Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (March 11, 2011)

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

I'm not an expert but I don't think it would. When you boil water it's usually to kill bacteria.

Potassium iodide pills should prevent the radioactive iodine from entering your thyroid. Iodine also has a pretty short half-life (8 days).

Technically there is a way to remove radioactive elements, using a special distillation technique.

But the fact is the level found is not dangerous. I can't convince you that, of course, because fear is not meant to be rational.

[Vexx]

Anyone living in the mountains and drinking water out of many mineral-laden water tables is getting their "fair share" of radiated bits.

edit: great, now WHO has "warned of serious radiation poisoning in food" .... problem is they actually DID NOT. This is another news article that only amplifies alarms without being specific or very scientific at all (i.e. weighted weasel words).
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...72A0SS20110321
That was *really* not helpful or useful. If you read the article - you find it is some spokesman in Manilla they telephoned and he answered off the top of his head in an arm-waving fashion. He's not even a doctor or scientist. Therefore, WHO has NOT issued any statement. Reuters might as well have interviewed a man on the street and reported what he said as gospel truth.

In the meantime, I plan on continuing to buy and eat foods exported from Japan... hell, there's more MERCURY in the fish to worry about...

Minigame: lets say you have a 1in20000 chance of getting hit by a car or a 1in100000 chance of contracting cancer in your life from an accumulation of gamma ray strikes. Which do you freak out about?

The world is connected enough that idiots from around the planet can now yell "She's a witch!!!!" in unison.

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Anyone living in the mountains and drinking water out of many mineral-laden water tables is getting their "fair share" of radiated bits.

If you are living in the mountains you also get your fair share from above. That said, Tokyo should be pretty much out of the interesting perimeter of this incident. I just wouldn't know what I can trust to eat without a radiometer. I mean, even though the risk is small (eating food from the regions closer to Fukushima), one does not want to add it on top of the other risks (a car accident can end your life very quickly, cancer however...).

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Vexx

edit: great, now WHO has "warned of serious radiation poisoning in food" .... problem is they actually DID NOT. This is another news article that only amplifies alarms without being specific or very scientific at all (i.e. weighted weasel words).
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...72A0SS20110321
That was *really* not helpful or useful. If you read the article - you find it is some spokesman in Manilla they telephoned and he answered off the top of his head in an arm-waving fashion. He's not even a doctor or scientist. Therefore, WHO has NOT issued any statement. Reuters might as well have interviewed a man on the street and reported what he said as gospel truth.

O.o Even reuters? Here I thought they were slightly more honest in their news compared to other outlets. I guess I was wrong.

Originally Posted by Vexx

In the meantime, I plan on continuing to buy and eat foods exported from Japan... hell, there's more MERCURY in the fish to worry about...

Same here (given the chance). I'm not gonna worry about the food I eat. Seriously, if you get more radiation from a banana than you would from living 50 miles away from a nuclear plant from a whole year, there's no reason for me to be concerned about Japanese food more than getting hit by a car, as you said

Originally Posted by Vexx

The world is connected enough that idiots from around the planet can now yell "She's a witch!!!!" in unison.

Christine O'Donnell would beg to differ on that one, tho that's another story.

[Irenicus]

I have a question:

If I have Japanese yen, in cash, at hand -- to the maximum amount of 30000 yen (or less; needs to check how much I have left from the trip there) -- and wants to donate to Japan, what is the best way to go about it?

- I don't have PayPal account and never used one. If it is the best way however I will consider it.

- How safe is it to mail it over to Japan for my host family and ask them to donate? The "safety" part I'm worrying about isn't my host family (I trust them 100%) but the mailing part. Any charged fees? Any limitations on how much I can send? Any dangers of it getting lost?

- In fact is the mailing system in Japan back online yet even?

- Going through my bank seems counterproductive when I have the cash in yen at hand already. I don't want *any* fees getting between that money and the organizations carrying the relief efforts.

