About those nuclear reactors in Japan...
...and their damage due to the earthquake there.
Reading the stories concerning the radiation released shows that the man on the street knows less about nuclear power than prostitutes know about virginity. Really. I'm reminded of all the "creature feature" flicks from the 50's that showed the potential dangers of atomic radiation. That included giant ants, plant-human hybrids, visits from concerned alien civilizations, you name it, nothing was too ridiculous to ponder in a serious manner.
The underlying message was (and still is) "We shouldn't play God or we'll get smacked good and hard". Why that rationale is enthusiastically pursued by liberal loons regarding nuclear power and is totally ignored by the same folks whenever abortion is mentioned is a puzzler.
Reactors aren't bombs and can't explode like one either. The worst that happens is the containment vessel and the coolant within overheat to the point of rupturing (think of hot water heaters without an automatic safety relief). No Apocalypse, no end of the world, just a big assed mess to clean up afterwards. Again, about like what would happen if my hot water heater ever overpressurized due to heat.
In addition, at least one of those reactors was 30-40 years old. Wanna bet it's safety features and their back-ups might not have been state-of-the-art? I mention this because of all the anxiety from the antinuke crowd who are now hysterically hyperventilating over the idea of future reactors being built.
Thats the CliffNotes version of it all. ANY form of power is going to have risks associated with it's use, end of story.
Deal with it or go back to cave dwelling, only this time don't have campfires because of their environmental risks (Smokey The Bear, where are you when we need ya?)
The powers that be should concentrate on aiding the Japanese and getting that nation back on it's feet. After all the dust settles, worry about the nukes and preventing future problems.
Just the opinion of an old turd chaser.
9 comments:
Aren't some of the risks the same, albeit in a much lesser degree, if there is a nuclear meltdown? I am not in the anti-nuclear crowd but I do believe it is better to be safe than sorry. I think the U.S. should still be looking into adding nuclear plants, but it must be done in a safe manner.
The MSM no longer reports news but spreads hysteria because it sells ads.
They've been positively shrill about this...
When this whole thing began to break, I just put my face in my hands and shook my head knowing full well that the anti-nuke crowd were going to get a great many miles outta this one.
With all the safety contingencies taken into account when the plant(s) were built, WHO could have planned for a double whammy of a 9.0 earthquake followed by a virtual mega tsunami. Damn! We won't hear the end of this for quite some time. That Ass-Hat Joy Bayor on the view is already having hysterically driven diatribes about nuclear power and unfortunately there are a goodly amounts of idiots that listen to her...**sigh**.
Teresa, everything I said also applies for a nuclear meltdown. The "China Syndrome" scenario where a radioactive core melts it's way to the center of the Earth and we're all subsequently destroyed is baloney. Another example of 1950ish creature feature type flicks.
Your cautionary attitude is the best one to have. NO method of power production should be blindly embraced, every one of them entails some risks and those should be adequately understood before any actions are taken.
Unfortunately too many of the "anti-nuke" crowd will do anything but act objectively about this tragedy. They're already taking the ball and running with it for all they're worth.
Adrienne, I've no doubt. I miss a lot of the MSM screaming due to not reading the local fishwrap or watching TV. But I still read Drudge and Breitbart, enough of the hysteria is filtering through there.
MRG, too true. And we've a very "green" Commander-in-Chief who doesn't seem too thrilled about anything providing the nation's power except solar panels and wind farms.
Cookie, when it started hitting the fan I wondered how an ex-nuke like yourself would see it all. This nation needs a reality check, big time.
Subvet,
Personally, I like your statement "deal with it". That is exactly what eventually must happen so down with the retoric an DEAL WITH IT!
Pops
It's like the idiots in CA buying the iodine pills. They screwed up DDT and killed five million people through disease. They will do the same thing here.
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