Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Current Events (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=486)
-   -   Earthquake causes Japan to be hit by huge Tsunami (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=561329)

  • Mar 11, 2011, 01:17 AM
    Curlyben
    Earthquake causes Japan to be hit by huge Tsunami
    The BBC just showed live pictures of the Tsunami surge. I'll be amazed if there is not a considerable loss of life.

    ... and they still expect the surge to hit other shorelines around the pacific basin that have not been reached yet.

    BBC News - Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake
  • Mar 11, 2011, 01:42 AM
    shazamataz

    Just heard about this... what is going on with the Earth, seriously??
  • Mar 11, 2011, 05:27 AM
    Just_Another_Lemming

    Good morning all. I cannot begin to imagine what these people went through. The aerial footage shot of the Tsunami "eating" the land was unbelievable. According to the weatherman, due to the ripple effect they are expecting Eastern Australia to feel it as well as the western shores of North & South American. It is supposed to hit the U.S. shore in less than 3 hours. They don't expect it to be anywhere near as damaging as it was to Japan but Hawaii may be adversly effected.

    I do wonder about all the global warming nay sayers. Something is seriously going on with the Earth and it seems to be growing increasingly worse.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 05:43 AM
    tomder55

    Hate for this post to be hijacked like this.. but in response to JAL .

    Nay sayers... hmmm .I guess that is a polite way of saying 'denier'.

    I checked the list ,and yes earthquakes and tsunamis have been blamed on global warming before .
    Global Warming Ate My Homework: 100 Things Blamed on Global Warming | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

    Can you demonstrate the relationship between plate tectonics and climate change ?

    Maybe Michael Mann can concoct one for you.
    Quote:

    Cuccinelli has filed multiple civil investigative demands to review Mann's e-mails and documents. The attorney general is accusing Mann of using manipulated or deceitful data pertaining to climate change to obtain taxpayer-funded research grants, and hopes to acquire documents that will enable him to prosecute Mann under the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act
    http://www.cavalierdaily.com/2011/02...t-to-subpoena/

    True science will tell you that the Ring of Fire is caused by naturally occurring shifting on the plates.Humans adapt .

    These germs of disease have taken toll of humanity since the beginning of things–taken toll of our prehuman ancestors since life began here. But by virtue of this natural selection of our kind we have developed resisting power; to no germs do we succumb without a struggle, and to many–those that cause putrefaction in dead matter, for instance–our living frames are altogether immune. ....By the toll of a billion deaths man has bought his birthright of the earth..(HG Wells )
  • Mar 11, 2011, 05:46 AM
    tomder55

    Residents near Fukushima nuclear power plant are being evacuated .I think they are shutting them all down as a precaution.

    But there is one that has reportedly caught fire.
    http://www.thenational.ae/news/world...japanese-quake
  • Mar 11, 2011, 06:10 AM
    speechlesstx

    As of this second, the tsunami clock is down to about 5 minutes for Japan. Many people are reportedly planning to ride it out in the bar. I kid you not.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 06:12 AM
    excon

    Hello:

    Glad I live on a hill.

    excon
  • Mar 11, 2011, 06:25 AM
    excon

    Hello again,

    Another one happened in Hawaii. The Earth is cracking.

    excon
  • Mar 11, 2011, 06:31 AM
    tomder55
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by excon View Post
    Hello:

    Glad I live on a hill.

    excon

    Me too... but I had to break out the kayak this morning to get to work.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 07:29 AM
    J_9

    And areas near the new madrid fault have been acting up as well.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 07:40 AM
    excon

    Hello again:

    Tsunami is going to hit here in an hour. J, quick, call Al Gore.

    excon
  • Mar 11, 2011, 07:51 AM
    J_9
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by excon View Post
    Hello again:

    Tsunami is gonna hit here in an hour. J, quick, call Al Gore.

    excon

    Al must be busy in his "green" house in Nashville. He's not picking up the phone.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 07:58 AM
    speechlesstx

    I wonder if global warming had anything to do with the nasty wildfires here two weeks ago.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 07:58 AM
    smoothy

    Al Gore is out flying around in his jet creating more of his "Global Warming"
  • Mar 11, 2011, 07:59 AM
    smoothy
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by speechlesstx View Post
    I wonder if global warming had anything to do with the nasty wildfires here two weeks ago.

