Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
New Day Dawns For Satellite To Study Earth's Ozone Layer
New Day Dawns For Satellite To Study Earth's Ozone Layer
Hampton VA (SPX) Mar 04, 2011 - After nine years in a clean room, an instrument that studies the Earth's atmosphere and protective ozone layer has been returned to service. NASA's Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III-ISS (SAGE III-ISS) will measure ozone, water vapor and aerosols in the atmosphere when it is attached to the International Space Station (ISS) three years from now. The instrument is scheduled for l ... more
Hampton VA (SPX) Mar 04, 2011 - After nine years in a clean room, an instrument that studies the Earth's atmosphere and protective ozone layer has been returned to service. NASA's Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III-ISS (SAGE III-ISS) will measure ozone, water vapor and aerosols in the atmosphere when it is attached to the International Space Station (ISS) three years from now. The instrument is scheduled for l ... more
Those behind Stuxnet attack might not be who we think they are
Those behind Stuxnet attack might not be who we think they are
Investigative tools no match for sophisticated attacks
Did U.S. Intelligence Mastermind The Stuxnet Cyber-Missile?
Did U.S. Intelligence Mastermind The Stuxnet Cyber-Missile?
Iran’s Stuxnet affair
Worm creates diplomatic wiggle room
Iran’s Stuxnet affair
Press revelations that the Stuxnet worm that attacked Iran had been developed in Israel, with US help, came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme were held in Istanbul. Does this mean a new era of cyberwars?
Computer expert says US behind Stuxnet worm By Glenn Chapman
Computer expert says US behind Stuxnet worm
By Glenn Chapman
Leveraging Its Latest Nuclear Setback to Further Tighten the Screws on Iran
Leveraging Its Latest Nuclear Setback to Further Tighten the Screws on Iran
Blink and you might have missed it. Or, more to the point, fallen asleep before you got to item number 42 under "Other Matters" of the International Atomic Energy Agency's latest report on Iran's nuclear program. It reads:On 15-16 February 2011, the agency conducted an inspection at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant... and has verified the nuclear material present in the facility. On 23 February 2011, Iran informed the agency that it would have to unload fuel assemblies from the core.
Pike Electric wins EPC contract for new power lines in US EBR Staff Writer
Pike Electric wins EPC contract for new power lines in US
Can nuclear power save Japan from peak oil?
Can nuclear power save Japan from peak oil?
If the recent proclamations from various bodies, including the International Energy Agency, about our close proximity to the peak in world oil production are true, then Japan may be sitting on the equivalent of an energy security time bomb.
NPCIL to complete groundwork for Bengal project by '12
NPCIL to complete groundwork for Bengal project by '12
New Delhi Experts term Jaitapur project as ‘bad bargain’
New Delhi
Experts term Jaitapur project as ‘bad bargain’
As U.S. Moves Ahead with Nuclear Power, No Solution for Radioactive Waste
As U.S. Moves Ahead with Nuclear Power, No Solution for Radioactive Waste
A pair of legal actions against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission raises fresh questions over how and where to store the nation's growing nuclear waste
By Abby Luby
Tax Reform Exhibit A How Whirlpool parlays green credits into zero tax liability.
Tax Reform Exhibit A
How Whirlpool parlays green credits into zero tax liability.
DCNS to Conduct Feasibility Study on Undersea Nuclear Reactors
DCNS to Conduct Feasibility Study on Undersea Nuclear Reactors
The undersea nuclear reactors would be capsule-shaped, 328 feet long and 39 feet to 49 feet in diameter. They would weigh 13,227 tons and be mounted on the sea floor 328 feet down. Kolmayer was quoted as saying: "This is a cylindrical shape, but that is as close as it is to a submarine. There is no propulsion. It will not go as deep as submarines. We won't have the same acoustic discretion, anti-radar quality or resistance to military shock."
The French submarine builder DCNS said it would carry out a two-year feasibility study to look at pollution and security issues that could be caused by submerging small nuclear power plants in the sea, International News reported today. Areva, EDF and France's CEA would back the study. Andre Kolmayer, head of DCNS's civilian nuclear business unit, was quoted as saying: "I am convinced this can be done. There are about 150 nuclear submarines roaming around the world today, so putting a nuclear plant underwater is not exactly a novelty. DCNS has built nuclear submarines for 40 years, and we have put 18 in action. The technology we'll use for Flexblue will be carefully demilitarized, but it will evidently benefit from this experience."
