These men knew from day one that they would be giving their lives, it amazes me that these so called news reporters where not aware, it's like 9/11 I'm sure a lot of those hero's knew their chances were slim to none and made the choice to go in there, that's what hero's do, when called upon they are willing to give their lives, to save other's that they don't even know, it's not about money, or the greed that is so common place in our society today, there still are true hero's.

This is the difference between Japan and many other countries. These men have known for some time now that they would die from the radiation exposure. Their sense of duty, honor, national pride, and concern for their fellow Japanese would not allow them to leave their posts. These men are true heroes and I am sure that they will be remembered for their selfless dedication to trying to protect so many of their countrymen. I certainly hope and fully expect that their families will be well taken care of by the company and the government. I also hope that these men will be allowed to choose the time and manner of their death and not be forced to endure an agonizing death that would normally result from radiation poisoning. They should be allowed to die with the same honor and dignity they exhibited in life.

Puddle Duck---spot on valid point!

JS in SD

Kinda reminds me of the New Orleans Police Force after Katrina... mass defection, becoming looters, ect...I really hope these brave men (and I guess women, does anybody know) are not as badly affected as apparently they believe they are

Nuttin to worry bout Phea--it's only radiation leaks. I read from GE that all is just fine.

A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tries to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really deeply cares.
Debi Mazar

A hundred years from now, Japanese children will be singing songs about these brave souls.

Mr. Phea

You do not understand the Japanese culture in the least and you are wrong. The Japanese will remember this disaster for a long time. Shrines and Temples will be dedicated to the 300 individuals who fought a losing battle to contain the radiation and save their fellow citizens.

This is a VERY Japanese reaction. They are taught from childhood to never, ever, ever, even if no hope of success exists, to give up. The fate of the many outweighs the fate of the few.

These 300 individuals will be honored for hundreds of years to come. Their names will be memorized by Japanese school children and they will be raised almost to the level of Shinto saints.

"Samurai" has a far deeper meaning than the shallow western definition of an implacable warrior. The root word it originates from means "one who serves" or "to serve" and has never been more appropriate than when applied to the 300 brave souls who have condemned themselves to a horrible and painful, degrading death in order to save their neighbors and their nation.

Perhaps another word that would be even more appropriate for them would be "Kamikaze" which means "Divine Wind" or "Spirit Wind". It was a storm or "Kamikaze" that saved the Japanese from an invasion by the Koreans in the 13th (?) century. We think of the "Kamikaze" as suicide pilots, but again, the meaning goes much deeper than that.

Banzai. Which means "10,000 years" I believe. That's how long the 300 will be rememberd in Japan, long, long after Leonidas' 300 Spartans have been forgotten by Western history.

I think you must be writing about a different Japan from the one I live in.

I've actually spent quite a lot of time in Japan, I met my "wife" in Misawa...

my statement did not come from a lack of faith or respect fro the Japanese people...

just from a deeply held faith in our Media Outlets ability and desire to tear down even the greatest heroes to sell a newspaper

Perhaps, I only have history to draw on.

skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City:..Mr. Phea...

There was and still some members of the western countries who did or do the same level of service. We call them "Lords" and "Knights". In the US the only members of such level of services are our Military Men. It used to be such a great honor to be "Lords" and Knights" for it came through a great service to citizens. There was also a great deal of of trust established upon such person where they never ever took bribe, stole from public, never ever surrendered to selfishness. That was when people were at their greatest moment in history. Then the west died from greed and selfishness. Then came a NEW WWestern idea eroding trust and replacing it with embezzlement theft and false claims of heroism. We call it Congressional, Judicial and Executive methods.

While these workers are well aware of the consequences and they are in fact the heroes in this mess, the arrogance of the Japanese govt and Tokyo power killed these people.

It has been known from day 1 that these reactors were finished, yet they press forward with their we-are-superior attitude believing they can save the reactors. Their acts have not only cost the lives of their employees, but of millions of Japanese people to come. Their coastal fishing is gone for the next 25 years at minimum. Tourism is dead for the unforseen future as that area of Japan is very popular and the list goes on of the long term economic devastation.

@Imperial

You need to spend less time reading historical fiction and more time with actual history. Your belief in "Lords" and "Knights" is quite wrong. These titles did not come from serving "the people" but from serving the crown. Otherwise, most of world would still be under British and French rule as all their Lord, Ladies, and Knights went around serving us, the people.

Seriously, if you're going to complain about the present at least do it from some factual basis instead of from pure fantasy.

shnike

you are correct. I'm afraid the poster is confusing the victorian idea of "chivalry" with the actuality which was the "lords" and "knights" he referred to were actually robber barons and their hired thugs.

