Heat and Drought Pose Risks for Nuclear Power Plants
Like coal-fired power plants, nuclear facilities use large amounts of water for cooling purposes. After water has cycled through the plant, it is discharged back into a nearby waterway, usually a lake or a river, at a higher temperature. … Read More
Fukushima Disaster ‘Man-Made’ and ‘Avoidable’
Despite having knowledge of the damage an earthquake and tsunami could cause five years before the 2011 disaster, Tepco and nuclear regulators still did not take necessary precautions. The report said, “there were many opportunities for taking preventative measures before March 11. The accidents occurred because Tepco did not take these measures a… Read More
Image of the Day: Europe No Longer Nuts for Nuclear
Elmsland Nuclear Power Station is one of the German nuclear reactors that will be decommissioned by 2022. In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, many European countries are backing away from nuclear power as an ideal source of energy.… Read More
Survey Says? Affordable Energy Top of Mind in U.S.
Recent polls suggest that Americans want to save money on energy and that New Yorkers are anti-drilling.… Read More
Image of the Day: Germany Sets Solar Power Record
German solar power plants set a world record in late May, producing 22 gigawatts of electricity per hour, meeting nearly 50 percent of the nation’s midday needs.… Read More
After Fukushima Nuclear Crisis, U.S. Flying Blind
There are reasons to fear that a similar scenario is playing out in the U.S., but here the most serious threat comes from sea level rise and the increasing dangers that storm-driven waves will overcome the flood defenses of coastal nuclear plants, and coastal energy facilities in general.… Read More
No Nukes? Only If You Believe in Magic
One year ago today, a massive, 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan sent a huge tidal wave, more than 100 feet high at some points, up and over the coastline, killing some 20,000 people and wreaking unimaginable havoc over a wide swath of territory. For most Americans, however, it was the tsunami-triggered meltdown of … Read More
Image of the Day: Behind the Scenes at Fukushima
Though the Japanese government said the plant had reached "cold shutdown" last December, fears rose this month that fuel in the No. 2 reactor was heating up again, prompting the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) to inject more cooling water.… Read More
