More Links on the Japanese Reactor Situation

I've been off-line for most of today, enjoying the company of friends. Back to the news. I do have another post on parallels between the Russian Revolution and events in the Middle East almost ready to go, but the situation in Japan is more immediate.

I am having trouble reaching the Tepco site; the server is probably overloaded.

Graphics from the Washington Post on the nuclear reactors.

Another summary of what's happening at Fukushima, this one from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

And another, from The Guardian. This one has an overhead photo, but clouds make it hard to see much.

World Nuclear News is providing continuing coverage. Here's their article on exposures. Some of the measurements are given in counts per minute, which will look high, and others in micro- and milliSieverts. If the two workers who "felt bad" are being counted by the media as two of the three reported to have "radiation poisoning," that's not really reliable reporting. Just using a breathing apparatus can make you "feel bad," as can anxiety. The best way to keep up with WNN is through their Twitter feed: @W_Nuclear_News

Why I am not worried about Japan's nuclear reactors, by Josef Oehmen, an MIT scientist. Provides a fair bit of background about the reactors and how they operate.

More about the isotopes being released from the reactors. I would add that the amounts reported so far are very small.

CDC fact sheet on how radiation doses are measured (pdf). Some specifics would help here; you can find some useful comparisons at the WaPo link above.

Jerome á Paris provides some context in relation to economics and other energy sources.

The Neutron Economy is a new blog from a graduate student. He's doing a good job of providing explanations.

Background on the Three Mile Island accident. I should have read this before that last post.

Added later: Information Sheet Regarding the Tohuku Earthquake, from the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan Washington DC Office.