Come Tharg. Set The Black Ground Alight And We Will Roast An Entire Mastadon.

The latest from Fukushima is that it could be one hundred years until the fuel rods can be removed from the reactor. This of course depends on If. If those experts who are not there really know what they are talking about. If reporters are not looking for a worst case.

Keep in mind that when we talk about long term disasters connected to energy supply, a one hundred year wait for a fuel rod to cool just really isn't very long if you compare it to some of the thousands of burning coal coal seams and mines worldwide, some of which have been on fire continuously for hundreds of years. There are even a few which were ancient long before those bristlecone pines everyone is so excited about sprouted.

There are even coal fires in the United States. We have as many as two hundred, and a coal fire has led to the evacuation of the entire (sans a few old crusties) town of Centralia, Pennsylvania.

So if a worst case scenario happens, it shouldn't be poo-pooed, but it should be kept in perspective.

My bad. Go ahead and let everyone panic, then forget it like they always do.