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The media in Germany - and many of the English sources I've come across - are making a *terrible* (not a terrific!) job - to put it nicely - with their coverage of the events at Fukushima.
Most notably, they mix up vastly different definitions. Frankly, a GAU is not identical to a Super-GAU (both German specific definitions for nuclear accidents: roughly INES-5+6 and INES-7) is not identical to a nuclear core melt(which describes the physical goings-on with the nuclear fuel rods in a reactor without sufficient cooling).
For straight definitions (and to get past all the rubbish), I recommend reading the INES definitions (International Nuclear Emergency Scale) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Nuclear_Event_Scale . They are really straightforward in terms of events & consequences.
As of now (March 12), Japan confirmed an INES-4. Please let's all hope that's all.
My thoughts are with the survivors. A
Edit (March 14) given the increasing media panic worldwide: if you want factual, confirmed information about what's going on in Fukushima and the other Japanese nuclear power plants within the affected area: the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is on Twitter and Facebook. They post confirmed information including the "resolved" and "all-clear" messages entirely missing in the media coverage.
Most notably, they mix up vastly different definitions. Frankly, a GAU is not identical to a Super-GAU (both German specific definitions for nuclear accidents: roughly INES-5+6 and INES-7) is not identical to a nuclear core melt(which describes the physical goings-on with the nuclear fuel rods in a reactor without sufficient cooling).
For straight definitions (and to get past all the rubbish), I recommend reading the INES definitions (International Nuclear Emergency Scale) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Nuclear_Event_Scale . They are really straightforward in terms of events & consequences.
As of now (March 12), Japan confirmed an INES-4. Please let's all hope that's all.
My thoughts are with the survivors. A
Edit (March 14) given the increasing media panic worldwide: if you want factual, confirmed information about what's going on in Fukushima and the other Japanese nuclear power plants within the affected area: the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is on Twitter and Facebook. They post confirmed information including the "resolved" and "all-clear" messages entirely missing in the media coverage.
