Archive for the 'Energy' Category
600 Million Without Power in India After 3 Power Grids Fail
July 31st, 2012Via: AP: India’s energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids collapsed, leaving 620 million people without government-supplied electricity in one of the world’s biggest-ever blackouts. Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. Electric crematoria stopped operating, […]
With Nuclear Power Plants Offline, Japan Runs Up Record Trade Deficit Burning Imported Fuels; Export Markets Slumping
July 25th, 2012Via: Washington Post: Japan posted its biggest first-half trade deficit on record, according to government figures released Wednesday, highlighting the economic consequences as this nuclear-averse country imports fossil fuels to meet its energy needs. The Ministry of Finance reported a 2.92 trillion yen (or $37.3 billion) trade deficit, which reflected not only Japan’s surging need […]
TEPCO Subcontractor Tried to Underreport Workers’ Radiation Exposure by Covering Dosimeters with Lead
July 23rd, 2012Via: Kyodo: An executive of a Tokyo Electric Power Co. subcontractor forced its nine workers at the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to cover their radiation monitoring meters with lead-made plates, the company said Saturday.
UV Skin Damage from Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
July 21st, 2012Via: Photochemistry and Photobiology: Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs can provide the same amount of lumens as incandescent light bulbs, using one quarter of the energy. Recently, CFL exposure was found to exacerbate existing skin conditions; however, the effects of CFL exposure on healthy skin tissue have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we […]
Japan to Probe Active Faults Under Nuclear Plants
July 19th, 2012Via: AFP: Japan’s nuclear safety watchdog on Wednesday ordered a probe into claims the country’s only working nuclear power station sits on an active tectonic fault. The order came as Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) readied to refire a second reactor at the Oi plant, western Japan, just weeks after the first unit was restarted, […]
China Plans Nuclear Deep-Sea Mining Base
July 15th, 2012Via: Wired: A Chinese company is set to build a nuclear-powered mobile deep-sea station in the western Pacific, according to local reports. The China Ship Scientific Research Centre’s proposed station — which will have huge propellers to enable free movement in the ocean depths — will be manned by 33 crew for up to two […]
U.S. Adds Forces in Persian Gulf
July 4th, 2012Via: New York Times: The United States has quietly moved significant military reinforcements into the Persian Gulf to deter the Iranian military from any possible attempt to shut the Strait of Hormuz and to increase the number of fighter jets capable of striking deep into Iran if the standoff over its nuclear program escalates.
Mid Atlantic: Three Million Without Power
July 1st, 2012Via: CBS: Utility crews untangled downed power lines and tree limbs Sunday, working to get the electricity turned back on for millions of people facing a second day of 100-degree temperatures without modern conveniences like air conditioning and refrigeration. On Saturday, many people flocked to places like malls and movie theaters in the hope the […]
Injection Wells: The Poison Beneath Us
June 26th, 2012Via: Pro Publica: Over the past several decades, U.S. industries have injected more than 30 trillion gallons of toxic liquid deep into the earth, using broad expanses of the nation’s geology as an invisible dumping ground. No company would be allowed to pour such dangerous chemicals into the rivers or onto the soil. But until […]
U.S. Plans Significant Military Presence in Kuwait
June 19th, 2012Imagine our shock. Via: AP: The United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region as Iraq adjusts to the withdrawal of American combat forces and the world nervously eyes Iran, according to a congressional report.
