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Every time I see a "everything will be fine" article, things get worse a few hours later. Please, just sit on your hands, wait, and see. Maybe Chernobyl wasn't

by tybris 16y ago

Every time I see a "everything will be fine" article, things get worse a few hours later. Please, just sit on your hands, wait, and see. Maybe Chernobyl wasn't actually as bad as it could have been. Maybe Fukushima is going to be a lot worse than expected. Maybe Chernobyl is in the middle of f*ing nowhere. Maybe Fukushima is in one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Who knows? All we know is that there are a few dozen people right now, fighting to prevent what could become one of the biggest man-made disasters in history. Many of them are likely going to die within a few years because of it.

orblivion 16y ago
> Many of them are likely going to die within a few years because of it. I don't think we even know that for certain, do we? Seems quite likely but a lot of things about this story end up surprising us.
- bioh42_2 16y ago
  Seems quite likely but a lot of things about this story end up surprising us. Yes, things surprisingly just keep getting worse, despite optimistic predictions.
michaelchisari 16y ago
Every time I see a "everything will be fine" article I hardly consider this an "everything will be fine" article.
Natsu 16y ago
> All we know is that there are a few dozen people right now, fighting to prevent what could become one of the biggest man-made disasters in history. But how are they going to save the 26,000 people killed by the failure of the Banqiao Dam without time travel? I'm kidding, but don't let anyone fool you: Fukushima Dai-ichi is still dangerous, but only to the people nearby. There's a substantial risk of further hydrogen explosions and radiation spikes that are dangerous to the people nearby. They're very unlikely to affect anyone not in Japan. Cleanup will be a pain. But hearing "OH GOD WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" constantly in the media is pretty grating for anyone who understands the real, immediate concerns in Japan right now. Yes, the reactor needs cool and the workers are very brave. They probably do risk significant radiation exposure. But meanwhile, there are many people who got swept out to sea, people who are trapped behind blocked roads and who need supplies and people injured from the quake in remote areas who need care. These logistical problems are the real disaster and they're being virtually ignored by anyone outside Japan while all eyes are on the continuing problems at Fukushima Dai-ichi. One good thing, badly under-reported, is how helpful the US Military's logistical support is. And I don't mean just the stuff at Fukushima. Removing rubble from roads and clearing collapsed buildings is not at all glamorous, but a lot of such things need to be done right now.
- locopati 16y ago
  'still dangerous, but only to the people nearby' Depending on what happens in the next week or two and depending on which way the wind blows, that could be 35m people nearby in the Tokyo metro area.

by tybris 16y ago

orblivion 16y ago

> Many of them are likely going to die within a few years because of it. I don't think we even know that for certain, do we? Seems quite likely but a lot of things about this story end up surprising us.

bioh42_2 16y ago
Seems quite likely but a lot of things about this story end up surprising us. Yes, things surprisingly just keep getting worse, despite optimistic predictions.

michaelchisari 16y ago

Every time I see a "everything will be fine" article I hardly consider this an "everything will be fine" article.

Natsu 16y ago

> All we know is that there are a few dozen people right now, fighting to prevent what could become one of the biggest man-made disasters in history. But how are they going to save the 26,000 people killed by the failure of the Banqiao Dam without time travel? I'm kidding, but don't let anyone fool you: Fukushima Dai-ichi is still dangerous, but only to the people nearby. There's a substantial risk of further hydrogen explosions and radiation spikes that are dangerous to the people nearby. They're very unlikely to affect anyone not in Japan. Cleanup will be a pain. But hearing "OH GOD WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" constantly in the media is pretty grating for anyone who understands the real, immediate concerns in Japan right now. Yes, the reactor needs cool and the workers are very brave. They probably do risk significant radiation exposure. But meanwhile, there are many people who got swept out to sea, people who are trapped behind blocked roads and who need supplies and people injured from the quake in remote areas who need care. These logistical problems are the real disaster and they're being virtually ignored by anyone outside Japan while all eyes are on the continuing problems at Fukushima Dai-ichi. One good thing, badly under-reported, is how helpful the US Military's logistical support is. And I don't mean just the stuff at Fukushima. Removing rubble from roads and clearing collapsed buildings is not at all glamorous, but a lot of such things need to be done right now.

locopati 16y ago
'still dangerous, but only to the people nearby' Depending on what happens in the next week or two and depending on which way the wind blows, that could be 35m people nearby in the Tokyo metro area.