- Which organization is the "best" to donate right now? I imagine Red Cross Japan is probably already on the ground there. I'm not interested in helping any religious organizations or somesuch (at best they'll coordinate with the Red Cross...so why don't I just give it to the Red Cross?). However people with more knowledge than I could explain the facts on the ground if I'm missing something...

- How much is the need in Japan right now? Do they need the donations, or should I frankly just save the money and plan the next trip there to help (haha) revive the economy with Akiba spendings?

[msg]

Aww...my youtube got deleted by mod.Apologise for tht but seriously all those unecessary irrational fears really get under my skin and all those "sensational journalism" doesn't help either

@Irencius - why do't you try doing money transfer such as western union to transfer the money to your host family.Western union is quite reliable.I did transfer a few times using western union and there's no problem so far

Me and my family did our part and chip in around 500 usd to the red cross.Wish could do more...

[MeoTwister5]

Could someone kindly link the article stating that the quake in Japan affected fault lines around the region?

Because unless I'm still drunk (not likely), I think I just felt a slight shake maybe 10 minutes ago, a bunch of my friends did so too, and my sister and her friends also felt something.

[speck123]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Could someone kindly link the article stating that the quake in Japan affected fault lines around the region?

Because unless I'm still drunk (not likely), I think I just felt a slight shake maybe 10 minutes ago, a bunch of my friends did so too, and my sister and her friends also felt something.

Apparently it was a M5.4 earthquake. Link here.

[sa547]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Could someone kindly link the article stating that the quake in Japan affected fault lines around the region?

Because unless I'm still drunk (not likely), I think I just felt a slight shake maybe 10 minutes ago, a bunch of my friends did so too, and my sister and her friends also felt something.

Didn't feel it, but it's here:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...usc0002804.php

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Could someone kindly link the article stating that the quake in Japan affected fault lines around the region?

Because unless I'm still drunk (not likely), I think I just felt a slight shake maybe 10 minutes ago, a bunch of my friends did so too, and my sister and her friends also felt something.

Technically it's all one giant fault-line. Still, just because there was a big Earthquake in one area doesn't mean it would happen elsewhere. It depends entirely on how much pressure each piece of the crust is under.

Earthquake is something Southeast Asia had to live with. This applies to my birthplace too. I mean, if your country is an island created by the fault-line/volcanoes, for all intent and purposes your home exists because of the ancient Earthquakes. And if earthquake can create you home, it can destroy it.

Here in Australia I am pretty much safe, but I had to swap the danger for firestorms, droughts, and floods.

[MeoTwister5]

Looks like it's time to brush up on ALS and basic trauma treatment, just in case.

[RRW]

latest update

According to http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,752149,00.html reactor 3 was abandomed and grey smoke is visible from the outside.

from http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/...iupdate01.html

Spoiler for inside:

Unit 1

Coolant within Unit 1 is covering about half of the fuel rods in the reactor, and Japanese authorities believe the core has been damaged. High pressure within the reactor's containment led operators to vent gas from the containment. Later, an explosion destroyed the outer shell of the reactor building above the containment on 12 March.

There are no indications of problems with either the reactor pressure vessel or the primary containment vessel.

Efforts to pump seawater into the reactor core are continuing.

No precise information has been available on the status of the spent fuel pool.

On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 5 to this Unit.

→ Further information on ratings and INES scale.

On 19 March, the containment vessel pressure indication was restored.

Unit 2

Coolant within Unit 2 is covering about half of the fuel rods in the reactor, and Japanese authorities believe the core has been damaged. Following an explosion on 15 March, Japanese officials expressed concerns that the reactor's containment may not be fully intact. As of 19 March, 11:30 UTC, officials could no longer confirm seeing white smoke coming from the building. Smoke had been observed emerging from the reactor earlier.

Efforts to pump seawater into the reactor core are continuing.

No precise information has been available on the status of the spent fuel pool. On 20 March, workers began pumping 40 tonnes of seawater into the spent fuel pool.

