Where is Wally ... Shimizu !!

[Reynod]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/20/japan-quake-absent-ceo-idUSTOE72J00I20110320

"Masataka Shimizu, chief executive of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), has not made a public appearance in a week.

And he has yet to visit the crippled nuclear power plant north of Tokyo that was badly damaged in the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, and where 300 workers are desperately trying to find ways to cool down the reactors".



Jeez ... Steve Jobs gets a mauling over a bunky antenna on the i-phone ... Steve Ballard gets fried over the Sandy Bridge chipset and Dirk Meyers get the bullet for "neglecting the ultra-portible space" at AMD ... but this guy ... he doesn't even bother to show up for work ... and gets his minions to take all of the heat.

I wonder if his "cost cutting" measures that got him the CEO job in 2008 are why the whole place is in total disarray now.

He probably sold the backup generators ... to save a buck and make the investors annual report look even better.

Who knows ... ??

Where is Wally ??

 

[buwish]

I suspect that once this incident is over (hopefully sooner rather than later), he probably won't have a job, as he'll be made to take responsibility for it.

In 1979 at TMI President Carter visited the site and even went to the control room when the "crisis" was ongoing. I know that radiation levels are still dangerous at the plant, but a visit by the PM is probably in order at some point. Either that or drag the emperor down there- even though he did make a decent speech to the people a few days ago- a very rare occurrence.

 

[Reynod]

The emperer is also a pretty old dude ...

The PM is taking the heat ... along with the minister responsible.

The boss of TEPCO needs to step up to the plate.

This is why I tend to think the only way forward for nuclear power is for the state to own and manage it ... mot private enterprise.

Their always going to put profit in front of safety.

 

[buwish]

Or at the very least the state needs to institute tighter controls. Obviously, the NRC here could probably do a better job, but they do watch all of the operating plants like hawks. I suspect that they'll be watching them even closer these days.

What do you think of nuclear power reynod? I notice that almost a majority of your countrymen are in favor of building nuclear reactors, at least as of 2009.

 

[Reynod]

I am in favour of it for sure ... but placing it on a beach ... over a fault line ... in an area called the "ring of fire" with 5 others next to it ... and the diesel generators on the beach ... with the cooling ponds on top of the reactor ... and not emptying them for years ... and running the reactors for 23 years beyond what they were designed to be operated ... oh ... and putting the primary water circuit and tanks below the reactor jeez ...your asking for trouble.

These guys win the Darwin award ...

 

[buwish]

I concur 100%! As is obvious, I'm in favor of nuclear power, so long as it is done right, i.e. basically doing everything the opposite of what you mentioned. At this point if many countries are to be open to nuclear power, I think that the industry needs to show us that they have made improvements over the years in regard to designs, safety, and common sense.

 

[tigsounds]

Want safe? ok... here ya go...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8393984/Safe-nuclear-does-exist-and-China-is-leading-the-way-with-thorium.html

 

[buwish]

The Chinese may be on to something there with thorium.

 

[Reynod]

But didn't the Klingons discard it as a viable power source ??

 

[buwish]

They probably got rid of it because it wrinkled up all of their foreheads. 😀

 

[Reynod]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12903072

Well after being unavailable and in hiding since the accident he is now in hospital.

I hope the subsequent investigations strip the company of any assets to fund the cleanup, and jail all of the board of directors.

This should send a strong message to the rest of the Nuclear power plant operators that they are all now on notice ... from the board of directors down.

I strongly encourage any nuclear power industry workers who are not comfortable with current practices to report them to the relevant regulators direct ... don't bother with your chain of command at work, since it is clear that "profit" is their only motive.

Note that in the case of Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and now Fukushima it is the respective Governments that have to respond to deal with the crisis ... the private enterprises running two of them do not have the resources to deal with the problems.

Why then are all nuclear power plants not run by respective governments?

Why place such a potentially dangerous tool in the hands of bean counters who clearly are only interested in profit?

 

[Reynod]

Yes I have ... there is no tricking you is there ??

heh heh heh ...

 

[Reynod]

One of Mr. Shimizu's appeals: At a time of shrinking profits, he was seen as somebody who could squeeze more out by cutting costs.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704559904576231742989493576.html?mod=WSJ_article_MoreIn_Asia

 

[Reynod]

Wally is still missing but GE's top executive (Jeffrey Immelt) boldly fronts the media and commits to sort the whole mess out.

For some reason this makes me feel a heck of a lot better about solving the problem ... even if he has a rather ironic last name.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/04/us-ge-japan-idUSTRE7331WP20110404

Given GE's resources (basically all of the IP and Engineering talent of the US is now available).

Expect some answers and a few more robots soon ...

 

[buwish]

Bout time someone has stepped up. However, I have noticed that TEPCO has been more open of late regarding issues at the plant, which is a plus.

 

[Reynod]

This topic has been closed by Reynod