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At Large
Godzilla Redux
At least that’s the way the knee-jerk anti-nuke media would have it.
Friday’s tremendous earthquake off Japan’s coast has triggered the normal responses. The American media is busily hyperventilating over what it claims to be the greatest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, the Japanese have mounted a highly-organized disaster relief program, and the U.S. military is on the scene providing the rapid, massive relief that is literally beyond the capability of any other entity on earth.
Ronald Reagan is providing a massive amount of help. No, it’s not the Gipper himself, but the nuclear carrier USS Ronald Reagan and a host of other Navy ships, about which more in a moment.
The enormity of the quake is measured on the Richter scale. The January 1994 Los Angeles quake — which collapsed highways, toppled buildings, and took about 33 lives — was measured at 6.7 on that 1-10 scale. The latest information from the Japanese meteorological agency’s re-measurement of the quake rated it at 9.0, the largest ever measured in Japan.
Remember that the Richter scale is logarithmic: each number represents ten times the next lowest number. So the Japanese quake was more than 100 times stronger than the L.A. quake.
Yesterday, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said it was the nation’s worst crisis since World War II. The media is making it sound as if it’s enough of a nuclear crisis to rouse Godzilla.
Our media has never understood why Japan — the only nation to suffer the use of nuclear weapons — would allow nuclear power plants to be built. The 1954 movie monster Godzilla was created by the effects of nuclear testing and was a metaphor for the dangers of all things nuclear, reflecting post-war Japan’s recent memories and fears. So the media’s Godzilla narrative, developed over decades of opposition to U.S. nuclear power, requires the belief that nuclear power is more dangerous than any other.
That narrative again took flight almost immediately after the Japanese quake. CNN’s Piers Morgan (who?) headlined his commentary as a “countdown to meltdown.” By Sunday, two New York Times reporters wrote, under the headline “Partial Meltdowns Presumed at Crippled Reactors,” that “Japanese officials struggled on Sunday to contain a quickly escalating nuclear crisis in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake and tsunami, saying they presumed that partial meltdowns had occurred at two crippled reactors, and that they were bracing for a second explosion, even as they appeared to face cooling problems at two more plants and international nuclear experts said radiation had leaked from a fourth.”
Buried deep in that and other reports is the disturbing fact — disturbing to the nuclear Chicken Littles — that there is little if any radiation leakage reported.
Nearly every report presumes that the Godzilla narrative will result in the continuation of America’s three-decades-long moratorium on new nuclear power plants.
The fact that the narrative is nonsensical is demonstrated by events from the 1979 Three Mile Island mishap in Pennsylvania to last week’s in Japan and the six decades of U.S. Navy experience.
A “meltdown” occurs when an out-of-control reactor’s core reaches such a high temperature that the core materials melt. If the “lava” burns through the reactor’s multiple layers of containment and flows into nearby land and water, the release of radiation could be lethal to those immediately exposed, could result in long-term increases of cancer, and could contaminate massive areas of land and water for decades.
The partial meltdown at Three Mile Island was contained. The core did not melt through to contaminate the region and very little radiation was released. TMI, unlike Chernobyl, wasn’t a cheesy reactor run by morons. (Japanese reports indicate that though two partial meltdowns have happened, they have been well-contained. The reality may prove to be worse — or better — than news reports now say.)
What is fascinating about the Japanese mini-meltdowns is not that they were contained. The fascination comes from the fact that even in this massive quake — the largest ever recorded in earthquake-prone Japan — so little actually happened. Every expectation should drive the conclusion that this once in a century event would have totally destroyed nuclear power plants in the path of the quake and resulting tsunami. But they didn’t.
If you believe the hot air-powered anti-nuke media, there should have been complete meltdowns at all the affected power plants and millions should be dying of radiation poisoning, even more facing a future of death by cancer and mutant babies that resemble Dennis Kucinich. But — from what we know now — nothing like that is happening.
The Japanese government has shown decisiveness in dealing with the crisis in ways the Soviet government did not. They have flooded the endangered reactors with boric acid mixed with seawater, destroying the cores. By doing so, the Japanese have sacrificed billions in equipment to save lives. Those reactors have been shut down and will never operate again.
About the Author
Jed Babbin served as a Deputy Undersecretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush. He is the author of several bestselling books including Inside the Asylum and In the Words of Our Enemies. You can follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (126) | Leave a comment
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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 3.14.11 @ 6:29AM
In essence, it's a typical liberal rendering of reality.
Ignore the real tragedy, thousands killed and suffering due to an act of nature, and focus on a sideshow which is being handled well.
I wasn't surprised to see the China Syndrome shown over and over all weekend.
This is what liberalism does best. A tragedy is used to score political points while real human suffering is ignored or mentioned in passing.
It proves that liberalism is a religion without heart, soul or intelligence. It's simply political.
Perhaps that explains the cozy relationship between liberals and Muslims. They both seek the same goal.
Patrick| 3.14.11 @ 6:41AM
Liberalism is nothing if not envy, that is the perverse and profound hatred of any good fortune that anyone else dares to receive.
coal carrier| 3.14.11 @ 8:27AM
I wish the left would show as much concern for the 50,000,000 babies that have been murdered since Roe v Wade.
Seek| 3.14.11 @ 6:50PM
Any number of conservatives have been complicit in these "murders." Abortion knows no ideology.
Old Soldier| 3.14.11 @ 4:16PM
They are incapable of learning the lessons logic throws at them. These nuclear plants withstood an earthquake larger than any ever experienced in the U.S., AND an enormous tsunami.
So now newer, even safer designs shouldn't be built in the U.S. because...?
While tens of thousands of Japanese are dead from the tsunami and earthquake, none are dead from radiation poisoning and none are likely to die from it.
Deborah D | 3.14.11 @ 4:54PM
It's called never letting a good crisis go to waste. Remember what they did with the Gulf oil spill -- just let it fester and get bigger and then shut everything down because it was a "crisis!" That's their game plan with everything that is productive in this country until we are starving in the streets, in the dark, with no transportation -- except maybe crappy rail.
