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Politics : President Barack Obama -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (90872)	3/17/2011 10:06:39 AM
From: ChinuSFO	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

Must not get caught in nuclear hysteria Oakland Tribune editorial © Copyright 2011, Bay Area News Group Updated: 03/16/2011 06:08:53 PM PDT THERE IS A WIDE gap between concern and hysteria. Unfortunately, when nuclear power accidents occur, too many of us quickly slide toward the hysterical. That has been the case with the troubled nuclear reactors following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Certainly, there is cause for concern about the damaged Fukushima nuclear complex 150 miles north of Tokyo. The complex has six reactors, three of which were shut down before the earthquake for maintenance. The other three shut down automatically after the earthquake, which knocked out electric power. Then the tsunami flooded the complex, shutting down emergency generators needed to cool the reactors. Over the next few days, there was evidence of a partial nuclear meltdown in three reactors, and hydrogen explosions damaged the building housing two of the reactors. Subsequent radiation leaks led to a precautionary 12-mile radius evacuation zone and a 19-mile radius stay-indoors zone. However, there is virtually no chance of anything like the Chernobyl accident in 1986 because the reactors in Japan are far different in design. The worst-case scenario would be something like the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania in 1979. No one was injured or died in that situation. The odds of someone outside the plant getting an acute injury is close to zero, according to John Moulder, a professor of radiation oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee who studies the effects of radiation exposure. Fears of dangerous radiation reaching the West Coast of the United States are disproportionate to the risk, which is essentially zero. Japan has suffered its worst earthquake in centuries and a direct hit on nuclear plants by a tsunami. Other critical systems in Japan -- transportation, energy, water, food, medical, public safety -- were overwhelmed and failed. A mostly contained meltdown of one or more reactors pales in comparison to the loss of life and devastation in Japan. It makes sense for the United States and other nations with nuclear power plants to once again closely examine their safety. Assessing whether to move ahead with nuclear energy to replace fossil fuels should be based on real risk analysis, comparing nuclear power operations to far more dangerous coal mining or oil and gas exploration. Decisions on building new nuclear plants should be based on good science, not unreasonable fears and anti-nuclear hysteria. insidebayarea.com

To: stockman_scott who wrote (90872)	3/17/2011 11:10:39 AM
From: tejek	Respond to of 149317

Thanks President Obama. "Yes, despite Buick's average age buyer, which is around 60, the GM brand is on all the social media channels. And while many consumers would not consider Buick a real "luxury" brand in the class of Lexus or BMW, the company has been driving that idea home with new product and advertising for more than a year. Buick last year was the fastest growing brand in the U.S. among major auto companies, and in it outsold Lexus in the first two months of this year. "People are absolutely taking Buick seriously as a modern luxury brand," says Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of marketing. In a new ad for the Buick Regal Turbo, which basketball fans will see this week, the man driving the Regal is about 30 years old, and he looks like he has money. Buick does not have the obvious brand cachet of GM's Cadillac brand, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz. "That's right," says DiSalle. "Buick is a luxury brand, but for people who don't necessary want to be loud and obvious about it." Some auto reviewers, in fact, have praised the new Buick LaCrosse as being better than Lexus. Buick engineers actually studied Lexus sedans to beat the Japanese brand on cabin quietness and other key measures to which luxury buyers pay attention." autos.aol.com