TeaChat

What a sad disaster to happen to such an amazing and beautiful country. I see Den's Tea is safe, as they are in Shizuoka.

I hope the crew at O-Cha find safety, since they are so close to the nuclear plant. I just pray for strength during this disaster, though disaster isn't a good enough word...

I am shocked by these awful news, I am praying for Japan to survive this disaster. It is hard to write anything, sometimes "Man" feels so helpless in front of the raw force of nature, the only thing we can do is to help each other, and donate for the charity work in Japan.

Any update on that nuclear reactor? Were they able to stabilize the situation?

fire_snake wrote:Any update on that nuclear reactor? Were they able to stabilize the situation?

Not yet, actually there were 2 more explosions at reactor-3. More and more problems appearing. TEPCO did really bad job at maintenance of nuclear power plants, seems money for them was most important.

Long lines to get water, grocery store, etc. The main problems here now are lack of food, water, gas, etc. People are hording, even in Tokyo (why?)

Saw a report today, two girls who were at Tokyo Disneyland saying how "scary" the earthquake was, lol. Only 5 people in Tokyo died, but there are over 10,000 dead in Miyagi and N. Fukushima prefecture. Just sayin'...

Even though we're only 35km (26 miles) south of the nuke plant, I'm not "too" worried about it. I was, but not anymore. I had one tank of gas and if we had left, we wouldn't have been able to get back due to gas not being available. In fact, been seeing reports of that now.

Here's probably the best article I've seen on the subject of the nuke plant situation:

https://morgsatlarge.wordpress.com/2011 ... -reactors/

That article is quite well put together, but looks like it's still doesn't tell everything. Anyway, it wasn't 8.9 at nuclear power plants, but at epicenter. Still disappointing, for how low level of earthquake they were prepared considering the location. You just have to take a look at tectonic plates map to understand that it will happen, sooner or later... and it did happen.

p.s.
At Chernobyl they also were talking that everything is under control, until the worst happened. Not like i'm saying Japan is going to repeat same thing, but i don't completely believe in public statements. I go by rule "hope for the best, prepare for the worst".

Kevangogh wrote:Long lines to get water, grocery store, etc. The main problems here now are lack of food, water, gas, etc. People are hording, even in Tokyo (why?)

Saw a report today, two girls who were at Tokyo Disneyland saying how "scary" the earthquake was, lol. Only 5 people in Tokyo died, but there are over 10,000 dead in Miyagi and N. Fukushima prefecture. Just sayin'...

Even though we're only 35km (26 miles) south of the nuke plant, I'm not "too" worried about it. I was, but not anymore. I had one tank of gas and if we had left, we wouldn't have been able to get back due to gas not being available. In fact, been seeing reports of that now.

Here's probably the best article I've seen on the subject of the nuke plant situation:

https://morgsatlarge.wordpress.com/2011 ... -reactors/

Did your area sustain much damage?
I hope you and your family weather this well.

Xell wrote:

fire_snake wrote:Any update on that nuclear reactor? Were they able to stabilize the situation?

Not yet, actually there were 2 more explosions at reactor-3. More and more problems appearing. TEPCO did really bad job at maintenance of nuclear power plants, seems money for them was most important.

As always. Don't mean a thing if it don't go "ka-ching."

auhckw wrote:Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011 ... l?src=tptw

On the photo itself, there is a bar to drag left and right to show the b4 and after...

Some places are totally gone/flatten...

I was looking at this one earlier..such a stark comparison before vs after.c.razy bad..peoples lives and homes just vanished basically

For those of you interested in sencha, macha or anyother type of Japanese tea or in Japan in general, Ayuni Horie is coordinating a nationwide event via an auction of ceramic artist's work to help raise funds for the survivors in Japan. I just concluded a weekend of teaware here in Boston and organizer Jeff Shapiro informed us of Ayumi's efforts. There will be many superb works up for sale and I urge you all to help us in this effort to help Japan in this most trying moment. She can be reached at ayumihorie@gmail.com or through her web site http://www.ayumihorie.com.

I will be making multiple donations is this effort to, in some small way, ease the suffering of the people in Japan during these very trying times.

I kindly ask you to please do what you can to help.
Best wishes from Boston,
Rob

That is great Robert.

Also one of our TA's has something going to assist victims as well, you can check it out here: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 30#p191342

My heart goes out to all affected by the horror occuring in Japan.

If the radiation from the damaged nuke generators blows back into the tea producing regions, what might be the fallout from this?

Ti wrote:If the radiation from the damaged nuke generators blows back into the tea producing regions, what might be the fallout from this?

In regard to the nuclear generators I suggest people search for facts which from what I've seen on most American news stations would not be what they are actually saying. There bar anything completely unforeseen and nearly unimaginable this can not turn into a Chernobyl and will likely be similar to Three Mile Island in the sense that there will have been no deaths, limited and minimal external contamination. In fact the biggest disaster regarding the nuclear reactors will have been the mess of horrible press given to nuclear energy from bad and almost blatantly false reporting.

For those interested in reading from experts that are actually informed on what is going on at those nuclear reactors check:

Timeline and data sheets for the incident by the Nuclear Energy Institute : (nei.org)

The International Atomic Energy Agency is providing regular announcements

Wikipedia on light water reactors and nuclear weapon design

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Systems manual - the Fukushima reactors are BWRs, a subset of LWRs (nrc.gov)

Tokyo Electric Power Company site with press releases - currently hard to reach due to traffic (tepco.co.jp/en)

My understanding is that it´s not even as bad as 3 mile island yet...and that´s an unlikely worst case scenario...because they´re managing to keep the fuel rods covered with sea water they won´t melt and the primary containment is safe.

It seems the worst thing are the hydrogen explosions from the super heated water....which aren´t releasing dangerous levels of radation but are damaging the buildings and injuring workers...they are really putting their lives on the line to keep the situation under control.

I'm worried about my uncle in Tokyo. I know he's alive but, if that radiation spreads. To that region he may be in some serious danger. I heard that the steam given off from the explosion is radioactive. but, then I also heard that steam was being winded off to the Ocean where it will become harmless over the waters.
Then I heard that an incoming storm will be shifting the wind towards the mainlaind.

I don't know what to believe anymore.