'Very Grave & Serious': Another Analysis Says Fukushima Rivaling Chernobyl

[BradBlog]

'Very Grave And Serious': More Analyses Suggesting Fukushima Disaster Reaching Chernobyl Levels
Rupture feared; Workers contaminated; Evacuations 'recommended'
PLUS: German study uses French data to corroborate findings from Austrian, U.S. scientists,
suggesting Fukushima disaster should be reclassified as 'level 7' accident, on par with Chernobyl...

As we noted was likely to happen just after posting last night's update on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the "calm" over the last day or two that we reported was somewhat broken shortly thereafter. Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan took to the air for a rare press conference to discuss the situation at the crippled nuclear plant, and to mark the two weeks which have passed since an unprecedented, three-prong earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster rocked the country.

Kan described the situation at Fukushima as "very grave and serious", adding, "we are not in a position where we can be optimistic. We must treat every development with the utmost care."

New scientific analysis today from Germany and France, adds to research from Austria and the U.S., suggesting the Prime Minister was being very optimistic in his remarks.

All of the latest news on Fukushima today, and on the new data independently corroborating new research suggesting some 50% of the radioactive cesium-137 that spewed from Chernobyl in 1986 has already been emitted by the Fukushima reactors, follows below…

FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8420

====

Also, Earlier today I appeared on the Randi Rhodes Show with guest host Nicole Sandler to discuss the latest Fukushima developments, and the political 'fallout' here in the U.S. That interview is now posted here: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8419

For breaking Fukushima-related news (and more), as it happens, 24/7, please follow our up-to-the-second coverage via Twitter at http://twitter.com/TheBradBlog

[bananas]

1. Brad, make sure you see this press conference on c-span

"Dr. Alexey Yablokov, co-author of “Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment," and a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, warned today that the consequences of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan could be comparable to or potentially greater than the health and environmental consequences of the Chernobyl reactor explosion on April 26, 1986 in Ukraine."
Watch online: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x283519

[BradBlog]

6. Thanks, Bananas... (nt)

[chervilant]

2. hmm...

The silence about the plutonium reactor is deafening, has anyone else noticed?

[buddysmellgood]

3. I'm wondering why as well.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[neverforget]

10. It's an honest question deserving an honest answer.

[chervilant]

11. Wow...

What possibly did that person post that warranted deleting? My question is an honest one, AND it's entirely too relevant.

[CoffeeCat]

14. We initiated military actions...

...in Libya and it looks like we have our eye on Syria. Those headlines have
booted the nuclear reactor/radiation stories out of the headlines.

My guess? The energy companies demanded that we start waggin-some-dog, in order
to kick the Japan nuclear-energy story out of the headlines.

I followed the radiation stories and was particularly intrigued by the comments
sections--especially in the major dailies such as the New York Times. Experts
in the area of nuclear energy were beside themselves--writing comments and
explaining with facts, why the articles were nothing but PR window dressing
by the energy companies. One expert who commented left his name, title and
years of experience (which were all verifiable by a Google search). He destroyed
a couple of the Times articles, and pointed out that a couple of the NYTimes sources
were prominent lobbyists for nuclear energy.

The powerful nuclear-energy lobbyists seemed to dictate that the media cover up
and downplay the disaster. However, it became apparent very quick what they
were doing and those comments sections revealed the lies.

They had no choice but to get the story out of the headlines--and kick up another
storm that would distract us from this nuclear disaster.

Hello Libya.

Furthermore, there is a psychological impact. When the average person sees major
headlines and multiple stories about Libya, and Japan/radiation at the bottom
of the page--practically a footnote--people assume that small stories mean small
problems. Feels like an attempt to persuade the public into believing that this
radiation disaster is unimportant and nothing to worry about.

It's that that difficult to figure out what they're doing.

[chervilant]

25. Yes,

and such an astute observation about relegating any 'news' about Fukushima to a few column inches near the bottom or inside Section A--such a subtle way to propagandize the hoi polloi...

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. 'expert' on news a few hours ago said it's not a big deal

[BrookBrew]

7. Yep, rational views do not get page hits..

the world is ending, it is just like "the road" kill your children and give you pets the KI tabs. God help us all.

Unless there is exploded core everyfuckingwhere its not chernobyl, or even a 250KT nuclear test a few hundred miles from la.

[BradBlog]

12. Please read my full article, BrookBrew, and then...

...And then let me know if you think its not a "rational view". And why.

Thanks!

[BrookBrew]

16. Whoops, post 15 was supposed to go here...(nt)

[BradBlog]

22. I replied to your reply there...

[Shining Jack]

5. K&R n/t

[bertman]

9. This is what happens in a world where those who are considered to be the smartest

are the ones who have the greatest ability to make money.

No consideration given to choosing leaders who profess to believe in the primacy of wisdom, respect for the earth, respect for all living things, and a vision of what our actions might mean two or three or more generations in the future.

Thanks for posting this, Brad. Even though it is depressing as hell to contemplate.

REC.

[avaistheone1]

13. Brad K&R

[BrookBrew]

15. nice content.. Few notes (not corrections or suggestions)

the burns received MAY be from beta particles. The Austrians are using a derivative formula to reverse engineer the actual radiation present. Their model is not available nor is their raw data (at time i posted this). If cesium was released where did it go? Comparing this to Chernobyl is like comparing a car accident to the holocaust. Unless the core explodes into the open air it is just not on par.

A few things the doomsday crowd has missed. Radiation while serious can be traced and has a very long history in human beings. The open air testing in the 50s and 60s provided tens of thousands of human subjects.

One concern drowned out by the nuclear hand wringing is the industrial chemicals in the impacted area. Organo Phosphates and other highly toxic chemicals are FAR more concerning to me than something like Iodine or even cesium. Because radionuclide announce themselves, they can be traced in the environment and in humans with simple procedures..

Hydrofluoric acid just dissolves your bones from exposure.

At then end of the day at LEAST 27,000 will be dead from this flood, so far not one death from radiation.

[Forkboy]

17. "so far not one death from radiation."

Awesome...no worries then.

[BrookBrew]

18. yes 0 is less than 27000 so I am not buying KI for my fluffy cat

and stocking up on MREs and Ammunition.. The end is not neigh..

[Forkboy]

19. Is it? I never knew that.

[BradBlog]

21. Get back to me...

"At then end of the day at LEAST 27,000 will be dead from this flood, so far not one death from radiation."

Get back to me in 10 or 15 years on that. Tsunamis tend to kill instantly. Radiation tends to take a few more years/decades.

Tsunamis are also acts of god, largely unavoidable. Deaths from nuclear disasters are completely avoidable -- whether its 1 or hundreds of thousands.

While I hope *your* predictions are right, rather than the concerns of scientists around the globe as I highlighted in my article, Fukushima could be the last such disaster ever, if we so chose. What we do from here is up to us. I see no reason to continue tempting fate. None.

[jpak]

24. Fukushima Denial Syndrome

yup

[bongbong]

20. Sounds like we have a visitor from RedState

On this thread. Welcome to reality, brain-damaged one!

[xchrom]

23. Recommend