RSS Feed
Archive for March 23rd, 2011
Tokyo Says Radiation in Water Puts Infants at Risk
Posted by New York Times: David Jolly and Denise Grady on March 23rd, 2011
New York Times: Radioactive iodine detected in Tokyo's water supply prompted Japanese authorities on Wednesday to warn that infants in Tokyo and surrounding areas should not drink tap water, adding to the growing anxiety about public safety posed by Japan's unfolding nuclear crisis.
Ei Yoshida, head of water purification for the Tokyo water department, said at a televised news conference that iodine 131 had been detected in water samples at a level of 210 becquerels per liter, about a quart. The recommended limit...
Posted in 
Gulf probe: Blowout preventer was flawed
Posted by Associated Press: Harry R. Weber and Michael Kunzelman on March 23rd, 2011
Associated Press: The blowout preventer that should have stopped the BP oil spill cold failed because of faulty design and a bent piece of pipe, a testing firm hired by the government said Wednesday in a report that appears to shift some blame for the disaster away from the oil giant and toward those who built and maintained the 300-ton safety device.
At least one outside expert said the findings cast serious doubt on the reliability of all the other blowout preventers used by the drilling industry.
The report...
Hawaii wildfire threatens protected rainforest
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 23rd, 2011
Reuters: Specialized firefighting teams Wednesday battled a remote wildfire touched off by the eruption of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island, which has burned some 2,000 acres of national park land.
The fire threatens a fragile, protected rain forest, officials said.
Authorities do not know when they will be able to contain the spreading fire, which was being fanned by strong, gusty trade winds, said Gary Wuchner, a spokesman for the National Park Service.
"It's a very remote fire," he said....
Would a New Nuclear Plant Fare Better Than Fukushima?
Posted by National Geographic: Josie Garthwaite on March 23rd, 2011
National Geographic: For a world that was on the brink of a major expansion in nuclear power, a key question raised by the Fukushima Daiichi crisis is this: Would brand-new reactors have fared better in the power outage that triggered dangerous overheating at one of Japan's oldest power plants?
The answer seems to be: Not necessarily.
The nuclear industry has developed reactors that rely on so-called "passive safety" systems that could address the turn of events that occurred in Japan--the loss of power to pump...
Hawaii wildfire spreads, nears protected rainforest
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 23rd, 2011
Reuters: Specialized firefighting teams Wednesday battled a remote wildfire touched off by the eruption of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island, which has burned some 2,000 acres of national park land.
The fire threatens a fragile, protected rain forest, officials said.
Authorities do not know when they will be able to contain the spreading fire, which was being fanned by strong, gusty trade winds, said Gary Wuchner, a spokesman for the National Park Service.
"It's a very remote fire," he said....
Hawaii wildfire spreads, nears protected rainforest
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 23rd, 2011
Reuters: Specialized firefighting teams Wednesday battled a remote wildfire touched off by the eruption of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island, which has burned some 2,000 acres of national park land.
The fire threatens a fragile, protected rain forest, officials said.
Authorities do not know when they will be able to contain the spreading fire, which was being fanned by strong, gusty trade winds, said Gary Wuchner, a spokesman for the National Park Service.
"It's a very remote fire," he said....
Extinction threat for 45 Australian species
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 23rd, 2011
Associated Press: Up to 45 rare species of wallaby, bandicoot and other Australian animals could become extinct within 20 years unless urgent action is taken to control introduced predators and other threats, scientists warned Wednesday.
Dozens of mammals, birds, lizards and other vertebrates in the remote northwestern Kimberley region are at risk from hunting by feral cats and from destruction of their native habitat by wild donkeys, goats and fires, a study of the conservation needs of the area shows.
"We're...
Tokyo water unsafe for infants after high radiation levels detected
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 23rd, 2011
Guardian: Authorities in Tokyo have warned that very young children in the Japanese capital should not drink tap water after it was found to contain twice the levels of radioactive iodine considered safe for infants.
The warning came as the spread of radioactivity continued through the food supply in the region surrounding the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Black smoke was seen rising yesterday afternoon from the plant's No 3 reactor, prompting the operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco)...
Tap water not safe for infants
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 23rd, 2011
Associated Press: Radiation leaking from Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant has caused Tokyo's tap water to exceed safety standards for infants to drink, officials said Wednesday, sending anxiety levels soaring over the nation's food and water supply.
Residents cleared store shelves of bottled water after Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said levels of radioactive iodine in tap water were more than twice what is considered safe for babies. Officials begged those in the city to buy only what they needed, saying...
Climate change caused by deforestation triggers species migration
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 23rd, 2011
Mongabay: Climate change caused by deforestation triggers species migration
Local climate shifts caused by deforestation and land cover change are causing insects to migrate to higher -- and cooler -- habitats, reports a new study published in the journal Biotropica. The research has implications for predicting how species will respond to climate change.
Analyzing distribution of dung beetles in tropical South America, Trond Larsen of Conservation International (CI) found that dung beetles -- a group...