Three Towns Forum
Members' Lounge => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Michael on October 14, 2010, 10:45:03 pm
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There must be few people who are not aware of the mine rescue in Chile. I have been surprised that over the last eight weeks I have seen no reference to what I think is a similarity to a fictional film entitled "Ace in the Hole" starring Kirk Douglas, Father of Michael Douglas. Does anyone remember it? Although I was never a keen cinema goer, and I was, and am, even worse at remembering them, I remember this film well. I looked it up in Google, I knew it was around in the 1950s, but Google say it was 1951. I didnt think it was that long ago. However, in case anyone is interested, my memory tells me that, basically, a local newspaper reported comes across a man trapped down a mine. The reporter knew the area well, and knew there was a fairly easy way he could be released---maybe a day or two.But, he decided to make a scoop for himself. He managed to presuade everyone that the only way to rescue the man was by drilling down from above, which would take weeks. The reporte r made a killing financially with spin offs even down to burger bars for spectators Unfortunately, too late, he realised the man was starting to die, and it was too late to get him out by the secret, quick route. Sorry, but I truly don't remember what happened in the end. Perhaps I had to leave the cinema to catch the last bus home.
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You're a mine of information Mike. 8)
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Yes the rescue was an amazing operation, so well prepared for and carried out. It was incredible that there were no significant problems and that it all ended happily.
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Yes, and some very ingenious solutions devised in order to get supplies down to the miners in that tiny opening.
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Seismologists at the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California, have just revised their calculations regarding the magnitude of today's quake. They now say it was magnitude 9.0. Already one of the top 10 recorded earthquakes in history, the revision suggests the quake was even more powerful than first thought.
Harold Tobin of the University of Wisconsin-Madison told New Scientist that this figure will probably change again. This is typical in the hours after a large seismic event, as more information becomes available.
Earlier today, it was suggested that the tremor may have occurred along a splay fault - a branch off the main megathrust fault which runs through this area of the Japan trench. If so, that could mean the fault was previously unknown to geologists.
Splay faults tend to break at steeper angles than megathrust quakes, making them highly likely to lead to a large uplift of the seafloor that produces damaging tsunamis such as the one that crashed ashore in Sendai and the Honshu coast earlier today.
But the new set of calculations indicate that the giant quake ruptured at an angle of 14 degrees below horizontal. Such a shallow slip suggests the earthquake did in fact occur along the main megathrust fault.
Tobin said that in the next few days, seismologists will be working feverishly to come up with a new set of calculations known as an "inversion" to determine over what area the fault slipped and how great the slip was. It's likely to have been several metres for an earthquake of this magnitude.
Once that's established, geologists will begin to look at how this earthquake may have transferred stress onto - or away from - faults in the Tokyo bay and Nankai trough regions, to the south-west.
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It keeps on getting worse:
The Japanese are certainly having a rough time of it, and following last Friday's devastating magitude 9.0 earthquake, Shinmoedake volcano on the southern island of Kyushu erupted yesterday.
The volcano had been dormant for 52 years until showing signs of stirring in January. It's currently spewing ash and rock some 6,000ft into the air while a lava dome ominiously grows inside the crater.
Shinmoedake is some 950 miles from the epicentre of last week's quake, and experts can't say whether or not its latest outpouring is as a result of that event.
The mountain famously appeared in 1967 Bond outing You Only Live Twice, when it was the location of Blofeld's secret rocket base. Fans will recall it met an impressively pyrotechnic end at the hands of 007. ®
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These Jap nuclear reactors seem a bit ropey - are they made by Toyota? :laugh: Did they not consider the idea of a Tsunami knocking out the generators that control the cooling?
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Probably, but this quake was somewhat bigger at 9, and it seems to have been caused by a Splay - a newly appearing tectonic fracture which hadn't been known about, the same sort of scenario as posed in the film, 2012.
It's a massive domino effect, it seems; the reactors have all been shut down, but the heat inside is taking a long time to escape and the pressure inside is resisting their attempts to get coolant in. Briefly, although all four reactors automatically shut down immediately after Friday's earthquake, engineers have struggled to cool down the reactor cores, because pumps that should have driven cooling water into the reactors failed. This meant that the reactors overheated, turning the water into steam.
