Meltdown!: The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future

Meltdown!: The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future — page 1
PROLOGUE Japan's Greatest Quake JAPAN MARCH 11th 2011 2:46 PM AN EARTHQUAKE STRIKES Arun Vemuri is not frightened when he feels his Tokyo office on the thirtieth floor of the Yebisu Garden Place Tower begin to sway He knows that the building is one of the safest in the city Like other Japanese buildings it is de signed to bend in an earthquake instead of breaking So for the first minute he is smiling at his coworkers and having a swinging good time Then the swaying turns into wild shak ing Office equipment topples and the CII jolting motion sweeps desks clear Arun ducks under his desk After six long minutes the shaking stops Arun and his colleagues leave the office and head down thirty flights of stairs No one seems anxious or fearful No rushing of feet or stomping of ground No racing through or overtaking Just a good old smiling saunter as if going down for a quick cup of coffee NO ORDINARY EARTHQUAKE Similar scenes are taking place all over Tokyo above left Though almost everyone seems calm they know that this is no ordinary earthquake Because the shaking lasts so long and skyscrapers are still swaying this has to