Alan Brooks| 3.14.11 @ 5:46PM
Now you will all find some way to blame Obama for this.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 3.14.11 @ 6:12PM
Are you claiming the Messiah is not an earthquake whisperer?
Frisbee| 3.14.11 @ 8:08PM
No, no. This is just like Katrina. It's Bush's fault.
Alan Brooks| 3.15.11 @ 10:49PM
You said it, I didn't.
Patrick| 3.14.11 @ 6:38AM
1. Chernobyl was a graphite based core design, whereas the reactors in the US and Japan use water. Graphite burns, and with the burning graphite the rods burned as well. Thankfully, water doesn't burn, so there certainly is no chance of a repeat of that incident.
2. Radioactivity is all around us, and for the most part, it is benign. You receive an elevated dose of radiation when you fly in an airplane. You receive radiation by eating a banana. You receive radiation by standing close to your kitchen counter. In the end, those exposed to this leak will receive about as much radiation as a dental X-ray. Nothing to agonize over.
3. The Far Left has no real hatred of nuclear power, they just loathe the idea that you aren't starving in the dark.
David W| 3.14.11 @ 8:35AM
I read some time back that a coal-fired plant could not be licensed as a nuclear plant because it releases more radiation and a nuclear plant is allowed.
Without nuclear power Japan becomes a third world country - with imported coal/gas/oil taking up most of their money.
Len | 3.14.11 @ 12:07PM
Your comment about coal plants brought this article to mind..
http://www.lewrockwell.com/walker/walker42.1.html
It's a neat little article showing how advanced nuclear technology is, and that even the rods used can be recycled.
Walking Horse| 3.14.11 @ 11:47AM
Regarding point 1: The Chernobyl design had *no* containment building, so when it overheated, there was nothing to contain the fissionable material. There is no comparison between the Chernobyl event and the Fukashima situation because the designs are radically different. As is the usual case in collectivist nations, the attention to quality and safety in engineering design is dodgy at best, in stark comparison to those made in at least partly free nations.
John Daniel| 3.14.11 @ 6:44AM
This will stupidly keep us from expanding nuclear, we won't use coal, oil is iffy, hydro impacts snail darters, and the only solution on the left is to plant big fans about the countryside. We are doomed.
Patrick| 3.14.11 @ 6:57AM
This is exactly what liberals want. There will always be an excuse for why something that works must be halted immediately. Should that prove unfeasible, they will punish anyone who dares benefit from any useful action.
In the end, liberals yearn to see you starve in the dark.
Think Again| 3.14.11 @ 2:36PM
The fans chop up migrating birds. I think we're stuck with big mirrors on roofs.
Pelligrino| 3.15.11 @ 7:50AM
Sorry, TA. The big mirrors on rooftops don't work either. Think 98 degrees F heat in July-August summers. No, no. This represents an excessive fire hazard. So scratch the "big mirrors" off the list, too.
Deborah D | 3.14.11 @ 4:56PM
We might have to have a civil war. Something's gotta give, and they never will.
MoeBlotz| 3.14.11 @ 7:23AM
Loma Prieta in 1989 earthquake registered 6.9 on Richter and 63 people died. No danger to nuclear plants. Argonne National Laboratory in 1980 slogan: A little nukie never hurt anybody. My late sister worked there and had a bumper sticker with that line.
Intelligent Design| 3.14.11 @ 7:48AM
Construction of nuclear plants has been minimal for over 30 years, largely due to the unwarranted fear created by TMI plus the Jane Fonda movie, China Syndrome. Every method of energy production involves risks, whether that be coal mining tragedies, natural gas explosions, oil spills, or radiation. Instead of sticking our heads further into the sand, the U.S. should be building 100 new nuclear plants. But we won't. A politician was just on TV saying we should put the brakes on now. I guess he doesn't realize that we've had the brakes on nuclear power for decades.
obafgkm| 3.14.11 @ 12:50PM
A core meltdown in a boiling water nuclear plant, though bad, isn't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. Ditto an H-bomb taking out a major city. But drop an H-bomb on a nuclear plant & you could take out an entire state. I've long wondered if that might have been the true thinking behind the moratorium. Things were occasionally pretty tense during the Cold War.
Old Soldier| 3.14.11 @ 4:19PM
"True thinking" ? There's no true thinking when it comes to energy policy - they just go with whatever does the most economic damage.
Mitch Angoop| 3.14.11 @ 8:45PM
OBAFGKM:
Why did you skip: RNS? Has anybody ever asked you what your acronym stands for? I'm impressed!
Melvin| 3.14.11 @ 7:58AM
It was quite sickening, seeing dumb blond, doe-eye FOX reporterettes, sitting at their news desks with that stomped on bull frog facial expression every time they talked about the nuclear power plants.
Then as some have noted the Left prancing around like they just wet their pants proselytizing, "See, see we told you so, we told so, and you deniers didn't want to believe us. Nannie, Nannee Noo Noo, we've been vindicated"
The there was one intrepid nitwit from some science institute of something or another, that said, "The Japanese earthquake resulted from melting glaciers caused by........You guessed it, Global Warming.
All this anti-news wants to make a person go up to a FOX News babe, with some duck tape, and tape her stupid mouth shut. All they're doing is scaring the hell out of people that are already scared, and we didn't even have the earthquake here.
The tidal surge in Crescent City CA is being protrayed as the end times for the poor economically struggling community. A few boats sunk, harbor got mangled a little bit, but nothing like what was being reported.
Many times the Media preaches, "Its the publics right to know." In all fairness many times we don't need know, because human beings are the most panicky creatures on earth, and there is no telling where and when mass hysteria will strike next.
