As I tune in to NHK live TV, and see the piece on using Twitter to aid in disaster relief being shown for the 20th time over the last 48 hours, I wonder about what appears to be a sudden and dramatic drop in the level of coverage of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. Over the last several days, the IAEA has stopped bothering to note that cooling systems are still not working and have shifted their attention to monitoring the rising radiation levels outside the plant on both land and sea. Meanwhile, TEPCO engineers are speaking of covering the reactor plant with a big blanket of some kind while reasonably credible sources (i.e., those involved in building the plant) seem increasingly convinced that one reactor’s core has breached its containment vessel.<\/p>\n
We have mainly been simply reporting what the Internet has been saying, what the Japanese news has been saying, and what the International Atomic Energy Agency has been saying. This is interesting because Ana’s feed is live and catches with its currency and all the quirks and foibles along with the news, the Internet is a diversity of reaction delayed by hours, and the IAEA response is at least a day behind, measured, and we presume most accurate.<\/p>\n
And, of course, we have been told to quiet down in a number of ways by a number of people. First we were told to quiet down because there really could not be a disaster here. Radiation could not really escape at serious levels. The buildings that exploded were not really needed. They are supposed to explode, so it is no big deal. The containment vessel is so solid that nothing can get out of it. Anyway, the Tsunami is the real disaster. Automobile deaths are the real problem. Food poisoning is where we should be focusing our attention. And, most recently, asking questions about what is happening during a very current and very real nuclear power plant disaster is offensive to the hard working people who are in danger at the plant.<\/p>\n
We are not amused with the screeching monkeys.<\/p>\n
Here’s what we’ve got:
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Ana’s Feed:<\/strong><\/p>\n Monday, March 28th, 5:30 AM<\/p>\n As of 16:00 March 28, 2011 – some very high readings outside the evac. zone.<\/p>\n Monday, March 28th, 5:30 PM<\/p>\n TEPCO analysis of soil samples:<\/p>\n TEPCO says the measured amounts of plutonium will have no impact on human health, but they’d like to increase monitoring “just in case.” (NHK)<\/p>\n 11:00 PM<\/p>\n TEPCO plans to sandbag around the plant to keep the reactor water out of the sea. (NHK)<\/p>\n\n