nuclear power
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Could there be a Fukushima-like disaster in the U.S.?
On the five-year anniversary of Japan's nuclear meltdown, we might want to look to our own aging plants.
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There’s a proposed natural gas pipeline next to a nuclear power plant. What could go wrong?
Oh, yeah — it’s also 45 miles from the largest city in America.
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The only way to evacuate all of humanity from Earth is to use nuclear propulsion
Yes, it is awesome the Curiosity rover can Instagram Mars pics back to Earth from 50 million miles away. But ultimately, one goal of all this space exploration is to have another place to go if we really royally screw up the planet, right? XKCD’s Randall Munroe answers a critical question about that overplayed movie […]
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Critical List: TransCanada reapplies for Keystone XL permit; Japan’s last nuclear reactor
TransCanada put in a new permit application for the Keystone XL pipeline. Japan switched off its last nuclear reactor. Fights over endangered species are about to get wild, as the Fish and Wildlife Service has to rule on protections for species that live in oil country.
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Critical List: Natural gas bigwig steps down as company chair; new coral reefs
Aubrey McClendon, chair of the natural gas company Chesapeake Energy, is giving up his role as chairman (but will remain CEO). McClendon faced criticism for mixing his personal finances with the company’s business. More Indonesian palm oil plantations are going on peatland, which means more intensive carbon emissions, which means … well, you guys know […]
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Critical List: U.S. carbon emissions on the rise; Japan without nuclear power
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have started to rise again. After May 5, Japan will be without nuclear power, at least until two idled reactors are started back up. New forecasting technology means fewer people die in extreme weather.
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Crazy-ass Japanese dub music video hates on nuclear power
Okay, it’s possible that this song by Rankin Taxi and the Dub Ainu band is just a teeny bit reductive about nuclear power. It’s also possible that it is SUPER AWESOME. Somehow it is simultaneously serious, funny, angry, stylish, and catchy. As. Hell.
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Map shows what a U.S. Fukushima could have looked like
With the one-year anniversary of the Fukushima reactor crisis approaching, the Natural Resources Defense Council has put together a mapping tool that lets you envision what could have happened if one of the 104 U.S. reactors had suffered a similar accident. The take-home message: If you live on the East Coast, you’re practically guaranteed to […]
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New revelations about how Fukushima almost forced the evacuation of Tokyo
During the most dire period in the Fukushima meltdown, the president of Japanese utility company Tepco tried to evacuate all workers at the stricken reactor. If that order went through, it would have precipitated a worst-case scenario and ultimately the evacuation of Tokyo.