ISU Where Will Worlds BE (formerly) JAPAN QUAKE FOR WORLDS | Golden Skate

ISU Where Will Worlds BE (formerly) JAPAN QUAKE FOR WORLDS

russell30

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Hi Guys,

ISU gave made a statement for Worlds regarding the recent earthquake. It seems the yoyogi stadium remains in order and will go ahead but they are in constant contact.

HOPE EVERYTHING IS OK!!

www.isu.org
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
It really seems inadvisable to me. Earthquakes have aftershocks, and they can be pretty strong. The recent quake in New Zealand was an aftershock, and it flattened parts of Christchurch. They may be rethinking their idea, and who could blame them? No one can make such an important decision within hours of an event like this.
 

Bluebonnet

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
It seems to me that postpones the Worlds would be a good idea. Who could focus on competing it or enjoy watching it while all those devastating situations are so close to you?
 

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Tokyo is not so affected and Worlds is in 2 weeks when aftershocks would have ceased. As long as the city is functioning, the Championships could be welcomed as a respite and for economic benefit. Japan has such high hopes and possibilities of Worlds medals from their highly admired and adored skaters that the event and its results may be more than a distraction but also a morale booster and joyous inspiration.

I think Worlds might be postponed but not cancelled or moved.
 

jatale

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
For a gigantic quake like this one, aftershocks can last for a decade or so. That doesn't mean that there is an aftershock every week but that they can come at anytime over quite a long period. Of course, Japan is used to little quakes happening often apparently, so maybe that will not be a big deal. Nevertheless, staging the Worlds competition within two weeks of one of the biggest quakes of the last 100 years seems a bit risky to me.
 

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
I have a feeling JSF, the country of Japan, and Japanese skating fans will want worlds to go on just as planned, and will move hell and high water (literally) to make sure it does.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Interestingly enough the US is advising its citizens not to travel to Japan - the warning is in affect until April 1.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
They won't cancel Worlds. In 1989 when San Francisco had their earthquake they only postponed the World Series for 10 days but then resumed. The damage here isn't even in the city hosting Worlds.
 

Sazzy

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
The latest position of the ISU seems to be that they'll be pushing forward with the Worlds, regardless: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12711707

This is crazy! especially since that BBC is now reporting that the PM of Japan has declared a "nuclear emergency" in the country: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12711707

It's one thing to be concerned about the safety of all the skaters and their accompanying personnel, of the highest calibre and some of the best talents we've ever seen, but it's completely another to say we should all act completely normal, and put up this most amazing event in the figure skating world of the year in a country that has just been struck by the absolute worst natural disaster in its history. The country has declared the state of national emergency, including the nuclear emergency, and they haven't even started counting the accurate death toll, of those who are injured and who are currently missing. How is it even appropriate that the ISU is considering putting up the event at this very point in time in such a matter-of-fact tone? Whilst I appreciate the administrative needs in organising an international event such as this, aren't we supposed to put out thoughts and prayers together for those who are affected by this, first?

And let's not forget about the safety aspect of the matter, either. For example, US issued a travelling alert, advising not to travel to Japan until 1 April, given amongst others almost definitive eventualities of after-shocks. http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/11/u-s-issues-alert-about-traveling-to-japan-after-earthquake/ -- What about the Tsunamis? What about the subsequent tremors that can last at least a month after the event?

For what it's worth, my thoughts go out to those who are deeply affected by this tragic event. RIP.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
US news affiliates have reported a leak at one of the nuclear plants. It is not looking good for Worlds.
 

mot

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
US news affiliates have reported a leak at one of the nuclear plants. It is not looking good for Worlds.

What I hear in Japanese NHK (national broadcasting agency) and BBC is that the government is preparing a controlled release of vapour from one of the nuclear power plants, which has ineffective cooling system, to bring down the pressure building up inside. The vapour could contain small amount of radioactive matters. They have assessed the wind direction and the fact local residents within the 3km diameter have already been evacuated, and concluded that this action, if carried out, would not cause any harm to people around it. I wonder if summarising the entire situation as 'a leak at the nuclear plant' can possibly be misleading - unless US source refers to another development I am not aware of.

Yes, the situation is difficult and could get worse, but at the moment, it seems to be under control.

Personally, I think it is too early to talk about the possibility of the Worlds cancelled or postponed or held as planned. I was there when a huge earthquake struck Osaka and Kobe in 1995, and the situation changed almost hourly, with more information gathered, assessments made, more aftershocks hitting, lots of hard work by emergency services / officials / laypersons done, expected and unexpected effects of all sorts (economic, political, social, physical, psychological, whatever) unravelled. We simply do not know how things will pan out just yet.
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
mot, I do think the BBC/CNN coverage are focusing on worst case scenarios (an expert on CNN just stated that the worst case scenario, which was VERY remote, was of a Chernobyl style accident).
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Eleven reactors nearest the quake's epicenter automatically shut down upon sensing vibrations in the early hours of March 11. "Reactors shut themselves down automatically when something called 'ground acceleration' is registered at a certain point, which is usually quite small. It will instantly drop control rods into the [nuclear] core," Professor Tim Albram, a nuclear fuel engineer at the University of Manchester in the U.K., explained to the press.

Those control rods block neutrons from entering the core and inducing the fission reactions that produce nuclear energy. When the rods drop into the core, the heat put out by the nuclear fuel rods they surround plummets instantly, reducing the core's temperature to less than 5 percent of normal in a matter of seconds.

A base level of heat from nuclear decay continues to flow off the rods, however, and that's the problem in the Fukushima and Onagawa plants. Officials say they do not have enough electric power to pump water through the cooling systems and dissipate the extra heat. Water levels continue to drop.

