Japan:
¶ Japan is having elections, and nuclear power will be clearly a major issue in the election. Shinzo Abe, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, the main opposition force, has called the zero-nuclear goal “irresponsible.” [The Japan Times]
… The ruling Democratic Party of Japan released a draft of its election manifesto that strengthens its anti-nuclear stance. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ Trout caught near Fukushima Daiichi had levels of radioactive cesium that were over 100 times the official safe limit. [PanARMENIAN.Net]
World:
¶ A new report in the UK says that because of the growth of renewable generation, “By the time any new nuclear plant can be built in the UK, the market for its electricity will be disappearing, regardless of any possible increase in the overall demand for electricity.” [Solar Power Portal]
¶ Chinese solar panels, nearly all of which had previously been installed outside the country, are now being used within the country, propelling the it toward sustainability. [KQED QUEST]
¶ Ontario’s Energy Minister said on Friday the reports of cancellation of a plan to convert a coal-fired generating station in Thunder Bay to natural gas are wrong. [Winnipeg Free Press]
US:
¶ Attorneys representing nine national and regional organizations will argue on Monday that the NRC violated federal law when it issued a license for two proposed new reactors at Vogtle without fully taking into account the potential for a Fukushima-like disaster. [Clean Energy News]
¶ The Los Angeles City Council will vote on a $1.6 billion purchase of solar electric power. [KCET]
¶ The EPA has denied requests to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard, which requires ethanol be added to gasoline. The waver had been sought so grain could be used for food instead of fuel during a period of severe drought. [Farm Futures]
¶ The NAACP is taking on issues of power generation. People living within 3 miles of a coal plant are more likely to inhale pollutants that cause respiratory problems such as asthma, and such people are disproportionately of low-income groups and minorities. [UPI.com]
geoharvey 
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