Mike D.| 3.14.11 @ 9:45AM
I read some of the global warming comments from some of these enviro-lunatics. These nutjobs have reduced anything remotely scientific to some kind of earth worship religion, man is evil, x from planet 9 idiocy. When you cross from something at least remotely scientific into the realm of theology you get dangerous and dillusional people who can justify any belief or action to feed their nature over mankind greenjeans fantasies. For anybody to seriously with a straight face make that kind of connection you really have to be freakin crazy.
buckyeman| 3.14.11 @ 1:41PM
Indeed. What the hell has happened to Fox News? They are driving me crazy. OMG, "...that stomped on bull frog facial expression..." couldn't have been better. Pleeze, pleeze, some mega-rich guy out there, start up a real news network. I'll still tune in the info babes whenever my internet porn accesss goes down Fox "news" has gone to hell.
Occam's Tool| 3.14.11 @ 3:24PM
Fox has been bought out to a large extent, by Saudis.
Whenever you run into a situation that is illogical, look for the money, folks.
Leslie| 3.14.11 @ 11:23PM
Not that I'm defending Fox but they are all being told the line about the horrors of a nuclear meltdown, panic and pandemonium, dogs and cats living together....!!!! And most people think the same thing. The plant is going to explode, the island of Japan will disintegrate, because the media has yet to get someone on that knows his work about nuclear plants. Chernobyl was shoddily built because the Russians wanted it up and running. Three Mile Island, well how many people died in that tragedy? None. Haven't seen too many people glowing in the dark from that either. After all these years, with all the technology that we have now, we can't build plants that are safe? Apparently not; the plant in CA next to Camp Pendleton isn't connected to the cooling pipes, and hasn't been for four years! So, natural disasters causing meltdowns or engineers not doing their jobs? Nuclear power is cheap, clean (counterproductive for those envirofreaks), and available. But, the scare tactics and hysteria will put a stop to that. Just sayin.....
Claypoole| 3.15.11 @ 1:03PM
Fox News is filled with ghouls. They enjoy wallowing in tragedy, and they are positively gleeful when spreading fear.
The Big E| 3.14.11 @ 4:58PM
If you follow the "reasoning" (and I use that term VERY loosely) of the AGW crowd, the inevitable conclusion is that, prior to the ascent of man -
There were no hurricanes
There were no floods
There were no blizzards
There were no ice storms
There were no hail storms
There were no volcanic eruptions
There were no earthquakes
There were no tsunami's
There were no wildfires
There were no tornados
There were no heatwaves
There were no nasty cold snaps
There were no famines
There were no pandemics
There were no plagues of frogs, or locusts, or flies, or . . . well, anything
Apparently, the only sort of natural disaster that could exist prior to ascent of man was a meteor, comet, or asteroid strike. Of course, were we to have one today (heaven forbid) and survive, I'm sure that would be chalked up to AGW as well.
Mitch Angoop| 3.14.11 @ 8:46PM
Meteors, comets, and asteroids impacts were caused by the evil G.W. Bush. I thought everybody knew that!
JP| 3.14.11 @ 8:30AM
There are some concerns that the Japanese have concerning nuclear power. First is the obvious danger due to earthquakes. The Fire Islands are sit on some of the most unstable pieces of real estate on earth. The Japanese obviously went to extra efforts to build these plants with that in mind. But, when the big one hits there isn't much engineers can do. Secondly, Japan averages over 300 people per square kilometer. If a meltdown disaster does hit, there is not enough room inside the country to evacuate millions of resident.
A cost-benefit analysis should always be kept in mind when planning to go nuclear.
Patrick| 3.14.11 @ 12:40PM
Melt-Down doesn't really mean much. Exposure to any radiation by the public in a water medium reactor is when the steam vents from overpressure. Technically, this isn't meltdown. Also, the radiation produced is comparable to working as an airplane pilot.
Meltdown is when the water is all gone, and the fuel rods, still hot, melts onto the concrete and steel. It does not get hot enough to melt through these substances. It just means that the reactor is a total loss for the insurance company.
Lastly, the reactors that are currently in trouble in Japan are second generation, which uses pumps linked to backup power. Well, in a 9.0 earthquake, backup power isn't a sure thing. This has since been considered an obsolete design. Should a new nuclear plant be built, it would be of a third generation design that does not need water pumps for its emergency cooling system.
Mel Torme| 3.14.11 @ 3:56PM
Great comment, Patrick; it's good to read someone who is a little technical. To understand physical processes, you just plain have to get technical (get into details). Unfortunately, that is something that media sucks hard at, as none of them understand a lick of math or science (MSM, that is).
Example: The dumb (wish I could say blond ;-) brunette on CNN told me that the water washing over the Japanese coast was moving 300 mph. She said this right when she is looking at the video of the water moving in at maybe 10-30 mph - in that range. She proved her stupidity in 3 ways at one time: a) She does not have any clue that wave speed (of the tidal wave) may be 300 mph, but that does not mean anything about the speed of the water itself. b) Even if she knows nothing about waves, can't she see for herself that the breaking-wave water on the video isn't moving at 300 mph. It's pretty obvious. c) she is a brunette, so it's not just a blond thing.
Patrick, I heard 3rd hand that back-up generators were flooded. If that's the case, whether the threats to life and the property losses are bad or not, it is still a lesson that, once learned, can be easily acted upon. If that was the problem, it means that the reactor was very earthquake proof, just not real tidal-wave proof (2 different things, though of course related).
Inland reactors, in other words, may not have failed, IF this is the case (coolant pumping cut due to electrical power lost due specifically to flooding of the backup-generators or electrical busses).
Brian Mc| 3.14.11 @ 4:03PM
Patrick,
How many nuclear plants does Japan have? Why aren't we hearing anything about the 'others' that survived the shaking? Why isn't there contention that the designs in the ones we have heard about kept this from becoming more horrific?
I like the remark in the body of the article concerning the nuclear usage of our Navy...the facts there speak for themselves. The power plant on the USS Ronald Reagan or Truman...how many homes would these reactors power? What would the cost-effectiveness be to build these types all over the country? What would the safety issues be?
We need to consider these questions before I see another windmill heading down I-80...!
Patrick| 3.14.11 @ 10:18PM
How many nuclear power plants are there in Japan? I'd have to look into that, however the data is but a few Google searches away. (If that fails, just count the number of idiots from the terrorist organization known as Greenpeace that are picketing, and subtract that from those whining and puling about whales.)