I guess to fully appreciate what this means to the japanese you would have to have studied their history and understand the cultural differences between the east and the west. They are profound.

They are coming from a different cultural experience than we are and they see things very differently.

To the poster who said he/she lived in Japan, unless you are JAPANESE you are a GAIJIN and you will never be accepted into their society or see and feel things they way they do. Oh yes, they will show you outward courtesy, but you will never be fully accepted or understand them.

I have never lived in Japan. But I have studied them for decades and I think I have a little better understanding of them than most westerners. That's all, I'm not an expert and I can only parrot back what I have learned over the years.

Steve W - No one has been trying to save the reactors from day one or they would have never used corrosive sea water. They have been trying to shut it down to avoid full meltdown... same as they did in Chernobyl.

I have an off the wall stupid ?Probably? Question? Can you super cool the cores?

I will argue that you are incorrect based on the methods / steps taken to date. While I am certainly not an expert on extinguising this sort of "fire", these reactors should have been encased in concrete long ago.

Chernobyl was never " put out" or contained until the concrete started to make it's way around the reactor, thats just a fact.

I do know physics and chemistry though and allowing reactor 3 to contain superheated air , suggests there isnt any moisture / water / coolant at all inside and that doesn't sound like making every effort to keep that particular reactor cool.

I think this may be another version of the "300." These "nuclear samarai" are giving their all in their attempts to protect their people and country. We can waffle back and forth, blame, and all sorts of other bologna; but the facts of the matter are this is a very dangerous situation, and some folks (with a great deal of courage, dedication, and humanity) are doing their very best to fix it. I can only wish them well and keep them in my thoughts.

@ Puddle Duck - No, these are not the lazy unionized workers for the US government to which you refer. They are Japanese workers for the POWER COMPANY TEPCO.

I know it's really dificult to get that from the article as much as it talked about unions and such...

While I do commend the "Fukushima 50 (300)" on their actions, I do have some observations based on my time living in Japan.

1) In Japan, company loyalty is expected and required. When TEPCO called for volunteers it is not the same as if the same situation had occurred in this country. In such a situation the company expects you to "volunteer." To fail to have volunteered would have been disloyal to the company/team. So you can understand the relationship between a company and its employees, in Japan most employers tell their employees who to vote for. Most polls show about 90% compliance with voting "suggestions" by employers.

2) The volunteers for the most part are older workers. TEPCO did this for two reasons, a) because the older employees have more experience, and b) because with older employees the chance of developing cancer is lessened because of the likelihood of dieing of something else first.

3) I was struck by the part of the article that said that the one volunteer was sleeping on his desk instead of on the floor. Why are these people being required to sleep there at all. This is an extremely unnecessary exposure to radiation. These employees should, at a minimum, be bussed away from the plant any time they are not actively working on the reactors. To have them exposed to radiation in any amount while they sleep is ridiculous.

4) The idea of not having enough dosimeters to go around is even more ridiculous. This is not some super high-tech piece of hardware, but rather a 50-cent device that is readily available from medical supply houses. There is simply no excuse for any emergency lasting more than 24 hours to be lacking dosimeters since they can easily and inexpensively be shipped from other countries such as China and the US.

5) The threat to these people's lives is being over interpreted. There is little danger to their immediate lives from radiation exposure. They are getting significant, but not life-threatening doses. And because of the lack of dosimeters, there is little way of calculating individual dosages. The real problem is that of developing cancer. And we are talking about a latency of 10 years or more for solid tumors to develop. To put it in perspective --- in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster 237 people were diagnosed with acute radiation poisoning of which 31 people died so far. There were also 216 non-cancer deaths from the incident. Because of the latency period the cancer rate among survivors is still almost identical to that of the general population, but expected to rise with time. If you overlay the Chernobyl numbers on this incident, it is unlikely that any deaths will be directly associated with these problems in the immediate future and probably none for the next 15 years or so.

6) The Japanese have very poor industrial regulation, especially in the area of safety. Japanese governments are universally pro-business. Japan has very poor consumer protection statutes. And there is only partial insurance to cover as little as 1/4 of the costs of the reactor incidents. This is not a country where the government looks out for individuals.

7) When this incident is over, the Fukushima 50 (300) will keep their participation a secret because they will not be celebrated as heroes. Instead they will be shunned. This is why TEPCO does not allow them to be photographed or named. Already the Japanese are shunning refugees. This is a combination of two cultural factors ---- Japan's paranoid and irrational fear of radiation since WWII, and traditional shunning of people who are "unclean" or contaminated as with a disease. Basically, under Shintoism, if you are a victim of a tsumani or other natural disaster, this means that the animistic world has turned on you. This is a danger not only to you, but to those around you.

