A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently announced that Japan may need more than 40 years to decommission the Fukushima power plant. The head of the IAEA clean up team, Juan Carlos Lentijo, said that the damage at the nuclear plant is so complex that it is impossible to predict how long the cleanup may last, and he has urged Japanese nuclear provider TEPCO to improve stability at the facility.

Read the rest of Cleaning Up The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Could Take Over 40 Years

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Fukushima, fukushima clean up, fukushima nuclear disaster, IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency, Japan, nuclear disaster, nuclear energy

Using data collected by NASA’s Wind solar probe, scientists have identified an energy source that causes solar winds to heat up and accelerate as they travel further away from their source. The discovery pinpoints ion cyclotron waves as the source of this strange phenomenon, which could revolutionize the nuclear energy industry

Read the rest of Researchers Discover Solar Wind Energy Source that Could Revolutionize Nuclear Power

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", green technology, ion cyclotron waves, nasa solar power, nasa solar sail satellite, NASA Wind probe, nuclear energy, nuclear fusion reactors, Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Solar Power, solar probe, solar wind, solar wind energy

In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, countries around the world questioned the value of nuclear power – and Japan, reeling from the impact, vowed to become nuclear-free by 2040. Now, with the tragedy seemingly fading from memory, the newly elected Japanese government has decided to reverse this decision and once again invest in that same energy that is still damaging the Japanese environment.

Read the rest of Japan Reverses Decision to Eliminate Nuclear Power, Pledges to Turn On Dormant Reactors

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Fukushima disaster, Fukushima Disaster policy, Japan nuclear phase-out, Japan nuclear reactors, japanese nuclear power, nuclear energy, nuclear power policy

Eight US sailors have filed a lawsuit against the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) that owns the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that melted down after an earthquake and tsunami struck in March, 2011. The soldiers who provided relief operations in the aftermath of the disaster claim that Tepco failed to release accurate information about the level of risk as a result of leaking radiation, as a result of which they were exposed to dangerous amounts.

Read the rest of Eight US Sailors Sue Tepco Over Fukushima Radiation Exposure

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: earthquake, environmental distraction, federal court, Fukushima, fukushima daiichi, Health, Japan, lawsuit, nuclear, nuclear energy, radiation exposure, TEPCO, tsunami, US soldiers

The problem with nuclear energy has always been the radioactive waste that it produces. However the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory has decided to take a large store of waste plutonium at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site and use it to crate nuclear batteries to power the European Space Agency‘s spacecraft.

Read the rest of UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory to Transform Waste Plutonium into Batteries for Spacecraft

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: curiousity rover, esa, european space agency, national nuclear laboratory, nuclear batteries, nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuclear waste, plutonium, sellafield nuclear reprocessing site, space batteries, spacecraft

It seems many countries in Asia are making dramatic U-turns when it comes to nuclear energy. News just broke that South Korea is about to restart Kori-1, the country’s oldest nuclear reactor, after a four-month closure. This news follows a recent announcement that Japan will be reactivating its nuclear power stations which were shut off in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. Unsurprisingly, South Korea’s decision has been met with protests from local residents and environmental groups.

Read the rest of South Korea To Restart Old, Faulty Nuclear Reactor Despite Protests

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency, Kor-1 nuclear reactor, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), Kori-1, nature journal, nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuclear reactor

Japan’s status as a nuclear-free nation was short-lived. Just two months after officials shuttered the country’s final nuclear power plant, it has now restarted two reactors amid concerns about energy shortages during the summer peak electricity season. This decision has spiked public outrage and thousands of Japanese protestors have taken to the streets across the country.

Read the rest of Protests Rock Japan As Nuclear Power Restarts

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco design, fukushima daiichi, green design, Japan, japan protests, nuclear energy, nuclear free, nuclear power protests, Ohi Nuclear plant, Ohi reactors, sustainable design, Yoshihiko Noda

Despite shutting down all their nuclear plants last month in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Japan has hinted that its relationship with nuclear power may not be completely over. The mayor of one town in the Fukui prefecture is making moves to restart two of its reactors, citing concerns over energy shortages and the impact of closures on the local economy — including the mayor’s own company.

Read the rest of Japanese Mayor Announces Plans to Restart Two Nuclear Reactors

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Fukushima Chernobyl, fukushima earthquake, fukushima heating up, fukushima nuclear disaster chernobyl, fukushima reactor 2, japan blackouts, japan nuclear power, japan nuclear power plant, japan power cuts, japan renewable energy, japan tsunami, nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuclear power plant construction, nuclear power plants, seismic areas, seismic nuclear power plant

First it was Japan, then Germany, and now it looks like all of Europe is following suite. According to a report by energy experts GlobalData, Europe will decommission almost 150 of its nuclear power plants by 2030. The decision comes as a result of last year’s Fukushima disaster, and the European closures will account for nearly 69% of the total global number of expected nuclear power reactor closures by 2030. Meanwhile, the US has decided to grant life extensions to 71 nuclear plants and close only five.