On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 5 to this Unit.

Unit 3

Coolant within Unit 3 is covering about half of the fuel rods in the reactor, and Japanese authorities believe the core has been damaged. High pressure within the reactor's containment led operators to vent gas from the containment. Later, an explosion destroyed the outer shell of the reactor building above the containment on 14 March.

Following the explosion, Japanese officials expressed concerns that the reactor's containment may not be fully intact. White smoke has been seen emerging from the reactor, but on 19 March it appeared to be less intense than in previous days.

Efforts to pump seawater into the reactor core are continuing.

Of additional concern at Unit 3 is the condition of the spent fuel pool in the building. There are indications that there is inadequate cooling water level in the pool, and Japanese authorities have addressed the problem by dropping water from helicopters into the building and spraying water from trucks. Spraying from trucks continued on 20 March. There is no data on the temperature of the water in the pool.

On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 5 to this Unit.

Unit 4

All fuel from Unit 4 had been removed from the reactor core for routine maintenance before the earthquake and placed into the spent fuel pool. The building's outer shell was damaged on 14 March, and there have been two reported fires - possibly including one in the area of the spent fuel pool on 15 March - that were extinguished spontaneously.

Authorities remain concerned about the condition of the spent fuel pool, and Japanese Self Defence Forces began spraying water into the building on 20 March.

On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 3 to this site.

Units 5 and 6

Shut down for routine maintenance before the earthquake, both reactors achieved cold shutdown on 20 March. The reactors are now in a safe mode, with cooling systems stable and under control, and with low temperature and pressure within the reactor.

Instrumentation from both spent fuel pools had shown gradually increasing temperatures over the past few days. Officials configured two diesel generators at Unit 6 to power cooling and fresh-water replenishment systems in the spent fuel pools and cores of Units 5 and 6. As of 20 March, temperatures in both pools had decreased significantly.

Workers have opened holes in the roofs of both buildings to prevent the possible accumulation of hydrogen, which is suspected of causing explosions at other units.

Restoration of Grid

Progress has been achieved in restoring external power to the nuclear power plant, although it remains uncertain when full power will be available to all reactors. Off-site electrical power has been connected to an auxiliary transformer and distribution panels at Unit 2. Work continues toward energizing specific equipment within Unit 2.

tepco press released

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...1032101-e.html

Spoiler for inside:

Press Release (Mar 21,2011)
Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 9:00 AM Mar 21st)


*new items are underlined

All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.


Unit 1(Shut down)
-Reactor has been shut down. However, the explosive sound and white smoke
were confirmed after the big quake occurred at 3:36PM Mar 12th. It was
assumed to be hydrogen explosion.
-We have been injecting sea water into the reactor pressure vessel.

Unit 2(Shut down)
-Reactor has been shut down and the level of reactor coolant had dropped
and the reactor pressure had increased because the Reactor Core Isolation
Cooling System stopped. Measures were taken to lower the pressure within
the Reactor Containment Vessel and to inject sea water into the Reactor
while carefully confirming safety. The level of reactor coolant and the
pressure of the Reactor resumed.
-At approximately 6:00AM on March 15, 2011, an abnormal noise began
emanating from nearby Pressure Suppression Chamber and the pressure within
this chamber decreased.
-We completed receiving electricity from the external transmission line
up to the auxiliary transformer. We installed the power cable from the
transformer to the temporary power panel. At 3: 46 PM, March 20th, we
started energizing the load-side power panel.
-We have been injecting sea water into the reactor pressure vessel.