I like the Japanese as a people, but their culture is very poorly understood by westerners who tend to idealize it. I can remember being in Tokyo when the first Benihana's restaurant was opened there. There were full-page ads in the newspapers inviting people to try this exotic new gaijin grill and assuring everyone that all the chefs had been trained in San Francisco.

And Puddle Duck- none of our overpaid underworked union bunch would put their lives on the line for anything- you can't even ask them to take a piece of paper to the office because it's "not my job". Sheesh!

Crystal and Rutherford - couldn't be more wrong. Do you not know that the 356 police and firemen and women who died on 9/11 were union? You probably should have a clue about what you say before you say it. Pathetic!

I would agree with the post that said the news will probably put this disaster on the backburner if it ever gets under control at just the plant location like the BP event which still is wrecking lives, the environment and costing huge $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ loss to economy. And while not sure that unions are a proper discussion here but we should should also never forget those who gave their lives to form unions to address the horrid conditions of industry, many of which still exist today, coal mining industry for example where cutting corners at the expense of workers health, even if fines are levied, are just part of the cost of doing business.

SkipNich - The invasion was averted not once but twice by storms at sea was being mounted against Japan by the Mongolians. On both occasions the entire Mongolian fleet, which had been visible from shore the day before, was sunk by a violent storm. And yes, your assessment of what it means to be a Samurai is correct. They are not simply soldiers, the Samurai lord took responsibility for the welfare of the people who worked the land. Not all were as benevolent as they should have been but most did.
I do not agree w/ the poster that seemed to infer that this kind of selfless heroism only exists in Japan. Although it is more common in Japan among the average Joe, as one poster mentioned, firefighters do this sort of stuff on a regular basis in many countries.

Bet the Hero's of Japan are regular normal people. Just like anywhere. There is always a hero and a villain. I am not trying to take away from what these. People are doing. They are true hero's.

The point I am trying to make is that one would be surprised at who a true hero can be. It is really in our nature to step up when needed. Ive seen some crazy stuff and the Hero's were sometimes someone you would not have expected.

Hopefully this effects some of the workers less than they are thinking. so they can live a long life. My thinking in this spot would be. I have lived longer than a 5 year old or even a 20 year old. They deserve the shot at getting to my age. Bet most of those workers had thoughts like that.

Hats off to Japanese courage under fire

Chris-

Great post, obviously speaking from someone cultural experience. The only issue I would take is the perspective on #6. I think this was the only point where your assessment of "poor industrial regulation...especially in the area of safety," is somewhat skewed by western performance. I think the regulation is poor so much as I think it is just not as required as it is in the west. I would agree that the Japanese government isn't concerned about individuals but I don't think that means they disregard safety. Having worked with them on engineering projects, they are just way more precise and proficient because their work ethic is a direct reflection of their being. Frankly, they just don't make as many bonehead mistakes as we do in the west; think about it, the majority of safety regulations we have in the west is because someone did something stupid (and continue to do so even with the regulations!). I'm sure the Japanese could have stricter industrial regulations, but I'm not sure they would actually be preventing anything more than their work ethic culture already prevents.

Regardless, the issue of industrial regulation and safdty is irrelevant in the face of mother nature who will always and ultimately be able to defeat our most conservative standards and requirements at will. We can only learn and try to improve, it is a risk we all take everyday all over the world.

Report: Fukushima nuke workers expect to die

......... April Fools!!!!!!!!

The Japanese are very resilient it makes me sad to see them broken like that.

c'mon funny - tell us how you really feel

I really feel like knocking some sense into these delusional fools who constantly feel the need to tear down everyone around them to make themselves feel better about being the trash that they are. He's a coward and a fool.

I agree with the post further up. I too think they are overstating the exposure these people have potentially had. If they arnt already sick from the radiation, it seems unlikely that they will die anytime soon.

it's like 9/11 I'm sure a lot of those hero's knew their chances were slim to none and made the choice to go in there,

This is not true at all. Going into burning buildings is what firefighters do. Before 9/11,(and since for that matter) no steel framed structure had ever collapsed due to fire. Plus certain authorities assured everyone that the air was ok to breath when when that simply wasnt true. This is not the place to argue about 9/11, but comparing this to that is not correct.

I am not taking away from the brave actions on 9/11; but there is a world of difference in going into a situation where you might die and going into a situation where you think there's no hope of survival.

These people are true heroes who have sacrificed their futures for their "fellow man". My prayers are with them and their families and friends. (Just as they were with the people of NY, Washington DC and Pennsylvania on 9/11.) Unlike cowardly suicide bombers, who only want to make others suffer, these people are willing to die in an attempt to stop further pain and suffering of millions.

