Nuclear Energy 101 and Other Ways To Stay (Reasonably) Well-Informed

It is difficult to get a handle, let alone an informed understanding and position, on what is happening in Japan in relation to its nuclear facilities - damaged by the earthquake last Friday. Every day brings news of a new issue or some risk coming to the fore. The Japanese haven't been all that forthcoming - and sadly their past record of keeping the public informed is very poor.

Some sources to get the 101 on the subject:

"With so much frightening, conflicting and probably ill-informed news streaming out of Japan, it's hard to know where to turn for accurate updates. Some suggested sources more reliable than CNN's unnamed "officials": the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS); an English-language live-stream from Japan; and a geological how and why of what happened. Also, for those of us, like one Boing Boing reader, whose knowledge of nuclear power comes from The Simpsons, a look at just how it works."

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