Read the rest of Europe To Decommission Most Nuclear Power Stations By 2030

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: europe nuclear power, Fukushima, fukushima nuclear disaster, germany nuclear power, nuclear energy, nuclear plant decommission, nuclear plant life extension, nuclear power, us nuclear power

Tomorrow Japan will become completely nuclear free for the first time since 1970 as it shuts down the Tomari nuclear reactor on the island of Hokkaido. One by one the country’s 54 nuclear reactors have been shuttered for maintenance, but they have not reopened because of the public’s fears over their safety. Anti-nuclear demonstrators plan on celebrating Tomari’s shutdown, but one consequence Japan faces is a 15 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions because of its increased reliance on fossil fuels.

Read the rest of Japan Goes Completely Nuclear Free, But Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Fossil Fuels Surge

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: fukushima daiichi, greenhouse gas emissions, Japan, nuclear energy, nuclear free, nuclear power, nuclear power plants, oil and gas, tomari nuclear reactor

In the wake of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in a generation, yet another nuclear reactor in Japan was taken offline for maintenance on Monday, leaving only one of the country’s 54 nuclear reactors operational. Tokyo Electric Power Co., the company responsible for the three reactors in Fukushima that suffered a meltdown when the area was hit with a tsunami last year, took the last of its 17 nuclear reactors offline this week for safety and stress tests. Japan’s last operating reactor is scheduled to be taken down in early May, leaving threats of power outages for that nation, which previously depended on nuclear energy for as much as one-third of its power.

Read the rest of Japan Shuts Down Second-to-Last Nuclear Reactor

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", coal power, fossil fuels, Fukushima, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power, Japan, japan tsunami, nuclear energy, nuclear meltdown, nuclear power, nuclear reactors

The Southern Company just got a thumbs up from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to move forward on construction of the nation’s first new nuclear reactors in 30 years. The dueling reactors will be built at Plant Vogtle outside of Atlanta, Georgia and will round their set of reactors from two up to four. The company obtained their Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) yesterday and expect the first new reactor to be on-line in 2016.

Read the rest of First New Nuclear Reactors in the U.S. in 30 Years Get the Green Light Near Atlanta

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", "sustainable energy", american nuclear power, is nuclear power safe, nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuclear power in the united states, nuclear power plant, nuclear reactors, southern company, u.s. nuclear power, u.s. nuclear power plants, vogtle, vogtle nuclear reactors

Despite the rush to get reactors back online and convince the public that Japan’s nuclear power generation facilities are safe, an advisor says the current checks of nuclear reactors in the country are “insufficient” and possibly unsafe. Hiromitsu Ino, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo told the press yesterday that the Japanese government is using the same system to check the status of nuclear reactors now that it did before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster last spring. The testing system was blamed in part for the crisis – critics say it didn’t go into enough detail on what would happen in case of a multiple-front natural disaster. This isn’t the first time the Japanese authorities have been called into question while handling the post-disaster situation; in December they announced a very controversial “cold shutdown” of the Fukushima nuclear reactor even though experts worldwide spoke out against the decision.

Read the rest of Advisors in Japan Say Post-Disaster Nuclear Checks are “Insufficient”

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", fukushima daiichi, fukushima daiichi safety tests, fukushima safety test, green power, Japan, japan nuclear safety, japan nuclear tests, japan safety tests, nuclear and industry safety agency, nuclear energy, nuclear power, renewable energy

How many times have you seen a film where the bad guy’s plan involves the detonation of some form of nuclear weapon? Hundreds of times, right? In fact, that is the motive of the bad guy in the latest Mission: Impossible film. So, why do you reckon that is? Well, for some of us the word “nuclear” symbolizes the potential armageddon that threatened the world during the Cold War, and for most of us, disasters like that of Chernoybl and Fukushima have revealed that there are very real dangers lurking behind this power source. While the threats may seem obvious, the president of the Royal Society of Chemistry believes otherwise. Rather, he feels that nuclear energy’s bad public image comes from one source – James Bond villains.

