Antidote to Nuclear Hysteria: Carnival of Nukes #45

Idaho Samizdat provides the 45th installment on the series of Nuclear Blog Carnivals. This edition is dominated by Japan's nuclear reactor crisis at the Fukushima plant, along with some global ramifications of the local crisis. Here are some excerpts:

Margaret Harding – Four Factor Consulting
Fukushima is not a disaster movie

Events at the power plants in Japan, have been unfolding for ten days and counting and so far, no member of the public has died, or even been hurt. In our modern, fast paced age, we want our events to happen in quick sound bites, not long novels. When things take more than that requisite few hours, we turn it into a disaster movie.
The Optimist’s conundrum

An optimist and a pessimist both look at a situation. The pessimist says: “It is going to fail. A terrible tragedy. People will die.” The optimist says: “It’s OK, it will work. No one will die.” Events unfold. Things neither one predicted happen. The situation resolves and all can see the result.

Pop Atomic Studios
Coming Together in Light of Fukushima

Suzy Hobbs writes I want to challenge everyone in the nuclear industry to take special interest in working together and cooperating in creative ways. I have been deeply inspired both by the Japanese citizens effected by Fukushima, and a small hand full of nuclear professionals who have taken time off work and stood up at a time when the rest of the industry was silent. _IS

Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are often designed with fail-safe shutdown mode, allowing them to safely shut down automatically in a natural disaster.

Nothing better brings out the stupidity of a dumbed-down public than to ask it a simple question about nuclear power.

The Rossi Focardi reactor continues developing behind the scenes.