The undersea nuclear reactors would be capsule-shaped, 328 feet long and 39 feet to 49 feet in diameter. They would weigh 13,227 tons and be mounted on the sea floor 328 feet down. Kolmayer was quoted as saying: "This is a cylindrical shape, but that is as close as it is to a submarine. There is no propulsion. It will not go as deep as submarines. We won't have the same acoustic discretion, anti-radar quality or resistance to military shock."
International News , March 3.
Significant Climate-Change Disclosure May Depend on Emissions Cap
Significant Climate-Change Disclosure May Depend on Emissions Cap
The report found the quality of climate change disclosures has changed only slightly since the SEC issued guidance in 2010. Jim Coburn, co-author of the report, was quoted as saying the Ceres report "was mainly written as a guide for companies. The SEC guidance is excellent, but they also need examples of disclosure that are important to investors. It's challenging because there are not that many good examples." Coburn said he did not see major improvements in climate change disclosure unless Congress caps emissions or provides incentives for renewable energy.
Ceres, a national coalition of investors, environmental groups and other public interest organizations working with companies to take on sustainability challenges, has released a report, "Disclosing Climate Risks and Opportunities in SEC Filings: A Guide for Corporate Executives, Attorneys and Directors." It was intended to help companies provide investors with the climate-change information they want, according to Greenbiz.com.
The report found the quality of climate change disclosures has changed only slightly since the SEC issued guidance in 2010. Jim Coburn, co-author of the report, was quoted as saying the Ceres report "was mainly written as a guide for companies. The SEC guidance is excellent, but they also need examples of disclosure that are important to investors. It's challenging because there are not that many good examples." Coburn said he did not see major improvements in climate change disclosure unless Congress caps emissions or provides incentives for renewable energy.
Greenbiz.com (guide), (climate change), March 2.
Chu Puts EV Batteries, Solar Deployment at Top of U.S. Priorities
Chu Puts EV Batteries, Solar Deployment at Top of U.S. Priorities
Chu was addressing the panel to encourage senators to support President Obama's proposed 12-percent increase in DOE's budget. Chu said also that the deployment of solar generation could be expected to be cut in half in the next few years, with the goal of cutting those costs by 75 percent. Carbon capture and sequestration technology would take longer, probably until 2020. Chu was quoted as saying: "The clean coal technologies we now have are too expensive for deployment, significant deployment. This is research and development, but it's not ready for prime time."
Energy Secretary Steven Chu told a Senate budget panel that the U.S. should be the nation to develop batteries that would power electric vehicles for trips of 300 miles to 400 miles on a single charge, Politico Pro reported. Chu was quoted as saying: "The companies and countries that achieve those types of batteries … will have a multi-multi-billion dollar market, and we really want the U.S. to be that kind of market. This is the first tangible thing we can do to get us off of foreign oil."
Chu was addressing the panel to encourage senators to support President Obama's proposed 12-percent increase in DOE's budget. Chu said also that the deployment of solar generation could be expected to be cut in half in the next few years, with the goal of cutting those costs by 75 percent. Carbon capture and sequestration technology would take longer, probably until 2020. Chu was quoted as saying: "The clean coal technologies we now have are too expensive for deployment, significant deployment. This is research and development, but it's not ready for prime time."
Politico Pro , March 2.
ENERGY TECH Oil threat rises as Arab unrest spreads
Heavy fighting around the Libyan port of Brega, a key oil export center, and growing political turmoil in the oil-rich Persian Gulf has sharpened global concerns that Middle East energy flows could face serious disruption if the crisis isn't contained.
After 50 Years, Nuclear Power Is Still Not Viable Without Subsidies
 The report evaluates legacy subsidies that helped build the industry, ongoing support to existing reactors, and subsidies available for new projects. According to the report, legacy subsidies exceeded 7 cents per kilowatt-hour (�/kWh), well above the average wholesale price of power from 1960 to 2008. In effect, the subsidies were more valuable than the power the subsidized plants produced. |
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 03, 2011 Since its inception more than 50 years ago, the U.S. nuclear power industry has been propped up by a generous array of government subsidies that have supported its development and operations. Despite that support, the industry is still not economically viable, according to a report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The report, "Nuclear Power: Still Not Viable Without Subsidies," found that more than 30 subsidies have supported every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining to long-term waste storage. Added together, these subsidies often have exceeded the average market price of the power produced. "Despite the fact that the nuclear power industry has benefited from decades of government support, the technology is still uneconomic, so the industry is demanding a lot more from taxpayers to build new reactors," said Ellen Vancko, manager of UCS's Nuclear Energy and Climate Change Project.
