Environment
Outcry as Canada Considers Nuclear Waste Facility on US Border
by Oilprice.com • • Comments Off on Outcry as Canada Considers Nuclear Waste Facility on US Border
Japan’s Most Hated Outfit, TEPCO, Reports Fat Profit (From Taxpayer Bailout Money)
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Japan’s Most Hated Outfit, TEPCO, Reports Fat Profit (From Taxpayer Bailout Money)
Another Canadian Oil Train Derailment Punctuates The Crude Transportation Debate
by Oilprice.com • • Comments Off on Another Canadian Oil Train Derailment Punctuates The Crude Transportation Debate
By Rory Johnston, of OilPrice.com: Early Saturday morning, a 134-car freight train carrying crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas derailed and exploded outside of Gainford, Alberta. The third such CN derailment in the past month. And three months ago, the tragic Lac-Mégantic disaster claimed 47 lives and incinerated the center of the town.
California To Grapple “Indefinitely” With Nuclear Hangover
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on California To Grapple “Indefinitely” With Nuclear Hangover
The costs of nuclear accidents can be catastrophic, for generations. But there are also the routine costs after reactors are shut down, when decommissioning expenses pile up, for timeframes beyond human comprehension. True costs are unknown. Now, the scandal-plagued San Onofre plant in Southern California has become a test case – indefinitely.
After Snatching Olympics, Japan Suddenly Admits Fukushima Not “Under Control,” Begs For International Help
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on After Snatching Olympics, Japan Suddenly Admits Fukushima Not “Under Control,” Begs For International Help
As the Fukushima fiasco hobbled from cover-ups to partial revelations, mega-utility TEPCO – famous for its parsimoniousness with the truth and lackadaisical handling of the fiasco – always pretended the situation was under control. But days after Tokyo scored the 2020 Olympics, that pretense fell apart. Now Prime Minister Abe begged for international help.
The End Of Nuclear Energy In Japan?
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The End Of Nuclear Energy In Japan?
“I’m calling for zero nuclear power,” said Junichiro Koizumi at a lecture in Nagoya. Hugely popular prime minister from 2001 to 2006, he’d groomed Shinzo Abe to become his successor. Abe, now again PM, is trying to restore the scandal-plagued nuclear industry to its former glory. But Koizumi’s words ripped into his policies – and are having an impact.
Investors Of Japan’s Most Hated Corporation, TEPCO, To Be Bailed Out Forever
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Investors Of Japan’s Most Hated Corporation, TEPCO, To Be Bailed Out Forever
TEPCO, owner of the Fukushima nuke, whose lackadaisical handling of the fiasco is a fiasco itself, was bailed out by taxpayers after the disaster. It got another bailout as the government decided to deal itself with the radioactive groundwater leaking into the ocean. TEPCO should be bankrupt. But to add insult to injury, the government said, let’s not hurt investors!
Colorado’s Fracking Industry At Threat From The Floods?
by Oilprice.com • • Comments Off on Colorado’s Fracking Industry At Threat From The Floods?
Colorado, one of the most densely fracked areas in the US, is experiencing some of the worst flooding it has ever seen, and people are beginning to worry about the stability of those fracking sites and wells, many of which have been completely covered by the floodwater and are leaking (with video of leaking wells).
Germany’s Government-Sponsored Export Machine Takes Aim At Greece, Argument Breaks Out
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Germany’s Government-Sponsored Export Machine Takes Aim At Greece, Argument Breaks Out
When going overseas, Chancellor Merkel doesn’t leave home without planeloads full of executives from Germany’s most coddled companies – exports being the core of foreign policy. And if these deals get snagged on the rusty nails of payment risks, it’s up to the government to help out with guarantees, even if they’re infested with conflicts.