holy Sh*t! Massive earthquake just hit Japan!

[SkinnyPupp]

Amazing video, wow. I had goosebumps watching those kids being saved

[seakrait]

crazy video.

i hope we'd be doing the same thing here if/when the big one comes.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by seakrait

crazy video.

i hope we'd be doing the same thing here if/when the big one comes.

Most likely not lol.

[Raid3n]

It's sad but true. I don't expect anywhere near the same level of respect/discipline here.
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[-EuroRSN-]

Originally Posted by seakrait

crazy video.

i hope we'd be doing the same thing here if/when the big one comes.

Honestly i had a huge discussion with a co worker about this last night and we came to a conclusion that if a big disaster occurred here then we will definitely not see the same heroism and respectful nature that we saw in Japan.

Vancouver will most likely under go major theft, unstable chaos , no respect for others and just generally have selfish people. Obviously not all are going to be like this but we will not be as civil as japan.

One reason for this is may be multiculturalism but hopefully knock on woood if something happens everybody will pull through as a society!

[will068]

Originally Posted by -EuroRSN-

Honestly i had a huge discussion with a co worker about this last night and we came to a conclusion that if a big disaster occurred here then we will definitely not see the same heroism and respectful nature that we saw in Japan.

Vancouver will most likely under go major theft, unstable chaos , no respect for others and just generally have selfish people. Obviously not all are going to be like this but we will not be as civil as japan.

One reason for this is may be multiculturalism but hopefully knock on woood if something happens everybody will pull through as a society!

If a number of people here lead in the face of aftermath, I'm sure the majority will oblige. It's not like unionized garbage men on strike will harass and assault people trying to do good.

We won't be as civil as japan in the face of a catastrophe, but our metropolitan population is educated enough to be close it it.

[Senna4ever]

I'm sure we won't be as bad as the residents of New Orleans after Katrina though.

[StaxBundlez]

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

[SiRV]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

I am not very good at reading chinese but according to Yahoo.hk it seems Japan is going to tomb their nuclear power plant/

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/110318/3/nbg7.html

Maybe someone can read it and explain it full details?

Translation from google chrome:

( Sing Tao Daily reported) Japan's nuclear crisis continued severe, management of nuclear power plants Tokyo Electric Power Company for the first time admitted that a "Chernobyl" type of risking death cap "sarcophagus" approach, with sand and concrete burial of the reactor, may be the only One solution is a last resort. Our nuclear experts said that if using this method, the Japanese may have to spend over four million people go to seal the reactor, casualties Nanyiguji.

　　Fukushima II first nuclear power plant reactor unit smoke again Friday, but emergency workers are trying to plug the cable at least two reactors in the hope of restarting the cooling system and overheating of the reactor cooling measures taken by ground sprinkler . But U.S. experts to assess, to cooling down the overheated fuel rods take at least several weeks, can not be received in the short term effects.

　　Two reactor units continued smoking

　　Tokyo Electric Power for the first time to bury nuclear power plants that use the method to resolve this crisis, reflecting the water by helicopter and artillery fire sprinkler water method with little success. Tokyo Electric Power at a press conference on Friday, said: "reactor nuclear reactor sealed with cement to the methods not impossible, but our priority is to deal with the reactor cooling." The company is still hope in the Saturday night before the connecting cable to two reactors.

　　Experts say the high cost to be closed reactor.Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko has said before in response to the Chernobyl accident consequences in the aftermath of affairs Uruguayan government has spent fifteen billion dollars (one hundred and seventeen billion Hong Kong dollars), and is expected to 2015, will cost one hundred and seventy billion U.S. dollars.

　　Ukraine's 60 million people buried cutting plant

　　一九八六年乌克兰切尔Nobel nuclear power plant after the explosion, six hundred thousand "soldiers" to assist the former Soviet government cleanup. Volunteers wearing only a part of the weight of twenty kilograms of lead, clothing, approached full of high concentration to radiation environment of nuclear reactors will be closed, covered with "sarcophagus", many people have died of radiation contamination. Professor Hu Zhonghao our nuclear expert, said the people of Japan may have to spend to the closure of four reactors had casualties Nanyiguji.

　　Fukushima nuclear power plant six reactors since last Friday after a major earthquake and tsunami, there are already four have exploded, fire and local meltdown. Friday, II reactor smoke again for unknown reasons. However, due to an explosion on Tuesday 二号 machine may be damaged at the bottom of the reactor core cooling facilities.

　　Japanese officials said the reactor near the number three is even more serious, because the fuel rods containing plutonium elements, greater toxicity, may have some exposure, no water cooling, will cause the temperature continues to rise, which may cause radiation exposure. Friday the authorities sent more aircraft artillery fire water, cooling water. Self-Defense Forces fire in the afternoon began to use the reactor to 三号 water jet.

