Dear headline: We’d like to introduce you to the concept of “obvious.” It’s an obvious concept. Pretty much, if someone can reasonably deduct something based on readily-available information, such as the fact that the conditions at Fukushima right after the tsunami were probably chaotic, it’s obvious. Anyway, we’d like to introduce you all to our latest masterpiece, “Man Writes Quip About Article, Posts it on Tumblr.” It’s a classic.
We’re at a point where merely opening a door can cause a radiation leak of some kind. That’s what plant operators had to deal with today, as they opened the doors to Fukushima’s No. 2 plant to cool things off and let some air inside. They hope to install a cooling system to prevent an explosion in the plant. Meanwhile, they hope to restart the cleanup process quickly, which was recently stalled. To give you an idea of what they need to clean up, let’s put it this way: 110,000 tons of highly-radioactive water, enough to fill 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools which absolutely nobody should swim in. Officials fear that things could get really bad — think water overflowing all over the place — if they don’t act soon to deal with the water. source
Is Fukushima worse than we think? That’s what this story from Al Jazeera suggests. One example they offer up: When seawater gets poured on the still-hot reactors, it produces radioactive steam that’s blown everywhere — even as far as the west coast of the U.S. One former nuclear industry executive, Arnold Gundersen, even put it as such: “Fukushima is the biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind.” Is he right? Worth a read. (Photo via Flickr user Jun Teramoto) source
No one knows what will happen to Tepco in the future. We don’t even know whether the company will remain a private company or will the government take it over.Fujimaki Japan’s Takeshi Fujimaki • Explaining why Tepco’s stock went down significantly today — at one point as far as 28 percent — after a financial report that suggested the company was in very bad shape. Simply put, many investors don’t think Tepco is long for this world as a private company and will need significant help from Japan to survive. The company could face $7 billion in losses for the current fiscal year — already on top of $15 billion lost in the prior fiscal year, which ended in March. That’s before any compensation costs are taken into account, by the way. Investors are betting on bankruptcy and/or public-sector takeover. source (via • follow)
Why are these Japanese businesspeople dressed up like they’re about to go to a cookout? The reason actually has to do with March’s earthquake, if you can believe it. See, Japan has this campaign called “Super Cool Biz,” where the AC doesn’t go up nearly as high and businesses cut their electricity use by 15 percent. Which means that offices shouldn’t get cooler than 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) and workers should probably dress down and stuff. While the campaign isn’t new — it was introduced in 2005 as a way to fight global warming — companies are finally starting to jump on board with the idea due to the earthquake. (Photo by Itsuo Inouye/Associated Press) source
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan still has some confidence left: Amid the Japanese earthquake, Kan survived a no-confidence vote and will likely outlast all of his recent predecessors, despite promising to resign after the crisis. source
» That’s $18 billion dollars, guys: While many parts of Japan struggle to recover from March’s earthquake, TEPCO’s financial loss — part of the reason the company’s president, Masataka Shimizum, likely plans to step down —would be downright dramatic. When it announces earnings today, the loss could be absolutely insane. But it wouldn’t be a record. That dubious honor goes to Mizuho Financial Group, which lost ¥2.38 trillion ($20.3 billion) in a single fiscal year back in 2003. Meanwhile, TEPCO struggles with power outages, a nuclear meltdown, and huge radiation-related claims that could top ¥11 trillion ($134 billion). These factors combined — which won’t be one-time payments — may force Japan to take the power company over.
TEPCO head to step down: Masataka Shimizu’s resignation is symbolic in the same way Tony Hayward’s resignation was last year.
» That number isn’t changing: While they’ve discovered more damage than they originally anticipated — such as damage to fuel reactors — and are still dealing with meltdowns. Despite these discouraging discoveries, officials are sticking to this timetable, saying that the reactors are continuing to cool despite the more extensive damage. ”The point [Japanese Prime Minister Naoto] Kan is making is that the reactor cores are being cooled down despite the apparent meltdown,” said Goshi Hosono, the prime minister’s special adviser on the issue.
Watch: PCB gets a visual shout out on GMA’s Yahoo/Tumblr...
Wrote a thing.
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Things were so dangerous after a blast at Fukushima Daiichi reactor No. 1 that workers didn’t enter the building at all afterwards. Until today. Nearly two months after the hydrogen explosion that greatly damaged the plant on March 11th, NHK reports that workers re-entered the building housing the reactor for the first time since the initial blast. The workers plan to install an air purifier in the plant, reportedly ”aimed at preventing workers from suffering internal radiation exposure when they work on setting up a new cooling system at the No. 1 reactor.” That must be a really good air purifier. (Above: A pic of a robot working in the plant, via TEPCO) source
Japan has some pretty hefty rebuilding plans: With a month and a half of distance between the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged a large chunk of the country, and a need to ensure a next step for the recovering nation, Japan’s government, led by Prime Minister Naoto Kan (left), has a large-scale recovery plan in its sights, which includes the building of 100,000 temporary homes. A huge catalyst for the move, according to the prime minister, was a recent meeting he had with people stuck in shelters. “I felt with renewed determination that we must do our best to get them back as soon as possible,” he said. More details:
» Japan has recovered before: Back in 1923, Japan suffered a far more substancial economic and physical disaster from Great Kanto Earthquake, which killed as many as 140,000 and caused the country to lose 40 percent of GDP. The current earthquake, likely the most expensive in the country’s history at $300 billion, is a mere fraction of that in comparative scale.
» Letting residents come back: While authorities let some residents return to their homes for a brief period yesterday (a mere two-hour window, by the way), they may not have another chance. MSNBC has photos from the pretty freaky scene. “I’m sorry there’s nothing I can do for you,” said dairy farmer Hiroaki Hiruta, who had to leave his 130 cows to fend for themselves within the radiation zone. He had visited to feed them every single day, but no longer can due to the newly-enforced regulations. It’s unclear if there will be a next time for Hiruta to visit his cows, or if that “next time” will come anytime in the near-future. (photo by DVIDS on Flickr)
» The penalties: People who violate this rule could face a fine of up to ¥100,000 (roughly $1,220) or 30 days in jail. On top of the possibility that you might get affected by radiation. (EDIT: This post was edited to remove a two-second quip that probably requires a post of its own.)
Examining doctor Takeshi Tanigawa says the workers could risk death. The doctor, who checked the beleaguered workers recently, has said the personal responsibility they feel to halt the crisis, along with terrible sanitation, little food, little sleep, and pressure from their families not to continue is causing extreme levels of stress, and could lead to depression or death from overwork. That’s all without mentioning the high level of radiation, which is extremely deleterious to health on its own. Tanigawa says TEPCO should mobilize all their employees and give these most dedicated workers a break: “Employees engaged in the dangerous work have human rights and wives and children just like others. We should not treat their lives without due respect.” source
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