Nuclear threat level raised

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_05.html

 

In my eyes, this is a kind of a joke, and I am sure they did this only because of the pressure from outside World.

The radiation is stable since 15 March and for most of the Kanto-area decreasing from day to day (Tokyo is at 0,074uSv/h atm).

What happens to the sea and the immediate range in Fukushima is no good, everybody is aware of that. But everybody also knows that this isn't a Chernobyl. At least not yet and also still quite far away from it.

So why do the gap from 5 to 7 right now and not already like 2~3 weeks ago?

This just will feed the medias again with even more comming up crap.

 

no it's serious. sure the level is 10% of what shot out chernobil but it's really dangerous now.

 

Why you say "now"? Wasn't that always the case already since March 15th?

Just because they say so?

 

not at all so high. not 10 times more than normal. it's 10% OF CHERNOBIL.

 

Hopefully it doesn't get any higher...

 

Here's what I don't get. If 7 is the highest... what would the rating of a core dropped on the Yamanote line riding around central Tokyo? In other words, certainly there could be a worst disaster. Quite simply, what if Fukushima had no casing? I'm not trying to downplay this, just saying it seems like things could get worse and we don't have a rating for it.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13045341

They raised it because of the total output, not just the hourly figures. I guess it's the fact that it's ongoing that's cause for concern. They're also widening the evacuation zone - signs that all is not well.

By the way, the INES scale determines that level 5 is severe, and there will be deaths due to radiation. However, it implies limited radiation. Level 6 implies significant radiation, and level 7 implies major radiation with severe implications requiring extra action be taken.

Don't take this action lightly - it's done because it needs to be done. I would argue that the reason it hadn't been done sooner is the Japanese tendency to cover things up and pretend everything's OK, particularly TEPCO - rather than that it's only been done due to outside pressure.

*EDIT*

It would be a 7. Whilst the implications of an exposed core in public would be greater, the definition of a 7 is:

Dropping a core in public = major release of radioactive material.
Effect of dropping a core in public = widespread health and environmental effects.
Action needed when core dropped in public = implementation of planned and extended countermeasures.

It's not a rating scale as you're thinking, 7 is the highest because you can't get worse than widespread health and environmental effects... except the end of the World... but that technically IS a widespread environmental effect!

 

Afterall the scale of 1-7 is only an effort of explaining a complicated individual event to the public and especially to people who know little about nuclear science. That's why there are so many different possible scenario's for a level-7 accident but only Chernobyl and Fukushima were serious enough to be classified as such. Three-Mile-Island was "only" a 5 and it was already very serious.

I wouldn't underestimate the consequences of the Fukushima incident, we don't know shit so far, none of us. Not even Tepco's scientists had a glance at the real damage inside the reactor if they are honest with that.

There are lots of major differences to Chernobyl and yes, only 10% of the radiation in Chernobyl has been spread by the Fukushima plant up to this point. But it's not over yet, radioactivity is still hitting the environment and if they can't stop it it's only a matter of time until we have a 100% Chernobyl in terms of radioactive contamination.

 

i pray plutonium is not acconted for this levels. that would be dramatic

 

Yeah, somewhat like the DEFCON system. DEFCON 1 = war, but it doesn't account for how much war.

 

No, has nothing to do with the very little found of Pu.

But it also will misslead those peeps, since everyone now believes Fukushima = LEVEL 7 = Tschernobyl = 500km radi of purest danger zone with thousands upon thousands of casualties and millions with high cancer risk dying in the next few month etc.

Purest news-feed for western media again. HALLELUJA!

And I'll get again plenty of worry calls. Well done.

 

some people say chernobyl is almost ready for agriculture.

 

What land exactly? They've not said exactly what and how much has been released into the environment. There were traces of Cesium found, but other than right near the reactor, non-lethal doses. I'm sure the assessment for how much and how long is down the road, once the reactor situation is under control.

Guess we're all dead then since that can't be controlled.

[Credible] source please. The powers of the world are now saying travel/residence in Tokyo is safe, and at it's worse was only a remote fear.

 

So far from what was released, the half live is:

- 134Cs 2,0648 years (2 years)
- 137Cs 30,17 years (30 years)
- 131I 8,02070 days (8 days)

 

And how much Cesium 137 was released? That's the main question. The sub-question is how easily can it travel?

 

The amount of people that don't read the news and just interpret things incorrectly is astounding.

The amount of danger is exactly the same. It's a reclassification, not a change in current circumstances.

Depends on the amount of radiation released. Are you a nuclear scientist? No. Where are you getting "ruined for 100 years" from? The radiation levels in the food produce from the region at the moment have been shown to be safe. Much safer than american cheese for sure.

Which is used as mineral water/drinking water for which region?

Fish tend to move about in the Oceans, so there's very little that can be done about that I would wager that sushi in Eastern Japan is still much healthier than most meals.

As GP said, you need to state a source for this. Or it your opinion? The British Embassy have changed to say travel to Tokyo is "as normal" and only to Fukushima and the North, are they saying travel shouldn't be made unless essential.

 

7 is just the level of the worst ever nuclear incident. There is nothing to say this won't go higher. Then that would be the top of the scale, and so on.

 

Could you please calculate exactly how long Fukushima would have to keep emitting radiation at the current levels, to equal Chernobyl?

Exactly. It's amazing to me how Chernobyl is level 7 (why the hell not have a 0-10 scale?), yet Fukushima is also a level 7, yet 10% of the radiation has been emitted. The scale is bullshit. The damn earthquake shindo scale makes more sense than this.

Sure, it could get worse, but the scale doesn't move. It's not dynamic. This is now always going to be a level 7. So is Chernobyl. Even if the plant explodes, and releases tonnes of plutonium across Japan, high into the atmosphere and kills people in California, it will only ever be a level 7.

Even if it contaminates the entire planet, it is a level 7.