　　Increased leakage of nuclear rose "five"

　　In addition, recovery from an external power supply, cooling system to start the main work is the focus of the machine, hoping to get back to Tokyo Electric Power Company's electricity wires, and I and II units connected to the power system, but the job requires more than ten hours, is still unable to determine whether an external power supply restored in the day.

　　Nuclear Safety Institute of Japan yesterday, the security of the first nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima, according to the International Nuclear Event Scale (a total of seven), raised their four from the original five. Five is "the risk of accidents with off-site," radioactive material "limited release", and the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the U.S. equivalent, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster will be seven.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by StaxBundlez

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

Really puts it in perspective... unfortunately a lot of people are still too panicky (or just too thick) to get it: a "serious" level of radiation coming out of the reactor is still a fraction of what the average person sees just going through daily life. It's only "serious" relative to what the reactor normally spits out.

Of course, the other part that's regularly overlooked (and not even mentioned) is what TYPE of radiation it is. Nuclear reactions release all sorts of different rays and particles, all of which have different effects on the human body, some more harmful than others.

[Carl Johnson]

Japan Nuclear Fight May Have Turned Corner

By KOSAKU NARIOKA

TOKYO—The battle to bring the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan under control may have turned a corner, with cooling functions at two reactors apparently working again, a development that could ease a nuclear emergency that has gripped the nation for more than a week.

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Getty Images
A fire engine doused reactor number 3 of Tokyo Electric Power Co. Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station No.1 at Okuma town in Fukushima prefecture on Friday.

The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., said it got cooling functions at reactors No. 5 and No. 6 working and that temperatures at the spent fuel storage pools at these reactors are closer to regular levels.

Also Sunday, the utility reported some success in hosing down the troubled No. 3 reactor, the focus of the most intense efforts to keep the temperature of radioactive material under control. The radiation level there had fallen to 2,758 microsieverts per hour late Saturday versus 3,443 microsieverts earlier in the day. The more recent level is just above the highest recommended level of exposure per year, according to U.S. guidelines.

Officials also said they restored power cables to the troubled No. 1 and No. 2 reactors and hoped to restore power later Sunday.

Japan's Self Defense Force started shooting water Sunday at the plant's No. 4 reactor, though this operation was later halted. The SDF was trying to direct water into the reactor's spent fuel tank to help cool fuel rods and keep them immersed in water to prevent them from overheating and releasing more radioactive material.

The United Nation's nuclear watchdog said Saturday that the nuclear accident at the plant hasn't widened in the past three days and that the risk of a worst-case-scenario meltdown is now reducing day by day, though the situation still is very serious.

"I prefer not to speculate about the future, but as days go by, the risk of a total meltdown is reducing," said Graham Andrew, special adviser to the International Atomic Energy Agency's director general, at a press briefing in Vienna, adding "there are still risks that it could get worse."

Underscoring the lingering risk, Tokyo Electric, known as Tepco, said Sunday morning local time that high radiation levels are delaying the restoration of power to the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors, which have been the main focus of concern in recent days because of the fear that pools of spent fuel rods stored there could overheat, resulting in the release of radioactive material.

While the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors are the least problematic of all of the reactors that were slammed by a tsunami after a magnitude 9.0 quake rocked northeastern Japan on March 11, the fact that Tepco has managed to make progress in keeping their temperatures down is a major step in helping to contain the threat of overheating and the possibility of further radiation leakage.

As of early Sunday, the temperature in the pool at reactor No. 5 was 37.1 degrees Celsius, while the temperature for reactor No. 6 was 41.0 degrees, Tepco said. Japan's nuclear regulatory agency said that the temperature in the pool Saturday at reactor No. 5 was 48 degrees and 67 degrees at reactor No. 6.

A typical spent fuel pool is kept at a temperature below 25 degrees Celsius under normal operating conditions.

Power for reactors No. 1 and No. 2 were initially expected to be restored Saturday afternoon, but moved back the timing as workers had to shield many pieces of equipment from the water spraying operations.

Another Tepco spokesman said on Saturday that in order to supply power to all of the reactors all of the cables need to be connected and checked along with other equipment.

Even if cables and other equipment function properly, to operate the reactor's cooling system the company will first have to check that all the equipment used in the system still works, the spokesman said.

—Mari Iwata, Juro Osawa and Flemming Emil Hansen contributed to this article.
Write to Juro Osawa at juro.osawa@dowjones.com

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...376606080.html

[optiblue]

Good to hear!
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[murd0c]

Originally Posted by Senna4ever

I'm sure we won't be as bad as the residents of New Orleans after Katrina though.

