Tokyo Electric Power [TEPCO], the company that operates the nuclear reactors that have partially melted down at Fukushima, has announced a plan to get the reactors to cold shutdown within 9 months. Cold shutdown is defined by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission as “The term used to define a reactor coolant system at atmospheric pressure and at […]
Japan was struck by a massive earthquake on March 11, followed by a devastating tsunami that deluged many parts of Japan. Not only was the disaster colossal in terms of the human casualties (more than 10000 at last count), but it also damaged Japan’s nuclear reactors causing radiation leakage. As of this writing, the Fukushima […]
It’s Saturday morning Central European time and the world has changed significantly in the last week. Fukushima has confirmed the worst suspicions of the possibilities of a nuclear meltdown which industry and political experts had been denouncing as outrageously wild for decades. Meanwhile a French proposition to enact – and enforce – a no-fly zone […]
Turkey on Wednesday reiterated its commitment for a Russian-built nuclear plant in an important show of confidence in atomic energy as Japan tried to prevent major radioactive contamination. President Dmitry Medvedev and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed that nuclear power could be safe even for earthquake-prone areas such as Japan and Turkey. “I […]
The U.S. is rushing military and civilian assistance to Japan in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. According to this CNN report: The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrived off the coast of Japan Sunday to support Japanese forces in disaster relief operations, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement. […]
A few hours ago, Japan got hit with an earthquake that measured 8.9 on the Richter scale, the biggest temblor in more than a century. The damage done extends to at least two nuclear power plants. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, the top civil servant in the nation, said that there was a mechanical failure […]
Chinese PM Wen Jiabao and Japanese PM Kan Naoto; Photo credit should read ADRIAN BRADSHAW/AFP/Getty Images) Since the September Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands incident involving the Japanese coast guard and a Chinese fishing trawler in Japanese waters, the world’s 2nd and 3rd largest economies continue to experience strained relations On Monday October 25, Japan made […]
Update: Hat tip to Michael Turton… “The Japanese coastguard video of the encounter with the Chinese fishing boat and the two minor collisions has now been leaked to Youtube. It’s 46 minutes in all – not the 7 minute edited version shown to the 30 members of the Diet. The Government (or someone) had the […]
I ran across an excellent video I wanted to share concerning the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Incident. They do an excellent look at both the Chinese and Japanese positions. If this guy is fully representing the Chinese side, his argument is pretty weak, especially since the actual collision did not take place in disputed waters, but clearly […]
Here is an interesting take on the situation from Taiwan based blogger, Michael Turton. Warning: Michael is un-apologetically pro-Taiwan, but I believe his take on this issue is quite astute: Context: China kicked up a massive fuss in the world media and put a on a show for the home crowd. Yet in February Russia […]
PART II North Korea will never honestly negotiate a dismantling of its nuclear weapons; this is the only trump card that has ensured cash flow into the regime. In essence, N. Korea is black mailing the region (and the U.S.). This behavior is not surprising, as the North is a “mafia state” lead […]
map from BBC Hot Spot – East China Sea: Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands: China, Japan, Taiwan In continuation: Over the last few days, China has been increasingly the saber rattling in regard to the arrest of a Chinese fishing crew by Japanese authorities. Japan contends that the former rammed the latter (JCG patrol ship Yonakuni) at […]
Nationalism is a beast the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did not create, but has often tried harness to it’s benefit. Still, the use of this tool is tempered by the ever present Chinese fear of chaos (luàn:乱). A potential disaster scenario for the party is one in which it finds itself on the wrong side […]
If the accuracy of the Japanese finance ministry’s revision of their GDP estimates are to be believed, then it appears the Nippon economy is, finally, awakening from its ‘Lost Decade’ of economic slumber following the collapse of its once heralded economy. According the their finance ministry, Japan’s GDP expanded +4.6% in 4Q 2009.
Fire at Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC): A fire broke out in a laboratory at India’s premier nuclear research facility yesterday. Though no danger of radiation due to the accident was reported, two research students were killed in the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown. Earlier this month three people were arrested for […]