quake/tsunami disasters have placed the Japanese in uncharted, unconsidered, unstudied territory and anyone who claims this was foreseen or foreseeable is a liar.

This will be a major learning experience but I think i tells us even the first generation reactors are very safe in the face of history making cataclysm.

I was surprised to hear of Germany's panicked decision to shut-down 7 of its pre-1980 nuclear reactors. However, I see the Greens there pushed through an agreement to end nuclear power in Germany by 2020 in the early 2000s, Merkel had attempted to delay that into the 2030s but public pressure is moving those 7 oldest ahead to the scrap heap. For a engineering and tech savvy country, it's disappointing Germany will abandon nuclear power. Reports suggest relative proximity to Chernobyl (under 800 mi) plays a part in their home-grown anti-nuke hysteria.