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Even if Japan called in experts from overseas to help deal with the Fukushima nuclear crisis, realistically, what could they do that has not already been attempted?
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techall
Well that would be the point of bring in foreign experts wouldn't it? Maybe nothing, but maybe they could provide solutions TEPCO and the Japanese Government don't have.
TheDevilsAssistant
Fail as much as TEPCO has.
Get Real
Provide transparency and governance?
gaijintraveller
Honesty. That is something that has not yet been attempted. Also,it should be remembered that the Russians have a lot of experience in this field.
badsey3
That is the problem => new technology will need to be devised to solve issues like this. But if Japan can solve these issues they can be used in the future for others.
zenkan
They could try speeding up the process instead of letting TEPCO and the govt. dilly-dally along as they are.
Probie
I'm not sure, but I bet that having incredibly intelligent people from all over the world would bring a lot of very useful ideas.
It's fairly obvious that TEPCO aren't up to the job.
Meguroman
Perhaps a more thorough inspection could`ve anticipated some of the risks that we are seeing now. TEPCO did not have the technology or expertise right after 3/11. The IAEA, the US, Russia and France are likely to have a more systematic approach and definately had better kit. Everything that is happening now is directly attributable to the buffoonery of TEPCO and the Japanese nuclear regulatory authorities. Instead worrying about Ospreys or AKB48 perhaps the populace will wake up to the shenanigans going on there in Fukushima.
gaijinfo
Contrary to the "Japan has done everything they can do" crowd, calling in international experts is ALWAYS preferable to handling things locally.
The reason is that international experts will think OUTSIDE THE BOX and perhaps come up with solutions that NOBODY has thought of yet.
Which is why asking a question like "what can they do that Japan hasn't already done" is a bit silly, as the whole reason of bringing in outside experts is to think of new ideas that nobody has thought of yet.
Zenpun
Japan pretended as calm and cool manner during the crisis. Reality is Japan is pretty helpless. The problem of radio active waste has become world wide headache and painful consequence now due to the former Japanese authoriy incompetence and ignorance of the international concern.
The reason is that Japanese bureaucrats have thought INSIDE THE BOX and perhaps come up with unwise solutions that NOBODY has thought of yet.
If the pacific ocean is contaminated with radio active waste, Japan is killing other nationals slowly as WWII. Although it was caused by accident, Japanese authority was so dumb for letting leaked water flow into the ocean. The consequence is many Americans will get the Cancer becasuse of Japanese national pride for not asking the help earlier.
gaijinfo
Well, since Japan's break neck plunge into nuclear energy was largely pushed by U.S. interests, you may say that the chickens are coming home to roost...
nath
Can't do much worse than TEPCO have been.
StormR
Simply tell the truth that may work.
Cos
Has something actually be attempted ? I start to doubt it. It's become obvious that Tepco has spent the months sending guys there to mop the floor and pose for cameras to show "look we do something... so let us restart the other plants".
JeffLee
Install gauges on the water tanks? Duh!
Thunderbird2
@Zenpun
Was that really necessary?
Can't they just encase everything in concrete? I admit I know very little about the technology, but isn't that what they did with Chernobyl?
Disillusioned
TEPCO is using unskilled, underpaid temp workers to handle the world's worst nuclear disaster because they are trying to save money. This situation should be being handled by the world's highest skilled engineers and physicists to get the radiation leaks under control. I think they key word in the above question is, 'attempted'. There should be no 'attempts' and there should be a solid plan with highly skilled professionals in charge of the operation. The cost of this operation should never be part of the plan. The true cost of this man-made disaster will not become clear for another ten-twenty years.
badsey3
really the question needs to be reworded:
Even if TepCo called in experts from overseas to help deal with the Fukushima nuclear crisis, realistically, what could they not do that has not been attempted?