Of course not the goverment will actually help the people the need it.
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[Death2Theft]

Well for all the proctection money the yakuza charge they better be keeping shit tight.

Originally Posted by SimplyComplex

Students in Beijing have put together this collection of images, showing messages of support for Japan from people of various nationalities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Ie7fEE5E4

-
And something kinda interesting.

Japanese culture, yakuza to thank for no looting in Japan

In the wake of the earthquake and tsunami, Japan has been noticeably absent of looting and crime. Naturally, we all assume that the Japanese are just that orderly, polite and all those other enviable traits.
These things are true, but Slate and Jake Adelstein added a little more depth to why these traits exist.


Slate points out something I was never really aware of: there's a well-built punishment and reward system for following the rules, especially when it comes to losing items.
Oftentimes, a reward of 5-20% of the objects worth will be given to the finder, and if nobody claims it, then the finder gets it after six months.
If you went ahead and just took it? The police would be a lot harsher to you.


A more interesting angle, courtesy of Jake Adelstein: the yakuza.
According to Adelstein, the major yakuza families have squads formed that walk the streets, just like the police officers do, to make sure that crime doesn't happen during this crisis.
According to one yakuza boss: "In times of crisis, there are not Yakuza and civilians or foreigners. There are only human beings and we should help each other."
It's good to know that everyone is pitching in to help out in Japan, from the top of the government to the furthest outskirts of the law.

Source: http://www.japanator.com/japanese-cu...an-18946.phtml

[MG1]

Originally Posted by Soundy

Really puts it in perspective... unfortunately a lot of people are still too panicky (or just too thick) to get it:

They should have a similar chart for IQ levels.

[MG1]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...r-buckets.html

A spokesperson for the company that makes the water buckets that were used by the helicopters stated that it looked like the Japanese were using it incorrectly. They offered to go over there with more equipment and expertise.

It would be great if Canadians went over there and made a difference.



Not like our freaking useless government. This is twice now that while every other nation has made efforts to get their citizens out of dangerous regions, our poor excuse for a government has failed miserably. Egypt - rescue efforts took so long that by the time it arrived, most of the Canadians needing to be evacuated left on ships and planes provided by other nations. So much fail. Anyway, the Canadian government did send some blankets to Japan - hope they are the famous HBC ones, LOL.


When Britain has citizens in dangrous situations abroad, do they argue and bicker in the house? No, they fuck the red tape and get their people out, pronto.

[chun]

http://digs.by/hx5EF0

Just to show how messed it was.
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[StylinRed]

They're still finding people alive!



(the grandson being airlifted)

80-year-old Sumi Abe (C) is helped by emergency workers after being rescued from under the rubble in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, in this picture taken by Nikkei Shimbun on March 20 , 2011. Sumi and her 16-year-old grandson Jin Abe were found alive on Sunday under the rubble in the Japanese city of Ishinomaki in northeast Japan, nine days after the region was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami, NHK public TV said. REUTERS/Asahi Shimbun

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2

feels great to hear that people are still being found alive; it seems the general feel was that it would be next to impossible to find survivors after so long

More details on the 80-year-old woman and her 16-year-old grandson who were rescued earlier on Sunday from their damaged home in Ishinomaki:

"An NHK reporter, quoting a doctor at the hospital to which the two were taken by helicopter, said the two had been trapped in their kitchen after the massive earthquake and survived by eating yogurt and other food in the refrigerator.

The grandson eventually made it to the roof and waved down a rescue helicopter, the NHK reporter said.

The youth, Jin Abe, had low body temperature, was shaking and had no feeling in his left ankle, the reporter said.

An official at Ishinomaki's Red Cross hospital said the two had been carried into the hospital and were getting treatment."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...72J11P20110320

luckily? they were trapped in their kitchen and had some food to consume

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by chun

http://digs.by/hx5EF0

Just to show how messed it was.
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This guy's blog pretty much sums up my thoughts on the subject... and I think several here (SkinnyPupp et al) will tend to agree as well.

http://squeeze-box.ca/?p=785

[CP.AR]

Just a friendly reminder:
make a small donation at the meet today to help out the land of the rising sun!

[BNR32_Coupe]

people in china are flocking to super markets to purchase salt in bulk quantities. they believe that table salt would be able to prevent the effects of radiation. also, im not sure that these people realize than any fallout from a nuclear incident would blow eastwards towards the pacific ocean, rather than westwards where they're located.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...buy-salt-japan

[SkinnyPupp]

Welcome to last week BNR

[i-vtecyo]

didnt know where to post this, but small quake in vancouver island?


http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Sma...345/story.html

[Soundy]

Old news

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by i-vtecyo

didnt know where to post this, but small quake in vancouver island?


http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Sma...345/story.html