Unit 3(Shut down)
-Reactor has been shut down. However, the explosive sound and white
smoke were confirmed at 11:01AM Mar 14th. It was assumed to be hydrogen
explosion.
-At 8:30AM on March 16th, fog like steam was confirmed arising from
the reactor building.
-At approximately 6:15AM on March 17th the pressure of the Suppression
Chamber has temporarily increased. We were preparing to implement a
measurement to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessel
(partial discharge of air containing radioactive material to outside)
in order to fully secure safety. However, at present, it is not a
situation to take a measure immediately to discharge air containing
radioactive material to outside now. We will continue to monitor
the status of the pressure of the reactor containment vessel.
-We are working on receiving external power supply to Units 3 and 4.
-We have been injecting sea water into the reactor pressure vessel.

Unit 4 (outage due to regular inspection)
-Reactor has been shut down. However, at approximately 6AM on March
15th. We have confirmed the explosive sound and the sustained damage
around the 5th floor rooftop area of the Nuclear Reactor Building.
-On March 15th and 16th, we respectively confirmed the outbreak of
fire at the 4th floor of the northwestern part of the Nuclear Reactor
Building. We immediately reported this matter to the fire department
and the related authorities. TEPCO employees confirmed that each fire
had already died down by itself.
-At this moment, we do not consider any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor containment vessel happened.

Unit 5 (outage due to regular inspection)
-Reactor has been shut down and the sufficient level of reactor coolant
to ensure safety is maintained.
-At 5 AM, March 19th, we started the Residual Heat Removal System Pump
(C ) in order to cool the spent fuel pool.
-At this moment, we do not consider any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor containment vessel happened.
-At 2:30 PM, March 20th, the reactor achieved reactor cold shutdown.

Unit 6 (outage due to regular inspection)
-Reactor has been shut down and the sufficient level of reactor coolant
to ensure safety is maintained.
-We are working on receiving external power supply to Units 5 and 6. We
completed the repair work on the emergency diesel generator (A).
-At 10:14 pm, March 19, we started the Residual Heat Removal System Pump
(B ) of Unit 6 in order to cool the spent fuel pool.
-At this moment, we do not consider any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor containment vessel happened.
-At 7:27 PM, March 20th, the reactor achieved reactor cold shutdown.

Cooling of spent fuel pools
-In Unit 3, water discharge by Self-Defense Force's helicopters was
conducted from 9:48 AM in the morning on March 17th. Also water discharge
by the riot police's high-pressure water cannon trucks and Self-Defense
Force's fire engines was conducted from 7PM on March 17th and finished
at 8:09PM.
-In Unit 3, water discharge by Self-Defense Force's fire engines and US
army's fire engines was conducted from 2 PM and completed a quarter to 3 PM.
-After that, from 0:30 AM, Mar 19th, water discharge by Tokyo Fire
Department's Hyper Rescue was conducted to Unit 3 and completed at 1:10 AM.
At around 2:10PM, water discharge by Tokyo Fire Department¡Æs Hyper Rescue
to Unit 3 was conducted once again. At approximately 3:40 am, they had
finished water discharge.
-At approximately 8:21 am, March 20th, water discharge to Unit 4 by fire
engine has started with the cooperation of Self-Defense Forces and finished
at approximately 9:40 am. At approximately 6:45 pm, March 20th water
discharge to Unit 4 by Self-Defense's water cannon trucks was conducted
and finished at approximately 7:45 pm.
-From 3: 05 PM to 5: 20 PM on March 20th, 40 tons of seawater was injected
into Unit 2 by TEPCO employees.
-From 9:30 PM on March 20, water discharge by Tokyo Fire Department's Hyper
Rescue was conducted to Unit 3 and completed at approximately 4:00 AM today.
-At approximately 6:30 AM today,, water discharge to Unit 4 was started by
Self-Defense Force's fire engines and US army's fire engines and was
finished at approximately 8:40 AM.
-We are considering further water discharge at Unit 3 and others subject
to the conditions of spent fuel pools.

