Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Political Speak

Energy Secretary Steven Chu in Congressional testimony today according to a NY Times blog.:
The Japan incidents actually appear to be more serious than Three Mile Island. To what extent, we don’t know now.
This is what passes for "technical guidance" and "thougtful and intelligent testimony" before Congress. What horse manure!

There are 4 reactors that are in meltdown and 2 which have broken their containment vessel and are leaking radioactivity. Three Mile Island had a meltdown in one reactor but no break in containment. How is is possible to come up with the pathetic political understatement of "Events in Japan appear to be worse than Three Mile Island"?

It is the vary same inability to state facts clearly and honestly that has hampered Japan in facing the crisis. It doesn't help to see high officials in Washington falling into the same bureaucratese of understatement and obfuscation. Secretary Chu should simply state the obvious: Japan has a devastating problem closer to Chernobyl than to Three Mile Island. What is the purpose of pretending that Japan's situation is almost indistinguishable from Three Mile Island?

From Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, here is the latest status of the Fukushima reactors:
Click to Enlarge

No comments: