[thackney]

How many reactors are melting down?

Zero. Units 1, 2 & 3 are being injected with seawater. Units 4, 5 & 6 were down before the earthquake.

The main problem at this point is in the cooling pool of spent nuclear fuel.

[jpsb]

"Zero"

That is false, at least 2 of the reactors were or are melting down. Happily the containment vessels are holding. We know the reactors were or are melting down because of the hydrogen explosions. Hydrogen is produced inside the reactor during a melt down.

Water breaks apart into Oxygen and Hydrogen at aprox 2,000C the same temperature that melts the fuel rods. Notice the word "melt".

[Lady Heron]

Not really true. If reports are correct then there has been partial meltdown in several of those reactors...or at least they fear that....and they fear one of those reactors containment vessels is cracked.

What is telling and rather unprecedented is the fact other world leaders are saying much more dire things about the situation in Japan while Japan is playing the situation down. Now that I find hugely interesting this many days into the disaster. Just like I found the need for Japan to ask the US for help in a news conference instead of picking up a phone wildly interesting.

I would love to know more about what is going on behind the scenes on the international political front.