But, Republicans claim that radiation is good for you...

It just goes to show that the Right not only has no knowledge, it has no honor or respect for those who truly serve and sacrifice for their communities.

Every time you turn on your lights, someone risked their lives or died to mine the coal, drill the gas or even build the windmill.

When you fill your car with gas, someone did a dangerous job at a refinery to make it possible.

Eat a seafood dinner, and it's thanks to the most dangerous job in the US, commercial fishermen.

But each of those goes in knowing the risks. They don't go in knowing it's a certainty to die.

These Japanese workers deserve our respect.

Having said that, this is nowhere near Chernobyl. Not on the same page, not in the same BOOK.

Much like the BP oil spill, the hype is way beyond the actual damage. Just like the biggest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, IXTOC, was lost in memory and not even brought up for comparison with the BP spill because just 2 years after the spill there were no measurable environmental impacts.

I expect about the same with the nuclear plants. 2 years of ban on fishing and farming in the immediate area.

Brandon - So you don't produce vitamin D bathing in the sun's radiation?

You don't take in potassium?

You don't want to live with radiation, but you can't live without it.

I read the various comments. you can read all history about Japan. you can think what we think. you can talk about religions. but I don't think you can find the answer what you want. " we do. because we have to do". there is no reasons. thank you. m(__)m

Mr. Nicholson, you noted:

"To the poster who said he/she lived in Japan, unless you are JAPANESE you are a GAIJIN and you will never be accepted into their society or see and feel things they way they do. Oh yes, they will show you outward courtesy, but you will never be fully accepted or understand them.

I have never lived in Japan. But I have studied them for decades and I think I have a little better understanding of them than most westerners. That's all, I'm not an expert and I can only parrot back what I have learned over the years."

I'm not sure how to respond to this, but I can guess I can cite (a) my more than 20 years living in Japan, (b) my speaking Japanese with my family, (c) my own background of study of (peer-reviewed) studies of cross-cultural differences and similarities involving the Japanese and other cultures, mostly in sociology and pragmalinguistics, (d) my own professional background of publishing (in peer-reviewed journals and books) on various aspects touching on the topic, and (e) the invitations I have received from Japanese groups to speak on the topics.

However, I was actually just reacting based on what I experience in my everyday life, what I know from reviews of Japanese school textbooks, talking with friends, and so forth. You seem to be thinking about Japanese in the same way that many Japanese think about Americans: as samurai and as cowboys, respectively.

Finally, let me thank you for brightening my day a bit: when I translated your comment for my wife, who also lives here and has also spent the last 3 weeks worrying about relatives in Tohoko and the Dai-Ichi plant, she laughed as heartily as she used to before the earthquake(s).

Ryan,

Really now where as bad as Chernybol?

Please use the source where you got this because all the current number show this is a least at the same level if not higher,

I've been told when you die for others, Its a good death. So these heros will have great deaths.

I would like to see what this women actually said in Japanese and without the filtering of an interpretor and a reporter. "The people of Japan" seems a more likely translation than "the nation."

These Japanese technicians remind me of the Russian firefighters at Chernobyl that stayed at their posts fighting that reactor fire knowing they were dead men. And the American firefighters and police that climbed up into the World Trade Center towers to save as many as they could before the end came. I sincerely hope the pillows are a little bit softer in the corner of Heaven where these brave and honorable men rest.

George, So true every Nation has it's hero's without a doubt, it's funny that people change when confronted with the choice of saving the many verses themselves.

"excaliburgc

I've been told when you die for others, Its a good death. So these heros will have great deaths."

There is no such thing as a good death for the person that is healthy, now, but knows he is going to die a horribly painful death, soon.

PuddleDuck

As one who has put his life on the line for others, a horribly painful death is not the point. If I had to lay my life down for the sake of others, I will go to my reward with a great peace inside - no matter the pain.

Pain is temporary.

PuddleDuck I don't think you understand the concept of a "good death" as said above. Obviously no death is good, but these men are dying with honor because they are walking into danger knowing they will die a painful death, but they walk in anyway in hopes of saving countless lives.

These 300 workers that are potentially sacrificing their lives for the good of their country are true heroes, regardless of how you define the term.

On a different note, I wonder. Japan is a relatively small island nation. As this nuclear disaster is cleaned up, it almost seems there will be a large area that can no longer be inhabited. Might the affected area cut the island in half? the implications of this disaster are far from over, I fear.

We used to call them fanatic, crazy, yellow monkeys during WWII, when they would rather kill themselves than surrender to us, we never understood their sense of patriotism, most Far East cultures have cultural values alien to the selfish and materialistic West. I'm glad now we show some respect for their selfless actions.

