{"id":10710,"date":"2011-03-15T16:28:42","date_gmt":"2011-03-15T16:28:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/drishtikone\/2011\/03\/japan-calamity-2011-potential-nuclear-catastrophe-unfolding\/"},"modified":"2011-03-15T16:28:42","modified_gmt":"2011-03-15T16:28:42","slug":"japan-calamity-2011-potential-nuclear-catastrophe-unfolding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/drishtikone\/2011\/03\/japan-calamity-2011-potential-nuclear-catastrophe-unfolding\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan Calamity 2011: A potential Nuclear Catastrophe unfolding?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"NuclearMeltdown.jpg\"<\/a>A nuclear catastrophe is potentially around the corner. After the earthquake affected the Japanese nuclear plant, three explosions and a fire have occurred in four days. Quite simply, the situation at Japan\u2019s earthquake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant<\/b> is dire. On Tuesday there was an explosion at plant\u2019s No. 2 reactor and a fire in a cooling pond used for nuclear fuel at the No. 4 reactor.<\/p>\n

The radiation threat has grown as the Japanese authorities have started warning the citizens to seal themselves indoors<\/a> to save themselves from the dangerous levels of radiation.<\/p>\n

radiation levels surrounding the plant are now at \u201clevels that can impact human health,\u201d urging people within a 30-kilometer radius \u2014 a population of 140,000 \u2014 to remain indoors.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Just as a matter of comparison \u2013 Chernobyl was rated at a maximum level 7 on the INES scale. The Fukushima Daiichi accident has just been declared by the France\u2019s nuclear agencyto be at a level 6. This rating applied before the fire at the pools of water containing spent fuel rods. Why is that important? <\/p>\n

The pools sit on the top level of the reactor building, with spent fuel rods submerged in water. But like the reactors, the pools have lost power to their cooling systems after the earthquake. If any of the spent fuel rods were to catch fire, high heat would \u201cloft the radiation in clouds that would spread the radioactivity,\u201d says the New York Times<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Meanwhile the residents in even Tokyo are clearing all the shelfs of the supermarkets<\/a> off in anticipation of severe impact on basic amenities and supplies.<\/p>\n

Tokyo residents emptied store shelves of daily necessities and stocked up on gasoline as the risk of nuclear radiation leaks from a facility north of the Japanese capital escalated. Seven & I Holdings Co., Japan\u2019s biggest retailer, said its Ito-Yokado supermarkets are being emptied daily of necessities such as water, rice and batteries as soon as fresh supplies arrive. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The companies have started evacuating their employees out of Japan. Two companies who have started<\/a> the process are Alcatel-Lucent SA, ICAP Plc (IAP) and Infosys Technologies Ltd. (INFY). Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is also working to get its employees out soon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nuclear Meltdown<\/b><\/p>\n

We currently \u2013 as per the authorities \u2013 have a \u201cpartial meltdown\u201d and are looking at a \u201cfull meltdown\u201d situation, where the core of the reactor is affected. The safe guards<\/a> to stop that are:<\/p>\n