Basic Engineering Error which shook the World

I mean Fukushima nuclear plant catastrophe. It was going like this:

Friday 11 March
14:46 ...power plant's nuclear reactors 1, 2, and 3 are automatically shut down by the shake...Power plant is cut off from the Japanese electricity grid, however, backup diesel generators kick in to continue cooling...

15:01 The tsunami unleashed by the earthquake strikes the Fukushima facility damaging the backup generators required to cool the reactors... Details HERE

And this is all, the rest is CHAOS.

All problems the World has and will have for a long time, are the direct result of cooling system failure. Cooling system failed because backup generators were hit by tsunami. They were hit by tsunami because "..fuel tanks for the generators, positioned at ground level just metres from the sea, were among the first parts of the facility to be destroyed ..". Details HERE.

That means the backup system was located in more vulnerable position than the object which was to be backed up. It is absolutely against the logic and engineering practice. Something like hanging the keys to the safe on the wall just above it.

And it shook the world. Many countries have to revise their energy programs. It puts in danger plans of reducing carbon emissions. Consequences are difficult to predict. Only because of one error, placement of backup generators, which has nothing to do with nuclear technology.

On one hand we can say - why all that panic? We learned a lesson, the error will not be repeated. But on the other hand .. If it was an error in the old, traditional engineering art, how can we trust engineers at all? We must not implement technologies which failure can cause such enormous damage. Because humans will always make basic and fundamental errors.

I dedicate above statement to enthusiasts of genetic engineering.

Paderewski's tree

At the end of January, I reported here my search for a tree planted by Ignace Paderewski in Royal Botanic Garden in Melbourne.

As Autumn arrived, I visited it to see if it produced any chestnuts, buckeye chestnuts. I found the tree, but it looked very, very poorly....

Leaves yellowing at the edges, and just a single fruit, which looked dry, empty and dead. I hurried to the visitor's centre and explained my concern to the same lady, who helped me so patiently and kindly in January. She called a horticulturalist for assistance.

He checked some botanical data and explained to me, that this type of chestnut, does not produce actual chestnuts. Chestnuts, which you could eat - he said.

It amused me a bit. I do not come to botanic garden to feed myself. For this purpose, my little secret forest full of mushrooms, will do quite nicely.

But I did not mention it to the horticulturalist. He might have called the ambulance :))))

Mushrooms

Autumn, means in Poland mushrooms. I remember from many years ago, excursions to forest and coming back with bags full of mushrooms. Actually, I did not like these events. Many hours of careful walking with head hanging down and eyes looking for brown hats in the grass.

We did not expect to find mushrooms in Australia. Couple of years after settling down here, we learned, that there are good mushroom fields around Daylesford. That was true. Another good place was found at the Red Hill. For me it was too far to drive and I was right. In December last year I found a mushroom field just 10 minutes walk from our home. It is in the bushes at the back of children playground. It produces just one type of mushrooms, like this...

At home they looked like this...

The recipe is simple:

- take heads only,

- mix one egg with 3 tablespoons of milk,

- put some salt or herbamare on the mushrooms,

- dip mushroom head in the egg with milk,

- toss in bran,

- drop on hot frying pan...

Delicious!!!

I wrote, that mushroom season is in Autumn. But these ones are crazy. I spotted them first time in December and since then I regularly brought home a dozen per fortnight.

Our only worry is, that it is so close to the playground. One day they may be noticed by council workers maintaining vegetation around the playground and I am sure, these guys will treat them as a dangerous pest and eradicate them with some killer of all growing things. So I check our secret forest every second morning to prevent the strike.