Godzilla unbound
Godzilla unbound
It's a really bad idea to make light of the unspeakable human tragedy in Japan -- just ask Gilbert Gottfried how that worked out for him -- and in that same vein some of the numerous Godzilla references to the radiation aspect of the crisis on Twitter or elsewhere were probably a bit much.
But tonight the New York Times has a thoughtful essay that really wraps together the old tradition of Japanese monster flicks with our new nuclear anxieties tonight, and it's really worth a read, It's called "Japan's Long Nuclear Disaster Film":
Yet it is the film’s anti-nuclear message that seems most discordant in present-day Japan, where nearly a third of the nation’s electricity is generated by nuclear power. The film was inspired by events that were very real and very controversial. In March 1954, a massive thermonuclear weapon tested by the United States near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, codenamed “Bravo,” detonated with about 2.5 times greater force than anticipated. The unexpectedly vast fallout from the bomb enveloped a distant Japanese tuna trawler named the Lucky Dragon No. 5 in a blizzard of radioactive ash. Crewmembers returned to their home port of Yaizu bearing blackened and blistered skin, acute radiation sickness and a cargo of irradiated tuna. Newspapers reported on the radioactive traces left by the men’s bodies as they wandered the city, as well as “atomic tuna” found in fish markets in Osaka and later at Japan’s famed Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. The exalted Emperor Hirohito himself was said to have eliminated seafood from his diet.
In a nation fixated on purity, the revulsion against this second nuclear contamination of the homeland was visceral. In late September 1954, the Lucky Dragon’s radio operator Aikichi Kuboyama died. “Gojira” appeared in cinemas the following month, breaking the record for opening-day receipts in Tokyo and becoming one of the top-grossing films of the year. During the same month, there was an upsurge in anti-nuclear petitions in response to Kuboyama’s death, and the peace movement went national.
Flash forward to the present, and -- given Japan's tortured history with radiation exposure -- it's somewhat mindboggling to see the inepitude of its modern nuclear power industry. The only thing worse than the inability of Japanese officials to get their story straight is the fact that these nuclear plants were so incapable of handling a major earthquake -- on a mountainous island nation created by one of the world's major fault lines.
The Japanese people deserve better than what they've been getting from their leaders. Here's how you can help.
UPDATE: If you didn't think it could get worse...it got worse. A lot worse. Pray for Japan.
Programming note: I've only taken one non-weekend-holiday day off since September (and those weren't really days off) and so you've probably noticed my brain is totally fried -- I'll be be off tomorrow and Wednesday.
Comments (103)
And lest we forget, solar power is the ultimate nuclear power, bombarding the earth with more energy in one hour than all the fossil fuels still buried underground could ever offer.— montani semper liberi
"I'll search for that cheap clean risk free energy while i'm down there, msl." . . . . Good idea, RG. Let me suggest a spot on the beach in Wildwood on a hot afternoon in August. It won't take you long to realize why sand beds are a preferred storage method for solar energy, and are already being put to practical use in solar powered homes. And yes, sand is dirt cheap.- History shows again and again how nature points up the folly of men....Godzilla!— montani semper liberi
- I'll search for that cheap clean risk free energy while i'm down there, msl. hold you breath while i do. or tell us how common the disasters in japan are.— RG
- RG, as long as there's sand deep enough for your head, there's shangri la.— montani semper liberi
- Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year, but its ruined by pattys day. dont want to deal with the crowds at the bar while trying to watch the tournament.— RG
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- "Does anyone think that the odds of 1 in 10,000 in any given year are worth it?" Apparently you live in a world with no risks, no tradeoffs, and abundant affordable clean energy. And I'm accused of dreaming of Shangrai La.— RG
- "While the General seems to be smug in the knowledge that 8.9 mag quakes are extremely rare," 9.0 mag, and yes, they are are. 5th strongest one in 111 years. Even rarer to be followed up by a tsunami, which is what washed out the back up generators to the cooling system. If you want to continue to argue this is a common event, have at it and continue your rep as the Washington Generals of lawyers.— RG
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- Secular rationalism refers to inserting objects in orifices in which they do not belong.— Mr. Smith
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- Bird, in sociological terms, the Japanese culture exceeds even Sweden in its level of secular rationalism - amazing when you consider its centuries' old isolation until we pried it open in the 19th century. By comparison, the American culture is down in the middle, closer to the traditionalism of most third world countries and latin America, although Americans are better at self-expression.
