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Economic Multipliers (30)
Do you know what these are?
They help CREATE wealth in systems.
Knowing ‘what is missing’ is an economic multiplier for you, your community and your nation.
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I’m the kind of person that hates problems – particularly problems that are preventable (staying focused on what you can actually have an impact on means that you actually might).
Every time there is a disaster (or some smaller problem), I take the time to ask ‘what is missing?’ If I think that I can make a difference (even if it’s only in some small way related to the 'preventable stuff’), I try to do so.
The things that I see ‘missing’ in Japan right now are things I also see ‘missing’ in the United States. And, if they are ‘missing’ here, they might also be ‘missing’ in every other country in the world that uses nuclear power or that might be affected if there is a problem with it.
These are some comments that went out …
'... young people see things that 'older' people don't (and vice versa) ... which means that the younger generations … need to tell the older generations what they see as 'needs’ … their best ideas for future infrastructure ...
See if it's possible to get some personal transport vehicles shielded with lead* (like a Segway or something similar covered with a 'domey' shell) with spring-operated ports in multiple locations (high, medium, low) that can be opened by pushing whereby someone who's only wearing minimal body coverage but with lead shielded forearm/hand gloves could take care of some 'minimal' operations. (Note: if you pull these back INTO the shielded area, I do not know enough about radiation to know whether the lead would release it but the use of lead shields at hospitals would mean there's a lot of data to quickly find out.) You'd also want to make sure they were equipped with an independent supply of air that they didn't have to carry (check with scuba diving companies).
It appears, based on what I've been reading, that workers will still need to access some areas with 'excess' radiation to properly operate emergency equipment ... if they can be 'shielded' well, you've got one less problem. (See P.S.)
And, I don't know if it's possible to set up containment domes (Buckminster Fuller style seem to give the most strength for the materials) whereby all discharged steam / air in the most affected areas could be 'captured' and run through some sort of 'lead filtration system' - note, what you have to say if you can do this is: 'In a perfect world, we'd get it all but if we can get 50 percent or higher, we're WAY ahead of the game.' (And realize, any materials you put into a radiated area ultimately become radiated waste (but better to have it 'isolated' than all over the country)).
Obviously if you can figure out a way to 'capture' what wants to release to the atmosphere, you minimize the potential for 'fallout' in other parts of Japan (and elsewhere).
Also, I don't know the 'extent' of any potential 'ground' problem ... as in release to the water system ... but if you have one, see if someone can come up with the concept of a lead slurry wall ... even running some 'rolled rubber roofing' around the property to divert water appropriately might have some value.
With my limited knowledge of radiation, lead and independent air supplies are all I have in my head ... find out if someone more knowledgeable has more in theirs.
I know these aren't your specialties ... but … you know someone who knows someone who ...
At this exact moment in time ... you want to make sure that they aren't sitting around thinking they can't do anything ... you want to make sure that they are doing all that they can ...'
And ...
'… every child should own a windup emergency flashlight and every high school student that goes through your school system should build 2 high quality self-contained solar distillation units that can be stored in a closet (with instructions) - (with the extra for a neighbor who doesn't have one).
… every school should have windup emergency radios …
… I know that you have some sophisticated solar systems. I don't get the impression that you're maximizing their immediate value …
… 'collect' the ideas you will need for the infrastructure of the future ... look around RIGHT NOW and see 'what is missing.'
A person who is NOT dealing with an IMMEDIATE crisis has the luxury of thinking of things like these … which is why every country in the world that is NOT in the midst of a crisis should be rethinking how their infrastructure and response systems are set up.
If you’re the one that’s assigned to do so, know that I believe quality and reliability data (particularly for the durability of the winding mechanism) are lacking on windup emergency equipment (and it’s important to occasionally wind up the units every few months even if you’re not using them).
*Also know that even if a ‘lead slurry wall’ is possible, excess lead in drinking water is a toxin. Along the same lines, any vehicle shielded in lead would need to be ‘coated’ with ‘something:’ Lead shields in medical facilities are normally encased in plastic.
These are not necessarily the ‘best’ ideas or perhaps even the best starting points. But when things are ‘missing,’ you’ve got to start somewhere.
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P.S. If all those ‘robotic types’ got together and used their collective energies to figure out how to get emergency personnel more safely into and out of ‘hot zones’ in a manner where they could still get some work done, I think everyone globally would breathe a sigh of relief … because an individual transport vehicle would be small enough that you could ship it anywhere in the world and it would mean that you’d be able to ‘think and worry less’ and ‘respond more.’
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