It's been 500 days since the Fukushima nuclear crisis began in Japan

And one thing’s clear – it’s still an extremely dangerous situation. A Japanese newspaper is reporting that plant operators still face a number of hurdles before they can decommission the plant and officially close the book on the crisis – and it could take decades. Those hurdles include trying to determine why 8 million becquerels of radioactive cesium still continues to pour out of reactor number 2 every single hour.
Also, half of all the critical thermometers on site are malfunctioning because they've been damaged by high temperatures and high humidity within the plant. There are numerous cooling water leaks. Plus, water contaminated with radiation is accumulating in the basements of the reactor building.
And, plant operators still have no clue how they’re going to remove massive pools of highly radioactive spent fuel from the roofs of the reactors. As the newspaper reports, “Not only will that work be unprecedented, but the work will also have to be done in an environment of high radiation levels.”
Oh, and then there’s the situation with reactor 4, which could collapse at any moment, triggering a worldwide nuclear disaster worse than Chernobyl. Let’s hope nuclear regulators in America are paying attention.
Comments


No, I don't think there's a fix for this. I've heard whispers that the sarcophagus around Chernobyl is deteriorating as well.Fukushima is the disaster which must not be named/mentioned...like they can hide this for long.
The overlords are too busy stealing money from us to worry their pretty heads about the planet, Life and civilization
I don't think we have much longer on this planet. I think the overlords thought they had until 2050.
SURPRISE!

Maybe one of your tomatoes will look like Jesus and we'll know the end of days has come.....Our days anyway
More than 8 million becquerels or 80,000 times above background radiation is still leaking. Why? Because it's not leaking. It's being dumped into the Pacific to reduce the radioactivity level that's being admitted in Japan. How can I make such a huge accusation?
Fukushima Daiichi operator considers plans to dump treated water into sea
Tepco says it is running out of space to store water and may dump it, prompting protests from fishing groups http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/08/fukushima-operator-treated-w...
But after that quote came out there was an uproar by the global community, so it was scrapped...on paper. So now TEPCO is saying that the plant is leaking:
Fukushima’s Estimated Radiation Leak Doubles Versus GovernmentBy Tsuyoshi Inajima, Yuji Okada and Kanoko Matsuyama on May 24, 2012 http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-24/fukushima-s-estimated-radiation-leak-doubles-versus-government So why the cover-up? Because of trade.
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/fta/
Japan is in such dire straits, that by fudging on the radiation levels:
01) http://radiationnetwork.com/Japan.htm compared to http://radiationnetwork.com/
02) http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/22/12884007-reports-workers-t...
Japan can trade. Their protectionist status they promoted will no longer apply.

Install CANDU reactors to digest any nuclear materials that can be contained and captured. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CANDU_reactor, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_CANDU_reactor
Anything that cannot be processed for CANDU use may have to be contained in a mixture of lead and concrete, placed in a concrete submersible, and dropped into the trench that runs right by Japan.
As it stands, they might just have to place a barge filled with water next to the reactor and pull the reactor into the barge. It would then be submerged until it can be put in a submersible.
I do not know if the reaction can be controlled at this point using control rods. Let us hope so.

I can only hope that American energy companies are watching this. We do not want any more nuclear plants in the U.S. It's enough we are/will be experiencing the effects of this disaster here.

Natural gas is the way to go until sun and wind become afforable in about twenty years. We have tons of it in North America and it is clean and safe.

Tortilla Heaven was a good movie...I supposed if I had a tomato that looked like Jesus they would have to make a movie...Tomato Heaven. But, of course, everyone knows that the world is going to end this year, 2012...so what's a little radioactive poisoning that will cause cancer in a few years? Praise Jesus, Raptor Jesus! We all gonna die!

