So what do ya think? How will the Quake last night affect Toyota and other Japanese imports?

Ya I know Toyota is made here now but to me it is still a rice rocket import.

 

I have a question about the economy and the quake.
Japan is the 3rd largest (I am pretty sure) oil (fuel/gas) consumer in the world. Now with demand suddenly dropping (I assume), what would that do for fuel prices?

 

I think they lost some of the fuel reserve. So with that in mind maybe they will be buying more?

 

Biggest concern afaik is the nuke plant that lost it's cooling pumps. How they fix this and how fast, and if they are able to avoid a melt down and God forbid any Chernobyl type incident will spell the future of nuclear power.

Now at this time, the usual media hysteria is chatting about the evacuations, possible meltdown etc.

BUT, if they are able to get it under control, and the reactor and all their other reactors are undamaged, then perhaps this will counter the negative image the public has, and get some more movement towards nukes here.

Also, how do you lose an entire train? Not good...

Waiting for this to happen here--better go buy some canned goods and a can opener...

Update: Shipping costs for Japanese goods will be less, as they moved 8 feet closer to the US as a result of the quake....

No links yet, this is showing up on twitter from the USGS at Cal Tech, which is over 8 feet from me, but less than a mile.

 

Looks like Hillery is taking credit for saving the Nuke plant. She sent a plane full of coolant.

 

to bad her & Obama would not disappear over there.

 

Well the Nuke Plant blew up so ya that would be good.

I sure hope the wind keeps blowing south. I'm not all that far north of Toyletta land.

 

Toyota built a new plant here (Tupelo, MS) a couple of years ago, but never started production due to the economy. Massive empty building with new 4 lane roads and rail road access. However they do plan to start production in 2012. I guess the folks here could take up the slack and ship Japanese cars made in America back to Japan.

 

Maybe it's time Ford built a plant in Japan.

 

I'm not interested in futures and stocks, I don't care about the politics.
PEOPLE have been hurt - that is what I personally care about.

I can't be "COLD" when it comes to that. If it happened in the US would you treat it that way?

Those are real living people who died....

I'll be damned if I make jokes about it!

How can they contain it? Or can they?

I hope we sent them our best people immediately

 

I usually elect to let most ungrateful foreign countries twist in the wind, if it were my say........
But this is different, Japan has been a stalwart allied nation to us and the humanitarian scope of this is enormous, the effects of the tsunami and now 3 reactors getting ready to Chernobyl..........They NEED our help............NOW!

Have the Russian's sent any of their people who have experience with this very thing? seems there is much knowledge that could be used there.

 

Good point Dave. In all that I have read on the net I have yet to hear of any help from Russia.

 

Great post. Keep an eye on what's most important.

Sadly, I fear that '10,000 dead' is low-balling what the actual figure will be. I hope I'm wrong.

 

The reactors are fine. I'd be worried about all the people trapped in the debris.

 

A little on the character of the Japanese and their society:

Why is there no looting in Japan? – Telegraph Blogs