Why aren't we hearing about the other nuclear plants? Simple - they weren't damaged.
Why aren't we hearing why these reactor failures cannot become Chernobyl's? Also simple - fear generates ratings and ratings generate profit.
Anthony| 3.14.11 @ 9:16AM
You can count our friends over at FOX adding to the hysteria and hype about nuclear reactors, in addition to the rest of the LSM.
The coverage this weekend was sickening. All that time on the air and so little actual, practical information. At least this morning FOX was attempting to explain how a nuclear container is controled.
The knee jerk reaction to any nuclear incident by the LSM hasn't changed since 1979 and Three Mile Island.
Frankly, the industry should be applauded for being able, thus far, to handle a 9.0 quake and a sunami.
We are indeed living in another Dark Age of utter stupidity and sheer idiocy. The only good thing about going back to 18th century living, is at least all the TVs will go dark!!!!
Mitch Angoop| 3.14.11 @ 8:49PM
I've finally given up on fox. they've gone through the same mass lobotomy the rest of the a$$holes in the media did.
Concerned Citizen| 3.14.11 @ 9:26AM
Why is it the US always comes to the rescue putting our people at risk especially large radiation doses which already has happened to our Navy personnel and great expenditures which we can't afford. Where is China with their vast wealth and proximity? A few dog teams is a joke. Where is Russia? A few volts of electricity is simply not enough. I'm getting tired of bailing out this ungrateful countries, it's about time Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and all countries in between clean up their own messes be it man-made or natural. How could Japan be so stupid to design nuclear plants without significant safety injection systems and depending on sea water? Buliding nuclear plants along the coast subject to tsunamis is simply unbelievable, the waves wiped out the emergency power systems.
Chuck| 3.14.11 @ 10:17AM
You forgot the Arab League calling for a Libya No-Fly-Zone. The US provides the planes and the Arabs the flies.
Mitch Angoop| 3.14.11 @ 8:50PM
Time flies like an arrow; but fruit flies like bananas!
russel| 3.14.11 @ 9:42AM
Phoned my socialist friend who keeps his msnbc and cnn on 24/7 . Oh so predictably , he's worried a nuclear cloud will float over the Rockies and onto us . His reaction to how many windmills that now populate our state like ugly towering weeds was a bit less enthusiasticly bemoaned . The hypocrcrisy of the greenies .
Mimi| 3.14.11 @ 9:44AM
Why do the Libs want to take us back to HORSE-MANURE days...to being dirt poor, cold, and hungary. Their talking trains and trollies lately... they want there to be LESS of us too! Then they stupidly call themselves with there new name...PROGRESSIVES ! The idiots! !
I SAY get drilling NOW, build more nuke plants. leave the coal miners alone....go get all that natural gas... build some modern manufacturing plants..get our people to work ...DUMB-BELL DEMS. Better yet move on over ....We're ready to LEAD, and we AIN'T waiting on the likes of you!!!
Patrick| 3.14.11 @ 12:50PM
Because they actually want humanity to suffer.
John II| 3.14.11 @ 1:21PM
More to the point, they want "humanity" (which they profess to love) to be permanently and even pathologically dependent--and therefore under their thumbs. They love to exercise power, but since they're stupid and incompetent, the only way they can secure and hold the power is to idiotize the whole culture.
Dixie Pixie| 3.14.11 @ 1:28PM
Greetings Mimi
The Liberals are simply closet feudal aristocrat wannabees.
The Liberals just want to abolish the results of the Industrial Revolution and go back to the days when they could rule with absolute authority unbounded by any any limitation.
Why else would they would continually try to kill off the "Bourgeoisie" aka the "Middle Class".
If they could, that would leave themselves as a feudal aristocrats ruling over a class of serf / peasants.
Melvin| 3.14.11 @ 9:55AM
No Mimi, the Libs don't want to go back to the horse manure days, they just want you and those like thinkers to return.
The Libs will still have theirs, they'll still have their limos, huge sprawling mansions, and all the accouterments that go along with being a good loyal Communist.
Sandra| 3.14.11 @ 10:01AM
The MEDIA forgets that these power plants have "weathered" typhoons, and lesser magnitude earthquakes.
Really, until recently who ever heard of anything above a 6 or 7 and lasting over 5minutes? Aren't they calling this one a 9.1?
Then that was immediately followed by a tsunami wave between 20 and 40 ft in height??? That only took 2 minutes to erase cities, farms and modern construction.
What happened was that all the back-ups and emergency procedures that WORKED BEFORE, didn't. Once again we mere humans thought we over engineered something, to have "mother nature" show us yet again the fail point.
One thing to note... every single nuclear power reactor will be (if it hasn't already) be looked at and inspected once more, because of new data.
What is MORE remarkable, and therefore NOT a story, is that the buildings withstood the Tsunami, and reactors' safety mechanics failed because of destroyed batteries that WERE the back up for the cooling pumps. Maybe we have to reverse engineer back to MANUAL means if all the automated equipment fails.
The reactors have taken over the front pages and the leading news casts because, well it might just impact the USA of all things!!!!
Nothing about the dozens of people carried 10+ miles off shore and STILL ALIVE riding on the tops of their roofs that are floating. Now that's a story!
Leslie| 3.14.11 @ 11:29PM
Fear factor. Lets get everyone panicky and against nuke power plants in this country. Just asking, but how old are these reactors?
Chuck| 3.14.11 @ 10:12AM
Mrs. Clinton is a pathetic creature she ranks at the top of cabinet imbeciles along with Robert McNamara, Andrew Young and Janet Reno.
Occam's Tool| 3.14.11 @ 3:25PM
Chuck,
you rank her that high? I think she's worse than that.
B Freeman| 3.14.11 @ 10:38AM
Actually, a 2.0 Richter magnitude increase (like from 6.7 to 8.7 is 1000 times the energy release.
