6 ms·

It's amazing that you can know the accident was minor when it's not even over yet. Seems like you are not really using reality to form your opinions.

by xlpz 16y ago

alextingle 16y ago
So you didn't read the article, then?
- xlpz 16y ago
  I quote from The Article(tm): "What is the worst-case scenario for Fukushima Daiichi? It's difficult to be definitive, because information is limited and often confused, and the outcome will depend on the decisions the plant's operators take." They don't discard anything, and just because something is less serious than Chernobyl it does not make it "minor". Also, so-called experts have been consistently wrong in estimating things in the past days. Seriously guys, just wait and see for a few days before shouting from the rooftops how amazingly reinforced nuclear power has come out of this. You are not helping anyone. It honestly just seems that you already know that nuclear energy is a must-have, so you are reasoning backwards from there. If the accident was very serious it would call into question your ideas, so it must be minor, even if it's not over yet and some serious shit still could happen in the future. I just can't support this way of reasoning.
  - michaelchisari 16y ago
    just because something is less serious than Chernobyl it does not make it "minor" But that's creating a seriously false dichotomy: Nobody is saying that this situation is "minor", and I most definitely don't think it is, and did not post this to downplay the situation. I posted it because Chernobyl comparisons are like the Godwins Law of nuclear power. Things can be very bad without being comparable to Chernobyl.
    - gnosis 16y ago
      "Nobody is saying that this situation is "minor"" Yes they are. Earlier in this very thread, alextingle wrote: "This relatively minor accident has come at a very unfortunate time." http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2337966 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2337966 And that's far from the only time this sentiment has been expressed on HN. Lots of pro-nuclear advocates on HN have repeatedly said that the Fukushima accident is minor. This was especially true a few days ago, but even now some are continuing to maintain it's no big deal.
      - alextingle 16y ago
        The 2011 Japanese tsunami has killed at least 7000 people. The Chernobyl accident killed up to 4000 people. Problems at the Fukushima power plant are far less severe than Chernobyl (see the article) so they are relatively minor. Or do you feel that a life taken by cancer is worth more than a life taken by drowning??
Natsu 16y ago
The earthquake + tsunami killed something like 5,000 people and counting. How many have died from radiation poisoning or even the hydrogen explosions so far? I'm counting two people missing and some radiation poisoning. We're looking at a substantial risk of further hydrogen explosions until the cooling is stable and a risk of radiation leakage to those nearby. There is a slight risk of radiation further out, but it's unlikely to cause significant harm. So the primary danger is to plant employees and those trying to cool it down or fight fires. It's unlikely to be able to kill large numbers of people, though it's likely that someone will calculate x% increase of cancer * 128M people (all of Japan) and publish that number. But let's count the casualties and weigh them against the 5,000 or so who have died from the earthquake already: http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031710-e.html http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031710-e.... Casualty - 2 workers of cooperative firm were injured at the occurrence of the earthquake, and were transported to the hospital. - 1 TEPCO employee who was not able to stand by his own with his hand holding left chest was transported to the hospital by an ambulance. - 1 subcontract worker at important earthquake-proof building was unconscious and transported to the hospital by an ambulance. - The radiation exposure of 1 TEPCO employee, who was working inside the reactor building, exceeded 100mSv and was transported to the hospital. - 2 TEPCO employees felt bad during their operation in the central control rooms of Unit 1 and 2 while wearing full masks, and were transferred to Fukushima Daini Power Station for consultation with a medical advisor. - 4 workers were injured and transported to the hospital after explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed around the Unit 1. - 11 workers were injured and transported to Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station after explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed around the Unit 3.One of the injured workers got medical treatment on March 16th, but the worker reported a flank pain. We required to the offsite center that the worker should be transported to the hospital. After that, the helicopter of JSDF arrived and transported the worker to the FUKUSHIMA Medical University Hospital at 10:56AM - Presence of 2 TEPCO employees at the site is not confirmed.
- bioh42_2 16y ago
  The earthquake + tsunami killed something like 5,000 people and counting. The absolutely horrific results of the earthquake and tsunami in no way make Fukushima a minor deal. Yes, it has killed MANY fewer people then the tsunami, but that does not make it a minor deal!

