white_rat.jpg

Remember in 2011, when there was that huge tsunami in Japan and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had a triple meltdown? And remember how it was really fucked and 160,000 people had to evacuate? Well, everything is OK now, because the plant totally has a new cooling system. It’s not exactly the world’s best cooling system. It’s a little cobbled together. But the good news is there hasn’t been another tsunami/earthquake, so it is entirely safe forever. Oh, except on Wednesday a rat got into the cooling system and managed to shut the whole thing down.

Reader support helps sustain our work. Donate today to keep our climate news free. All donations DOUBLED!

Yeah, just one rat, and yes, it managed to shut down the entire cooling system of an enormous nuclear power plant. Which could lead to a meltdown. A meltdown caused by a rat.

At this point, everything is cooling down nicely, and the rat is beyond dead, so it will all be fine. As long as another rat doesn’t find its way in there. But really, how many rats are there in Fukushima Province, anyway? A million? Yeah, nuclear power is totally safe. Totally.

Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.