Radiation forecast data released

[FBaggins]

The Japanese government has released data projecting the spread of radioactive substances from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The science ministry uses a computer system called SPEEDI to predict how radiation will spread depending on weather and geographical conditions.

On Tuesday, the government released about 5,000 bits of data showing hourly predictions from March 11th. The information appears on the websites of the Nuclear Safety Commission and other entities. The data was calculated on the assumption that radioactive substances are being released at a rate of one becquerel per hour.

The data for 10 p.m. on March 15th, when an explosion occurred at the No.2 reactor, shows radiation flowing out of the screen to the northeast. Such data had been withheld for fear of causing panic.

Goshi Hosono, secretary general of the joint task force set up by the government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company, apologized on Monday for the delay in releasing the data. He said that he now believes that panic can be avoided if proper explanations are offered. Hosono promised to release data promptly in the future.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/03_20.html

If avoiding panic requires proper explanation... wouldn't now be a good time for that explanation?

http://www.mext.go.jp/english/incident/1303962.htm

http://www.mext.go.jp/english/incident/1305529.htm

[nonperson]

1. TEPCO sounds like a subsidiary of BP

Maybe they should hire Tony Hayward. He'd fit right in at TEPCO.

The data wasn't released because they wanted to hide the data. The explanation isn't forthcoming because it would doom the nuclear power industry. The nuclear power industry knows how to protect itself.

If the world had spent as much money on renewable, sustainable energy as it has on nuclear over the past sixty years we wouldn't need nuclear, oil, coal or any other deadly, dirty energy source. We'd be harnessing the energy of the sun, the wind, and the tides. Thermal energy, bio-fuels. Anything but our current toxic mix of energy resources.

Short-sighted investors looking for the next quarter's profit numbers aren't interested in long term solutions to problems that threaten the entire human race.

[FBaggins]

2. Sloppy html... you forgot to close your tags.

I'll take care of it for you. :)

</rant> </soapbox> </offtopic>

[SpoonFed]

3. I suggest we introduce a simplified tag...

in the form of </fBaggins> which could be shortened to </fnBS>

[FBaggins]

4. Don't shoot the messenget SF.

I know that you have a tough time accepting that radiation levels are falling all over Japan... and in the ocean... and the rest of the world. It's just eating you up inside. But don't take it out on the rest of us just because we've been telling you that this would happen all along.

You've been ignoring it for weeks. Don't worry. It'll sink in eventually.

You may even grow up to the point where you consider fewer cancers/deaths to be good news. :)

[nonperson]

5. When the total cancer deaths from Fukushima are apparent as they are from Chernobyl

Will you consider more cancer deaths to be good news?

Or will you still parrot the same nuclear industry bullshit and lies?

[FBaggins]

6. Depends on what they are, doesn't it?

No death is "good" news, but if it looks like 100 additional deaths over decades and we compare that to tens of thousands of deaths from the earthquake and tsunami (and however many you want to claim from Chernobyl), the comparison would be clear.

But it really won't matter how many deaths ARE "apparent". Some nuts will still claim hundreds of thousands regardless of the reality. That's just how they roll.

[nonperson]

7. And some nuts will ignore hundreds of thousands of cancers and deaths

Because that's how their nuke industry jobs are preserved.

[FBaggins]

8. Hard to claim that when it's never happened before.

Not that I'm surprised that you would try.

[nonperson]

9. Like they say, everyone has a price

Your job is your price.

I'd find it hard to make a living irradiating mankind.

[FBaggins]

10. Or anything else it seems.

:rofl:

[nonperson]

11. You're about as funny as a core meltdown

You must be a riot at the company party. Your own version of Homer Simpson.

[SpoonFed]

12. spews alot of radiodenial filth as primary isotrite of borium n/t

[Someguyinjapan]

13. In Japan, never is a good time for a proper explanation

What we are seeing is all highly ritualized behavior; the apology plays a role difficult to fully understand by Westerners who haven't spent time here and it's impact cannot be underestimated. Quite often, once a public apology has been offered it is considered an end to the matter. The offending party has "taken responsibility" (to borrow that horribly abused and overused phrase from political/corporate law breakers), and as such suffered the ignominy of public humiliation-the "loss of face". Retribution has been exacted, and the offending party can go back to freely engage in whatever behavior they did beforehand that resulted in the situation requiring the apology in the first place. Think of it-quite literally, in some cases-as a "get out of jail free" card.

Many facets of Japanese culture are long on aesthetics and short on substance. In my opinion, what I am seeing play out here is the same. Instead of offering an explanation as to how future explanations concerning radiation forecast data are to be conducted, the spokesperson/talking head merely states he "believes" this can help. Again, no substantive action is forwarded, only the appearance of thus. Same thing happened with the president of TEPCO, remember him? In a particularly contemptible display of this trait, he disappeared for days in the immediate aftermath of Fukushima only to be comfortably ensconced in a hospital where he was said to be recovering from the "stress" of the situation. And what has been his most notable activity since then? Making a highly publicized appearance at an evacuation centre in Fukushima, where he made an apology. Instead of holding press conferences detailing exactly what went wrong, what their plan(s) were in moving forward trying to contain this, he left that to someone else to do. Which is incredibly curious behavior, considering how Japan prizes the top-down management style.

So, if you are thinking there's going to be a proper explanation as to all of this, don't hold your breath. This may be as close as you get to one. And even if they did give an explanation, this is yet another case of corporate/governmental mismanagement of information which only serves to undermine whatever credibility they have left.