Even the first pictures that the BBC broadcast on Friday morning left no doubt in anyone's mind that this would be a major catastrophe. Our lives are filled with news bulletins, on the radio, the rolling news channels, news websites, Twitter, Facebook.
Strangely enough, the website that gave me the best, most grounded information was a parenting website, where posters in Japan were giving first hand accounts of the earthquake. Thankfully most of them are far from the Tsunami struck areas, but their reports from Tokyo were balanced and informed.
When the first reports of the problems at the nuclear plant in Fukishima started to come in, a Mumnsetter asked if there was a nuclear physicist on the boards, who could give impartial advice. This was very helpful as the news channels screamed "BREAKING NEWS. NUCLEAR MELTDOWN POSSIBLE".
As if any news these days is not "Breaking News".
The calm and measured posts were in contrast to the hysteria being broadcast around the world. Nowhere more so than in Germany. A twitter poster commented that there seemed to be a discrepancy between the German reports and those coming from UK. This was partly attributed to a false translation that was broadcast through the ZDF channel on Saturday, but even without this there was a strange panic in the air.
When I look at the German news websites, it is not difficult to understand why there are reports of panic buying of geiger counters and iodine - in Germany, not in Japan.
Is the massive gas advert at the top of the Welt.de website coincidence?
According to the Welt.de website, Conrad Elektronics have sold hundreds of Geiger counters over the weekend. They rarely sell them normally and have been completely surprised by the sudden surge in orders.
German chemists are warning that iodine tablets are not needed and should not be taken unless the government advises to do so after seeing a surge of panicked buyers. Iodine in high doses can be dangerous. Some are buying the tablets to send to friends and family in Japan but some are buying them for themselves.
The Daily Mail is slightly less alarmist, reporting that engineers at the Japanese nuclear plants are fighting to bring the situation under control. Their main headline is the incredible picture of the Tsunami, not the nuclear situation.
The Guardian has a similar take on the issue.
In contrast to that, is the very informative blog post by Dr J Oehmen - a research scientist at MIT in Boston. In his opinion the chance of Fukishima being the next Chernobyl is non-existent. See also BraveNewClimate blog for more detailed technical information.
Dr Oehmen states
I have been reading every news release on the incident since the earthquake. There has not been one single (!) report that was accurate and free of errors (and part of that problem is also a weakness in the Japanese crisis communication). By “not free of errors” I do not refer to tendentious anti-nuclear journalism – that is quite normal these days. By “not free of errors” I mean blatant errors regarding physics and natural law, as well as gross misinterpretation of facts, due to an obvious lack of fundamental and basic understanding of the way nuclear reactors are build and operated. I have read a 3 page report on CNN where every single paragraph contained an error
Please do take the time to read his blog post. I cannot pretend to understand all the technical details (I still do not quite "get" the significance of an 8l engine or a 6l car engine, despite my husband's repeated coke bottle explanations) but I get the general gist - the scientist geeky folk are not worried.
Another great source is @BrianDunning on Twitter who tweeted
"Fukushima nuclear plant does NOT have a combustible graphite core like Chernobyl. A total meltdown should flow into underground containment."
and linked to this blog.
Now, I am no fan of nuclear power. It seems to my non-techy brain illogical to be dependent on an energy that produces a waste so toxic that its disposal is so difficult. The press, particularly the German press seem to be using this tragedy for their own agenda.
Chancellor Angela Merkel already angered Germans last year, when she announced that the nuclear plants in Germany would continue to run longer than the scheduled phase out plan of 15 years.
This Saturday saw a planned protest against Merkel's plans take on a whole new urgency. Up to 60 000 protesters marched in the conservative state Baden-Wuerttenburg where this month's election could well see the CSU party ousted - which would be a huge blow to Merkel's ruling coalition.
Both Merkel and the current Minster President of Baden-Wuerttenburg are proponents of nuclear power and the opposition parties lost no time in using the catastrophe in Japan to their advantage.
They have been aided and abetted by the German press, who are doing nothing to calm the fears of the population.
My thoughts and prayers at this time are with the people of Japan.
Thanx for this wonderful post, Mme. Lindt. German press loves to feed mass hysteria. I've experienced that in times of SARS, swine flu and many other occasions. And people are desperate to believe the press.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and very informative and also very reassuring!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links and measured commentary. Made me feel a lot better to realise that the geeky science folk aren't worried! :-)
ReplyDeleteEllie
Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that this is a serious situation, but I do think that we, in the West so very far from danger should keep our heads, since the Japanese seem to be keeping theirs.
Sorry, but as a german, it is not only hysteria that drives "the germans", I think it is a bit the other way round. Unbelievable that, after the third nuclear catastrophie in the last 30 years, plus the absolutly no idea what to do with all the waste and all the little "fallouts" you even get a small notice of in press, it seems funny to me to read your blog, which souns like, c'mon the crazy germans again...
ReplyDeleteAnd I#m not "very far from danger", next nuclear power plant is only 50 km away from me.
I am married to a German, so am in no way suggesting that the Germans are crazy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am not in favour of nuclear power, I do think that we need to find alternative fuels. I lived near Grafenrheinfeld for years. My parents in law still live there. I know how it feels to live near a nuclear power plant.
The hysteria gripping Germany at the moment is not rational. I am not talking about worry over a possible future accident - but that people are buying iodine and geiger counters.
And this angst is being encouraged by the press. It is terrible that people in Germany are so frightened, they are being manipulated by the press and the anti-nuclear lobby.
It would be great if this had prompted a calm and rational discussion about the safety of nuclear power rather. Which may have actually led to changes.
My fear is that Merkel and the CSU have only switched off the seven AKWs to appease the electorate and that after the Landtagswahl, once the fuss has died down, life will go on as normal for the nuclear power stations.
And as I wrote in my later post, even if Germany closed down all the AKWs, what good does it do without a European consensus. If a power station in France explodes, Germany will be hit just as badly.