Read this short Britannica entry.
1. So, recounting:
A powerful tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant’s power supply and cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and spew large amounts of radiation. Highly contaminated cooling water applied to the damaged reactors has leaked continuously into building basements and mixed with groundwater. Initial reports of casualties following the tsunami at Fukushima’s power plant put the death toll in the hundreds, with hundreds more missing.
Was the tsunami the cause of the Daiichi Nuclear Plant’s accident? Yes, No? Explain your answer one way or the other.
1. We find this declaration:
“We have no evidence that the crew did anything wrong,” Homendy said.
(a) Does that mean there’s no human cause linked to the accident? Explain.
(b) Are safety regulations, in this case, solely dependent upon human error? Explain.
2. Read this paragraph:
The overheating triggered an alarm, which caused the train’s engineer to immediately apply the brakes to bring the train to the stop. An automatic emergency braking system also came into effect.
Which of these two caused the train to stop, the overheating or/and the automatic emergency breaking?
(a) The overheating caused the train’s engineer to immediately apply the brakes to bring the train to a stop, or (b) simultaneously, “an automatic emergency braking system also came into effect?
3. Read this sentence:
“There were no reported fatalities or injuries caused directly by the derailment, and responders were able to mitigate the fire within two days.”
What do you think “caused directly by the derailment” mean?
4. Read this paragraph:
“The evacuation order was lifted on Feb. 8, five days after the derailment. Since then, residents have reported widespread concern about the safety of East Palestine’s air and water. Some say they have experienced headaches or rashes. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported that some 3,500 fish had died following the derailment in nearby waterways.”
Do you think the headaches and rashes are the effects of the accident? If so, what is the cause (as given in the reading?
5. Read this paragraph:
“The operators of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals near East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this month tried to stop the train after a wheel bearing overheated to a dangerous degree, the National Transportation Safety Board said.”
Can one say that “trying to stop the train after a wheel bearing overheated to a dangerous degree” is the cause of the derailment?
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