Japan:
¶ The approval rating for the Japanese government has fallen to 22%, leading to calls for new elections. The issue of energy is one of the most important of people’s concerns. [Express Tribune]
¶ According to the doctors attending them, Fukushima cleanup workers are getting depressed and anxious to the point of hopelessness. The doctors warn that errors, or even sabotage, could result. [USA Today]
¶ Close to 70% of those who attended government meetings on nuclear power want to close all nuclear facilities by 2030. Business leaders take a very different view, making the decision on how to proceed difficult for the government. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Untruth and unethical practice have been long dominant in the nuclear power industry. Workers at nuclear plants concealed problems, going without dosimeters, as a standard practice for years, according to a number of contract employees. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ After the blackout that left 600 million people without power, many Indians are noticing that solar power continued to be reliable in poor villages. The idea that India should rely more on solar power, including for grid electricity, is becoming more popular. [energydigital]
¶ Lithuanians will be able to vote in a non-binding referendum on construction of a nuclear plant. A recent poll says 48% oppose the plant, and 19% favor it. [Bloomberg]
US:
¶ US and Japanese groups are preparing for the arrival of 40,000 tons of debris from last year’s tsunami on the West Coast. [ABC Australia]
¶ Global warming makes thermal power plants, powered nuclear and fossil fuel, inefficient. When temperatures rise, output declines, and this has been a problem for a number of US nuclear plants this year. [Truth-Out]
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