- Oddly enough, the NRC has ranked several reactors in the northeast as the most vulnerable to the risk of earthquakes (in NY, MA, PA), and that these risk assessments have increased dramatically since the previous assessment in 1989, based on new geological data. While the General seems to be smug in the knowledge that 8.9 mag quakes are extremely rare, there are many other factors to consider, such as the plant design and quality of soil or rock it's built on. Does anyone think that the odds of 1 in 10,000 in any given year are worth it? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42103936/ns/world_news-asiapacific/
- ///While the General seems to be smug in the knowledge that 8.9 mag quakes are extremely rare///
Only a complete partisan hack would read anything I have written and think I am "smug" regarding the rarity of 8.9 quakes. Way to expose yourself, drama queen.
It's not the quake, it's the design. Newer plants have multiple layers of containment systems, convection cooling, and so forth.
The only thing you're doing is bolstering the argument that we need to replace the existing nuclear plants. I'd be 100% OK with that. - [[[=== Unfortunately, its not getting better. ===]]]
Well, RG, I'm sure that millions of Japanese will be greatly relieved when they find out that you seem to think their concerns about radiation exposure may be justified after all.
And I'm sure that now the media will be relieved to find out that you no longer think they should just "shut up about the nuclear plants."
— Talking point sleuth - Unfortunately, its not getting better. Nothing seems to have gone right. http://twitter.com/Reuters/status/48049156757000192#— RG
- Moonbeam Brown plans to layoff 19k teachers. Have the Dem lawmakers fleed Cali yet? Where are the protestors calling him H-tler? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42100001/ns/us_news-life/— RG
- Sissy, how many 9.0 quakes have we had since 1900? how many of them were followed by a tsunami and 30+ aftershocks? You do have proof that these are common events, don't you? Or is all you have a temper tantrum?— RG
- Well apparently they're fairly common in Alaska, a place with no nuclear plants (although one has been proposed) and enough oil, coal, and gas to power the state for hundreds of years. So yeah, the fact that big quakes strike in Alaska is reason enough to Sissy to not build a plant in, say, Idaho or Iowa or Nebraska.
- Enough of this trivial banter about the tsunami and radiation leakage. We should be discussing topics of greater global significance. Such as, who did President Obama pick in his NCAA brackets?— Mr. Smith
- BTW - I see that Terd has gone from "8.9 are NOT normal" "to "when have you seen a 9.0 earthquake in the Northeast"? Really dude, stop embarrassing yourself. Your IQ lowers with each post. Next one will be "when's the last time you saw a 9.0 on 3-mile island?"— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- Wow Sissy, your reading analysis is really lacking.
For one thing, I'm not the one who wrote ""8.9 are NOT normal."
So your whole argument is a) moot and b) stupid to begin with.
So to provide some feedback, I have to recommend that you stop embarrassing yourself. Your IQ lowers with each post.
Moron. - This comment has been deleted.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- Hey Sissy now that the humans went back in a few hours later after the radiation levels dropped back to normal levels, how's that fear mongering going?
Good lord you are a doofus. Quit while you're behind. - Comment removed.
- The Hoover Dam was not designed to withstand a meteor strike.— Mr. Smith
- i miss the duke. oh right he got banned lol— rysagr
- "**eye roll** "
Well, Bucky, in the current setup, Democratic politicians believe being a friend of the people is a liability to their political future as well. There is no one on our side (I'm talking about all Americans - except the ones at the top of the food chain*) and you know it. Why do you think we show little care when you criticize "our side".
*Has anyone heard that classic alternative band Tono K's song "Life in the Food chain"?— Hamlet - Maybe that's the issue -- there are too many "sides" for one single person to represent.
- Cute and funny Godzilla reference while there is potential for a catastrophic disaster. Working in the Private Sector, that kind of inappropriate reference could get you fired.— tr88
- You cant ignore their history as being significant to whats taking place, so you cant think that Nuclear Power wont get questioned, its a fair and obvious connect. So somehow we get a public union workers make too much money, a repub victim of threats and the obligatory Obama slam all in the comments, nice work— peteike
- ++snippity++
A dam in the Fukushima prefecture of Japan was breached following the recent earthquake and tsunamis which have devastated the country.