The engineers therefore vented the steam, carrying some radioactive caesium-137 and iodine-131 (both of which are produced by the uranium in the fuel rods) into the environment. The fuel rods are tubes of zircoloid stuffed with uranium dioxide. When these aren't cooled enough, they swell up and can crack. At that point, radioactive caesium and iodine gases can escape. As the zircoloid heats up, it reacts with the cooling water to form hydrogen, which is a highly explosive gas. This was to blame for the dramatic explosions that damaged the outer buildings of reactors 1 and 3.
However, it is now reactor 2 that is causing the most concern. Replacement pumps intended to inject cooling water have repeatedly failed, meaning that water levels fell and the fuel rods overheated still further. According to Kyodo News:
Water levels sharply fell and the fuel rods were fully exposed for about 140 minutes in the evening as a fire pump to pour cooling seawater into the reactor ran out of fuel and it took time for workers to release steam from the reactor to lower its pressure, the government's nuclear safety agency said.
Then within the last few hours a further accident occurred. Kyodo News reports:
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday fuel rods were fully exposed again in the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant as of 11 p.m. TEPCO said a steam vent of the pressure container of the reactor that houses the rods was closed for some reason, leading to a sudden drop in water levels inside the reactor.
This series of coolant failures has increased the chance that the fuel rods will start to melt. If you fail to cool it, the uranium can melt and it will all fall to the bottom as a big soup.
But even if the rods do melt and sink to the base of the reactor vessel, this shouldn't be a problem unless the vessel itself breaks open.
"The big question is whether the containment holds," says Wakeford. "There was a meltdown at Three-Mile Island, but the vessel remained intact."
Wakeford says there is no chance of a "China syndrome" scenario, with the fuel burning its way right through to the earth's core with potential to blow up the planet.
The repeated coolant failures have made the situation much worse, because temperatures and pressures will have risen much more. The pressure vessel that contains the fuel rods will have some threshold beyond which it cannot cope, and will break open.
If the pressure vessel does burst, radioactive gases would be released, mainly caesium-137 and iodine-131. Radioactive iodine is the biggest problem, because if it contaminates drinking water or milk, it can be taken up by the thyroid gland, potentially leading to thyroid cancers as seen in the wake of Chernobyl.
Much more long-lived, with a half life of 30 years, is the other potentially dangerous element that could be released: caesium-137. This has been the most problematic legacy of Chernobyl, as it was carried throughout western Europe by the wind. Wakeford says that the Japanese authorities need to do whatever they can to prevent it escaping.
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Why on earth do they have nuclear power stations at all. They know they are living on a fault. When I was there, a tower in Kyoto had a notice at the top which said "This tower has been built to withstand the strongest typhoon that Japan has ever experienced and an earthquake of 6 the strongest ever had here". Well there's no accounting for nature making them stronger is there? :rage:
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Japan is facing the world's biggest nuclear crisis for decades as engineers struggle to regain control of the Fukushima plant following another explosion and a fire that caused a spike in radiation to harmful levels.
Amid growing fears that the situation is heading for catastrophe, 70 technicians are still battling to cool reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi facility but non-essential personnel have been ordered to leave and the Kyodo news agency reported that radiation levels have become too high for staff to remain in control rooms. The government has already called in international help in tackling the spiralling crisis.
Early on Tuesday, the power plant in the country's stricken north-east was rocked by an explosion at the No 2 reactor, the third blast at the site in four days. That was followed by a fire that broke out at the No 4 reactor unit, which appeared to be the cause of today's radiation leaks. That reactor was shut down for maintenance before the earthquake, but its spent fuel rods are stored in a pool at the site. The fire was later extinguished but Kyodo reported that the pool was subsequently boiling, with the water level falling. If the water boils off there is a risk that the fuel could catch fire, sending a plume of radiation directly into the atmosphere.
Radiation levels at one location on the site reached 400 millisieverts (mSv) an hour after the fire - four times the level that can lead to cancer - the chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, said. But levels had lowered dramatically by the end of the day, according to the International Atomic Energy Authority.
The government ordered any inhabitants remaining within the 12-mile (20km) radius exclusion zone to leave immediately, told those between 12 miles and 19 miles away to stay indoors and imposed a 19-mile no-fly zone. Experts backed their assessment that health risks beyond that area were minimal at present.
