Watching the reactors
Turns out that the Japanese Reactors were only designed for a much smaller quake. Crap...
The Hydrogen gas comes from when the core is exposed to air and the explosions are a given. Cesium gas will be a problem but in each case, it seems the containment vessel has held so overall damage will be minimal. Cesium has an affinity for the thyroid so prophylactic doses of Iodine are called for.
Japan has almost no coal or oil -- it has been suggested that our embargo of fuel in the 1940's triggered Japan's attack on Perl Harbor. Their only economic option was to invest heavily in Nuclear.
Posted by DaveH at March 12, 2011 8:59 PM