However, since the control rods are already dropped into the core, and there is no breach of the containment vessels, this is more of a headache for getting electrical power up and running than anything, and should have no effects on Worlds at all. Skaters (and spectators) were at worse risk breathing in Beijing, considering the air quality there.

"Even if fuel rods melt and the pressure inside the reactor builds up, radiation would not leak as long as the reactor container functions well," Tomoko Murakami, leader of the nuclear energy group at Japan's Institute of Energy Economics, told Reuters. Still, no one wants to take the chance.

The power plants are trying to restore power to its emergency power system in order to be able to pump water inside the reactors, a Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman said.

Japan did the prudent thing to evacuate the area around the plants, but they're not trying to evacuate Tokyo, where Worlds will be held. Later reports will of course tell us more, and until we do hear more, it's too early to get too wired about it.

This is reminiscent of the last time they had an earthquake & fire at a nuclear plant in Japan a couple years ago-there was considerable chit chat in the press, but the net real result was the release of less radioactive material than is found in a bunch of bananas, due to the relatively high potassium concentration (for a food) found in bananas.
 
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ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Oh, I agree. Just the fact that CNN is referencing Chernobyl in any context is enough to set people on the path to hyperbolic fear.
 

mot

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Thanks for clarifying. I was for a while a bit nervous that there is a development I am not aware of - or Japanese media do not want to broadcast!
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
American media go into hyperbolic fear-fear-fear mode every time the word "nuclear" is mentioned, and particularly the NY Times.

The best place to get truthful info on this sort of thing is here:

http://www.iaea.org/press/

They update every time they get something new, and are neither industry apologists nor fearmongers. Basically, there is no release of radioactive steam, water or whatever material as yet. The fire in the plant that had a fire is out. People in a 10 km (6.21371 miles) radius from the plant should stay indoors. People within a 3km (1.8641 miles) radius have been evacuated. If this were in the US, at some point people within a 10 km radius would be advised to take their iodine pills, but the iaea isn't saying that yet, which points to the fact that there is as yet, no release of radioactive material into the air. (I live within 5 miles of 2 active, 1 inactive nuclear reactor, and a large number of nuclear subs, so we get this lecture frequently from our town's civil defense group.)

It is hard to reach the page today-I'm sure people all over the world are hitting on it. So I'll copy the current status here:

Japan earthquake update (1755 CET)
11 March 2011

Announcements, Featured

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) that they have ordered the evacuation of residents within a three-kilometre radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and told people within a 10-kilometre radius to remain indoors.

The Japanese authorities say there has so far been no release of radiation from any of the nuclear power plants affected by today’s earthquake and aftershocks.

“The IAEA continues to stand ready to provide technical assistance of any kind, should Japan request this,” IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said.

The IAEA’s IEC continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities, and is in full response mode to monitor the situation closely round the clock.

Japan Earthquake Update (1245 CET)
11 March 2011

Featured

The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre has received information from Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) that a heightened state of alert has been declared at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. NISA says the plant has been shut down and no release of radiation has been detected.

Japanese authorities have also reported a fire at the Onagawa nuclear power plant, which has been extinguished. They say Onagawa, Fukushima-Daini and Tokai nuclear power plants were also shut down automatically, and no radiation release has been detected.

The IAEA received information from its International Seismic Safety Centre that a second earthquake of magnitude 6.5 has struck Japan near the coast of Honshu, near the Tokai plant.

The IAEA is seeking further details on the situation at Fukushima Daiichi and other nuclear power plants and research reactors, including information on off-site and on-site electrical power supplies, cooling systems and the condition of the reactor buildings. Nuclear fuel requires continued cooling even after a plant is shut down.

The IAEA is also seeking information on the status of radioactive sources in the country, such as medical and industrial equipment.

The World Meteorological Organization has informed the IAEA that prevailing winds are blowing eastwards, away from the Japanese coast.

All IAEA staff in Japan, both in the Tokyo office and in nuclear facilities, are confirmed to be safe.

Earthquake Hits Japan (0930 CET)
11 March 2011

Featured

The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre received information from the International Seismic Safety Centre (ISSC) at around 0815 CET this morning about the earthquake of magnitude 8.9 near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

The Agency is liaising with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to confirm further details of the situation. Japanese authorities reported that the four nuclear power plants closest to the quake have been safely shut down.

The Agency has sent an offer of Good Offices to Japan, should the country request support.

Current media reports say a tsumani alert has been issued for 50 countries, reaching as far as Central America. The Agency is seeking further information on which countries and nuclear facilities may be affected.

Please refer to this webpage for future updates from the Incident and Emergency Centre regarding this event.
 
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dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Another IAEA update:

IAEA Director General Expresses Condolences Following Japan Earthquake (2050 CET)
11 March 2011

Announcements, Featured

“I would like to express my condolences and sympathies to the people of Japan who have suffered from this earthquake and to the Government of Japan,” said IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.

Japan earthquake update (2030 CET)
11 March 2011

Announcements, Featured

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) that today’s earthquake and tsunami have cut the supply of off-site power to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In addition, diesel generators intended to provide back-up electricity to the plant’s cooling system were disabled by tsunami flooding, and efforts to restore the diesel generators are continuing.

At Fukushima Daiichi, officials have declared a nuclear emergency situation, and at the nearby Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, officials have declared a heightened alert condition.

Japanese authorities say there has so far been no release of radiation from any of the nuclear power plants affected by today’s earthquake and aftershocks.

The IAEA’s IEC continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities, and is in full response mode to monitor the situation closely round the clock.
 

colleen o'neill

Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2006
I was glued to BBC World late into the night and again this morning. They don't fall into the same hyperbolic mode and do provide pretty accurate info ; pretty much what doris has posted above, if the IAEA site stays swamped.
 
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