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Fukushima: 1,600 Dead From Evacuation Stress

seven of five writes: The NYT reports that radiation-related hysteria and mistakes have cost the lives of nearly 1,600 Japanese since the Fukushima disaster. The panic to evacuate, not the radiation itself, led to poor choices such as moving hospital intensive care patients from hospitals to emergency quarters. The government's perception of radiation exposure risk, rather than the actual risk itself, may have caused far more harm than it prevented.

3 of 178 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Another Win For the Anti-Nuclear Guys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    That is such a strained, intellectually dishonest argument, and I say this as someone who supports safe nuclear power.

    The flooding mitigation and evacuation procedures were inadequate. In case of inadequate procedures during a disaster, people tend to panic, and panic leads to overreaction. it wouldn't matter what the cause was.

    The danger levels are not set by eco warriors, but by regulators. If regulators have been unnecessarily cautious according to recent research, apply that research. Don't assume that updated understanding is being suppressed.

    Part of the problem, however, was a mere lack of information. With the 20/20 hindsight we now have and the information we have now gathered, we can see that - while the lack of power was a fuckup waiting to happen - the sea will take the hit, winds were moving in the right direction, blah blah. When you lack information, you don't consider the best case scenario. Even now, this author has painted the rosiest picture of the evidence, bringing up unrelated examples which also give an "I told you so, with hindsight".

    The building of a new reactor was not delayed by Greenpeace, champ. These things are expensive. There was a rolling re-build taking place.

  2. Re:Oh No! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Err no, they are the foremost expert on MANAGING nuclear energy.

    Their charter is to manage nuclear weapons and to promote nuclear energy.

    Let's not pretend that the IAEA is run by scientists. They're a political organization.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  3. Re:Oh No! by Uberbah · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Err no, they are the foremost expert on MANAGING nuclear energy.

    In the same way that the Federal Reserve is the "foremost expert" on "managing" banks. When the Federal Reserve is run by the banks, for the banks, and staffed almost entirely with bankers.

    The IAEA is run by the nuclear power industry, for the nuclear power industry, and almost entirely staffed by execs from the nuclear power industry.