Useful info on Japanese nuclear crisis

Probably virtually everyone reading this is already aware of the triple crises in Japan — mega-earthquake, mega-tsunami, and mega-nuclear catastrophe. I have found it often difficult to find truly useful information and perspectives on this crisis, especially the nuclear one where the combination of breakdowns in both reactors and spent fuel rod pools has potentially global implications.

Below are some good sources of ongoing information and three articles I found particularly useful in thinking about the larger picture around this. I hope they are useful for you.

ONGOING UPDATES AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS

http://mitnse.com
Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT

http://www.beyondnuclear.org
Beyond Nuclear

http://www.nirs.org
especially http://www.nirs.org/fukushima/crisis.htm
Nuclear Information Resource Service

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_I_nuclear_accidents
Wikipedia: Fukushima I Nuclear Accidents article

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv
Continuous news feed in English from NHK
(Nippon Housou Kyoukai – Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

THREE CLARIFYING ARTICLES – ESPECIALLY ON FUEL ROD POOLS

“This Could Become Chernobyl on Steroids”: Nuclear Engineer Arnie Gundersen on Japan’s Growing Nuclear Crisis
DemocracyNow!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/15/this_could_become_chernobyl_on_steroids  

The Japan Nuke Problem No One’s Talking About
by Sharon Begley
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-03-14/japan-nuclear-meltd…  

When Spent Fuel Rods Ignite – Pools of Nuclear Fire
March 16, 2011 By JEFFREY ST. CLAIR
http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair03162011.html