It wouldn't work. And will possibly explodes

Sounds like a good idea. Contain the water by mixing it with concrete ... It would probably keep some of it localized but then the concrete encasement itself would be radioactive and unapproachable then they would have to encase the encasement with concrete mixed with uncontaminated water. A catch 22 situation. Good idea though.

What to do with the contaminated underground water? Sink recovery wells and store it? Water is an element that cannot be destroyed and neither can the radioactive isotopes. So super-heating the water and turning it into steam and releasing it into the atmosphere won't work. Again a catch 22 situation.

Since the soil is contaminated, what do you do with it? ... What can you do?? Perhaps science will someday develop a filtering material that will capture and remove radiation. But that technology is way down the road or has science been working on it already? I don't know ... But Japan is screwed on so many levels and will be for generations. That much is obvious.

Explodes, really? How many megatons are we talking about here chris?

Thanks for being one of those people that make a bad situation worse by being uninformed and spouting off the first thing you think of.

GeekToTheBone - Your suggestion is one of the options. It is called the Chernoble solution. Sone people think that option is now the best solution, some think it is overdue, and some think it is the next step.

Mike - The water is readioactive itself and due to contaminates in the water. The rdaioactivity of the water itself will rapidly decrease. It has a half like of about 15 minutes. The other radioactive materials in the water have long lives. They can be concentrated by filtering them out using various methods. This concentrates them and they can then be stored along with the other materials.

This is my best understanding, perhaps some of the more epert people can further explain the science, technology, and options.

To John Doe,

Kyodo News reports that they are attempting to pump nitrogen into the reactors to prevent explosions.

See my column for the scoop.

John Doe-2437959 : I wasn't talking about a NUCLEAR EXPLOSION.

It looks obvious that if you try to mix concrete with an amazingly hot radioactive lava (in fusion), it will explodes !!!!

Remember that at Chernobyl the worst was avoid, the courageous men got rid of the water underneath the reactor, saving it from exploding (again not nuclear). However that explosion would have freed enormous radiations into the northern hemisphere, equivalent to all the radiations from nuclear tests ever produced in the world, every day, and for 2 months. Condemning half of the world.

This scenario is not impossible here.

Letting it melt through the concrete is another impossibility. This stuff can burn through the concrete, and then down into the actual earth until it hits the water table and causes a huge radioactive geyser.

Although I am wondering why they cant let it cool down enough then ship it away for further refinement and reuse. Then take all the radioactive material left and dispose of it like other material of that nature, then they wouldnt have to have a large unusable area.(the area of the plant itself)

Epinnoia, yes exactly. It is called the China Syndrome.

Chris-766055 : You do realize that a plant is becoming a radioactive waste itself right ? In that case, a highly radioactive waste with miles of lands around it.

Chris is ignorant about this subject.

The water itself is not radioactive, it is contaminated with radioactive substances, which decay at various rates. Filters are routinely used to clean up waste water and then it is evaporated to further concentrate the contamination so it can be properly disposed of. The resulting water vapor is pure.

This is how we handle waste water in the nuclear industry.

When did I talk about water ? I talked about the plant.

Steve that post does not even belong in this discussion.

I'm fine with what he said; it may be inappropriate, but it's true, and I for one am sick of our society's desire to be nice and avoid speaking unpleasant truths. While no one could have predicted the earthquake, anyone could have predicted that the government would be slow to react in the event of a disaster, and that indecisiveness would allow the situation to grow worse. Those who own nuclear plants are allowed to make a decision about how paranoid they should be about security measures; they are permitted to decide not to pay extra for possibly-unnecessary protections. If we're okay with that, then let's admit it.

"stevef2222-2057034

the bigshots...the people at the top always get away with the most terrible things, just look at bush and cheney"

So true. The punishment, if any, for the operators will be little to non-existent, just as for our worst president, in US history, and his brain.

"BWIII

Steve

YOU are a DOUCHE"

"rdixiesunrise61

Steve that post does not even belong in this discussion."

The comparison is apt. Typical conservative responses, when government or big business is challenged, especially if the "wrong" party is in power.

"just as for our worst president, in US history, and his brain."

Dont give up on him just yet, he still has a year left! In fact, since he's now catering to Hispanics and the Dream Act with illegal immigrants, he just might swindle out a second term!

The persons on the top will commit suicide..its in their beliefs and rellgion.

Ru: your a total jerk...maybe you should go to Japan if you don't like it here..You people make me sick of your arrogant.so STFU

Obama should go to Japan, it would save us the effort to impeach him.

