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Plan To Pour Radioactive Waste From Fukushima Nuclear Plant Into Pacific Ocean Is Safe: IAEA

July 5, 2023

Plan To Pour Radioactive Waste From Fukushima Nuclear Plant Into Pacific Ocean Is Safe: IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded that Japan’s plans to release radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean are consistent with international safety standards.

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Feb. 13, 2021. (Kyodo/Reuters)

In a report published on July 4 (pdf), the IAEA, a United Nations body, said that the findings followed a comprehensive assessment and safety review of the treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (FDNPS).

Additionally, the IAEA said that “controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea” as currently planned by Japan’s government and the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), would have a “negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”

The report is the result of a nearly two-year assessment conducted by an IAEA task force made up of top specialists from within the agency advised by “internationally recognized nuclear safety experts from eleven countries,” according to a press release.

Around 1.2 million cubic meters in volume of water used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant will be released under the plan over the next three to four decades in order to prevent accidental leaks and to allow for the plant’s decommissioning.

As part of the plan, the IAEA said it will conduct an independent and objective safety review during the discharge phase, with a continued on-site presence and live online monitoring throughout.

Japan has not specified a date for the water release.

The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster was triggered by a deadly 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in the northern region of Japan which knocked out the plant’s cooling systems, triggering the meltdown of three reactors.

…click on the above link to read the rest…

IMF Says World Needs to Prepare for the ‘Unthinkable’ After COVID, War in Ukraine

February 15, 2023

IMF Says World Needs to Prepare for the ‘Unthinkable’ After COVID, War in Ukraine

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in a town hall discussion with civil society organizations at IMF headquarters in Washington on Oct. 10, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in a town hall discussion with civil society organizations at IMF headquarters in Washington on Oct. 10, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that the world needs to be prepared to better handle shocks and “the unthinkable” in a post-COVID-19 world and in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Georgieva made the comments during a World Government Summit panel hosted by CNBC’s Hadley Gamble in Dubai on Feb. 14, where she also referenced the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria that have killed more than 36,000 people.

Asked how “difficult” this year is going to be, Georgieva replied that the world economy is still “in a very difficult place and global growth is slowing down in 2023 but it may be a turning point,” pointing to inflation declining in some countries.

“What we are very concerned [about] is one, the unexpected,” Georgieva said. “What COVID and the war taught us is we live in a more shock-prone world. What the earthquake in Turkey and Syria taught us is, to think of the unthinkable.

“We all have to change our mindset to be much more agile and much more oriented towards building resilience at all levels, so we can handle the shocks better,” Georgieva added, noting that resistance comes in the form of ensuring that the very “fabric” of each country and its society is strong.

IMF Plays ‘Stabilizing Role’ in Ukraine

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Georgieva said the IMF has to play a “stabilizing role” in the war in Ukraine, adding that the nation will need around $40 billion to $48 billion for the economy to function this year.

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Gasoline Prices Rise Across US Again, Experts Warn More Pain at Pump Coming

February 14, 2022

A customer prepares to pump gasoline into his car at a Valero station in Mill Valley, Calif., on July 12, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A customer prepares to pump gasoline into his car at a Valero station in Mill Valley, Calif., on July 12, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Gasoline Prices Rise Across US Again, Experts Warn More Pain at Pump Coming

The price of gasoline has risen across the United States again as experts warn that more pain could lie ahead at the pumps for Americans.

The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline currently stands at $3.488, an increase of more than 30 percent since the same time last year, when it was $2.505 a gallon, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

In the last week, the price of regular-grade gasoline has soared nearly 1.4 percent, from $3.441.

According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 1.6 million barrels to 248.4 million last week.

Meanwhile, demand for gasoline increased from 8.23 million barrels per day to 9.13 million barrels per day, resulting in a disparity between demand and supply.

The rising cost of crude oil, driven by loosening COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions and economies rebounding from the recession, is also putting continued pressure on prices.