Casualty
-2 workers of cooperative firm were injured at the occurrence of the
earthquake, and were transported to the hospital on March 11th.
-4 workers were injured and transported to the hospital after explosive
sound and white smoke were confirmed around the Unit 1on March 11th.
-Presence of 2 TEPCO employees at the site is not confirmed on March 11th.
-1 TEPCO employee who was not able to stand by his own holding left chest
with his hand, was transported to the hospital by an ambulance on March 12th.
-1 subcontract worker at the key earthquake-proof building was unconscious
and transported to the hospital by an ambulance on March 12th.
-The radiation exposure of 1 TEPCO employee, who was working inside the
reactor building, exceeded 100mSv and he was transported to the hospital on
March 12th.
-2 TEPCO employees felt bad during their operation in the central control
rooms of Unit 1 and 2 while wearing full masks, and were transferred to
Fukushima Daini Power Station for consultation with a medical advisor on
March 13th.
-11 workers were injured and transported to Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power
Station etc. after explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed around
the Unit 3.One of the workers was transported to the FUKUSHIMA Medical
University Hospital on March 14th.

Others
-We measured radioactive materials (iodine etc.) inside of the nuclear
power station area (outdoor) by monitoring car and confirmed that radioactive
materials level is getting higher than ordinary level. As listed below, we
have determined that specific incidents stipulated in article 15, clause
1 of Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness
(Abnormal increase in radiation dose measured at site boundary) have
occurred.
·Determined at 4:17 PM Mar 12th (Around Monitoring Post 4 )
·Determined at 8:56 AM Mar 13th (Around Monitoring Post 4 )
·Determined at 2:15 PM Mar 13th (Around Monitoring Post 4 )
·Determined at 3:50 AM Mar 14th (Around Monitoring Post 6 )
·Determined at 4:15 AM Mar 14th (Around Monitoring Post 2 )
·Determined at 9:27 AM Mar 14th (Around Monitoring Post 3 )
·Determined at 9:37 PM Mar 14th (Around main entrance )
·Determined at 6:51 AM Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
·Determined at 8:11 AM Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
·Determined at 4:17 PM Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
·Determined at 11:05 PM Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
·Determined at 8:58 AM Mar 19th (Around MP5)
From now on, if the measured figure fluctuates and goes above and below
500 micro Sv/h, we deem that as the continuous same event and will not
regard that as a new specific incidents stipulated in article 15, clause
1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency
Preparedness (Abnormal increase in radiation dose measured at site
boundary) has occurred. In the interim, if we measure a manifestly
abnormal figure and it is evident that the event is not the continuous
same event,we will determine and notify.

-The national government has instructed evacuation for those local
residents within 20km radius of the periphery and evacuation to inside
for those residents from 20km to 30km radius of the periphery, because
it's possible that radioactive materials are discharged.
-At approximately 10AM on March 15th, we observed 400mSv/h at the inland
side of the Unit 3 reactor building and 100mSv/h at the inland side of the
Unit 4 reactor building.
-We checked the status of spent fuel in the common pool, and confirmed
that the water level secured. We are planning to conduct a detailed inspection.
-We found no signs of abnormal situation for the casks by visual
observation during the patrol activity. A detailed inspection is under
preparation.
-At Units 5 and 6, in order to prevent hydrogen gas from accumulating
within the buildings, we have made three holes on the roof of the reactor
building for each unit.
-In total 12 fire engines are lent for the water discharge to the spent
fuel pools and water injection to the nuclear reactors by various regional
fire departments* as well as Tokyo Fire Department.
*: Koriyama Fire Department, Iwaki Fire Brigade Headquarters, Fire
Headquarters of Sukagawa District Wide Area Fire-fighting Association,
Yonezawa City Fire Headquarters, Utsunomiya City Fire Headquarters,
Fire Headquarters of Aizu-Wakamatsu wide area municipal association,
Saitama City Fire Bureau, and Niigata City Fire Bureau.
-We will continue to take all measures to ensure the safety and to
continue monitoring the surrounding environment around the Power Station

Thanks to the fire in reactor 3, radiation levels in Kanagawa/Tokyo and Ibaraki seem to be up again.