G.Dog, We still have a world because a few people were willing to give to the bitter end...with no reservations or negotiation. My friend who was a soldier at the Chosin Resevoir and was awarded the Silver Star twice, My father, who with a heavy heart, stayed stateside to help develop genetic strains of corn and peas to feed the troops in Europe during WW2 and my husband who went to the rescue in the middle of the 9-11 terror attacks and was caught in the toxic cloud that consumed lower Manhattan are all owed a debt of gratitude...May God have mercy on the souls of all those who put duty and honor ahead of personal safety. May we all pause and think of all those who gave their skills, blood, and left themselves in countries that no longer exist so that we can sleep at night...

These men are true Hero's.....God bless them and their families!

They are to be held up with the utmost respect

Wintersbutterfly,

Your blog moniker reminds me of a saying popular with the Samurai.

"Life is a butterfly's dream on a summer day."

Ephemoral, easily lost and of little consequence but sweet while it lasts.

There is a Zen saying, I wish I could remember the Japanese words, but the English translation is "The moon does not think about it's reflection in the water, nor does the water think about reflecting the moon."

That is very appropriate for these brave souls.

Amazing thought Wintersbutterfly and Thank You skip for mentioning...

Skip, My Nic is a reference and tribute to my closest friend who committed suicide in 1974 at the age of 14 from the abuse we were suffering:

This is my poem for Eddie,

November trees, solitary and promised.

Brittle leaves in the winter's wind,

like Winter's Butterflies.

This may be relevant for some here in their grief:

I saw God in Eddie's eyes when I was just so young.

Others are required to have Faith.

God gave me Eddie.

And despite all I have gone through I know

because I feel Eddie with me still

that if Eddie is there, there must be a Heaven

And if Heaven a God

And if God is friends with Eddie

than God must be alright

just by association....

Thanks skip for giving me the opportunity to mention a boy with the spark of God in his eyes. He deserves to be remembered and I do think others are carried through us for years as a part of our personality through the times we have had with them.

Thank you.

Skip,

I once said that in Eddie I saw the potential kindness in us.

I see it in what these people are doing in Japan.

In the so many soldiers we have lost.

And in those many many many persons that entered the Towers on 911 knowing they very likely were giving their lives to save others.

And more so, all those who give so much of themselves never to be written down and acknowledged.

I very much enjoyed everything you wrote and will copy and paste and keep it to reference. Very nice. Thx again

I agree, Dana. They perhaps deserve more respect because they did not go into the job knowing such might be necessary and were given a chance to turn down the assignment.

Nothing against fire fighters, police officers, and other emergency workers, but their professions are not comparable to these plant workers. Fire fighters/police officers/emergency workers have a dangerous job, but they are trained to do it safetly. These plant workers who are trying to prevent a further disaster cannot do it safetly, they are being exposed to extreme levels of radiation every moment that they are at that plant, and will more than likely die in the near future from radiation related problems. These workers are beyond hero's for what they are doing, and have decided to make the ultimate sacrifice in an attempt to prevent a nuclear disaster.

The moment anyone enters a dangerous profession, they are ready to face conditions unimaginable to the rest of us...I know, I lived with a man for decades who served his country. Dedication is dedication. Devotion is devotion and death is death....They all trained for the potential situations....Many get through without having to use all the training but, they know it could have been called upon at any time....That is why there is no distinction... They are all our protectors and our heroes...

You mean the fire fighters and cops and emergency workers who apparently are the cause of our economic woes because they make too much money and have Unions? This just goes to show how ridiculous that argument is. Who would you want saving your life, a well paid selfless individual, or someone who gets paid Wal-Mart wages and doesn't give a @!$%#?!

I think they are not only saving their nation but it could possibly have been worse and involved the whole world. Here in America we are getting low doses of the radiation. My question is if they did not put their lives in danger how bad would it really be right now? I heart goes out to these men and their families for the sacrifices that they have made and still are making to help out humanity.

God isnt a factor. If he had been, the situation wouldnt be what it is, yes? But our thoughts go out to the people of Japan; Im glad nations are coming together to help.

god could have REALLY helped Japan, and kept her workers "safe", as well as the tens of thousands already killed and displaced by this catastrophic disaster, if he/she/it had PREVENTED the disaster from happening in the first place...

God gives us lessons to learn. We obviously have a lot to learn from this.

god helps no one, nothing fails as often as prayers.

God put Himself at a distinct disadvantage when He gave man free will.

it'd be nice if "god" put that earthquake somewhere else...such as not on the coast next to a bunch of nuke plants

You hope God will protect them? From what?

It seems that if God wanted to protect them he would have made his move by now...