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The effects of the Tsunami was felt on the Western seaboard of the United States, some 14 hours after it struck Japan.
Santa Cruz Tsunami Up Close 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgt8qBSZEn0#ws)
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That was amazing, to think it had such an effect over that distance *&(
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Japan Tsunami Appeal
http://www.redcross.org.uk/japantsunami/?approachcode=68816_googlePAD4JpTs&gclid=CNGV9b6J0acCFcoa4QodXxXwDA (http://www.redcross.org.uk/japantsunami/?approachcode=68816_googlePAD4JpTs&gclid=CNGV9b6J0acCFcoa4QodXxXwDA)
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Ian, I am NOT being nasty or sarcastic here---but---did you pull all these most technical facts about the Japan disaster out of your head, your own knowledge, or did you read it up? No disgrace in either event, but, if you did already know all this, I think your talents are a bit wasted. Mike
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I think they call it "research", Mike! )*)&
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Ian, I am NOT being nasty or sarcastic here---but---did you pull all these most technical facts about the Japan disaster out of your head, your own knowledge, or did you read it up? No disgrace in either event, but, if you did already know all this, I think your talents are a bit wasted. Mike
_))* copy the text and search in google and you'll find 'Ian' must have posted this everywhere L0L
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Ian, I am NOT being nasty or sarcastic here---but---did you pull all these most technical facts about the Japan disaster out of your head, your own knowledge, or did you read it up? No disgrace in either event, but, if you did already know all this, I think your talents are a bit wasted. Mike
_))* copy the text and search in google and you'll find 'Ian' must have posted this everywhere L0L
L0L
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The information was collated from three sources. Unfortunately, my PhD isn't in Nuclear Thermodynamics.
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Japanese emergency teams say they are 'not afraid to die' as they face dangerous levels of radiation in the fight to stop catastrophe at the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant.
The stricken power station was abandoned for hours today, as soaring radiation forced the emergency workers to flee for their lives and authorities were reduced to spraying reactors with police water cannons.
But 180 workers this afternoon bravely headed back towards the plant to pump water on to the over-heating reactors. Some experts speculated that they were on a 'suicide mission'.
What brave men there are in the world, prepared to risk their lives so that others can live safely ££$
but it's worrying that Japanese officials were warned more than two years ago that the country's nuclear power plants could not withstand powerful earthquakes.
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Seems that the media are trying to desperately to whip up hysteria over the Nuclear incidents in Japan, without much foundation:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/25/fukushima_scaremongering_debunk/ (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/25/fukushima_scaremongering_debunk/)
Even the Beeb has stopped wheeling out nuclear specialists as these were consistently saying that the Japanese incidents are actually far less dangerous than the media is claiming.
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...Or maybe the ''experts'' are deliberately playing it down? To avoid panicking the population?
Also because they won't have a job if the truth came out, and nuclear energy became scaled down?
Just a thought...
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These eco fanatics can't have it both ways, they moan about co2, nuclear power is excellent for lack of co2, so they also moan about nuclear power :rage: We have to have power from somewhere and there are risks with every source of power, Fusion will be great when they get it sorted, but in the meantime we all want electricity and no one seems keen on having a wind generator in view....
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Or maybe the ''experts'' are deliberately playing it down? To avoid panicking the population? Also because they won't have a job if the truth came out, and nuclear energy became scaled down?.
It seems to be the experts that are setting the agenda in terms of the hysteria in the first place, though, so I don't think that's the case. It seems that the subject is complicated and - when you examine the issue closely - there's little detailed evidence and research that shows the effects of differing amounts of exposure to radiation over periods of time. The best we have is Chernobyl - and the research there has shown the dangers to be far less than people had expected.
I suspect that what's happening is that the real experts - those who have the access to detailed, post-Chernobyl and post-Hiroshima research, and who would naturally be extremely cautious - are now emerging and trying to battle the media-fed hysteria to explain that things are nowhere near as bad as the papers would have us believe.
And we've seen this all before. Bad and scary news sells papers and increases viewing figures. Calmly delivered, factual news reporting doesn't.
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See below, a ''mnor'' Earthquake in Blackpool in the early hours of today.
I was woken by one in Yorkshire about 3 years ago... lights and windows rattling, furniture shaking... but curiously I never found any cracks in the plaster.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12930915 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12930915)
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I'm a bit skeptical about this---- You do know what date it is :o
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There have been quite a few in North Wales over the years. Nothing major, obviously, but they made themselves felt.