According to media reports, the dam broke on Friday, with a wall of water washing away 1800 homes downstream.
++snap++— Mr. Smith 
I have to give credit for what I am about to say to my father, 87 year old WWII Vet who fought in the South Pacific. He commented to me this morning about the dignity of the Japanese people and how he is certain their character will pull them through this terrible disaster. We talked about it for awhile because I was proud of the fact that a man who was wounded by the Japanese, who lost friends to the Japanese, and to this day isn't fond of full moons because it made his ship easy to find for Kamikazees had such respect for a former enemy. My father pointed out how different watching scenes from Japan differed from watching New Orleans after Katrina - no looting, no violence - just everyone helping each other. He pointed out how women with children in their arms waited patiently in line for hours for the little food that was available - again no mob scenes. And then he said something brilliant - that is what happens when a society places respect for family so high. Parents realize their responsibility to their children and the children respect and care for their elderly. The old guy is pretty smart.— bird11- "but somehow rolling back nucular powerplant restrictions didn't make it on their to-do list" . . . . Don't underestimate the influence of the coal industry, either. Here in the Mountin' State, politicians are required to be "Friends of Coal". We even have a Friends of Coal Bowl every football season between in-state rivals Marshall and WVU. Out here, being a friend of the people is a liability.
- "Guess who told them it was impossible for a quake over 7.9 to hit? Government scientists." . . . . . I don't know about "impossible", but certainly improbable, given that this particular fault line is crooked. Now we know better, don't we? How confident can we be of any fault line, including the faults here in the northeast? The fact is, the earthquake itself wasn't the problem, it was the resulting tsunami flooding the back-up generators. Flooding, or some other impairment of back-up power systems, could result from any number of natural or intentional disasters, no matter how improbable or impossible they may seem.
- That's why there are multiple redundant power systems, and when they fail, there are multiple containment systems as well.
Anything can happen, anytime, of course. That's a pretty weak reason to exclude something as an option. Do you think a tsunami wouldn't wipe out off-shore wind turbines? How about a massive ice storm knocking out solar or wind power? Sure, none of these would be as dangerous as a plant failure. That's a given.
When was the last time a 9.0 quake struck in the northeast?
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The point is, bucky, investment in solar or wind generating equipment wouldn't be as concentrated as the sinking some $8 billion in a nuclear reactor. That is one of the reasons that the private sector isn't ponying up to build nuclear reactors, and why we would be reliant on public underwriting to get them built. All those billions in Japan are just down the drain because of a relatively localized phenomenon - the tsunami.
And as you point out, if disasters occur that outstrip preparations, obviously, solar and wind generating equipment wouldn't come anywhere near close to presenting the same level of danger - and that needs to be factored in when the costs/benefits of different forms of investment are evaluated.
I never suggested that I support excluding anything as an option. I just think that people should make realistic assessments instead of trying to politicize energy policy in their bizarre need to vent hatred at libz.
Nor should concerns about public safety be politicized. The Japanese have good reason to be concerned, and while of course the media love to exploit potential danger, this is a legitimate story. Characterizing their coverage as some socialist plot (in a lame attempt to downplay the potential dangers created by the nuclear industry) only exposes biases.
I'm sure that it is no consolation for Japanese people (including some friends and former students of mine) that RG thinks their worries about exposure to radiation are overblown.— Talking point sleuth - Agreed. Honestly, I think there is a need for solar, wind, and nuclear power. We're never going to get to a point in a short time where wind and solar provide a significant portion of our energy. It's a 50 year march, not a sprint, for these methods.
In the meantime, there is a significant portion of our energy coming from very old nuclear plants. These need to be replaced with something that was designed after computers stopped using vacuum tubes, know what I mean? The whole reason the Japanese reactors are having problems is because they are old. if they were newer designs, the power failure would not be an issue because the decay heat gets removed through a convection cooling mechanism.
At the same time, nuclear can provide an immediate (with 10 years) impact on our import of foreign oil AND reduce carbon output. Since we're limiting our drilling domestically, it's one of the few options out there.
I'm not politicizing the dangers or the public safety concerns in Japan. I'm stressing to all to keep it in perspective, and that these plants are engineering marvels, and nuclear shouldn't be considered an "inept" industry, as Will said. - Interesting article on which U.S. reactors are the most at risk:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42103936/ns/world_news-asiapacific/
In a strict per capita risk analysis, I wouldn't doubt that oil/coal/natural gas represent greater risk.