EDITORIAL Indiana needs nuclear option for its energy mix Incentives plan renews the debate we were having until 1984.
EDITORIAL
Indiana needs nuclear option for its energy mix
Incentives plan renews the debate we were having until 1984.
How America gets its mojo back: Purpose-driven capitalism
How America gets its mojo back: Purpose-driven capitalism
Yucca Mountain's fate has no effect on waste confidence rule: US NRC
Yucca Mountain's fate has no effect on waste confidence rule: US NRC
Ship to bolster Europe's missile defenses: US
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Washington (AFP) March 1, 2011 The US military will send a warship to the Mediterranean next week as a first step in a defense shield to protect Europe from a potential strike from Iran's missile arsenal, a defense official said Tuesday. The USS Monterey, a guided missile cruiser equipped with Aegis radar designed to detect ballistic missiles, is due to depart next week from its home port in Norfolk, Virginia for a six-month mission, said John Plumb, principal director of nuclear and missile defense policy.
The ship's launch fulfills the US administration's goal of deploying military hardware for the shield in 2011.
Syria agrees to IAEA inspection of nuclear site
Syria agrees to IAEA inspection of nuclear site
Vienna (AFP) March 2, 2011 - Syria has agreed to a vist by inspectors from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency to a nuclear site for the first time since June 2008, diplomats said Wednesday. The site, at Homs in the west of the country, is known to the IAEA and is not thought to be suspect. "Syria has agreed to the principle of a visit," said a source close to the IAEA
Vienna (AFP) March 2, 2011 - Syria has agreed to a vist by inspectors from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency to a nuclear site for the first time since June 2008, diplomats said Wednesday. The site, at Homs in the west of the country, is known to the IAEA and is not thought to be suspect. "Syria has agreed to the principle of a visit," said a source close to the IAEA
Congress Backs Energy Agency
Congress Backs Energy Agency
by Kevin Bullis
ARPA-E will get a funding increase at a time when many programs face cuts.
Read More »
by Kevin Bullis
ARPA-E will get a funding increase at a time when many programs face cuts.
Read More »
New Report: Energy Policy and Economic Recovery 2010 - 2015
Before reading the report summary below, please note that:
A. The US Department of Energy (not to mention Interior, EPA, etc.) is spending billions of our tax dollars each year on energy R&D, "policy," "programs" and subsidies. Additional billions are passed out in tax breaks that attempt to force Washington-selected energy technologies into the marketplace. Dozens of Washington-develop regulations have the same objective.
B. DOE and its predecessors' energy R&D spending (over $100 billion in 2010$*) and policies rely on two assumptions that remain unproven for the technologies they have selected for subsidies:
1. More spending on energy R&D will produce the advances needed to move the selected idea to a commercially viable product or service (i.e., feasible, economic and environmentally acceptable).
2. Economies of scale will reduce the cost of the selected technologies.
C. During the last 45 years, the list of Washington-selected technologies has grown.** So has the list of failures. So has the list of failures and the cost that Washington has loaded on taxpayers and consumers.
Recognizing the above, what if DOE were abolished and the White House merely contracted out US energy policy to the Irish Academy of Engineering which, as shown below, seems to have an uncanny ability to substitute common sense for government planning, spending and dictates?
Glenn Schleede
* The $100+ billion includes only the "energy R&D," NOT the cost of all the direct and indirect tax breaks and subsidies
** Each Administration from Nixon on, except for Reagan, has had its favorites. Check the record.
New Report: Energy Policy and Economic Recovery 2010 - 2015
BY EVAN RAMSTAD
SEOUL—The U.S. sees no need to redeploy nuclear weapons to South Korea, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday, despite increasing pressure from some ruling-party politicians here."We have no plan and we have no intention to deploy U.S. tactical or other nuclear weapons in South Korea. Moreover, we don't believe that there is a military need to do so," Robert Einhorn, the State Department's special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, said to reporters during a visit at South Korea's foreign ministry.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
All Eyes on Oil's Rise
All Eyes on Oil's Rise
Oil appears firmly entrenched above the $100/barrel range. Four authors discussing the implications:
- It's Time to Short Crude Oil by Gold Digger
- Could Oil Prices Derail Overvalued Stock Markets? 5 Hedge Ideas
- History Lesson: Oil Price Spikes and Their Aftermath by James Shell
- Oil Price: The Threat to a Fledgling Recovery
Squeezing More Energy Out of Batteries
A new printing process could increase battery capacity by over 10 percent.