From 6.7 to 9.0 is 2.3 difference, which calculates to 2800 times the energy release.
obafgkm| 3.14.11 @ 12:43PM
(Check your math. 2.0 Richter difference really is 100 times. 2.3 Richter difference is about 200 times. The quake was bad enough -- no point in making it sound worse than it actually was!)
borninsocal| 3.14.11 @ 1:44PM
B Freeman is right and you are wrong. He did not say magnitude which is what you are talking about. He said energy released.
chemman| 3.14.11 @ 8:08PM
6.7 to 8.7 is a difference of 2. 10 to the 2nd power is 100 not 1000 times the energy release. 6.7 to 9.0 is a difference of 2.3. 10 to the 2.3 power is 199 not 2800 times the energy release. Might be good if you studied the log scale before posting next time.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 3.14.11 @ 10:40AM
Jed, you have a small typo. Its not the USS Ronald Reagan, its the USS Ronaldus Magnus!!
Radioman777| 3.14.11 @ 10:43AM
Of course the anti-nuke crowd will be calling for "no nukes" just like back in the day. So, how are all those electric cars supposed to be charged? No nukes, no coal, no oil... No nuthin'... Of course, the lack of credible science education is somewhat responsible for all the panic, but so's the general lack of common sense.
J.C.Eaton| 3.14.11 @ 10:46AM
And the ever-reliably ponderous and preachy liberal[ as opposed to the screechy, preachy kind] Joe Lieberman[who can thank conservatives for his current sinecure] says we need to "put the brakes on" nuclear power. Actually, it would be better if he applied that advice to his own insufferable mouth. It is interesting though, that one of the very FEW things the Constitution commissions this government to do, i.e. the U.S. military is front, center, and dynamite.
Dixie Pixie| 3.14.11 @ 1:05PM
I agree with Mr Eaton.
Of all the pretentious MSM idiocies, Sen Lieberman's statement that "....We must put on the brakes on nuclear power in America until the Japanese nuclear meltdown is fully understood...." has got to rate at the top and a gratuitous stab in the back in Energy Independence too boot.
First of all the "brakes" have never been released on nuclear power.
Not one nuclear power plant has come online in over 30 years.
None are in the construction stage.
This condition is a direct result of the Democratic policies designed to starve America of practicable energy production in an attempt to make the economics of "Green Energy" look good.
Second, What kind of metric as "....We understand...." supposed to be and how is it measured.
If Sen Lieberman wants to hold an entire industry to a standard he should consider one that can be measured.
Is there some new measuring device that measures "Understanding" and if so, what are the units.
It is a good bet no such device exists.
Who is this "We" anyway.
Does he mean the Democrats?
If so, he is talking about a group allergic to technology in any form greater than a nail-clipper.
Understanding "Nuclear Technology" is simply beyond the Liberals understanding.
The truly sick thing is that Sen. Lieberman is the RNC's favorite Democrat.
Brian Mc| 3.14.11 @ 4:17PM
That says alot of what we think of the rest.
vtwin| 3.14.11 @ 11:02AM
Article Summary: American’s quick response to the crisis in Japan, as opposed to George Bush’s failure to respond for weeks in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, should be accredited to Ronald Reagan and not to the unnamed Black Communist in our White House. And, it is too early to form any opinions about the safety of nuclear power even with the news media reports of cooling system failures, partial meltdowns, hydrogen explosions, and radiation leaks at the nuclear facilities in Japan as Rush Limbaugh will be on the air within hours to provide us a with clearer understating of these events and to help up us draw the RIGHT conclusions.
John II| 3.14.11 @ 1:49PM
Troll Summary: It will always be too early to form any opinions about any issue on which the preponderance of evidence makes the Left look ridiculous and malicious.
missbosslady| 3.14.11 @ 2:00PM
Poor vtwin,
It is imposssible to hide your complete stupidity. Your Katrina lie has been disproven, time and time again, it makes everything you write totally worthless.
Anthony| 3.14.11 @ 2:05PM
Go away vtwin you troll, we're not in the mood for your stupidity today.
In the first place, FEMA was in place prior to Katrina, but the hapless Gov. Blanco and Mayor (school bus, chocolate city) Naygan said they could handle it.
2nd point, FEMA is not a first responder organization. It must wait to be asked by state authorities. Your D hacks screwed things up, not Bush.
Third point, read the posts made prior to Rush going on the air, we don't need Rush to form our opinions, unlike Huffington Post trolls such as yourself.
Last point, like the leftist troll that you are, you can't wait to use this incident to shut down nuclear power here. The fact that these reactors have stood up to a 9.0 quake and a tsunami has no impact on your thinking. You and your ilk are the true flat earthers. Go back to the 18th century and take your tricycle with you, biker boy.
chris haynes| 3.14.11 @ 11:06AM
1) This should not have happened. 3 Mile island was largely due to incompetent operation. This looks different. That a nuclear power plant would lose all power due to any possible earthquake/ tusami is a collossal design failure.
This story of not getting enough water in is strange. The amount of water needed to cool a reactor is not great, after three days. Less than 50 gallons a minute. About 4 garden hoses worth. All this suggest there must be a many other failed systems, all of which should not fail under any circumstances.
3.) The danger is that the fuel may overheat, melt and burn through the steel and concrete below. If it hit a pool of water, or groundwater if it burned through the building floor, it could cause a steam explosion, blowing up the entire structure and aspirating the radioactivity into the air. The amount of radiation that could be released is staggering.
chemman| 3.14.11 @ 8:14PM
Remember that the heat being generated is residual. Over time it will go down. Core melt down occurs at around 2200 C. The primary metal containment bell requires sustained temperatures in the 3200 C range. By the time it has a chance to melt through the metal bell it will not have enough temperature to melt through the concrete floor of the secondary containment vessel.
MikeBee| 3.14.11 @ 11:37AM
1) Wow! What a rapid-fire quick response to a real tragedy, completely the opposite of BHO's response to the oil spill in the Gulf.
2) Most of the damage in Japan occurred because of the tsunamis. The quake was easily endured, due to efficient quake-proof building designs, in effect since the 1930s. California has been using the same designs for a long time for its taller buildings. Quakes don't kill too many people, unless they occur in third-world countries without proper technology. Water and wind do kill.