Read the rest of Scientist Blames James Bond Villains For Nuclear Power’s Lack Of Support

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: dr no nuclear energy, dr no nuclear power, James Bond, james bond dr no, james bond nuclear energy, nuclear disasters, nuclear energy, nuclear fukushima, nuclear power

Heading off on a long journey to Mars on Saturday is NASA’s new Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory which, once it lands on the Red Planet, will be powered by nuclear energy. Unlike previous Mars rovers — the Spirit and the Opportunity — which were powered by the sun and couldn’t work in dark crevasses, on the wrong side of mountains or at night, the Curiosity will power through all of those times and spaces like a champ. Slated to have a 23-month stay, the Curiosity’s engine could theoretically last a few decades.

Read the rest of New Mars Curiosity Science Laboratory Will be Nuclear Powered Instead of Solar

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "solar energy", curiosity rover, curiosity science laboratory, exploring mars, mars colony, mars curiosity, mars exploration, mars robot, mars rover, mars science laboratory, nasa, nuclear energy, nuclear powered laboratory, nuclear powered robot, nuclear powered rover, science experiments on mars, space exploration, space travel, the space program, traveling to mars, trip to mars

An Italian scientist at the University of Bologna recently announced to the world that he has successfully achieved cold fusion – a process that physics says is impossible – but if it were proven achievable it would provide the world with vast amounts of safe, cheap energy. Nuclear fusion is the process of combining, under very specific circumstances, two atomic nuclei into one heavier atomic nuclei, releasing an enormous amount of energy in the process. The scientist in question, Andrea Rossi, is being greeted by the scientific community with nothing less than skepticism — perhaps because everyone in history who has claimed to achieve the process has been proven to be unsuccessful.

Read the rest of Scientist Claims He Has Achieved Cold Fusion, Scientific Community Says ‘Impossible’

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: andrea rossi, cold fusion, is cold fusion possible, nuclear energy, nuclear fusion, nuclear power, physics, university of bologna

Scientists at the United State’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) are currently working on unlocking the key to nuclear fusion power by zapping atoms with giant lasers – and the project just got a major show of support from companies and laboratories the UK. The Rutherford Appleton Lab and the british company AWE have announced that they will join forces with the US to make this sustainable energy source a reality.

Read the rest of The US and UK Join Forces and Lasers to Create Nuclear Fusion Energy

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: alternative energy, AWE, laser energy, laser nuclear fusion energy, lasers, national ignition facility, NIF, nuclear, nuclear energy, nuclear fusion, Rutherford Appleton Lab

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have isolated and explained the phenomenon that causes microbes to generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste. The team is hoping to use their findings to create a microbial fuel cell that is capable of generating renewable energy while it cleans up environments exposed to nuclear waste. The bacteria the team studied is a kind of geobacter that is covered in a coat of tiny, natural nanowires that protect the bacteria from the toxic materials. The nanowires are also the essential elements in immobilizing radioactive material and preventing it from seeping into the groundwater. While completing the complex task of stabilizing radioactive spills, the bacteria simultaneously creates energy that can be harnessed and used as a zero-emissions power supply.

Read the rest of Scientists Developing Fuel Cell that Generates Power While Cleaning Nuclear Waste

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: fuel cell, microbial fuel cell, nuclear disaster, nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuclear spill, nuclear waste, toxic clean up", toxic spill, toxic waste

Four months after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan triggering the worst nuclear energy crisis since Chernobyl, the country’s Prime Minister has finally addressed Japan’s energy future. In a statement released yesterday, Naoto Kan said that his country should learn from the disaster and phase out its use of nuclear power. “We should seek a society that does not rely on nuclear energy,” Kan said. “We should gradually and systematically reduce reliance on nuclear power and eventually aim at a society where people can live without nuclear power plants.” For a country that receives 30 percent of its energy from 54 reactors, reducing its use of nuclear energy will be a huge change.

Read the rest of Japan’s Prime Minister Calls for Complete Phase Out of Nuclear Power

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Fukushima, fukushima nuclear power plant, Fukushima plant, Japan, japan nuclear crisis, japan nuclear energy, japan nuclear policy, japan nuclear power, japan to phase out nuclear power, naoto kan, naoto kan nuclear power, nuclear, nuclear energy, nuclear energy policy, renewable energy, worldwide nuclear energy policy

Residents of Japan are still feeling the effects of the tsunami and earthquakes that hit earlier this year, but Japan’s trading house, Mitsui and Co., is hoping to bring some hope to the dire situation by building large-scale solar plants capable of supplying energy to 30,000 households. The investment by Mitsui is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and construction is expected to kick off next March.

Read the rest of Japan’s Mitsui Plans to Construct Solar Power Plants in Tsunami Zone

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", energy relief, Fukushima plant, japan earthquake, japan solar power, japan tsunami, japanese disaster relief, Mitsui, Mitsui and Co., nuclear crisis, nuclear energy, Solar Power, solar power plants, Tohoku Electric Power Company