= just show me something positive that is an improvement. It seems from the start TepCo seemed to put more energy in not doing anything. ---> Well, this attitude is failing and things need to get done. But with the old management still in place it is the same old denial and delay.
iceshoecream
And thinking like is exactly what led to this whole nuclear disaster. They never thought "what if (__)".
JeffLee
Tepco is accused of applying bandages, one after another, with no long-term strategy.
The French or Americans would have devised sustained, long-term fixes. That's why long ago they developed and maintained dedicated fleets of robots, lead-shielded vehicles and other equipment, whereas the Japanese have not.
Terry Tibbs
Exactly. Have to at least open your ears to advice and possible solutions from everyone who is knowledgable.
Lowly
It could only help to have other eyes on the problem, and the fact is that, while there are plenty of intelligent people in Japan, with 7 billion or whatever ppl on the planet, they do not have all of the intelligent ppl. The conservative way that decision making is done here it is very hard for new or unusual ideas to make it to the surface, sometimes. Further, the way academics, and to some extent industry as well, works, the hierarchy up-dn and bullying, quite a few j scholars of note end up preferring to work in overseas unisand institutions, to j- institutions. Lastly, with all that crap going into the oceans, it is everyone's problem, not their own "private" little problem, so they should "hide" their shame from the world and pretend it's all ok.
Anyone remember the Kobe quake? There were Swiss and US (forgot the nationalities actually) teams of special trained mountain dog-rescuers ready and waiting to fly to help within hours of the quake, and they were not allowed in because it was a japanese problem. There were other types of specialist rescue teams and fire teams and doctors as well and volunteers too who wanted to come, and none were let in for the first precious hours and days after the quake, thus resulting in potential deaths of unrescued ppl. So I don't think they will let in furreners this time to Fukushima either.
These gallons going into the ocean are really worrisome. It sounds like a lot, how is this going to affect the world oceans/ be absorbed? anyone know? I am afraid to look at the real info. I try to eat fish only caught in Kyushu or Nihonkai.
I don't think the concrete burial mentioned above will work, as it is on the coast and too connected to deep underground water, and underground water is complicated afaik. I think it will be hard to concrete-contain it from below esp w/ all the water.
FizzBit
Tell the truth?
sillygirl
A different pair of eyes. Also, a little truth telling would help.
YongYang
It is just not that simplistic, we are talking about the resources, the knowledge and know how of the entire planet's nuclear industry and beyond, plus, as many are saying, the truth would be a good place to step out from. The Russians, Americans, French and British have GOT to have some ideas, especially the Russians, plus the UN needs to set up a fund, every country needs to give, the costs can not be borne by one nation and the risks are simply that demanding / daunting.
How about: Remove the spent fuel then... A perimeter wall --that is dug down and into the bedrock-- 5 metres thick, right round the four reactors, reinforced, goes above the remains of Dai-Ichi by 10 meters and the whole thing is filled in with concrete. Or water. Or Boric acid. The bottom line? A global response,on a global scale, needs to stop this in its tracks.
Tessa
Wish I could click this up a hundred times over!
ambrosia
Hard to say since we've heard so many lies and obfuscations, how do we really know what they've even tried or considered?
hatsoff
The question is redundant unless it's being posed to nuclear experts, which we're not. Send it to the IAEA instead. It's rhetorical and serves no purpose other than to defend Tepco's incompetence. As others have said, one thing that could change is honesty, transparency and timely reporting. The idea of bringing in the brightest nuclear brains from other countries strikes me as a very good idea.
kurisupisu
They would most certainly reduce the amount of duct tape used..............
Kabukilover
It depends on under what circumstances the experts came. If they came as employees of Tepco or the Abe government they would be hampered by Japan's nuclear mafia, which has consistently either underplayed or hid the severity of this disaster. If they come as independents and given full control over bringing order to Fukushima things would probably be a lot better. For that to happen, Japan would have to admit defeat in containing the disaster. This would be a hard pill to swallow. But eventually swallow it Japan must.