Japan:
¶ The Japanese government says it wants to phase out atomic energy by the end of the 2030s, but it also says it is committed to start reprocessing nuclear waste at Rokkasho soon, providing enough fuel for Japan’s nuclear-power plants to go flat-out into the 2050s. [The Economist]
¶ The Nuclear Regulation Authority will probe the flawed forecasts on nuclear fallout. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Five days after two South Korean nuclear reactors were shut down to replace parts with fake safety certificates, officials revealed cracks were found in control rod tubes in a reactor undergoing maintenance at a different power plant. [Voice of America]
¶ OPEC says it sees a future in which fossil fuels remain dominant, and coal increases its market share. [CoalGuru.com]
US:
¶ The NRC has rejected the request by Friends of the Earth to consider keeping San Onofre shut down until its licence is formally amended. [San Francisco Chronicle]
¶ California voters passed an important proposal to fund support for renewable energy. [pv magazine]
¶ A plant in Mississippi will be making gasoline from wood by the end of this month. Other, similar plants will follow, converting agricultural waste to fuel. [Wall Street Journal]
¶ Longmont, Colorado voters banned fracking in the city, despite an ad campaign funded by fossil fuel companies. [PR Watch]
¶ Bill McKibben is touring the country with a message on global warming. [City Watch]
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