    Or all that snow everyone has gotten. If it gets any warmer Florida is going to need snowplows.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 08:01 AM
    smoothy

    Incidentally... on topic. THe reported numbers are still low but climbing. I think its going to take some time before they figure out how many are missing... even in rough numbers. Got to be a lot of debris etc to sort through just from the few videos I've seen thus far this morning.

    8.9... thats a HUGE f-ing quake by anyone's standards.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 08:03 AM
    excon

    Hello again,

    Fracking is causing the fricking earthquakes.

    excon
  • Mar 11, 2011, 08:11 AM
    smoothy

    The subduction of continental plates has nothing at all to do with it?

    I think we had earthquakes for longer than people have been self aware on this planet. PARTICULARLY in that region of the world. After all, Hawaii doesn't exist because of oil and gas companies actions.

    Incidentally... its wreaked havoc with the telecom stuff in the region... so if I end up scarce on the site for the next few days... its related to that.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 02:37 PM
    paraclete
    An incrediable thing. It demonstrates just how fragile our existence is.
  • Mar 11, 2011, 04:24 PM
    tomder55

    That nuke plant is becoming a thing of major concern .

    Nuke Plant Crisis Worsens as Radiation Levels Rise - Ecocentric - TIME.com
  • Mar 12, 2011, 09:24 AM
    excon
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tomder55 View Post
    That nuke plant is becoming a thing of major concern

    Hello again, tom:

    Since FOX is the only news available on the weekends, I'm forced to watch Neil Cavuto spin the news... He's talking about how we should go ahead with nuclear power here in spite of what happened in Japan.. Whaaaa??

    Is he paying attention?? Of ALL the country's that have nuclear power, Japan built their reactors to withstand BIG earthquakes... As it turns out, they DON'T. Let me say that again, THEY DON'T!!

    Before today, I included nukes on our list of power needs. I've since scratched them off. You did too, didn't you?

    excon
  • Mar 12, 2011, 09:26 AM
    Curlyben
    Appears one of the reactor builds has fallen apart.
    The outside concrete seems to of crumbled away.
    BBC News - Japan earthquake: Explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant
  • Mar 12, 2011, 09:37 AM
    excon

    Quote:

    The Japanese government's chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, said the concrete building housing the plant's number one reactor had collapsed but the metal reactor container inside was not damaged.
    Hello again, ben:

    Specifically, what made the Japanese reactors safer is that they were built INSIDE a containment building. THAT'S the building that blew up. It's that building that protects the public from be irradiated IF a meltdown occurs and SOME of the melted material escapes the reactor chamber and out onto the reactor floor. It'll melt through the floor too, and now that the containment building is GONE, all HELL is going to break out.

    I LIVE in the path of death that's on my way.

    Excon
  • Mar 12, 2011, 09:46 AM
    Curlyben
    Bear in mind that the reactor building only really protects the workings from the elements.

    The actual core itself is encased in feet thick steel and concrete.
    There's a lot more to nuclear reactors than simple buildings.
    In the 60's a UK reactor suffered a meltdown in two of it's fuel rods. This was contained and it continued to operate for many years afterwards.

    Nuclear energy is very safe, but gets huge press when things go wrong, as in three mile island and Chernobal (yeah can't spoll it)
    In those case there was a lot of other factors that cause the eventual accidents.
  • Mar 12, 2011, 09:55 AM
    excon
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Curlyben View Post
    Nuclear energy is very safe, but gets huge press when things go wrong,

    Hello again, ben:

    In terms of the death they can cause, "very" safe isn't good enough for me. If it can't be absolutely safe, I'm going to pass.

    excon
  • Mar 12, 2011, 10:05 AM
    Curlyben
    Nothing in life is absolutely safe, where would the fun in that be ?

    You have more chance of being run over while walking on the side walk or even winning the Lottery, than being injured in a nuclear accident. Those are damn good odds..
  • Mar 12, 2011, 10:17 AM
    excon
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Curlyben View Post
    Those are damn good odds..

