Still Not a Chernobyl

Japan has raised the event level from four to a five on a scale of seven.

This is frightening many.

But, the releases so far are one billion times lower than Chernobyl, and the worst it can become now is one million times lower than Chernobyl.

As has been reported, the cloud reaching California is one billion times below the levels to create health risks.

Is anyone afraid of paint fumes from five miles away? This is about how frightened we should be.

Because the 160 plant employees have controlled the releases, and the containments are reasonably intact seven days after the reactors were shut down, the radioactive inventory is 0.2 percent of the original operating power level. So, if the fuel melts, then evaporates, and the containments vanish - even with this, the release will be less than 2 percent as bad as Chernobyl.

So, no more than 20 cancers could be caused in Japan, and no health effects in any other country.

Please pray for those 160 employees, and especially for the 50 employees at the worst-stricken nuclear plants.