And Americans are set to pay even more at the pumps in the future, AAA warned on Feb.10.

“Pump prices will likely continue to follow suit as demand grows and stocks decrease if crude prices continue to climb,” AAA said.

Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) increased by 22 cents to settle at $89.88 at the close of the Feb. 10 formal trading session.

“WTI $94, national average gas price will eclipse $3.50/gal this week,” Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, warned on Feb. 14.

Additionally, EIA reported that total domestic crude stocks decreased by 4.8 million barrels on Feb. 4 to 410.4 million.

“The current stock level is approximately 13 percent lower than at the beginning of February 2021, contributing to pressure on domestic crude prices,” AAA noted.

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White House Putting Pressure on OPEC to Increase Oil Production Amid ‘Supply Issues,’ Rising Energy Prices

October 28, 2021

An oil pump jack pumps oil in a field near Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on July 21, 2014. (Todd Korol/Reuters)
An oil pump jack pumps oil in a field near Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on July 21, 2014. (Todd Korol/Reuters)
EXECUTIVE BRANCH

White House Putting Pressure on OPEC to Increase Oil Production Amid ‘Supply Issues,’ Rising Energy Prices

The White House on Tuesday promised to put pressure on members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase production amid declining supplies and rising energy prices.

Press secretary Jen Psaki told reports at a press briefing that the president is “mindful” of the increased prices consumers are facing when it comes to their energy bills and that he “reserves a range of options,” to combat the situation.

Psaki said the administration is focusing on raising its concern with “supply issues as it relates to oil” on the international stage.

“There’s a power of the president of the United States engaging on that front,” she said. “That issue has been raised at [national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s] level, at a range of levels throughout government, but certainly the supply … and putting additional pressure on OPEC is something that certainly our national security team will continue to do.”

The administration is “concerned” over the high gas prices and has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the matter, Psaki said.

“I will also note that as it relates to gas prices, we remain concerned about trends we have seen where even as supply has increased at times over the last several months, we’ve still seen heightened prices,” she said. “We’ve asked the FTC to look into that.”

Jerry Simmons, president of the Domestic Energy Producer Alliance (DEPA), has blamed Biden administration policies for hindering U.S. oil and gas companies from producing energy commodities, and securing American energy independence and lower prices for American families.

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Millions of Britons Could Face ‘National Shortage’ of Turkeys This Christmas

September 28, 2021

Brian Taplin feeds the free-range Norfolk Black organic turkeys on Laverstoke Park Farm, on their final day before being killed for the Christmas Day table, in Overton, England, on Dec. 12 2006. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Brian Taplin feeds the free-range Norfolk Black organic turkeys on Laverstoke Park Farm, on their final day before being killed for the Christmas Day table, in Overton, England, on Dec. 12 2006. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
UK

Millions of Britons Could Face ‘National Shortage’ of Turkeys This Christmas

Trees and toys also at risk, suppliers say

Millions of Britons could face a “national shortage” of turkeys, toys, and trees this Christmas due to a lack of skilled European employees following Brexit, according to the chair of a farming association.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) last month said the UK is facing a shortage of around 100,000 HGV drivers, which along with Brexit, has been further exacerbated by people leaving the industry as well as the pandemic, which halted driver training and testing for nearly a year.

As a result, food supply chains have been drastically disrupted, leading to shortages across some UK supermarket shelves.

Kate Martin of the Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) told the PA news agency that Christmas could see a “national shortage” of turkeys on the UK’s supermarket shelves, driven by the declining supply of skilled European workers.

While small British farms that use local workers have been less affected by the undersupply, supermarkets are likely to see the worst of it, the TFTA said.

“This year it’s looking like there is a national shortage of turkeys when we’re talking about supermarket shelves, rather than buying direct from your farm,” Martin said.

“It is the supermarket shelves that will be emptier on turkeys this year than they have been before, only because there have been less turkeys placed on the ground, only because the big processers know that they will not get them processed.”

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