Um, why wouldn't it? I would imagine that reactor meltdown would be financially detrimental to Japanese corporations, and this possibility (even with uncertainty) is certainly the sort of thing that is typically reflected in asset prices.
I think the 'assuming the radiation is spread out evenly' part is a bit optimistic. We know that's not what happened with Chernobyl for example. http://users.owt.com/smsrpm/Chernobyl/glbrad.html This could of course be either good or bad for Tokyo. Also a lot of the radiation is in particulate matter. So if you breathe some in then you get a lot of radiation but can be comforted by the fact that lots of people around you aren't getting their share because you're putting the average way up.
Here's a live cam of the plant, refreshed every few seconds. <a class="postlink" href="http://cs2.town.yanaizu.fukushima.jp/-wvhttp-01-/GetOneShot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cs2.town.yanaizu.fukushima.jp/-w ... GetOneShot</a>
I hate to do this, but I just want you guys to see how fucked up shit can be and why everyone should be prepared for the unexpected. Something that costs $20 in a normal time costs over $600 in a time of crisis. IOSAT radiation pills sold on Ebay. These guys who sell it in packs that cost almost 8 grand are out of stock. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.nitro-pak.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=iosat&x=0&y=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.nitro-pak.com/catalogsearch/ ... at&x=0&y=0</a>
You have any in your bug-out kit? And a lot of it is because of the fucknuts in the "news" spready FUD.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/quake-hits-vanuatu-in-pacific/story-e6frg12c-1226023270391 6.5 magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu. No injuries or damage reported at this stage.
If he did Id tell him to hawk it on ebay for a mad profit. Lord knows itll be back down to normal levels in a few months.
No. I'm not prepped for a NBC diaster. Despite there being a reactor within a few hours travel of my location, this aspect of my preps is still in planning phase. I've been looking to join a local CERT (for a while now actually) to get more info on how to prepare for this and help the community at the same time. WSJ also reports potassium iodide has been flying off the shelves and no one can keep it in stock. Link
Here is another handy tool that checks radiation levels in the US. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.radiationnetwork.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.radiationnetwork.com/</a>
Here's a good site that shows the status of the various reactors: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/16/world/asia/reactors-status.html?hp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011 ... us.html?hp</a>
Very cool interactive page of pics that superimpose the before and after aerial shots of Japanese places. Just drag your mouse from one side to the other... pretty sobering. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan ... eafter.htm</a>
Holy shit. Here's a video that just surfaced on YouTube that was filmed in Tokyo's Central Park at the time of the earthquake. It shows some incredible liquifaction in real time. Be sure to watch past the 1 minute mark, when it starts to get "good". I think I'd be more than a little freaked out if I were there and that shit started happening.
Finally, some fucking sane, realistic reporting of the event. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-18/radiation-from-worst-case-nuclear-disaster-is-limited-threat.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-0 ... hreat.html</a>
Nuclear Power Plant Simulation Game <a class="postlink" href="http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/activities/nukeenergy/nuke.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/activities/nu ... y/nuke.htm</a> What... too soon?