Topic: New Yorker article: "The Fallout"

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I just finished reading an article, "The Fallout", by Evan Osnos, from the October 17 issue of The New Yorker.  It deals with the nuclear accident at the Fukushima power plant in the aftermath of the tsunami that struck Japan earlier this year.  The article is well-researched, balanced, and thoughtful, really excellent, and discusses as well, earlier nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.  It may be difficult to find the issue the article was in at this point, but I believe everything the New Yorker publishes is available on-line.  This article is very much worth seeking out and contains a lot of information to consider in charting our approach to satisfying society's needs for electric power now and in the future.
All best,
Johnm

[Mr.OMuck]

Thanks John I'll look it up. This of course is a vital issue for all of us. I recently heard the following quote from Nobel astrophysicist Stephen Weinberg concerning the still existing web of nuclear missiles ringing the earth (I'm paraphrasing) "We're like the guy who jumps off the top of the Empire State Building and is only at the 33rd floor and thinks to himself hey this isn't so bad." The same can be said about the danger of many of our nuclear power plants. Its also fantastic how quickly the ongoing Fukushima crisis disappeared from the news!

[Stuart]

Thanks, John. I'll check the library--they should have it.

And thanks for the quote, Phil. I've heard several variations, such as "It's easy to convince yourself that you're flying until you get to the first floor," etc. Nothing like waiting until the crisis is upon us before we...

As my folks used to tell me, "It's a hell of a lot easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble."

[Slack]

Thanks for the article John.  I'd let my subscription lapse and re-subscribed, even though I do not have time to read the issues!  Very interesting article and it is an ongoing story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/world/asia/bursts-of-fission-detected-at-fukushima-reactor-in-japan.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Very scary stuff.

[Johnm]

I'm glad you got a chance to read the article, John D.  It is scary stuff, as you say.  I know what you mean about not being able to keep up with The New Yorker.  I'm a pretty slow reader, and I try to read it cover to cover except for maybe some of the fiction and poetry and it takes up just about all the time I have for reading.  It is a great magazine, though.
All best,
Johnm

[dj]

It was an eye-opener for me to read Alan Weisman's World Without Us, a description of what would happen if all humans peacefully disappeared from the Earth tomorrow.  It turns out that the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons would degrade relatively benignly.  But nuclear power plants are another story.  After a couple of days at most, all hell breaks loose - and lasts essentially forever.