The images coming from Japan are just heartbreaking after they suffered a devastating earthquake followed by a tsunami and then the implosion and at this point near meltdown of there reactor. Amid the global financial crisis it is even worse because a strong Japan (currently the 3rd biggest economy) will help the global
economic recovery. The stories of the destroyed cities and ports torn asunder by the tsunami are so sad. Then the battle to keep the reactors from melting down and contaminating the northern part of Japan are truly amazing. The plant evacuated nearly all of the 800 plus workers leaving behind a small brave crew of 150 to try to get the plant back to operational level and save the possibility of a meltdown. The workers must know that they are being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation and that this will considerably shrink their life expectancy. How brave are these men and women to know that they will possibly die but save there country and countrymen? Equally scary is twenty-three of the 104 nuclear reactors in the US were designed by General Electric the company that created the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan. These were built back in the 60’s so how out of date could they be?
UPDATE! 03-18-2011
A worker in the plant blogged about her experience the whole article you can read here. Here is a small exceprt of what she had to say:
In the midst of the tsunami alarm (last Friday), at 3am in the night when we couldn’t even see where we going, we carried on working to restore the reactors from where we were, right by the sea, with the realisation that this could be certain death,” she wrote on Tuesday. “The machine that cools the reactor is just by the ocean, and it was wrecked by the tsunami. Everyone worked desperately to try and restore it. Fighting fatigue and empty stomachs, we dragged ourselves back to work. There are many who haven’t gotten in touch with their family members, but are facing the present situation and working hard.
Unbelievable courage they are showing when it can almost certainly mean there death!!!