http://www.bousai.ne.jp/eng/index.html

from us embassy

On March 21, 2011, consistent with NRC guidelines that apply to such a situation in the United States, the U.S. Government is making available Potassium Iodide (KI) as a precautionary measure for United States Government personnel and dependents residing within Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), Tokyo (Tokyo Capital Region), Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture), and the prefectures of Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Iwate, Miyagi, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizouka, Tochigi, Yamagata, and Yamanashi. The KI should only be consumed after specific instruction from the United States Government. While there is no indication that it will become advisable to take KI, out of an abundance of caution the United States Government is making it available to its personnel and family members to be used only upon direction if a change in circumstances were to warrant. No-one should take
KI at this time. In the event of a radiological release, sheltering in place or departing the affected area remain the primary means of protection.

There are numerous factors, including weather, wind direction and speed, as well as the exact status of the reactor problem, that affect the risk of the possibility of lower-level radioactive materials reaching greater distances. Previous notification to U.S. citizens to leave areas within 50 miles of the reactors stands. In the event they cannot evacuate that area, they are advised to seek shelter and remain sheltered. For private U.S. citizens seeking information about KI, we advise you to contact your doctor or employer. Should you need further assistance contact the Department of State by emailing JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov or calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

[j0x]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Could someone kindly link the article stating that the quake in Japan affected fault lines around the region?

Because unless I'm still drunk (not likely), I think I just felt a slight shake maybe 10 minutes ago, a bunch of my friends did so too, and my sister and her friends also felt something.

yep 5.7 magnitude earthquake to be exact in our country the Philippines although read below

"We don't expect damage despite it being a 5.7 because the earthquake was quite deep," Solidum told TV Patrol.
more info: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/re...e-hits-mindoro

[SaintessHeart]

Why You Don't Need to Buy Potassium Iodide

PLUS this one...should I shift it to the Silly News thread or A Laugh a Day thread?

China’s panic-buying of salt

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — This week attention will remain on the spillover effects of Japan’s nuclear crisis as a large degree of edginess remains.

Somewhat surprisingly it has been cities across China, including Hong Kong, that have witnessed panic in recent days, in contrast to the relative calm in Japan.

Last week, a salt-buying frenzy was unleashed across China that spread to Hong Kong, which quickly became a rather unsavory spectacle. Rumors had spread via the Internet from across the border that some salt contains iodine, which would provide protection from a looming radiation threat from Japan. Throngs of people began scrambling for salt, mobbing shops and wholesalers.

Japan gets some operations back on track at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, but reactor No. 3 continues to pose challenges.

On Friday, the Hong Kong government had to resort to a mass text-message campaign imploring people not to believe rumors and to stop panic-buying salt. The fact you might have to eat kilos of the stuff to get sufficient iodine was of no consequence. Indeed, so chaotic was the behavior that some people were even seen bizarrely carting off bottles of soy sauce. Amid the buying, retailers reportedly raised the price of salt more than tenfold, seeing an opportunity to profit from this panic.

The whole episode has caused a certain degree of embarrassment and shame, particularly in contrast to the restrained behavior in Japan, where there is very real suffering. There the orderly and stoic lining up for water, transport and food in the middle of biblical-like devastation has shown the remarkable endurance and self-control of the Japanese people.

This makes the contrast with images on mainland China all the more stark. Some academics have suggested the willingness to believe bogus warnings reflects a lack of trust in the government’s truthfulness in China. That could have some credence: Back in 2008, the government tried to keep the scandal of powdered milk mixed with melamine that was poisoning babies quiet until after the Olympic Games in Beijing. Perhaps one unintended consequence of a one-party government which controls the media with an army of censors is that it creates a fertile breeding ground for paranoia.

What is perhaps more surprising is that Hong Kong, which has a free flow of information and independent media, also joined the frenzy.

Another explanation for this out-of-control behavior is that those on the treadmill of the world’s workshop are at breaking point as they struggle with a surge in living costs. That would be one way to interpret reports that many Guangdong factory workers did not bother to return to work from their Chinese New Year trip home.