This nuke accident should have been foreseen by the Japanese government, especially since the have had so many earthquakes over the centuries. But, like in America, there was money to be made by G.E. so they convinced them to build reactors all over their country. I guess the myth about Japan being superior about everything they build, as in their car industry, really is a myth. But, I don't think the end of the civilized world is at hand. Remember, we actually nuked two of their major cities and they as well as the world survived. Since radioactivity has been found in the tuna off the coast of California, I guess it is time to go back to peanut butter! My main concern is that the children and unborn generations to come will suffer from the exposure to radioactivity in Japan and other Pacific Rim countries, the U.S. being one of them. I live in S. California and really enjoy the ocean and scenery here. Hopefully the ocean and the people here will not start to glow after sunset!!! If it does affect our beaches, what could we do to stop it, nothing. Hopefully, our local and federal politicians will do something to stop this same type of accident from occurring here in California and around the country. The San Onofre nuke power plant in San Diego could suffer the same plight if any of the many fault lines their rupture, causing a major earthquake. Then it really could cause major health problems for the population all up and down the coast, where tens of millions of people reside. There goes the beaches and everything else in S. Cal..This nuke accident should have been foreseen by the Japanese government, especially since the have had so many earthquakes over the centuries. But, like in America, there was money to be made by G.E. so they convinced them to build reactors all over their country. I guess the myth about Japan being superior about everything they build, as in their car industry, really is a myth. But, I don't think the end of the civilized world is at hand. Remember, we actually nuked two of their major cities and they as well as the world survived. Since radioactivity has been found in the tuna off the coast of California, I guess it is time to go back to peanut butter! My main concern is that the children and unborn generations to come will suffer from the exposure to radioactivity in Japan and other Pacific Rim countries, the U.S. being one of them. I live in S. California and really enjoy the ocean and scenery here. Hopefully the ocean and the people here will not start to glow after sunset!!! If it does affect our beaches, what could we do to stop it, nothing. Hopefully, our local and federal politicians will do something to stop this same type of accident from occurring here in California and around the country. The San Onofre nuke power plant in San Diego could suffer the same plight if any of the many fault lines there rupture, causing a major earthquake. Then it really could cause major health problems for the population all up and down the coast, where tens of millions of people reside. There goes the beaches and everything else in S. Cal..But I am sure if there are costs involved too fix any future problems the corporations who built the damn things, will make sure our elected officials ignore the problem until it is too late to do anything.......

"A Hell of a way to boil water." Albert Einstein. "All the nuclear waste from one nuclear plant in one week can be stored under a desk." Ronald Reagan. The disaster at Fukushima Nuclear Plant continues along with the incompetence of the men in charge and the manipulative and deceitful information that TEMPCO and the Japanese government have shared with the Japanese citizens from what they call the their 311. When the earthquake and tsunami struck the plant, little regard was given to the machinery in the bottom of the plant. The earthquake damaged the pipes that are under the buildings. Both leaders, in Japan and the USA were aware of the plant's meltdowns and the situation on March15. The plan to cool the reactors using helicopters dropping water was dismissed and there has been a blackout in the US. Arne Gunderson of Fairwinds, was told that our government decided to "downplay" Fukushima because it would create panic and a negative reaction toward the nuclear energy in the US , even the people of Japan are kept ignorant and look to the internet for information. Now the Japanese government is thinking about closing down You Tube sites.
Having followed this nuclear nightmare from its beginning, I believe that there is nothing that can be done. It should be viewed as a "crime against humanity". Not only is this radioactive water being dumped into the Pacific; the material is being burned and moved around the whole nation of Japan. Now some of the readings designate little radiation at the plant, we should all breath a sigh of relieve. Unfortunately, those measurements were taken with the monitors inside of lead boxes.
Every year, I grow tomatoes and "can"(jar?) the ones I don't eat right away. This year, I have noticed many really odd shaped...contorted...tomatoes. One tomato was in the shape of The Flying Spaghetti Monster (please, no pilgrimages by FSM worshippers). And some of the other tomatoes puts the illustrated manual of Kama Sutra to shame. No miracles...only Fukashima. At least that's what I call them...Fukashima Tomatoes. They still taste a lot better than those perfectly shaped and pest resistant cardboard tasting tomatoes from the grocery store. Of course, now, if I look into a mirror, naked, in the dark...I can see the glowing outline of all my internal organs. Neat, I will never have to get x-rays again.
Incidentally, I read that the biggest reason why those store bought tomatoes look perfect but taste like cardboard is because they have been genetically altered. They managed to grow a perfect tomato except for the most important thing...the taste....oh yeah, and the reduction of lycopene which is a very important nutrient which also gives the tomatos their red color...which is lacking in the genetically altered tomato ..so they have to artificially color them red. Speaking of axis (axes)...off with their heads. Alice in Wonderland...Alice painted the white roses red.