    Hello again, ben:

    Easy for you to say. You live on the opposite side of the world. Should it melt down, and nobody is saying it won't, I LIVE directly in the path the plume of deadly radiation is liable to take.

    excon
  • Mar 12, 2011, 10:53 AM
    tomder55

    I'll wait to see how this plays out. During Chernobyl ,the core was breached . So far I've heard no evidence of that in Japan. The explosion took out the external walls... not the containment .Pumping sea water into the containment makes me think there is damage to the core ;but for the moment it is still contained .As you know;there is plenty of sea water in the area.. all they need is the generators to operate the pumps.

    This reactor from what I've read is a 40 year old design. It's like driving an old Pinto . I'm in favor of 21st century design.

    As you recall from reading my postings on the subject ;I am in favor of development of 'Breeder Reactors' .

    Maybe I'll reconsider my position about building them on the 'Ring of Fire' . But if I think the rhetoric of the left is true... burning carbon based energy has done much more negative health damage to humans than any nuke .
  • Mar 12, 2011, 11:00 AM
    Curlyben
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by excon View Post
    Hello again, ben:

    Easy for you to say. You live on the opposite side of the world. Should it melt down, and nobody is saying it won't, I LIVE directly in the path the plume of deadly radiation is liable to take.

    Excon


    I hear what your saying, but France is a major user of Nukes and they are within spitting distance of me.

    Even if it did go phuft, there's still an ocean between you, so nothing to really get panicked about.

    The UK was in the path of Chernobal, and we got away extremely lightly.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tomder55 View Post
    I'll wait to see how this plays out. During Chernobyl ,the core was breached . So far I've hearrd no evidence of that in Japan. The explosion took out the external walls... not the containment .Pumping sea water into the containment makes me think there is damage to the core ;but for the moment it is still contained .

    Indeed


    Quote:

    This reactor from what I've read is a 40 year old design.
    There are very few newer designs in commercial use, due to lack of government involvement in the nuclear industry.
    After all why would the generators spend billions developing newer designs if they aren't licensed to deploy them.

    Quote:

    Maybe I'll reconsider my position about building them on the 'Ring of Fire' .
    Pretty short sighted really, and Japan has a history of quakes, so something of this nature was only a case of waiting to happen.
  • Mar 12, 2011, 11:22 AM
    Stringer

    Japan has just said that there has been no release of radiation and the metal containers are holding.
  • Mar 12, 2011, 11:47 AM
    tomder55
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by excon View Post
    Hello again, ben:

    Easy for you to say. You live on the opposite side of the world. Should it melt down, and nobody is saying it won't, I LIVE directly in the path the plume of deadly radiation is liable to take.

    excon

    Being the survivalist I know you are ,I'm surprised you don't have a bottle of potassium iodide tablets in your survival kit. Come to think of it ,most people should be taking iodine supplementation anyway (especially if you do not use sea salt ).

    Isn't the Hanford site near Seattle ?
  • Mar 12, 2011, 01:59 PM
    tomder55

    The last time nuke waste mixed with sea water this happened :

    With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound
    He pulls the spitting high tension wire down, Godzilla!

    Helpless people on subway trains
    Scream BUG-EYED(MY GOD) as he looks in on them, Godzilla!

    He picks up a bus and he throws it back down
    As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town, Godzilla

    Oh no, they say he's got to go
    Go go Godzilla, yeah
    Oh no, there goes Tokyo
    Go go Godzilla, yeah

    Oh no, they say he's got to go
    Go go Godzilla, yeah
    Oh no, there goes Tokyo
    Go go Godzilla, yeah
    Oh no, they say he's got to go
    Go go Godzilla, yeah
    Oh no, there goes Tokyo
    Go go Godzilla, yeah
    History shows again and again
    How nature points up the folly of men
    Godzilla
    (Blue Oyster Cult)
  • Mar 13, 2011, 12:32 AM
    Curlyben
    Oh great now another reactor on the same site is having more serious problems: BBC News - Japan quake: Fears for second nuclear reactor

    Here's more details on what this could actually mean: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12723092
  • Mar 13, 2011, 02:53 AM
    tomder55

    My concern is with the people in the area being supplied with shelter ,food ,and pottable water.