If there is a God, and I'm convinced there is something that resembles "God" out there, then it's a foregone conclusion that they will be beside her/him on the throne of honor reserved for the truly extraordinary.

May the world sing their praise forever.

It's funny that I find it ironic that someone with the screen name 'Gendo Ikari' talks about God protecting someone.

I love Japan and its people but we here in America have our own heroes, people who put their own lives in danger for others. It happens everyday. From professional workers to parents to children who put the lives of others ahead of their own.

@ dixie: And your point is? Every country has heroes; every country also has swelled heads who claim to be heroes for the sake of ego gratification, and are lucky enough not to be caught in the lie, so they continue to share in the praise you heap on actual heroes. Since we're not the ones whose country was just b***h-slapped by Nature, I'm thinking now is not the time to toot our own horn, even if we do sometimes deserve to.

"Will to Power

@ dixie: And your point is? Every country has heroes; every country also has swelled heads who claim to be heroes for the sake of ego gratification, and are lucky enough not to be caught in the lie, so they continue to share in the praise you heap on actual heroes. Since we're not the ones whose country was just b***h-slapped by Nature, I'm thinking now is not the time to toot our own horn, even if we do sometimes deserve to."

The disaster would not have happened, even with Mother Nature's involvement, had the reactors been designed properly.

These Japanese heroes will be dying for someone else's design flaw.

You take your heroes where you find them. Those heroes could even be unionized firemen, policemen and even school teachers and nurses,

I love Japan and its people but we here in America have our own heroes,

rdixiesunrise61 - I agree with Will to Power; this is not the time to speak of the mundane heroics of everyday life, which frankly does not compare with the virtual suicide committed by these workers.

PuddleDuck, the fact that these reactors may not have been adequately designed has nothing to do with this story. These workers are not the architects, design engineers, or the construction workers who may have been responsible for any flaws in these reactors. They were the workers who ran them day by day.

I cannot remember the last time I heard of a teacher or nurse knowingly and willingly dying for their students or patients.

As to firemen and policemen, they do knowingly put their life at risk. But even in the most hazardous circumstances, they do not knowingly put themselves in a position where they know they will die.

So, I think the actions of these Japanese workers rise to a different level of heroism, such as one does not regularly see in life.

@dman

I currently live in Japan and I am very happy to see the kind words for the people who are risking their lives by dealing with this emergency. However, I am baffled about about your commits.

Every country has its heroes. Lets not look at the Japanese a some sort of unusually brave group. They are doing what people do in emergencies.

I for one saved a junior high school kid from getting hit by a train.

Ordinary people will too rise up to deal with emergencies.

Don't undermine the ability of people, all people to do amazing things.

Teacher dies saving student:

Nurse dies saving baby:

There is no such thing as "mundane heroics". By definition, they are extroridinary..The only distinction may be by the degree of sacrifice, but, do not diminish the brave, and honorable actions of anyone...Please, there are already enough selfish, shameless exhibitionists who do nothing but take and promote themselves....

Every country has its heroes. Lets not look at the Japanese a some sort of unusually brave group. They are doing what people do in emergencies.

I don't mean to belittle the actions of anybody who puts his or her life in danger for the sake of others.

My point, and it is a simple one, is that these individuals (in Japan) knowingly sacrificed their lives by choosing to continue working in the highly radio-active confines of the Fukushima plant.

Neither a fireman running into a burning building to save a child, nor a man pulling a child from in front of a speeding train, does so with the foreknowledge that his (or her) actions will absolutely cost them their life.

The only actions I can think of which are on the same level of heroism would be those of soldiers who throw themselves onto a live grenade to save their comrades.

Policemen, firemen, and private individuals who put themselves at risk are indeed heroic. But people who knowingly sacrifice their lives to save others, manifest and even higher level of heroism.

Not that I necessarily disagree, but it's very easy to make sanctimonious claims like that when you happen to be a naturally giving person. Our culture raises people to think that the world is dog-eat-dog and encourages them to think that they will only achieve the ultimate in happiness by competing for success and hoarding their victories. It also teaches us that we should be kind and generous and giving - but it doesn't teach us how to feel that way if we don't automatically do so. I for one am not in a big hurry to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of people I don't even like (which is a large percentage of people in general). And that's a perfectly sane and healthy way for me to feel.

People who have the capacity for generosity are remarkable and deserve to be praised, but it's unrealistic to think everyone is capable of acting that way or that they should be punished for failing to do so. There is some logic to saying that the person whose shoes you aren't walking a mile in gets to decide when his feet are sore and he's not running any more errands for you. It kind of makes him a jerk, but arguably a justified one. There is significant question as to whether it's right to hold other people to a higher standard than yourself - or even to the same standard, when they aren't the same person.

doesn't teach us how to feel that way if we don't automatically do so....People who have the capacity for generosity are remarkable and deserve to be praised, but it's unrealistic to think everyone is capable of acting that way

I think that's what beanne meant by "learning a lesson."