Public opinion doesn't matter
| The link between public opinion and government policy is difficult to quantify, and is especially so in the case of civil nuclear policy. In an election we vote for the party that we feel best represents our views. But when there are important every day issues such as the economy, immigration and healthcare on the line, nuclear policy or energy policy in general gets pushed towards the bottom of our list of priorities. So the views of elected politicians aren’t necessarily representative of their voters. If we look at this year’s Special Eurobarometer 324 survey (see also NEI June pp33-34) the differences between public opinion in France and Germany are not that marked, especially when it comes to thoughts on new build. In France 12% of respondents thought that the share of nuclear energy as a proportion of all energy sources should be increased, compared with 7% in Germany. Yet France is actively pursuing new nuclear build, while the German government is only considering rescinding the phase-out law that will see all of Germany’s reactors shut by 2022. So is there a link between general public opinion and new nuclear build? I suspect that in the aftermath of Chernobyl the phase-out laws and the policy changes echoed the anti-nuclear public sentiment. But those days, it seems, are over. | |
Energy Agency Partnering with the Military
Energy Agency Partnering with the Military
The Secretary of the Navy says better batteries and electric grids will help protect soldiers.
Rep. Nunes to introduce bill for 200 reactors built by 2030
- Rep. Nunes to introduce bill for 200 reactors built by 2030
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said he will propose legislation that would require 200 reactors be built by 2030. The bill would also fund renewable-energy development through oil-drilling revenue. Nunes said that through nuclear and renewable energy, "you get to a place where, long-term, you have a clean energy supply." Platts
Nuclear has role in Poland says IEA
Nuclear has role in Poland says IEA
Poland should focus on energy efficiency, nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage and renewables, as well as continuing to expand natural gas infrastructure in its efforts help meet energy security and climate change objectives. This forms some of the conclusions of the first OECD International Energy Agency (IEA) review of the country's energy policies since it became a member in 2008. Poland currently relies on coal to meet 55% of its primary energy demand and over 90% of electricity production but has embarked upon a nuclear power program that that would see three reactors up and running by 2030. Speaking at the report launch, IEA executive director Nobuo Tanaka said, "The government has a well-structured plan to prepare its nuclear program, including institutional and legal frameworks for nuclear regulation and the management of radioactive waste." Tanaka highlighted the fact that ageing generation infrastructure provided the perfect opportunity over the next decade for investment that would "set Poland's long term emission trajectory." Over the past two years Poland has signed agreements with reactor vendors to investigate potential reactor choices such as Areva's EPR, GE-Hitachi's ABWR and ESBWR and Westinghouse's AP1000.
Electric Utility Alliance Unveils New Environmental Supply Chain Initiatives
Electric Utility Alliance Unveils New Environmental Supply Chain Initiatives
http://media.prnewswire.com/
http://media.prnewswire.com/
PPL reaches deal with Eon on UK electricity
PPL reaches deal with Eon on UK electricity PPL, the US utility, has agreed to buy the UK electricity networks business of Eon, Germany's largest utility, for more than $6bn, edging rival bidders including CKI, the investment vehicle of Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing
http://link.ft.com/r/9ULF66/
http://link.ft.com/r/9ULF66/
Innovation Raga India Bats For Green Budget
Innovation Raga
India Bats For Green Budget
Usually, the federal government budget is an occasion for grandstanding by the Finance Minister to proclaim his credentials for being both business friendly and extremely concerned for the millions of people living below the poverty line. But in his budget for 2011-12, Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has revealed his unusual “GTuesday, March 1, 2011
Chernobyl was lesson in nuclear peril: Gorbachev
Image via Wikipedia Chernobyl was lesson in nuclear peril: GorbachevThe upcoming 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster is a brutal reminder of the dangers of nuclear power, proliferation and terrorism, former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev said on Tuesday. "The true scope of the tragedy still remains beyond comprehension and is a shocking reminder of the reality of the nuclear threat," Gorbachev said in an essay published by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a watchdog organisation on nuclear security.
Gorbachev described Chernobyl as "a warning sign" for countries dependent on nuclear power or keen to turn to it.
"As the global population continues to expand, and the demand for energy production grows, we must invest in alternative and more sustainable sources of energy -- wind, solar, geothermal, hydro -- and widespread conservation and energy efficiency initiatives," he said.
