Originally Posted By Mr X <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372589/First-clear-pictures-true-devastation-Fukushima-nuclear-plant-Japan-flies-unmanned-drone-stricken-reactor.html" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...tor.html</a> What a disaster!
Originally Posted By Mr X Kindly ignore the comments section, it goes way beyond LP community standards (and is distasteful anyway, tons of racism), and Doobie asked me long ago to note such things when I post to youtube or wherever.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Good lord. I'm a little suprised they didn't use the unmanned droid sooner...unless the Japanese government wouldn't allow it.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Do I have this right? Publicly, Tepco has been saying the damage was minimal, etc., but now we know that all along, they knew the situation was much worse in terms of damage and radiation exposure and their reasoning, excuse, whatever, is that they wanted to be "sure" the data was reliable before admitting it was worse?
Originally Posted By Mr X I think that they've been releasing info bit by bit in the hopes of staving off a mass panic. And, in a sense, it has been the right move in that the city of Tokyo has not panicked. Although, even today, there is no water on the shelves at supermarkets I visited (I visited four).
Originally Posted By Mr X Post 6 not speaking of Tepco, but rather the Japanese government. Tepco is a bunch of slime sucking scumbags as far as I'm concerned (speaking to the suits here, NOT the heroic workers who are risking their lives in Fukushima!).
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder So would it be fair to say that the media who were accused of being hysterical in terms of nuclear damage weren't so far off the mark after all?
Originally Posted By Mr X I don't think so. Because, let's face it, this is a major disaster without question BUT the way they were playing it was "armageddon for Tokyo!?" and in that sense I think it was BS. It's obvious this was a major release of radiation (I've been checking the geiger counters hourly, believe me!), and particularly into the ocean although the air was none too clean either, and that's why it merits a "level 7" at this point even if it calms down from now (hopefully so!), BUT, there was no major risk of lives like Chernobyl, aside from the workers who are bravely risking their lives right now but still taking precautions. I guess my reply to you would be "yes and no", in that sense. I think the media overplayed it because it was sexy, disaster porn and that sells. You notice how quickly they dropped the subject as soon as Lybia came up (and they dropped the plight of the tsunami victims just as fast in favor of the nuclear worries). I have zero respect for the mainstream media these days, as I'm sure you know. However, there is NO question that the Fukushima disaster is an ongoing, extremely worrisome and potentially deadly matter. And the long term effects will be hard to quantify for a long time. But I still think evacuating the continent of Asia is a bit of an overreaction. ;p
Originally Posted By Mr X In addition, my habit of monitoring both left and right wing extremist websites has come in very handy in this matter. Naturally, the one side says "all is well!" (gotta link passholder?), and the other side says "it's the end of the planet!", but watching both equally closely day to day you can really find a weird sort of middle ground that is NOT exactly the same as the media, or the government, portrays. What I learned from that un-scientific study was, I think, that the disaster is huge but the situation is gradually getting under control barring any setbacks (like an 8.0 right in the vicinity which is certainly a possibility!). The left wingers admitted after a few days that it wasn't *as* bad as they'd hoped (er, I mean, feared). And the right wingers admitted after a few weeks that it was worse than they'd claimed (wished). And lots of posters cited scientists and thus there was lots of information to peruse. I've certainly gotten an education on nucular issues out of all of this! One thing I learned early on, which should be pretty obvious just from the pics and the local geiger counters, was that this was most certainly a level 7 disaster, and we learn yet again how governments (and corporations) try to downplay their ****ups.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Tepco is a bunch of slime sucking scumbags as far as I'm concerned (speaking to the suits here<< What is it that foments people in authority (ie. "the suits") to be so unethical? Or is it that if you have a conscience you are unpromotable? (and for the record, I see this same garbage in religious organizations)
Originally Posted By Mr X ***and for the record, I see this same garbage in religious organizations*** The "top level management" in religious organizations are suits, too. For all intents and purposes, anyway.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***What is it that foments people in authority (ie. "the suits") to be so unethical?*** If I knew that, I would write a book about it! It sure is a puzzle. I don't think they consider themselves unethical at all, they just look at the world from a very different perspective than the rest of us, I think.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Mr X did you read the accompanying article? The news about the workers' health is very disturbing. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371793/Japan-nuclear-crisis-Fukushima-plant-entombed-concrete-radiation-leak.html" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...eak.html</a>
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, the UK daily mail is a tabloid first of all (I have no idea how it compares to the National Enquirer but I think it's along the same lines), so I wouldn't take anything they print seriously by itself. Having said that, though, there is NO QUESTION that the people working in Fukushima are at great risk and are brave heroes. As were the brave people working in Chernobyl some 25 years ago. (I hate to equate the two, but here we are) I can not FATHOM the kind of stress they are under, and I HOPE that none of them will die but it certainly seems possible if not likely. I read an account that some of the workers are leaving their dosimeters behind in order to keep working in spite of the mandatory radiation limits (in other words, voluntarily giving their lives). I don't know if that's true, but in any case there are some very brave souls in Japan right now trying with all their might to keep this disaster from getting worse. The conditions they're living in are horrible, too. They work (in shifts) only a couple of hours as far as I was told from various people. BUT, on their off times, they are behind radiation shields and not able to get much food, only energy bars (WHY doesn't the Japanese military or American military send in MRE's or something, I don't get it!). This is all only anecdotes I've heard, so don't assume I know any true facts (I don't!), but in any case, the situation is horrible for those brave people and the world should know what they are going through right now in an effort to save Japan from an even worse catastrophe than it has already experienced.
