Fukushima Crisis Same Level of Crisis as Chernobyl. Don’t Panic!

Japan has raised the crisis rating to level 7 the maximum on the international scale ranking it at the same level as the Chernobyl disaster. The Japanese authorities say the crisis level has been raised due to the cumulative amount of radioactive particles being released in to the atmosphere since the crisis began.

A level seven incident entails a major release of radiation with widespread health and environmental effects, while a five-rated event is a limited release of radioactive material, with several deaths from radiation, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Is it just me or is the media being fairly blasé about this unfolding disaster or has the world’s news outlets sapped as much news from Japan as the average viewers/readers attention span.

Details around what is actually going on at the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been sketchy at best. TEPCO the company responsible for the plant have been urging the public to remain calm. However the news of raising the crisis level from 5 to 7, bypassing 6 will do little to ease people’s concerns and suspicions.

Helpfully, people are being warned not to go into the ocean near the plant and not to consume any food produced within a 20 mile radius. Seafood especially shellfish are to be avoided at all costs.

I don’t want to be alarmist but I think we’re not being told everything we should know. Media outlets are relying on nuclear experts from around the world who can do little more than speculate about what is or is not happening at the plant.

While the experts can provide useful information on what the potential ramifications of various scenarios at the end of the day, their guess on what is actually going to happen is as good as yours and mine.