Japanese Tsunami

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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby Kevin Lancaster » Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:30 pm

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” - Matthew 10:16
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby yoson10 » Thu Mar 17, 2011 1:06 am

Footage from the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004.... These things are just absolutely horrible

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDOuwMj7Xzo
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby Bushviper » Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:16 am

Kevin thanks for that. Another good reason why I will not live in the Western Cape.
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby fuscusV2 » Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:50 am

http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/en ... -1.1042362
Cape Town - Koeberg nuclear power station is sitting alongside a geological fault which gave rise to an earthquake in 1809 that was the same magnitude as last month’s earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Milnerton fault lies about 8km offshore of Koeberg.
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby Bushviper » Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:18 am

How did they miss this when deciding where to put a nuclear power plant?
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby fuscusV2 » Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:44 am

Bushviper wrote:How did they miss this when deciding where to put a nuclear power plant?

That is a good question... I mean of all places in the country, they pick Koeberg!?
I dont know why they didn't opt for a salt pan in the middle of nerensnie in the north west for example? Perhaps its the heat? Lack of water? Perhaps west coast north of Saldanha somewhere would have been better...

Then again, perhaps Nuclear isn't what we should have spent big money on.
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby Westley Price » Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:14 pm

The Koeberg Plate has been stable for quite some time and all the major (by our standards) earthquakes have been quite some distance inland.

Fuscus, you need very cold water in close proximity to cool the reactor, so NorthWest or most provinces are out. Only the west coast will suffice.

The reason the Japanese reactors are melting down is they are VERY primitive plants and they rely on old technology. They use external power to pump water into the reactor to cool it. The earthquake itself had little effect on the reactor, but the power cuts broke the power, which in turn stopped cooling of the reactor and thus melt down. They do have back-up generator, but these were damaged by the tsumani.

The newer nuclear reactors use internal energy to power the pumping of cold water, so something like this occurring is very slim.

And contrary to popular belief, nuclear power is "cleaner" than coal power. Even making solar panels results in so much pollution that you might as well be using coal power. It might be cheaper, but certainly not "cleaner".
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby fuscusV2 » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:05 pm

Yeah, apologies, I meant north west of the country - actually Northern province west coast or western cape north west coast. I know about nuclear being highly efficient and clean... while it works. Of course solar is out for now since the carbon footprint in mnf of the panels is higher than they 'clean up'. I maintain our issue here is more the governments stranglehold on innovation and alternative models. You don't have to replace your nuclear, you just have to suppliment it - like 25% would probably mean alot less stress for Eksdom and it's wealthy directors.
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby Kevin Lancaster » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:18 pm

My concern about nuclear goes beyond the efficiency issue and to the core of the "if" something goes wrong. The dangers for me far outweigh the benefits. I would rather have dirty coal power than the potential for disaster any day. On another note, please remember Earth Hour next week-end guys. My family and I will hopefully be making an occasion of it and having some fun in the process.
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Re: Japanese Tsunami

Postby froot » Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:12 pm

The Japanese nuclear plants are far more advanced than Chernobyl was. If they ware using Chernobyl technology we would probably have 3 more Chernobyl disasters on our hands. Advancements have focused on the containment of the reactor to minimise leakage and contain a meltdown. The second line of defence cooling of the reactor seems to have been a bit of an afterthought, as well as proper purging of hydrogen generated from emergency cooling.
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