Of tremors and tides and reactors

April 11, 2011. One month since nature knocked out large parts of Japan with ruthless ferocity. March 11th 2011 started out like just another day in the lives of people here. Crowded trains, busy streets, work, meetings, the usual stuff. People doing what they always do. Everything changed in a matter of a few minutes […]

What is Happening in the Reactor Cores of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station?

Author:  Michio Ishikawa (Chief Adviser of Japan Nuclear Technology Institute (JANTI)) By estimating what is happening in the reactor cores of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station based on the facts and developments of the Three Miles Island (TMI) accident, I would like to urgently state what are expected to happen from now on and what […]

Japan Nuclear Situation – Informative links

News portals: Reuters live coverage of the nuclear crisis http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2 Kyodo News live coverage http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/japan_nuclear_crisis/ Television: NHK Television english stream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv japanese television translated in realtime by katz http://yokosonews.com/live/ Live webcam targeted at Fukushima 1 (1 picture every full hour) http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/f1-np/camera/index-j.html Radiation measures: geiger counter in chiba – live stream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/geiger-counter-chiba geiger counter in tokyo […]

Links to radiation data from various monitoring stations

Several monitoring stations are keeping track of the radiation levels in Japan. Up-to-date information can be viewed by following the links given below: http://www.houshasen-pref-ibaraki.jp/present/result01.html http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/21/1303971_2113i.pdf Tokyo: http://www.denphone.com/denphone-tokyo-office-geiger-counter

Ukraine advises Japan to use tin to cool Fukushima reactor

According to Ukrainian specialists, to bring the heat processes in Fukushima-1 reactors under control, it is necessary “first, to ensure a normal cooling mode in the spent fuel pools by pumping water, sea water as a last resort, into them; second, the type of reactor fuel coolant needs to be changed – water, which might […]

Nagasaki survivor calmly waits out nuclear crisis in Tokyo

Kazuko Yamashita was five when the atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, destroying her home in a second and leaving her with a lifelong fear that every time she becomes ill, this time it is finally cancer. Now, 66 years later, she wears a dark pink sweater, her dyed hair in a neat bob, and […]

Status of reactors at Fukushima (as of 15:00 JST, March 16, 2011)

Status of reactors at Fukushima nuclear power plants (as of 15:00 JST, March 16, 2011) The following is the known status as of Wednesday afternoon of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima No. 2 plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were […]

Update from Mr. P. Thadathil (Counsellor, S&T, Embassy of India)

Dear All, Pls. don’t get worried about the media reports of detecting radiation. Today, I was fortunate to get an Indian nuclear scientist working in Japan. He has 22 years of experience in safety and maintainace of Nuclrear power recators. According to him, people outside the 30 Km zone can enjoy their life as they […]

Information from British Embassy

Telephone briefing from Sir John Beddington, the UK’s Chief Scientific adviser and Hilary Walker Deputy Director Emergency Preparedness at the Department of Health. “Unequivocally, Tokyo will not be affected by the radiation fallout of explosions that have occurred or may occur at the Fukushima nuclear power stations.” The danger area is limited to within the 30 kilometer evacuation zone and […]