3) Neither the quake, nor the resulting tsunami, occurred because of melting ice in the Arctic (and, therefore, because of global warming). Instead, the quake and tsunami are simply more signs of a general global COOLING which is taking place. At the beginning of the last two periods of global cooling, similar phenomena were noticed: increased activity on the ocean floor (volcanos, tectonic plate shifting, etc., causing tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.) causing a warming of the ocean surface, causing more precipitation on land, causing a slightly cooler atmosphere, and causing destruction of crops. The climate control "experts" are all wet, and don't know anything about earth sciences.
Mike D.| 3.14.11 @ 12:30PM
"The climate control "experts" are all wet, and don't know anything about earth sciences."
Science for these dimwits crossed over into religion some time ago. When you get into dillusional metaphysics, I can rationalize my washing machine causing a landslide in the Grand Canyon.
stuntborg| 3.14.11 @ 2:34PM
I'm not climatologist or geophysicist but I fail to see how climate change one way or another would cause an earthquake. WAIT...was it the Supermoon?!
Aardvark| 3.15.11 @ 12:02PM
MikeBee - "Quakes don't kill too many people, unless they occur in third-world countries without proper technology"
Tell that to the people of Christchurch, New Zealand.
Too Many Tims| 3.14.11 @ 12:36PM
Actually Mr. Babbin the Navy has lost two nuclear powered ships, the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion.
Thresher's demise was not related to her reactor, and while Scorpion's loss has been conjectured no one thinks it involved her reactor.
These two cases actually strengthen your arguments, I think.
missbosslady| 3.14.11 @ 1:57PM
I love, but am not at all surprised, to see the calls for a moratorium on nuclear production. Of course, the left jumps at the opportunity presented by the tragic events of Japan.
And we all know that the BP oil spill afforded that same wonderful opportunity for the left to halt drilling.
Why then didn't the collapsing economies of Europe translate into a halt on spending?
Democrat, thy name is hypocrite!
vtwin| 3.14.11 @ 2:15PM
I was not at all surprised, to see the right ignore the safety and the environmental impact of the nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan as they did with the BP Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Why then didn't the collapsing economies of Europe translate into a halt on spending?”
Simple the economic problems in Europe like that those in the United State were not the result of government spending but rather the excessive greed of the money changers on Wall Street.
Republican, thy name is fool!
missbosslady| 3.14.11 @ 2:23PM
vtwin,
You've written some pretty idiotic stuff here, but this one is a doozie!
Your post only serves to illustrate one thing; you're complete and total lack of understanding of the issues.
Anthony| 3.14.11 @ 2:33PM
"Republican, thy name is fool". Actually vtwin, that might be the first accurate thing you have ever uttered in your entire pathetic life.
However, we conservatives will deal with the RINOs and you leftist trolls. Count on it.
Occam's Tool| 3.14.11 @ 3:28PM
Don't the French generate most of their electric power through nuclear plants? And isn't all their nuclear waste contained within one floor of one building?
Geez, to be outmanned by the French. Humiliating.
Patrick| 3.15.11 @ 6:04AM
It helps that they use breeder reactors, oh wait, insipid, half-witted, Luddites known as Democrats have forced us into a straitjacket of inefficient nuclear power with massive quantities of radioactive waste.
Troglodytes like "vtwin" imperil our environment and our public safety daily by their incessant whining.
Steve A| 3.14.11 @ 4:49PM
Hey vtwin, When you strap a windmill on the back of your Harley instead of pumping evil fossil fuel in the tank, just let the rest of us know & we will follow your lead there buddie.
RCV| 3.14.11 @ 7:02PM
Vtwin - You're embarrassing sound-thinking liberals who understand that nuclear power is a hell of a lot safer and better for the environment than coal mining and oil drilling.
Occam's Tool| 3.14.11 @ 3:31PM
The halt on spending in Europe will come eventually from the absence of taxpayers, secondary to the absence of children in Europe who will grow up to pay taxes (not the residents of the ghettos outside Paris).
PolishKnight| 3.14.11 @ 1:59PM
The left isn't just against nuclear power but really any type of industry that creates pollutants or byproducts while at the same time bashing the evil corporations for "offsourcing" manufacturing and putting up Wal Marts everywhere.
In left utopia land, everyone lives and works in NYC and goes to expensive restaurants and buys stuff that is made in super clean German or French plants for 10 times the cost of normal stuff. After all, if you earn 6 figures as a diversity consultant at a Wall Street firm, you can afford it!
In other words, they don't live in the real world and even those that don't like to pretend they're a member of that elite.
stuntborg| 3.14.11 @ 2:32PM
Man, most of you people are nuts. But to clarify, the Richter scale is not used anymore. The "moment magnitude" scale is the current method used to indicate earthquake strength.
John II| 3.14.11 @ 3:08PM
Well--yes, but the MM scale is calibrated by constants to fit the Richter close enough for news coverage and comparative reference, and Richter is still more useful for measuring quakes of relatively (i.e., noticeably insignificant) magnitude: I mean, the kind Californians are subject to every day without noticing.
But no Richter scale could conceivably impose its numbers on all those Californian liberals, who also don't seem to be noticing that productive Californians are presently leaving their state at an average rate of 3000 per day.
But I'm nuts, so I notice such things even from my redoubt in the heart of the Americano wilderness.
Occam's Tool| 3.14.11 @ 3:29PM
But your aura of greatness spreads far beyond your humble abode.
RCV| 3.14.11 @ 7:00PM
John - (1) How are you checking the productivity of those people leaving our Golden state? (2) Could you get His Holiness to order Mel Gibson to join them? (3) Count me as another liberal for nuclear power ( I even have a daughter who worked at a nuclear research reactor while at Cornell, and is also an enthusiastic nuclear supporter). And by the way, today is officially Pi Day, which I guess means it goes on and on endlessly.
Cheers.
