Tohoku earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster

Lest we forget that end of the world is approaching…

Posted on 05.01.12 under Tohoku earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster

460 tons of nuclear fuel are stored in pool in a barely intact building on its third and fourth floors. If the storage pool breaks and runs dry, the nuclear fuel inside will overheat and explode. The worst-case scenario drawn up by the government includes not only the collapse of the No. 4 reactor pool, but also the disintegration of spent-fuel rods from all the plant’s other reactors.

This is the wall of the south side of reactor No. 4

The spent fuel rods will have to be transferred to a more stable location. However, spent reactor fuel cannot be simply lifted into the air by a crane as if it were routine cargo. In order to prevent severe radiation exposures, fires and p…ossible explosions, it must be transferred at all times in water and heavily shielded structures into dry casks. As this has never been done before, the removal of the spent fuel from the pools at the damaged Fukushima-Dai-Ichi reactors will require a major and time-consuming reconstruction effort and will involve charting in unknown waters.

They cranes have not yet been engineered. They say it will take 4 years before they are ready to attempt the transfer.

How long can you hold your breath?

Benefit for the Tohoku Earthquake/Tsunami/Nuclear Disaster

Posted on 04.08.11 under Tohoku earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster

Hawaii is heavily dependent on the income that Japanese visitors bring to the islands. There has always been a strong affinity between the two island chains — even before Pearl Harbor! Junko and Malcolm held a benefit featuring Malcolm’s Natural Beauty & Long Life Curry!

Even now, the aftershocks are numerous and heavy.

Just the next night after returning to Tokyo (April 7), there was a big shaker closer to the coast than the monster that caused the nuclear plant disaster. It was 16 km deeper, though and no tsunami.

Here is an interactive map of earthquake activity that timeline begins two days before the great quake, when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit off the coast shortly before noon March 9.

Here’s a helpful radiation dosage chart.

Anti-radiation!

Posted on 03.15.11 under Tohoku earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster

Self-indulgence disguised as protection against radiation.
Representing CLOUD HANDS PROJECT…

More radiation

Posted on 03.14.11 under Tohoku earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster

Now they say that radiation levels in Yokosuka and Kawasaki in Kanagawa are nine times normal. There are 13 monitoring stations in Kanagawa and the report is for the highest of the 13.

If you can read Japanese, updates here.

Radiation!!!

Posted on 03.14.11 under Tohoku earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster

On the way to the office in Shibuya station, just saw that the radiation in Tokyo is four times normal and the radius of “safety” has been pushed from 20 km to 30 km from the Fukushima reactors. One kilometer is 0.6 miles, so that’s 18 miles.

It is not looking good. Pretty much can anticipate a full meltdown…