He voiced concern about the risk of terror attacks on nuclear reactors, storage barrels of radioactive waste and fuel-rod pools and of the theft of fissile material.
"While the Chernobyl disaster was accidental, caused by faulty technology and human error, today's disaster could very well be intentional," Gorbachev wrote.
Russia urges progress on nuclear-free Mid-east meet
Russia urges progress on nuclear-free Mid-east meet
by Staff Writers Geneva (AFP) March 1, 2011 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday urged the international community to speed up preparations for a conference on a nuclear-free Middle East next year. A Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference held last May had called for a regional conference in 2012 to advance the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East.
"We believe that it is time to implement this decision because ... no coordinator has been assigned, and we are worried about this," Lavrov told journalists.
"All the problems surrounding this question are very serious," he added.
"But we are convinced that we cannot lag behind. We must sit down and start to discuss the concerns of each of the region's countries," he said.
Lavrov earlier told the 65 members of the UN Conference for Disarmament in Geneva that the process was now all the most important due to the recent popular uprisings in the Middle East.
Asked if the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East was attainable, Lavrov said: "We would not know until we start work."
Israel, widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East with around 200 warheads, has refused to participate in the conference, saying that it ignores the realities of the Middle East and the threats facing the region.
The Jewish state, which has a policy of neither confirming nor denying that it has nuclear weapons, has refused to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or to allow international surveillance of its Dimona nuclear plant in the southern Negev desert.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi also stressed the "utmost importance" of such a nuclear-free zone at the Conference for Disarmament on Tuesday, and slammed Israel's refusal to sign up to the proposal.
"It is a matter of concern that all efforts to establish a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East have not yet succeeded, due to the persistent refusal of the Zionist regime to join the NPT," said Salehi.
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"We believe that it is time to implement this decision because ... no coordinator has been assigned, and we are worried about this," Lavrov told journalists.
"All the problems surrounding this question are very serious," he added.
"But we are convinced that we cannot lag behind. We must sit down and start to discuss the concerns of each of the region's countries," he said.
Lavrov earlier told the 65 members of the UN Conference for Disarmament in Geneva that the process was now all the most important due to the recent popular uprisings in the Middle East.
Asked if the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East was attainable, Lavrov said: "We would not know until we start work."
Israel, widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East with around 200 warheads, has refused to participate in the conference, saying that it ignores the realities of the Middle East and the threats facing the region.
The Jewish state, which has a policy of neither confirming nor denying that it has nuclear weapons, has refused to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or to allow international surveillance of its Dimona nuclear plant in the southern Negev desert.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi also stressed the "utmost importance" of such a nuclear-free zone at the Conference for Disarmament on Tuesday, and slammed Israel's refusal to sign up to the proposal.
"It is a matter of concern that all efforts to establish a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East have not yet succeeded, due to the persistent refusal of the Zionist regime to join the NPT," said Salehi.
Advertise on NYTimes.com Russians Say Damaged Cooling Pump Is Cause of Delay in Starting Iranian Reactor
Russians Say Damaged Cooling Pump Is Cause of Delay in Starting Iranian Reactor
Dominion Welcomes Renewed License For Kewaunee Power Station
Carlton WI (SPX) Mar 01, 2011 - Dominion welcomed the news that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating license of Kewaunee Power Station, extending the station's operation an additional 20 years until 2033. With the approval, the NRC has renewed the operating licenses of the seven units at all four of Dominion's nuclear power stations - Kewaunee,
Dominion Virginia Power Unchanged On Potential Nuclear Expansion
 File image. |
Richmond VA (SPX) Mar 01, 2011 Dominion Virginia Power has said that it is not changing its position on a potential new nuclear unit at North Anna Power Station despite a decision by the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative to withdraw from the project. Thomas F. Farrell II, Dominion chairman, president and chief executive officer, said:
"Virginia faces a substantial shortfall in electric power generation in the next 10 years, especially baseload capacity that is available 24 hours, seven days a week. North Anna Unit 3, if built, can provide this electricity safely and reliably while producing virtually no greenhouse gases. A diverse supply of electrical generation capacity in Virginia is important to the Commonwealth and our customers.
"While Dominion has not decided on the schedule to build the unit, the company will continue to move forward with the federal Combined Operating License process and preliminary site development work."