John II| 3.14.11 @ 7:27PM
Hi Roberto. Random sampling, word-of-mouth (extended family and their friends reporting to me from the Golden State as they sell short their dwellings and pack their bags to move themselves and their families and their businesses), plus logical deduction.
In short, why would any non-productive leech (public union retirees, welfare bums, lefty politicians, Hollywood types, well-heeled state and county and city bureaucrats, academicians, etc.) want to leave the land of milk and honey? I mean, before the tax receipts dry up?
You have raised your daughter well, Roberto. But you're a classical liberal, so that doesn't count as an exception.
And now back to "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" (1944), filmed when liberals were still patriots. Well, provisional patriots anyhow. Dalton Trumbo wrote the script. But he later renounced his commie ties and denounced the lefties who tried to make a martyr out of him. That was about the time he wrote the script for "Spartacus" (1960).
Steve A| 3.14.11 @ 4:53PM
stuntborg, Good to know. Just FYI. "Terrorism" is no longer used either, its now a "man caused disaster, " as opposed to a "natural disaster," like in this case. Obama has spoken.
Tom R| 3.14.11 @ 4:14PM
This liberal is very much for the engineering and construction of safe nuclear plants (or even nukular plants) in the U.S. We want to be able to plug in our electric cars without having to send troops to the Middle East or send up excess CO2. Stereotype much?
Mel Torme| 3.14.11 @ 5:25PM
You showed a fairly clear line of thinking, there, Tom, until you got to the C02 molecule. You do realize that carbon dioxide is a one of the 2 products of any combustion reaction (the other being water), don't you? Also, do you realize that there is no realistic, working, or accurate model of the entire world climate? I've got nothing against the study of the climate, and the work to produce such a model - it's just that without knowing the exact physical processes behind some historical climate changes (ice ages, etc.) one can't say he has a model of the climate.
If you keep thinking this hard and serious, Tom, you may find out after a year or two that you are a conservative or libertarian, or, better yet, constitutionalist, after all. What will the neighbors say? You may be written out of the will too. That goes with the territory.
Kingofthenet| 3.14.11 @ 5:48PM
This is going to end Badly for the three Reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, BANK on it.
Mike| 3.14.11 @ 5:51PM
The knee jerk conservative reaction to the nuclear disaster in Japan, which is not yet over, seems to be: nothing interesting to see here, folks. Move along, move along.
missbosslady| 3.14.11 @ 6:04PM
Hey Mike,
The knee jerk reaction is the exclusive domain of idiot liberals. What you're seeing from conservatives is an unwillingness to rush to judgement, as opposed to the morons that are calling for a moratorium on nuclear production before all of the facts and fall out are known.
I know it's hard for a liberal, such as yourself, to understand that measured thought is best in times of crisis. It's the difference between being an adult vs. a child. Judging by your post, we know which category you fit into.
So, your statement that conservatives are having a knee jerk reaction, by not having a reaction is plainly stupid.
Nice try numb nut.
Seek| 3.14.11 @ 6:56PM
And you, of course, are a renowned intellect.
John II| 3.14.11 @ 6:46PM
As a conservative Roman Catholic Christian white Irish-French-English-Scandinavian-Cherokee-American male scholar of dignified restraint, legendary wit, capacious heart, and impeccable academic credentials, I cannot recall ever jerking my knee once, except on those occasions when a decent regard for sense and sensibility forced me to kick a knee-jerk Lefty in the ass.
Mike| 3.14.11 @ 10:22PM
You have a profound grasp of Christianity, John II
John II| 3.15.11 @ 12:03AM
That's possibly true. At any rate, I especially like the parts of the Gospel where Jesus expels the moneychangers from the temple, declaims on the separation of the sheep from the goats, scolds Peter for his sentimentality, and rails against hypocrites and the corruption of children.
I mean, He really didn't like liberals.
John II| 3.15.11 @ 12:07AM
Slight theological clarification: Jesus loves liberals; He just doesn't like them.
Mike | 3.15.11 @ 9:34AM
John II
Looks like you have gathered the theological ammo you need to become a Christian Taliban.
Mike| 3.14.11 @ 6:46PM
Missbosslady,
Conservatives don't rush to judgment. They have already arrived at their judgement. The aim of not rushing is to buy time to figure out how to spin this event.
John II| 3.14.11 @ 6:49PM
Projecting again, Mickey?
Mike| 3.14.11 @ 10:24PM
No, John II, merely stating the self evident.
Anthony| 3.14.11 @ 8:20PM
Ah little Mikey is back. You folks remember little Mikey, don't you?
Several weeks ago, when Egypt was erupting, little Mikey was telling us how wondeful the revolution was and that we conservatives were just plain mean and nasty for not seeing how peace was breaking out in Egypt. Why, it was a love fest right in front of our eyes!!!
Wasn't it wonderful, and how could those meanie conservatives worry about the Muslim Brotherhood getting into the mix. Yep, those meanie conservatives are just plain party poopers. So Mikey, how's that peaceful revolution going? And when will your feckless hero, Obozo do something for the people of Libya?
Oh I forgot Obozo and Kadaffi are Muslim radical twins seperated at birth.
So here's Mikey's back with another lecture about how we don't get the hysteria over the dangers of nuclear power, when these plants have managed to withstand a 9.0 quake and a tzsunami.
And how are the dozens of other Japanese nuclear plants doing? Oh never mind, you damn conservatives.
So, where will Mikey be wrong next?
Mike| 3.14.11 @ 10:18PM
Little Tony,
Since I never wrote any of what you claim I did, you clearly have me confused with someone else - possibly that funny little voice in your head that you cannot distinguish from reality.
missbosslady| 3.14.11 @ 10:48PM
Ah, typical liberal logic; none.
Mike's Accusation #1
Conservatives react in knee jerk fashion.
When that flailing punch failed to land...
Mike's Accusation #2
Conservatives don't rush to judgment.
Now, that's funny right there. I don't care who you are.
Mike| 3.14.11 @ 11:35PM
You know, missy, it just ain't no fun when I have to explain it to you. Let me give you a hint: read the second sentence in the post.
missbosslady| 3.15.11 @ 12:08AM
What, you thinl calling me missy scores you a point? Bud, you better bring more than that.
