CNN An 8.8-magnitude earthquake has struck Japan

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Watching it now... the water is still rampaging through some small coastal cities.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The wave is just washing towns away... it's absolutely massive...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The wave is just washing towns away... it's absolutely massive...

Where are you watching it?

BBC World, CNN, SkyNews....

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Just got through to a friend in Tokyo, she's fine, but very scared.

The city is in a controlled state of panic, but she's having trouble getting in contact with friends who are in the North.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

My friend in Tokyo just told me believes one or two of her friends in Sendai have died.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The argument is of course that this is the oldest nuclear plant in Japan...

The level of radiation is dropping markedly, a friend of mine who is actually a nuclear scientist said the threat to anywhere outside of Japan is virtually nil (notwithstanding a catastrophic meltdown, which has not happened).

I'm not against nuclear power, but building nuclear plants near the coast... in Japan is not exactly a wise idea.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm not against nuclear power, but building nuclear plants near the coast... in Japan is not exactly a wise idea.

They're often (usually?) near the coast for cooling.

That's true, but many are built at sea-level, which I've always thought is a mistake.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

http://morgsatlarge.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/why-i-am-not-worried-about-japans-nuclear-reactors/

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

You need to relax.

The information is still very sketchy and analysis is incomplete.

Caution? yes - Precaution? yes... but panic will be utterly counter-productive.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I didn't hear anyone characterise the events after 9/11 as "panic" -- even though it was broadly recognized that it put America in a state of war. The same applies here. Society needs to mobilize on a mass level to respond to radiation, food, logistics, moving people, etc. etc. etc. Not just sitting around watching TV... Everyone in action, everyone contributing, will do more than anything else to stem the panic.

Running claiming 'the end is nigh' - which is what a lot of people are doing on this front is a HUGE risk.

This is not 'the end of days' - some areas immediately around Fukushima will have issues for some time, but this is not some cataclysmic event. The fact that these have been small scale explosions and ruptures is a good thing.

Move people at risk, obtain human support supplies, but suggestions like evacuating Tokyo or shutting down the market are panic-driven. There are small trace elements being detected in Tokyo, but trace elements will not harm people.

Have plans, be prepared, but this is not going to help. 

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

You really think evacuating one of the largest cities in the world inspires confidence?

I agree that trading should be halted until panic subsides, but that 13% drop is being inspired by panic.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Polnut, note that I did not call for the evacuation of Tokyo. Where you got that I don't know. The reason I did not call for it is because it is physically impossible. What I said is that "it's going to get it", which it probably is, because the wind is moving at 14 km/h. That means it will be there in less than a day.

I should acknowledge, that I am not suggesting you suggested that.

But I am hearing the eternal pessimists (the end is nigh crowd) who are basically repeating your concerns, then expanding that to suggest evacuating Tokyo... which is unnecessary, not just logistically difficult.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Ew..... ranch dressing... too heavy.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Comforting