Nuclear power is totally safe. There's never been any issues with it ever, it's infallible, we should totally use the full faith of the government to build several more. Don't you know we need power? We should be willing to go the distance for nuclear till the very end. It's completely safe, unlike that Solar, wind and geo-thermal plants that are giving off all that radiation. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

We should be thankful the Japanese didn't build so many solar panels, some of them broke into 2 pieces. 2! How the fuck do you put something together that used to be together? That's like voodoo magic shit right there. It's going to destroy the fabric of space time!

I agree #1!!! And not only that we should build a nuclear power plant next to every preschool across America!!

AND along with that we need to make sure everyone one of these infallible sources of energy is not riddled with "big government regulation".

#1: Don't build nuclear power plants on islands formed by active volcanoes over the junction of two tectonic plates. (Sorry Hawaii)

#2: There were probably more harmful elements/pollutants/etc. released by the burning oil refineries than by the nuclear plant, but nobody will care because it's not nuclear.

If the environmental groups and media jump on this as evidence of the dangers of nuclear power (as I hope they do) i would like to see a mature conversation about the role of renewables.

Yesterday, on all my liberal radio programs, they kept talking about solar and wind as if they were a panacea. Solar and wind (and other renewables) are important, and should be greatly expanded, but we ned to address the issue of base load. Nucor Steel cannot run on solar. Boeing can not run on solar. Downtown Seattle and Bellevue cannot run on solar. All of those places can offset their load, perhaps significantly, by investing in renewables, but that means spending money, and the rich have all the money now.

In the more immediate sense, environmental and health issues aside, Japan is in a dire power situation for the short-term future, especially if those plants can't be repaired. It's not like they can build new plants in a few weeks. That could impact the world economy as well.

@3 - Hawaii is not at the junction of active tectonic plates, and has low earthquake risk. Washington is at such a junction, though; a major earthquake here could be of similar magnitude to the one in Japan.

The best part about nuclear power is that there is no waste! The spent nuclear fuel turns into magic fairy dust that you can sprinkle on pancakes and waffles. There's no need to build structures to house it safely for thousands of years.

"There were probably more harmful elements/pollutants/etc. released by the burning oil refineries than by the nuclear plant, but nobody will care because it's not nuclear."

Oh, come now.... There are people who care, but just not that many. You must try not to sound so defensive.

And here's the big difference: With fossil fuels, we can live in our filth (My, that sounds like something Charles would say, doesn't it?) Sure, it gives us asthma and cancer and all sorts of other unpleasant things that burden our society far beyond the price at the pump or on the power bill, but not everyone gets those diseases, and it allows us to indulge in our little lifestyle quirks like Slog and NASCAR and home canning without having to fire up the woodstove.

Radiation - at least the kind of radiation given off in events like this and worse - isn't as forgiving. Plus, just as we've been fed a steady diet of wealthy worship and labor disdain, we've also been subject to decades of movies about giant ants and whatnot that wreaked havoc on everything, and all because of nuclear radiation.

We're a simple folk, and we like our creature comforts, as long as the way they're provided isn't too scary.

Damn, Catalina, you've been adding so much to the coverage here. Really appreciate the philosophy you're bringing. Thanks.

Mudede, let's see the math that you used to come up with "other and safer paths". There's no way we can reduce our greenhouse gas production without using this relatively safe energy source. Why are you not commenting on all the explosions at gas plants and refineries????