But, for the record, it's missboss, to you pal.
I don't need no 'splaining from a liberal, especially the condescending, underwhelming type.
missboss chews up and spits out more interesting stuff than you small one.
You serve one purpose here, and one purpose only.
You're a constant reminder of a country gone off the rails. Your trite, simplistic, tired, liberal gobbledy-goop may impress Miss Portland, who thinks she's making a statement with hairy legs and pits, but we conservative women have a much higher bar than that.
Swing and a miss, Mike!
Mike | 3.15.11 @ 9:19AM
Missy,
When you have something other than name calling to bring to the discussion, you might become missbosslady. For now, you are simply Missy.
Kurt| 3.14.11 @ 8:48PM
I live in Tokyo, the nuke plants are only about 150 miles from here. The serious design flaw with Fukushima was that the emergency backup power system was not protected against a tsunami. There was no redundancy. Its mystifying that no plan was made to protect the emergency power system.
The Bruce| 3.15.11 @ 1:30AM
I was just talking about this. The generators (backup electrical power) were not protected from the effects of the tsunami which occurred after the quake. Ideally, the generators would have been located underground, sealed from the environment, save the elevated intake/exhaust ports necessary for generator operation.
Kingofthenet| 3.14.11 @ 10:53PM
OK Rethugs, Where is your GOD Now? We have a full on Nuclear Catastrophe
The Bruce| 3.15.11 @ 1:23AM
Nuclear catastrophe, eh? No. Just take your ball and go home. But feel free to read my post, below, before you do.
Mike| 3.14.11 @ 10:56PM
One of the fourteen characteristics of fascism is strong government protection of corporate interests. Not surprisingly, our government has made the taxpayer responsible for any catastrophic failure of a nuclear power plant in our country. This is good for the power companies. Also, not surprisingly, our government has acceded to the demands of banks to guarantee loans for new nuclear power plant construction. This is good for banks. I believe it is called privatizing the profits and socializing the risks.
It is worth noting that Exelon CEO, John Rowe, said that the low price of natural gas and the failure of Congress to put a price (tax) on carbon dioxide pollution has delay the nuclear program in the U.S. for a decade or two.
It is fun to watch conservatives (if they really qualify for the label) working at cross purposes.
missbosslady| 3.15.11 @ 12:12AM
Mike,
There are so many factual errors in your post!
What a dolt!
"our government has acceded to the demands of banks to guarantee loans for new nuclear power plant construction."
X! Wrong/Fail!
Go back and do some real homework Mikey and stop the copy/paste from dailykos!
Mike | 3.15.11 @ 9:29AM
Missy,
Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Bush administration). Check it out.
You know, Missy, when you get your info from Fox (motto: we make stuff up, you decide), you think it is acceptable to simply manufacture facts and, hence, your own reality.
P.S. Another characteristic of fascism is propaganda.
Dacron Mather| 3.15.11 @ 12:14AM
Since our stout former deputy undersec adventured of writing this, Godzilla has let forth a burp of ionizing radiation fit to make his fangs glow, and appears to be raising a leg over Bambikins prostrate form.
Not to worry though- we have it on Tom bethell's authority that there is nothing to this MSM E=MC2 nonsense.
The Bruce| 3.15.11 @ 1:09AM
The author is taking a little bit of liberty with a few important facts:
When the quake occurred, the reactors when into automatic shutdown mode. The backup generators kicked in, maintaining the electrical power necessary to keep the co0ling pumps working. The double whammy occurred when the tsunami came minutes later and knocked out the generators -- a case to be made for elevating the generators in the future.
Secondly, if a meltdown occurs, we already know the temperature at which it happens, and we know how much protection is needed to prevent the nuclear material from melting through the containment vessel before the material cools. The vessels in these reactors are built to withstand this and then some.
No, Mr. Babbin, there isn't going to be some spectacular nuclear explosion. There isn't going to be fissionable core material spewing into the land or water.
About the only thing that going to happen is some lightly radioactive steam being released into the atmosphere (too relieve pressure during the meltdown), which will lose 50% of its radioactive in 7.5 hours and 99% of it in 2 days.
Please stop playing into the China Syndrome fiction.
The Bruce| 3.15.11 @ 1:24AM
Forgot to add that Chernobyl didn't any form of a containment vessel, unlike reactors in the U.S., Japan, and Europe.
Kingofthenet| 3.15.11 @ 3:38AM
The Containment is failing, #2 is already compromised and #4 has a fire at it's spent fuel pool.
Dee See| 3.15.11 @ 7:11AM
---Putting aside the planners who 'mysteriously'
situated reactors on top of fault lines throughout Japan and the world (paging Globalist GE) ---and the still 'mysteriously' unmentioned capabilities of HAARP technology as we sit under HAARP enabling CHEM-trail skies ----this 3/11 catastrophe ---and then the Haiti
mess on 1/11 ---and that unprecedented Asia
Tsunami in Thailand and Indonesia which occurred on Dec 26th 2005 ----MAO's Birthday---
AMAZING how nature so obligingly works the
agenda.
SIMPLY AMAZING
Dustoff| 3.15.11 @ 11:12AM
HAARP technology
*****************************
O-brother. Here comes these nuts too.
Sorry if someone us fail to buy your ideas.
Let me guess, you watched the movie (MIST) over and over to come up with this comment.
Dacron Mather| 3.15.11 @ 7:59PM
'HAARP technology
*****************************
O-brother. Here comes these nuts too'
Must be chock full O' coffee time at The Discovery Institute
C Smith| 3.15.11 @ 10:19PM
At this point, it is time to encircle the stricken reactors with dikes and start filling them from the ocean. Obviously there is an abundance of quake-ravaged material and earth-moving equipment in close proximity. The dikes could be heightened and reinforced on an ongoing basis. Hopefully there would be broad international support, and Japanese acquiescence to accept it.
Creative Recreation | 8.11.11 @ 12:27AM
is good