Info on UK Earthquakes here:
http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/recent_events/uk_special/alert_info_uk.htm (http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/recent_events/uk_special/alert_info_uk.htm)
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Now who can we blame for this one?
SEISMIC ALERT: BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE 1 APRIL 2011 02:34 UTC 2.2 ML
The following preliminary information is available for this earthquake:
DATE : 1 April 2011
ORIGIN TIME : 02:34 32.3s UTC
LAT/LON : 53.843° North / 2.990° West
GRID REF : 334.87 km/E / 439.01 km/N
DEPTH : 11.6 km
MAGNITUDE : 2.2 ML
LOCALITY : Blackpool, Lancashire
INTENSITY : 3 EMS
BGS have detected an earthquake at 02:34 UTC (03:34 BST) this morning (1 April 2011) located approximately 4 km northeast of Blackpool, Lancashire. Several residents from Blackpool, Preston and surrounding areas have reported having felt this event, describing "some neighbours houses are showing lights as if they were woken up" and "heard a bang then felt a rumble".
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Isn't it amazing how quickly massive stories vanish from the TV News.
Although it has disappeared from the top of the news, the Japanese tsunami is an incredible disaster still occuring.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13388370 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13388370)
Please take a look at this article,
They do not know where to start in clearing the immense amount of debris.
They have chosen a valley, overlooking the sea, to dump everything. They thought it could accomodate a CENTURY'S worth of household waste.
But they have filled it in 6 weeks.
It is an ongoing nightmare. It has also gone very quiet in regard to the Nuclear Power Plant that was spewing radiation.
How quickly we all forget and move on...
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Let's not forget the Dolgarrog Dam Disaster of 1925
http://www.melin-y-coed.co.uk/page14.htm (http://www.melin-y-coed.co.uk/page14.htm)
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While were at it lest not forget Tryweryn $good$
Where did you get your avatar dwsi 'cosI luv it :-*
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put 'tryweryn' into the search here http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/ (http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/)
flag avatar came courtesy of google image search D) $walesflag$
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Let's not forget the Dolgarrog Dam Disaster of 1925
http://www.melin-y-coed.co.uk/page14.htm (http://www.melin-y-coed.co.uk/page14.htm)
A terrible disaster indeed Dwsi, where 16 poor souls perished... but up to press, in this CURRENT situation in Japan, over 16,000 are confirmed dead!
Lets have a bit of perspective...
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Let's not forget the Dolgarrog Dam Disaster of 1925
http://www.melin-y-coed.co.uk/page14.htm (http://www.melin-y-coed.co.uk/page14.htm)
A terrible disaster indeed Dwsi, where 16 poor souls perished... but up to press, in this CURRENT situation in Japan, over 16,000 are confirmed dead!
Lets have a bit of perspective...
and 9000 more missing
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How quickly we all forget and move on...
I'm not sure we do; but the juggernaut that is 24/7 news reporting is always looking for new items, and assumes that the audience will have tired of the current situation rather quickly. The unacceptable aspect, I think, is the tacit belief by the news media that only new items are worth reporting. Clear ups and after effects are not considered newsworthy, but one wonders exactly how this has come to be. I find it difficult to believe that we - as a viewing audience - are that shallow, that we only want to know about the visually dramatic. But perhaps that's exactly what the majority do.
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Unlike the euphoria that surrounded the rescue of the Chilean miners last year, these poor souls and their families are facing tragedy here in Wales.
All our sympathies and thoughts should be with their loved ones right now. Bless them
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14955526 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14955526)
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its hard to believe in this day and age we are still losing men down the mines, so much for modern technology, its the families who have to suffer when this happens, the thought of not knowing if they will ever see there loved ones coming up alive must be one of the worst experiences anyone can endure. My heart goes out to their families
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Italy's Mount Etna has erupted, with large plumes of ash and smoke seen rising from the volcano.
Images and video from the island of Sicily showed volcanic material spilling out of the volcano on Monday morning.
A number of explosions of "increasing intensity" were recorded in the early hours on Monday morning, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Etna Observatory said.Mount Etna erupts as large plumes rise from volcano
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5e7vx2pk9o