They keep saying this can't be worse than Chernobyl, but

[Duer 157099]

Chernobyl wasn't hit by a 9.0 earthquake, hundreds of aftershocks, and a tsunami.

And I don't mean the impact just on the reactor(s) themselves, but on society as a whole, the response ability, access to equipment, personnel, resources, etc. In the best circumstances it's almost impossible to deal with; these have to be the worst circumstances.

That is the difference, and by those standards, Chernobyl was not comparable.

Maybe that's obvious.

[spanone]

1. this is after they said it can't be worse the three mile island

[villager]

4. or that statistically/supposedly, it couldn't happen at all....

n/t

[meow mix]

2. i was wondering how many tons of spent fuel went up in chernobyl

im not comfortable with the rosey picture at all

[Cleita]

3. I don't know why Chernobyl has become a benchmark

and that the meme now being put out is that Chernobyl is the worst that could happen, but it's erroneous. Chernobyl may be the worst that has happened, but it certainly isn't the worst that could happen. I don't even know if anyone has done a worst case scenario study, so the sky could be the limit for all we know.

[HereSince1628]

5. I think it is because the Chermobyl event hit 7 on the nuclear event scale

There is a name that can be assigned to the ambiguity of the number 7. It provides a reference, which isn't really applicable but the public has no way of comprehending what an event scale 7 means.

[End Of The Road]

6. Chernobyl still has problems, after all these years.

It's still hot. The tomb they built over it is disintegrating (at least I'm not aware that they've built a new one yet), and there is still some danger that it could explode again -- this time a huge radioactive dust explosion.

I think Chernobyl is a benchmark because it has been the "gift" that keeps on giving... with no real solutions yet in sight.

[hedgehog]

7. On the other hand, some think Chernobyl was the key event that

brought down the Soviet Union.

[Rex]

8. This has the potential to be unlike anything yet.

Thank goodness the Japanese built a culture around disaster management! Chernobyl was so much the opposite (very little safety and cheap) of what we see going on now. This is worse, but happen to a group of people that have prepared like crazy for just such an event. Could they be lying? In the beginning yes but not anymore, geiger-counters are easily available and can be used by anyone that knows what the readings mean (or has internet access).

Bottom line, they cannot lie to a certain degree like they could with Chernobyl imo.