The time it would take to utilize more wind/solar depends on our willingness to sacrifice to get there. Unfortunately, it isn't a level playing field, and the true sacrifice (full costs) of reliance on fossil fuels never really gets evaluated systemically.
And again, then there is the aspect of financial risk, the risk of default, the risk of a total lose of a massive investment. It's easier for Republicans (and Dems) to get away with hypocrisy with respect to ethanol subsidies (wait until Republicans show up in Iowa and you'll see how hypocritical they are, only the lunatics Bachmann, Santorum, and Paul have come out against ethanol subsidies). Their ability to get the massive amounts of public financing necessary to get nuclear reactors built will be limited by general public concerns about safety (not just the concern of libz) as well as their constant politicization of public debt.— Talking point sleuth - I highly doubt that the engineers that designed American nuclear reactors anticipated the massive winter storms that could result from all that "global cooling" that Republicans have been talking about. And just think of the dangerous flooding once all that "global cooling" snow melts in the spring. — Talking point sleuth
- Obviously, locating a nuclear plant that close to a fault line was not prudent.My question however, is if they had a back-up generator available to power needed saftey systems.If not, that was really poor planning. Keep in mind that this is the 4th largest earthquake in 111 years. Not sure how you plan for that.Also keep in mind that to date not one single death has been conclusively linked to TMI. More people are killed in plane crashes in Pa. every year have ever died from TMI, yet we keep flying.More Pa. residents died in Ted Kennedy's car.Let's not go nuts about a nuclear energy moratorium (wait, the left did that 50 years ago).— georgel
- ///if they had a back-up generator available to power needed saftey systems.If not, that was really poor planning.///
Not only did they have back-ups, they had back-ups to the back-ups. They had battery back-ups and diesel generators. The batteries triggered right away and the diesel generators got up and running less than an hour later. But the diesel generators (all six) were wiped out by the tsunami. They even brought in new diesel generators but could not get them connected. - I stand corrected. Seems they did most of what was resonable and prudent. Can anybody say "act of God"(can I use that word?)
— georgel - Comment removed.
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- How'd you like to live downwind of all those Chinese nuclear reactors? It isn't just the left that's afraid of nuclear power. The right wingers had unchecked power the last decade, but somehow rolling back nucular powerplant restrictions didn't make it on their to-do list. Oopsies. When everything goes right, nuclear power requires a tremendous investment.— SteveMG
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- Oh another interesting fact for the dope who wrote "8.9 earthquakes are NOT normal". From the USGS about Alaska alone (which is situated very close to a fault line): "Alaska experiences a magnitude 7 earthquake almost every year, and a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake on average every 14 years.". Seems kind of normal to me.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- Oh, I forgot - this Einstein bases his glowing review (pun intended) on the fact that some of the walls of the facility are still standing. Guess in some universe that is a success. That is survival.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- You must have missed the part where each one of these facilities had survived major earthquakes in the past. You know, MAJOR earthquakes, the kind Will dismisses as the industry being too "inept" to design.
- Just woke up to the news of large amounts of radiation being spewed into the atmosphere, another explosion, boiling water in exposed containment tanks, and the ever-increasing risk of at least a partial meltdown....This is why fools like Gen Terd ("don't fear monger) and his verbal diarrhea have the weight of Charlie Sheen lecturing restraint. Hey, how 'bout more defenses of the great Japanese nuclear program?— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- ///The Japanese people deserve better than what they've been getting from their leaders.///
Suddenly, a liberal with no faith in government. Oh, the irony. - "Wait until Wee Willy finally stumbles across the fact that the reactors were designed by GE." ....... GE's been investing big in wind turbine production lately. Coincidence?— montani semper liberi
- "The groundwork is being laid for an assault on nuclear power." . . . . . . . The ground's already done its work.— montani semper liberi
- "But, yeah. They should have foreseen and planned for that." . . . . Yeah, since there's only been 4 quakes of higher magnitude in the last 60 years. And who ever heard of a tsunami before? Jeez, Will, can't you see we're idiots?— montani semper liberi
- Yeah, they should have planned for it. Guess who told them it was impossible for a quake over 7.9 to hit? Government scientists. Amazing to think that scientists could be off by the power of thousands, isn't it?