Ukraine Cooperates With USA In The Energy Sector
 File image. |
The Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Yuriy Boyko emphasized the necessity to further develop Ukraine's cooperation with the U.S. in the nuclear energy sector in the area of nuclear plants' safety enhancement, extending life of existing reactors, nuclear fuel supplies and building storage facilities for the depleted fuel.
He noted that Ukraine is interested to continue implementation of the International Nuclear Safety Program, the ten-year long (1993-2003) U.S. Department of Energy initiative in safety improvement of nuclear power plants built in the Soviet time.
Lightbridge Provides Nuclear Fuel Development Update
 File image. |
The underlying premise of the Lightbridge fuel technology value proposition is to enable nuclear power plants to produce more power per dollar invested and to improve their financial operating margins.
The Company's fuel technology will enable the existing reactor component supply chain to deliver more power from the same capacity. The fuel also has back-end benefits, such as reduced used fuel volume, shorter cooling time before transferring used fuel to dry storage and enhanced proliferation resistance.
Will A New Nuclear Reactor Power The USA Back To Energy Independence
 File image. |
Dallas TX (SPX) Mar 01, 2011 Tonight's "Dan Rather Reports" presents a surprising look at nuclear power and how new developments in the field have created cleaner, more efficient reactors that could create a virtual "nuclear renaissance." But, the price tag for building these new reactors may be more than the U.S. Department of Energy is ready for. Although the United States led the way in the development of nuclear energy back in the 1950s, nuclear power now conjures up memories of the disasters at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. For thirty years, not a single new nuclear power plant was started in the U.S.
On Tuesday's program, Rather speaks to Eric Loewen, a nuclear scientist at GE-Hitachi in charge of advanced reactor design. Loewen and his team have developed a new nuclear reactor called PRISM that is actually able to recycle dangerous nuclear waste to create its own fuel.
"So we can take used nuclear fuel. There's 53,000 metric tons around the country at different nuclear power plants," Loewen explained to Rather. "That's what you could use for fuel for this PRISM reactor."
So, what is the hold up on moving forward with the PRISM? So far, it only exists on paper, on blueprints in Loewen's office. Loewen says the U.S. Department of Energy needs to make this new (and possibly expensive technology) a priority in a recycling budget that is only set at $40 million.
Will the U.S. be able to ride this new nuclear technology back to the lead in energy production, or will other countries beat us to the punch?
India Bats For Green Budget
Innovation Raga
India Bats For Green Budget
Usually, the federal government budget is an occasion for grandstanding by the Finance Minister to proclaim his credentials for being both business friendly and extremely concerned for the millions of people living below the poverty line. But in his budget for 2011-12, Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has revealed his unusual “Green Side.”
Narayanan Suresh 02/28/2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
If You Think This Oil Spike Is Temporary, Check Out This Chart
If You Think This Oil Spike Is Temporary, Check Out This Chart
Nuclear Industry Expansion Enhances the Growth of the Safety Injection Pumps Market
Nuclear Industry Expansion Enhances the Growth of the Safety Injection Pumps Market
TVA’s Ambitions Include Restarted Reactor Projects, Small Modular Reactor Research, MOX Use
TVA’s Ambitions Include Restarted Reactor Projects, Small Modular Reactor Research, MOX Use
Russia, Israel Eye Joint Development Of Communication Satellites
 File image. |
Moscow (XNA) Feb 28, 2011 Russia and Israel have set up a joint group that would focus on the development of communications satellites, local media reported Friday. "We will consider the options of making several communication satellites and the joint development of a remote sensing satellite," said Anatoly Perminov, head of Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
Perminov said, however, that the signing of a space cooperation agreement with Israel will be put off "for some time."
Getting Warmer: US CO2 Emissions from Power Plants Emissions Rise 5.6% in 2010
Getting Warmer: US CO2 Emissions from Power Plants Emissions Rise 5.6% in 2010
This Environmental Integrity Project paper argues that carbon dioxide emissions from power plants rose 5.56% in 2010 over the year before, the biggest annual increase since the Environmental Protection Agency began tracking emissions in 1995. Electricity generators released 2.423 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2010, compared to 2.295 billion tons in 2009, according to information available on EPA’s “Clean Air Markets” database. While the increase is worrisome, power plant emissions are still below the high water mark of 2.565 million tons set in 2007. Last year’s rise was driven in part by a 3.0% net increase in overall generation for the 12 months ending in November of 20102 Average global temperatures last year reached the 2005 level, the warmest year on record., due to the economic recovery and unusually warm weather in some parts of the country.
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