The whole episode sits awkwardly next to the central government’s newly introduced mantra of pursuing happiness, not just economic growth. The Economist featured a story on China this week “Don’t worry be happy,” reporting how various mainland provinces are now competing not on gross domestic product numbers, but to have the happiest citizens.

Incidentally, another case of failing the good-character test in the past week involved Singapore’s media giant Media Corp. Shortly after the Japanese earthquake struck, it pitched clients with a new ad package saying it expected a surge in viewers on its news channel with coverage of the disaster. Not surprisingly, this clumsy attempt to make some extra money from the earthquake caused outrage, and Media Corp. had to later apologize.

Getting back to Japan’s economy, China, as well as much of the region, will be watching carefully how quickly it recovers. If an economy the size of Japan’s — which until last year was the second-largest in the world — goes into reverse, it potentially sets up a negative growth shock for the region.

But many are optimistic that can be avoided. Even before the aftershocks had subsided, various economists were already penciling in a strong rebound as rebuilding efforts got underway. But that optimism might be misplaced, argue analysts at Nomura. They say in a new report that despite initial confidence that reconstruction expenditure would feed into the economy by the year’s end, this may be restrained by a lack of sustainable power.

Even harder to quantify is how the crisis impacts investor risk appetite by raising the level of uncertainty. For China, any shock from Japan’s crises comes at a time when it has already been applying the brakes to its economy and is also dealing with rising oil and commodity prices. Now we are starting to see some impact, as bank lending slow markedly last month to 536.6 billion yuan ($81.7 billion), significantly lower than 1.04 trillion yuan in January.

Mainland Chinese policy makers have a delicate balancing act to steer the economy to slower growth and wean it off bank credit without tipping an overheated property market into bursting or killing jobs growth.

What we saw last week was not anything truly worrying, like a run on banks, but just a run on salt. Still, the manic scramble suggests a deeper level of anxiety on the ground over the direction of the economy — something that should not be taken with a pinch of salt.

This is a big fail proven of China's education system in rote-learning chemistry : it is a different kind of salt idiots.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Why You Don't Need to Buy Potassium Iodide

PLUS this one...should I shift it to the Silly News thread or A Laugh a Day thread?

China’s panic-buying of salt



This is a big fail proven of China's education system in rote-learning chemistry : it is a different kind of salt idiots.

Well, as you pointed out yourself, it doesn't matter if they bought the right kind of Iodine or not; it's not going to do them any good other than perhaps poisoning themselves.
And this isn't so much education as much as media hysteria. Chinese news is going just as crazy as America in order to grab reader attention.

Do people think they could self-medicate radiation poisoning? REALLY?

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

Well, as you pointed out yourself, it doesn't matter if they bought the right kind of Iodine or not; it's not going to do them any good other than perhaps poisoning themselves.
And this isn't so much education as much as media hysteria. Chinese news is going just as crazy as America in order to grab reader attention.

Do people think they could self-medicate radiation poisoning? REALLY?

You know, we can actually use this opportunity to boost the Japanese economy by spreading the fact that Japanese seaweed/laver contains iodine.....

[LoweGear]

Originally Posted by ckmox

yep 5.7 magnitude earthquake to be exact in our country the Philippines although read below

I actually felt that one, although it came across more like a nauseatic episode where I wondered why the ground seemed to move slightly rather than an actual noticeable quake. And only a few people I asked later felt anything similar.

[Jeffry2009]

Good news people for those who wondering that what happened to the Gundam statue.

As i checked on recent's blog from alafista.com the statue is still standing after last week's quake. But it was learned that it will be taken down next week.

[Kyero Fox]

why! Its now a symbol of them standing tall

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Kyero Fox

why! Its now a symbol of them standing tall

As far as I know, they still have Kamen Rider

But it's true, it should stay as a symbol of their survival and resilience.