Japan does not face "another Chernobyl). The design of the Chernobyl reactor was quite different. Please read: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576198421680697248.html?mod=wsj_share_facebook#articleTabs%3Darticle

Time to head for Chile.

To think, 65 years ago with we were killing the Japanese with uranium bombs. Now we risk Amercian lives nest to theirs in a rush to help save them. Certainly ironic, or rather maybe a testament to how humanity can change for the better.

The U.S. Surgeon General suggested it would be a good precaution if residents of the West Coast stock up on Potassium Iodide.

Just in case.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Surgeon-General-Buying-Iodine-Appropriate-118031559.html

I figure Obamacare will ship it to my doorstep automatically, right?

The reactor design may be different, but a spent fuel pool fire poses the same health hazards as Chernobyl.

Of course IF one decides to take the potassium iodide it must be done within a certain time frame of possible exposure. It should not be taken as a preventative measure.
There is lots to worry and be concerned about with this situation.
However it is now past 5 PM so I ammgoing to pour myself a good stiff drink of some special Scotch I was saving. Seems like now is as good a reason as any to break open the gold stuff!

Is it just me or does that blue and white spotted paint job on the containment buildings remind anyone of the new Duck's basketball court?

Bill, I thought the same thing too. So that is where Tinker and Bob got the idea for MattCourt.

Jack, doesn't it suck to be right? the last time I heard you talk about this stuff was in 1991...Nuclear Waste Law...I came on your tour of Trojan...I remember your maps of all the crazy fault lines around and about Portland...

My correspondent friend hosted a Japanese exchange student this year. He sends this:

I thought you would find this comment from resident of Japan on my blog interesting:

"Over dinner tonight in our home in Japan, my Japanese father-in-law rendered his verdict for the CEO of Tokyo Electric Power…seppuku. Same for the former ruling Liberal Democratic party politicians who enabled them for all those years. The underlings are to be sent into the breach and told to work at the Daiichi Reactor site amidst the growing radiation releases. He’s a harsh man.

But the questions are beginning. What did they know and when did they know it. Heads are going to roll. Tokyo Electric Power is about to reap the whirlwind, and well they should. They failed miserably. This isn’t baseball, you don’t get three strikes. One and your out. You can’t f**k up ever with a nuke plant and you don’t get to use an earthquake or a tsunami as an excuse. It doesn’t flush to toss up your hands and say “what could we do? it was a big quake.” The industry has assured the public they could handle anything. They didn’t. Time to shut them down. Put a surcharge on electricity and pump the funds into solar research and create a roadmap that ramps down nuclear energy. There is no choice. This is madness."

Sheer Madness!
But will they continue to run problem plants, and build more new ones not having an adequate solution for the dangerous waste?
Unfortunately, yes.
Never mind what one can't see. . .

Never mind that we have people in charge of decision making that are either inept, corrupt or knowing but gambling on things just going OK until!!!
How many other cases of potential problems or likely problems down the road because people that are making decisions are simply willing to "look the other way" or in denial? (examples: gulf oil disaster, GMO foods, benzene in the air, and the list is long)

Public elected officials, too many are good at campaigning, but are not in depth thinkers beyond that and we need to replace those people with those who can think things through and do what is right for the people rather than what is right for their next election. Am afraid we are at the breaking point and cannot continue to depend on such others to be responsible to take care of dire matters.
It may very well be too late.

Corporate bottom line stuff being supreme over human concerns - major problem.

What a fowled up mess. There is no escape from this sheer madness, even though one might try to minimize one's impact from insane decisions. What happens in one part of the world impacts all.