The recent 8.8 earthquake in Japan (March 11) raises some serious questions for the readiness of the United State response system. There is not a better infrastructure in place to withstand earthquakes or a better immediate response system to earthquakes than in Japan. Despite this, the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) reported that a total of 1,100 people are either dead or missing
Over the next four years in California, there is a 94 percent chance that an earthquake magnitude 7 or higher will strike in the next thirty years. We know it's coming. The problem is can we do anything about it? There are massive earthquake drills in California that occur once an year. Only one in five Californians takes part in them. One appropriate course of action might be to engage in infrastructure projects to improve the stability of buildings.
How about putting more money in research and development for earthquake prediction? There would be countless lives saved if we somehow figure out when the next quake would hit. Thoughts?
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Tsunami in Japan
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This could be a private-sector field which could have the potential to help current levels of unemployment. But we should lay off government money in this situation, at least for now.
ReplyDeleteThe fear that this disaster founds in me is along a different line, though. I am scared that this will scare the American public away from nuclear power. This could possibly set back nuclear power plant construction for years, which will adversely effect the energy situation that will occur in the US.
I also feel that this disaster will make people focus on Japan, and ignore giving aide to the area that currently needs it most: Libya.
I second the fears that nuclear power is now going to have a huge setback. Namely because I own stock in Cameco, but also because pebble bed reactors exist that can be turned of with a flick of a switch. Nuclear power is the safest, and really only option we have, and the media is fucking everything up because some Japanese reactors built in 1976 are having problems.
ReplyDeleteYou mention the reactors built in 1976. Many U.S. reactors are also 30 years old and well beyond the date that they were originally supposed to stop functioning at. Did Germany do the right thing by shutting all reactors down for 6 months to take a look at safety features?
ReplyDeleteRohan
I think so. At the same time, I think we need to see this as a microcosm of a greater macrocosm of difficulty in building new reactors. We need to build new shit, and it just isn't happening because of regulations and public opinion. But the problem is mostly regulations. Oil refineries fall in the same category. It is nearly impossible to get one of these built, even though they, not oil supplies, are the problem we face with rising oil prices.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that modern nuclear power plants are completely safe. As I said, pebble bed reactors are operated by a laser, and when that laser is turned off, everything shuts off. There is no possibility of a meltdown. There is no reason not to take advantage of this. The navy uses nuclear power on most of its big ships. If we can power a boat, moving on the ocean, we can certainly power a town/ city. Anyway.
[Also, Rohan, feel free to re-post my comment on being a Republican at Exeter, I was fucking around with the technicalities comment]