It's amazing that you can know the accident was minor when it's not even over yet. Seems like you are not really using reality to form your opinions.

by xlpz 16y ago

It's amazing that you can know the accident was minor when it's not even over yet. Seems like you are not really using reality to form your opinions.

alextingle 16y ago

So you didn't read the article, then?

xlpz 16y ago
I quote from The Article(tm): "What is the worst-case scenario for Fukushima Daiichi? It's difficult to be definitive, because information is limited and often confused, and the outcome will depend on the decisions the plant's operators take." They don't discard anything, and just because something is less serious than Chernobyl it does not make it "minor". Also, so-called experts have been consistently wrong in estimating things in the past days. Seriously guys, just wait and see for a few days before shouting from the rooftops how amazingly reinforced nuclear power has come out of this. You are not helping anyone. It honestly just seems that you already know that nuclear energy is a must-have, so you are reasoning backwards from there. If the accident was very serious it would call into question your ideas, so it must be minor, even if it's not over yet and some serious shit still could happen in the future. I just can't support this way of reasoning.
- michaelchisari 16y ago
  just because something is less serious than Chernobyl it does not make it "minor" But that's creating a seriously false dichotomy: Nobody is saying that this situation is "minor", and I most definitely don't think it is, and did not post this to downplay the situation. I posted it because Chernobyl comparisons are like the Godwins Law of nuclear power. Things can be very bad without being comparable to Chernobyl.
  - gnosis 16y ago
    "Nobody is saying that this situation is "minor"" Yes they are. Earlier in this very thread, alextingle wrote: "This relatively minor accident has come at a very unfortunate time." http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2337966 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2337966 And that's far from the only time this sentiment has been expressed on HN. Lots of pro-nuclear advocates on HN have repeatedly said that the Fukushima accident is minor. This was especially true a few days ago, but even now some are continuing to maintain it's no big deal.
    - alextingle 16y ago
      The 2011 Japanese tsunami has killed at least 7000 people. The Chernobyl accident killed up to 4000 people. Problems at the Fukushima power plant are far less severe than Chernobyl (see the article) so they are relatively minor. Or do you feel that a life taken by cancer is worth more than a life taken by drowning??

Natsu 16y ago

The earthquake + tsunami killed something like 5,000 people and counting. How many have died from radiation poisoning or even the hydrogen explosions so far? I'm counting two people missing and some radiation poisoning. We're looking at a substantial risk of further hydrogen explosions until the cooling is stable and a risk of radiation leakage to those nearby. There is a slight risk of radiation further out, but it's unlikely to cause significant harm. So the primary danger is to plant employees and those trying to cool it down or fight fires. It's unlikely to be able to kill large numbers of people, though it's likely that someone will calculate x% increase of cancer * 128M people (all of Japan) and publish that number. But let's count the casualties and weigh them against the 5,000 or so who have died from the earthquake already: http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031710-e.html http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031710-e.... Casualty - 2 workers of cooperative firm were injured at the occurrence of the earthquake, and were transported to the hospital. - 1 TEPCO employee who was not able to stand by his own with his hand holding left chest was transported to the hospital by an ambulance. - 1 subcontract worker at important earthquake-proof building was unconscious and transported to the hospital by an ambulance. - The radiation exposure of 1 TEPCO employee, who was working inside the reactor building, exceeded 100mSv and was transported to the hospital. - 2 TEPCO employees felt bad during their operation in the central control rooms of Unit 1 and 2 while wearing full masks, and were transferred to Fukushima Daini Power Station for consultation with a medical advisor. - 4 workers were injured and transported to the hospital after explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed around the Unit 1. - 11 workers were injured and transported to Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station after explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed around the Unit 3.One of the injured workers got medical treatment on March 16th, but the worker reported a flank pain. We required to the offsite center that the worker should be transported to the hospital. After that, the helicopter of JSDF arrived and transported the worker to the FUKUSHIMA Medical University Hospital at 10:56AM - Presence of 2 TEPCO employees at the site is not confirmed.

bioh42_2 16y ago
The earthquake + tsunami killed something like 5,000 people and counting. The absolutely horrific results of the earthquake and tsunami in no way make Fukushima a minor deal. Yes, it has killed MANY fewer people then the tsunami, but that does not make it a minor deal!