Original estimates of xenon and krypton releases remain the same, but a TEPCO recalculation shows dramatic increases in the release of hot particles. This confirms the results of air filter monitoring by independent scientists. Fairewinds’ Arnie Gundersen explains how hot particles may react in mammals while escaping traditional detection. Reports of a metallic taste in the mouth, such as those now being reported in Japan and on the west coast, are a telltale sign of radiation exposure.
As traumatic and awful as Fukishima is, I still think condemning nuclear power on this basis is like condemning all aviation because of the Hindenberg, or all shipping because of the Titanic.
These were old nukes! How’s that laptop from the 1960’s running? 😉
Meanwhile, a multi-disciplinary scientific conference focussing on climate change has decided….
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110610/full/news.2011.362.html
On the renewables front, even Barry Brook has come away from the conference all excited about organic solar for the bottom billion of the world’s poorest! So I meant it when I said both Barry and I are fans of whatever works in whatever context. Modern grids need baseload (and largely load following) nuclear power, but organic solar that’s off-grid might just give the bottom poor their first electricity! I imagine this is a high tech device made to be cheap but still purchased by the poor.
So I wonder if there is a competition between Organic Solar and Open Sourced Hardware for the poor, OSH lets them make their own local small-scale wind turbines.
4 minute TED talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GEMkvT0DEk
Video site and blog
http://opensourceecology.org/
Wiki that links to plans and other resources
http://openfarmtech.org/wiki/Main_Page