Monday, March 14, 2011

Stop The Wild Hype

Listening to some MSM news outlets one might be worried enough to go out and get some iodine pills. Listening to doctors in nuclear technology on the other hand makes me think "Oh, alright then" and go about my business.

There is no "totally exposed" and no catastrophic meltdown. This is not Chernobyl times three. It isn't as bad as you may believe, though the situation in Japan is quite serious. Yes some fuel melted. There is a difference between "some" and "a whole core" melting. Yes some radiation leaked. They probably released some radioactive stuff on purpose, as part of a controlled dealing with pressure in a vessel that is boiling hot and cooled by water (making high pressure steam). Yes there was cesium found outside . . . see the last sentence. Yes there were explosions, but not nuclear ones. They came from hydrogen releases, most likely.

And for the love of apple pie would you people please stop saying nookyewluhr!

We've had hundreds of nuclear powered ships all over and under the oceans and hundreds of nuclear reactors supplying civilian and military electricity on land, as well as cutting-edge research facilities. NONE of them is anything like as dangerous as conventional "carbon based" energy generation stations, and none of them puts out anything worse than water into the air as a by-product of normal operation. Consider: When was the last time you heard about a refinery explosion? When was the last time you heard about any sort of a problem at all at a nuclear generation station?

It took an earthquake in the top five for magnitude ever recorded, PLUS at least one tsunami, and they STILL have the situation somewhat under control over there. Best-case scenario is a bit more radiation released, not enough to hurt anyone, and the three bad reactors cool over the next several days to levels where they can be dismantled safely.

Relax.

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