Why Hasn't Japan Built 4 Floating Islands Yet?

[Someguyinjapan]

I was inspired by the suggestion of another DU potter on another thread who suggested that floating cities might be the answer to Japan's terrible dilemma. I thought to me-self: why stop there? Why not build 4 new floating islands? I mean, Japan has plenty of expertise building simple, non-floating islands (Kansai and Kobe airports, for example). Floating islands would be an ideal solution-all they would need to do after they are built would to be fire up the nuclear-powered waterjets that each island would be equipped with and blithely sail away from this mess.

Great idea, no?

[Tejas]

1. What about PIRATES?!??

You didn't think about THAT, did you!

[Someguyinjapan]

3. Jeez... didn't think about that.

You're right... imagine if some pirates seized control of one of the floating islands and held it for ransom? They could fetch somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.78 gadzooksillion dollars!

[Tejas]

4. Then again, there ARE worse things than pirates.

SEA MONSTERS! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khm4gNlyzT4
Godzilla can't be everywhere you know! :)

[SpoonFed]

5. hmm. interesting point

has anyone worked up the back of the envelope numbers on the probability of a godzilla or gozilla's enemies being created by all this radioactive flith getting dumped into the sea? It's got to be increasing for every day this thing continues.

Maybe all those movies were really just like the original Star Wars films, and that we're seeing the prequel unfold now...

[Someguyinjapan]

6. Pfff.... please

All that Floating Island Japan would have to do is to drop a couple of two terraton nuclear depth charges, followed by a salvo of nuclear-tipped torpedos and top it off by spraying the water with depleted Uranium shells and Godzilla would be toast.

[SpoonFed]

2. the insurance would be expensive

we'd have to get the government on-board to provide some sort of backup to cover liability once whatever token amounts we might agree to pay, on paper, might get exhausted when the jet ski floating Japanese robotic cities spring a leak and sink, or maybe we could sail them out into international waters and expect every single citizen of the world to pay the real cost of these things. i dunno.

I'm sure it's just a series of solid engineering problem to make these new islands completely safe under all conditions and that it is improbable that a large horrible situation develop and that there would need to be a pay out in some feeble attempt to compensate those affected.