- The groundwork is being laid for an assault on nuclear power. The left loves alternative energy, but they want to make sure their telling you which alternative energy to use.— jmc
- From the first line of an editorial in today's Daily Snooze:
"THE THREAT of nuclear calamity in Japan should wake us up but good from the national fantasy that nuclear energy is a "clean, safe" answer to our energy demands."
Looks like the assault has already begun! - GE will e off the hook because Jeffrey Immelt is a corporate patron of President Obama and the crony left.— Mr. Smith
- Will, your comment about Japanese 'ineptitude' is beneath even your normally low level of potshot-ridden discourse. Jeesh. This quake moved the entire coastline of Japan 8 feet to the East and shifted the axis of the entire friggin' Earth by 4 inches. But, yeah. They should have foreseen and planned for that. I wouldn't worry about the Japanese being offended if they stumble across that uninformed comment given that it came from a hack whose specialty and only apparent talent in the field of journalism is in taking cheap partisan shots. An inkstained 100+ LBS.lighter version of Michael Moore employed by a bankrupt, doomed-to-continue-failing tabloid. Wait until Wee Willy finally stumbles across the fact that the reactors were designed by GE. Then his cheap shots will return home to America, he will find some method of linking GE and the reactor design to some nefarious plot by his usual cast of enemies on the right and the cycle will begin anew. Can't wait.— phluphya19147
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- That's not Godzilla batboy, that's a picture of you trying to find a date Saturday night.
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- How nice to see they are paying a whopping 25 cents an hour above minimum wage when the average public union worker makes four times as much.
- [[[=== You folks simply CANNOT STAND this man, can you? And yet, you keep coming back...LMAO ===]]]
I shudder to think what bile.atkins and our much beloved merry band of Attytood "conservatives" would do with their pent-up anger if they couldn't sign on to Attytood to call Will a "pantload" and comment obsessively about his physique.
— Talking point sleuth - Its called being bored and its always entertaining reading the stupidity from liberals
— PAEnglish - While Will is a pantload and was undoubtly dealt a lousy hand in the gene department, his blog topics, while serious to you lefties, are too much fun to pass up.
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- What I find most curious is that tens (hundreds?) of billions of Japanese government-funded infrastructure has been rendered completely useless in a matter of days, and yet apparently our beloved Attytood "conservatives" apparently are in favor of the American government funding nuclear energy to the tune of tens of billions also (because more nuclear reactors won't get built without public underwriting).
Well - at least they are consistent, because they also support public underwriting of solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy also.
Huh?
I'm sorry?
What?— Talking point sleuth - They also want to build the next reactors on the Texas Gulf Coast, where the hurricanes go. What could go wrong?
- BillHicks,
You have to understand. The need to evacuate hundreds of thousands, and a potential breach of a nuclear reactor containment structure where large releases of radioactive material could reach Tokyo and its 12+ million residents within 10 hours, is nothing of significance.
As RG has explained, the concerns are all just being dreamed up by the vast leftwing media conspiracy. There really is no significant potential danger.
As Glen Beck has explained, its all part of Sorros' plot.
Oh, and don't forget, the Republican Party is the party of fiscal conservatism and everyone benefits from tax cuts for the rich.
Get with the program.— Talking point sleuth - A totally stupid post. With the exception of scheduled maintenance downtime, nuclear plants run 24/7,365 days a year. Whereas solar and wind are dependent on the weather. Try again TPOS.
- Somehow I don't see a tsunami's impact on wind turbines and solar panels having quite the same impact on what is going on in Japan right now. That thing you right wingers keep saying to ignore.
- You folks simply CANNOT STAND this man, can you? And yet, you keep coming back...LMAO— HazmatCorntail
- Did Will say pray? I didn't think that word was in his vocabulary. Even if it was, I never expected him to include it in one of his blogs. Remember libs...religion bad....— TKL008
- Wow! Looks like the natives are restless tonight, Will.
Fortunately, their restlessness doesn't prevent them from being downright hilarious. As usual.
I love the logic of arguments that downplay the potential dangers of situations that cause Japanese officials to order the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.
Because, you know, as RG points out, they usually recommend even more evacuations whenever anyone gets an X-ray.
Oh. My sides.— Talking point sleuth - In right wing world, there is no reason to fear a nuclear plant meltdown or climate change. But teachers' unions, Muslims, and a 4% tax increase on the wealthiest Americans require full panic mode.
