News: Archive for April, 2011
‘The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last month renewed Vermont Yankee’s operating license to extend the plant’s operation through March 21, 2032, after a five-year review process. But state officials want the plant to shut at the end of its original operating license in March 2012.’
via UPDATE 2-Entergy sues Vermont to keep reactor running | Reuters.
‘(Reuters) – The U.S. nuclear safety regulator said on Thursday it has extended the operating life of the nation’s largest nuclear power plant, the three-unit Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona for an additional 20 years.’
via NRC extends life of largest U.S. nuclear station | Reuters.
The Environmental Protection Agency has published the National U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. The most recent decline in the rate of emissions cited in the report – 6.1% in 2009 – is much faster than the rate of cumulative increase (.4%/year) over the previous 19 years (total 7.3%). The cause for this recent steep decline isn’t attributed to any strong policy change or the growing awareness of the issue of climate change, rather it is considered to be the result of a weak economy and an increase in the cost of coal.
Short excerpt: ‘Recent Trends in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks’
‘In 2009, total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 6,633.2 Tg or million metric tons CO 2 Eq. While total U.S. emissions have increased by 7.3 percent from 1990 to 2009, emissions decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 6.1 percent (427.9 Tg CO 2 Eq.). This decrease was primarily due to (1) a decrease in economic output resulting in a decrease in energy consumption across all sectors; and (2) a decrease in the carbon intensity of fuels used to generate electricity due to fuel switching as the price of coal increased, and the price of natural gas decreased significantly. Since 1990, U.S. emissions have increased at an average annual rate of 0.4 percent.’
‘GENEVA – A new study suggests that more than 40 fish species in the Mediterranean could vanish in the next few years.’
via Study: 40 Mediterranean fish species could vanish – Yahoo! News.
‘The Tokyo Electric Power Company said that it planned to pump 10,000 metric tons of water into a storage building at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station at a rate of 480 tons a day, which would take nearly three weeks. The company is still working on ways to remove another 57,500 tons of heavily contaminated water spread among the same building and other nearby buildings.’
via Water Pumping Begins at Japan Nuclear Reactor – NYTimes.com.
‘TOKYO – The operator of the crippled nuclear power plant leaking radiation in northern Japan announced a plan Sunday to bring the crisis under control within six to nine months and allow some evacuated residents to return to their homes.’
via TEPCO announces plan to end Japan nuclear crisis – Yahoo! News.
‘The new organization will combine C40, a coalition of international cities run by Mr. Bloomberg, and the Clinton Climate Initiative, a project of Mr. Clinton’s philanthropic foundation, doubling the groups’ annual budgets and staff.’
via Bloomberg and Bill Clinton to Merge Climate Groups – NYTimes.com.
‘WASHINGTON – Millions of gallons of potentially hazardous chemicals and known carcinogens were injected into wells by leading oil and gas service companies from 2005-2009, a report by three House Democrats said Saturday.’
via Democratic report: carcinogens injected into wells – Yahoo! News.
‘Meat in the U.S. may be widely contaminated with strains of drug-resistant bacteria, researchers reported Friday after testing 136 samples of beef, chicken, pork and turkey purchased at grocery stores.’
via Contaminated meat: Almost half of meat in stores may have staph bacteria – latimes.com.
‘Former president Bill Clinton and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday announced the merger of their respective climate initiatives for cities.’
via Cities Get Boost to Address Climate Change in NYC, Clinton Merger.