Fukushima nuclear crisis, six months later

With the six-month anniversary of the natural disaster and subsequent triple meltdown that struck Japan approaching, Nature magazine has a special section covering the crises. There's lots of good information there, including important facts about Fukushima.



As NHK World has reported, there's no end in sight to the the nuclear crisis. Even if it is eventually brought under control there will be a Chernobyl-like exclusion zone.

"The bottom line here is that Fukushima and Chernobyl are comparable, and a comparison really helps underscore the differences. Fukushima's heavy containment vessels limited the spread of some dangerous isotopes, but the coastal location makes marine contamination a much bigger issue than it ever was for Chernobyl. The latest maps suggest that there will be a permanent exclusion zone to the northwest of Fukushima, but it will likely be quite a bit smaller than the one at Chernobyl."

I know the Japanese people are resilient enough to overcome this, but the crisis will linger for a long time to come.