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- Better to build a highway there! Cause cars do so much better in earthquakes and tsunamis!
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- Reality check: "Amid dire reports of melting fuel rods and sickened workers at Japan’s beleaguered Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactor, the public health risk from radiation exposure remains very low in that country — or abroad, experts say.
“In general, right now, the citizens of Japan have far more other things to worry about than nuclear power,” said Richard L. Morin, a professor of radiologic physics at the Mayo Clinic and chair of the safety committee of the American College of Radiology." "American experts monitoring the situation agreed, saying that reported radiation exposure remains far lower than normal exposure from background radiation in the environment, from medical procedures such as CT scans, or even from transatlantic air flights.
“I haven’t seen anything so far that seems to indicate that people are being exposed to levels of radiation that are acutely dangerous,” said G. Donald Frey, a professor of radiology at the Medical University of South Carolina." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42075628/— RG - Will, you are hysterical. Cite proof positive of damaged containment vessel, no, not the NY Slimes. You really should read this interesting piece from an expert and stop gloom and dooming.
http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-reactors-pose-no-risk-2011-3 - Bill, I thought the same thing. The death toll is predicted to reach 10k, the devastation is incomprehensible, yet the media won't shut up about the nuclear plants. Clearly they are an issue, but lets put it in perspective and give it some time before attacking nuclear energy.— RG
- Will, yes that is surviving to these people. And with multiple problem reactors STILL boiling away and radiation being detected over 60 miles away comments like "stop your stupid fear mongering" shows the complete disconnect from reality that affect these these sociopaths - unfortunately idiots with that mindset are overseeing our gas industry in PA. Hey, there's always solar (where companies like NextEra Energy Research in CA has a 2000-acre farm planned that's now threatened by Rethuglican cuts for solar projects) and wind, but these brainiacs are too busy touting what a success the Japanese nuclear program is today.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- I took a minute and a half to read your silly post. I wish I had the time back. More unhinged hysteria. You and Will should consol each other in the basement.
- Coming from right wingers, who wet their pants over the thought of Muslims and illegal immigrants, accusations of hysteria are down right comical.
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- batboy once again showing his ignorance. Godzilla was meant as an allegory for the atom bomb, hence why the film was so popular. Not that I expect you to understand what an allegory is.
- Do you think an 8.9 mag quake, followed by a massive tsunami and 30+ aftershocks is a normal occurance?— RG
- You call this surviving -- the new explosion at reactor #2 most likely has damaged the containment vessel, which will cause a much more significant release of radiation. There are reports that as many as three of the reactors may experience meltdowns. I'm not saying it's the end of the world as we know it (luckily the winds are pushing the radiation out to sea) but do you think three simultaneous meltdowns is a normal occurrance?— will
- "but do you think three simultaneous meltdowns is a normal occurrance?"
Nice straw man, tubs. No one said it is a normal occurrence. Furthermore, we don't have three meltdowns yet (hopefully not at all). The radiation that has been released thus far has been minimal.
In the meantime there are hundreds of thousands of Japanese without fresh water, food, shelter, sewers, etc. The risk of death from starvation, disease, injury and infection is much higher that the risk of death by radiation right now.
It's fine to question the logic of building nuclear plants anywhere near a fault line, I question that myself. But to write that the nuclear industry is inept and they designed facilities that are "so incapable of handling a major earthquake " is flat-out erroneous. They survived significant quakes in the past, and you would know that if you did your research like a good journalist. - Comment removed.
- ///is the fact that these nuclear plants were so incapable of handling a major earthquake -- on a mountainous island nation created by one of the world's major fault lines.///
Get your facts straight Will. These reactors survived a previous major earthquake many years ago. Furthermore, the plants actually survived well beyond the 7.9 magnitude they were initially designed to absorb. Why were they only designed to survive a 7.9 quake? Because that's what Earth scientists told them was the highest possible strength of a quake in that area.
They survived an 8.9 quake, Will -- 8 point freaking nine. Do you know how powerful that is? The quake that leveled San Francisco was a 7.7 to 7.9. The one that floored Haiti was a 7.0. Do you realize than an 8.9 is several hundred more times powerful than a 7.9? Stop your stupid fear mongering.— General Turgidson - Yeah they're surviving real well there General. "General, I am becoming less and less interested in what you think..."
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