Archive for the 'Energy' Category
Fukushima Fallout ‘Caused Physiological and Genetic Damage’ to Butterflies
August 13th, 2012Via: Nature: The collapse of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant caused a massive release of radioactive materials to the environment. A prompt and reliable system for evaluating the biological impacts of this accident on animals has not been available. Here we show that the accident caused physiological and genetic damage to the pale grass […]
$9 Corn Could Be a Big Problem for Economy
August 9th, 2012Via: CNBC: Corn prices – which have already surged about 50 percent in the past two months – could go significantly higher if current trends hold up, and the effects might be felt throughout the economy. Price momentum indicates corn could rise at least 21 percent over the next six months, putting $9.50 a bushel […]
Carole Waugh
August 5th, 2012Was the body locked in a gym bag? Via: NBC: A body found in a lock-up garage in New Malden, southwest London, was identified as that of missing oil executive Carole Waugh, the Scotland Yard said Friday. Waugh, 50, who had previously worked in the oil industry in London and Libya, had not been seen […]
NREL: 200,000 GW of Solar Could be Installed; 4,000 TWh/a
August 2nd, 2012What if that lab had the funding equivalent of what the U.S. is spending on the war over a period of two or three days? —Chart: The Cost of the War in Iraq vs. Spending on Solar Energy Research Here’s another one for our herniating Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda file folders. The consolation prizes were a decade plus […]
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 […]