Yeah, who knows in the States when one of our nuclear reactors will be hit with a 9 point something earthquake AND a tsunami at the same time. That must happen with alarming regularity...

It was a freak disaster.

pj but it still could happen on any coast, east or west. Here in SC we have one along the Savannah River in the southern part of SC, it is along the river which could be hit with an earthquake at anytime. Since it is on the Savannah River which is fed from the ocean, it is a possibility that it can get flooded, by a tsunami too, I really don't have that answer but it is a possibility.

The earthquake caused the tsunami, pjames. It's an unusal occurrence, but not an unbelievably unusual one.

I believe nuclear power is acceptibly safe IF it is treated with the respect it deserves. But that tends not to happen when greedy corporate owners are punished for failing to cut corners on safety so they can maximize profit.

"pjamese3

Yeah, who knows in the States when one of our nuclear reactors will be hit with a 9 point something earthquake AND a tsunami at the same time. That must happen with alarming regularity...

It was a freak disaster."

It was a freak disaster that was foreseen, but discounted because the odds of it happening were very small, even thought the odds of a catastrophic failure, if it happened were very large.

You can't use the same risk management assessments with the nuclear power industry, that are used for other industries.

Even "freak", but possible events must be taken seriously, when designing nuclear power stations, as the consequences for the world could be devastating, if one of these "freak" events should occur.

No, no, pjamese3 is right! Only the combined power of a massive earthquake, followed by a tsunami, can possibly cause a nuclear disaster. After all, look at Chernobyl. If it hadn't been for the Russian earthquake and tsunami, everything would have been just hunky-dory. So, see, all the US nuclear reactors are perfectly safe, because you can't have a nuclear disaster unless you also have the earthquake and tsunami that cause it.

HAHA, fear monger. Those energy sources you mentioned are in fact as green as you can get no doubt, can't argue that. But what you apparently don't know is the output or the amount of energy we get from those. You have any idea how many 100's of acres of fans or solar panels it would take to equal one nuke plant? Or how many 1000's of acres it would take to equal the output of a damn??

Yes those are green options, but still no realisitic for out power consumption.

Everything happens for a reason, let's hope we all learn from it.

accountable- how about everyone pitch in and use less energy to make these things more possible then???

This will become know as the worst nuclear disaster in the history of the world, with probably more deaths, short and long term, than with Chernobyl.

We can only hope you're right, PuddleDuck.

why would you hope puddle duck is right? you want more deaths than chernobyl?

Because I'd hate to think that there'll be a worse nuclear disaster in the future.

We have a nuclear power plant on the San Andreas Fault. It could happen here, my Florida friend.

Good point, but the quote is probably accurate given the way they have handled it so far.

the water plants are closed, no water to test. when the problem is under control they will test the water before allowing it for public consumption...at least that's how i read it.

Of course, the officials making the decisions if and when people return to the area will be a whole new generation ...

The plant should have been closed down in February like it was suppose to, not given another 10 years of life. The newer nuclear power plants are better built to deal with stuff like two natural disasters, look at the other 54 plants in Japan, sure they weren't all hit, but there was at least one that close to the same area, and they aren't having problems with it.

I think it was a good lesson for the world not extend life on nuclear plants that are suppose to close. It's safe to a point, just like everything is, people just need to follow safety measures that have been put into place, and look for more that should be in place.

If the plan had been closed in February, it probably would still have retained sufficient energy to create the same disaster, given the amount of damage it sustained and the length of time experts say it takes for one to cool down after it's shut down.

Kaku is an IDIOT and not an expert on nuclear power plants or technology. His sensational answer is getting press, but makes no sense.

Look at the Chernobly plant now. The hasty rush to put a sarcophogus on the unit has only lead to a disintegrating structure that has to be entombed again. And it didn't solve anything! They have a new entombment planned and no money to do it. The material is still there to be cleaned up in the future. Pripiat (the nearby town) is a ghost town but dirt could have been scrapped off, area decontaminated etc.

Rushing to entomb the Japanese plants doesn't solve anything, and will only make it harder to clean up later.

Kaku even said his option was to dump concrete, dolomite etc. Then to put up a sarcophogus.....absolute idiocy!

They are sleeping in the nuclear power plant now? I hope that's not true. but wouldn't suprise me given the past performance.

If your highly contaminated .. your not gonna go home and do the same to your Family.