    The containment of these reactors were not constructed as well as the one at Three Mile Island,but much better than Chernobyl (which was a poorly designed system).
    Within minutes ,half the core at TMI disintegrated .Although some radioative steam was released , assessments suggested it didn't have any real health or environmental impact.
    A full meltdown of any of the Japanese plants cores would also release radioactive gases, but those tend to dissipate in the atmosphere. Since the wind currents go out to sea there is less danger to the highly populated areas of Japan .There is little danger to the good people of Washington State.
  • Mar 13, 2011, 06:16 AM
    excon
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tomder55 View Post
    There is little danger to the good people of Washington State.

    Hello again, tom:

    What you say is true, TODAY. But, not so for tomorrow. An expert on FOX just told me that Hanford is built to withstand a 7.1 earthquake. He said the one at Indian River near you wouldn't withstand a 9.0. There's a couple in California that'll crack like eggs when the big one hits, and they EXPECT it within the next 30 years. Clearly, a 9.0 IS within the realm of possibility... Is Indian River built on a fault?

    Contrary to what you say, I think MANY of us are at risk.

    excon
  • Mar 13, 2011, 06:41 AM
    tomder55

    On radiation poisoning.

    The good news is that the Japanese eat sea food and kelp... foods high in potassium iodide. This is the standard treatment for exposure to radioactive iodine .


    The biggest threat is from caesium-137 which has been detected around the plant. It has a 30 year half life and easily gets into the food chain.The area around Chernobyl has high concentrations of it .

    If you are going to be poisoned by radiation ,perhaps the one you should hope for is tritrium. The treatment for exposure ? Drink mass quantities of beer.
    The Office of Health, Safety and Security
  • Mar 13, 2011, 06:59 AM
    tomder55

    It's not Indian River... it's Indian Point on the Hudson River . One of the jets on 9-11 flew directly over the plant on it's way to the Twin Towers.
    I live in the evacuation zone and hear the sirens when the systems are tested .

    It was just denied re-licensing . It is an old plant and the issue appears to be how much water it consumes in the cooling process. An easy fix would be the construction of cooling towers .But opponents claim it would be too costly and too big (about the size of some of these windmills I've seen) .
    But their real opposition is that it would be a remedy to their other opposition... that the plant consumes too much water and kills fish that accidentally get sucked in.

    To my knowledge ,the closest fault line to Indian Point is the Ramapo Fault.It is a good 20-30 miles west of the Hudson and has been inactive for 200 years. I've never heard of a quake in this area approaching a 9.0.
  • Mar 13, 2011, 09:12 PM
    paraclete
    Isn't it amazing that no matter where or how big the disaster it always comes back to discussing the US. Get a life guys, I think it has just been demonstrated that there are bigger things than the US at stake right now.
  • Mar 14, 2011, 02:08 AM
    tomder55

    You are welcome to contribute your insights . A quick review of this posting shows that anything else was exhausted in a couple of comments.
    The Japanese understand and have lived with the risks of living on the Pacific plate for centuries. Their island chain is a direct result of the same plate activities that created the quake and tsunami.

    The nuclear reactor problem is the man made factor . That is why it has taken the bulk of the comments.
  • Mar 14, 2011, 03:14 AM
    paraclete
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tomder55 View Post
    The nuclear reactor problem is the man made factor . That is why it has taken the bulk of the comments.

    Could be Tom that was because you didn't take it seriously from the start.

    At first sight you might think the nuclear reactor is the only man made problem, yes fairly stupid to site it in a place that is subject to earthquake, but, given the proximity to earthquake, tsunami is a japanese word, a concept they are only too familiar with, the whole country, sited where it is, carries with it a man made factor of a disaster waiting to happen.

    You might think that given their preoccupation with making buildings earthquake proof they might have given some consideration to the desirability of building on a coastal plain that could be inundated.

    I expect that this earthquake was thought to be one in a million or one in a million years but we have experienced two in the last decade so no one has any idea with what frequency this might happen. It means our whole idea of an idillic life by the sea needs serious thought and I have no doubt that in certain parts of the world, the whole ideal of sustainable development on a seismic fault needs to be rethought

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:17 PM.