That's hydrogen. Just becuase you have a video of a dust-cloud doesn't make it nuclear fallout, no matter how "deteriorating" the media says it is or how many videos they edit for those voice-overs. People need to use their heads.
A measly "dust cloud"? That's a reactor case that blew off. So where did you get your PhD in nuclear physics?
not one person here can say what the actual impact is going to be...we dont have the real and I mean REAL facts...so no matter how many times KrazyCoockoo comes in to cheerlead about how nothing is going wrong with anything it doesnt change the reality that it may or may not be a big deal... he reminds me of Baghdad Bob....this time with a black plume of smoke in the background as he is saying that it is just a thunderstorm in the horizon...
we know a few things. we know those power plants are not coming back online, ever. and that means japan will be shifting to other forms of electricity generation. coal looks like the winner. nat gas maybe, but that's a local market, not fungible. the entire idea of a 'world market' for nat gas is an example of the tail wagging the dog. but there will be real unplanned and increased shipments of coal on the way to japan, possibly as we speak.
Here is Japans electricity production by fuel: http://www.iea.org/stats/pdf_graphs/JPELEC.pdf I would guess that they will try ramp up gas as the first step in meeting the shortfall. If they need to build new plant, gas may be the quickest to build.
I seem to be the only one saying that there are other option besides nuclear destruction and you're giving me shit for it? Why is everyone so god-damn eager for people to lose their lives? I do agree with you though that no one knows what the real impact will be, especially the people saying every youtube video shows a nuclear explosion.