Technology:
¶ Cargo ship designers are turning to wind to power ships. (Ships powered by wind – what will they think of next?) [Bend Bulletin]
¶ Scientists at MIT have bioengineered bacteria to produce fuel from fructose. They intend to get the bacteria to make it from carbon dioxide. (The article does not address the question of what happens when the bacteria get away from the lab and start making fuel in the soil.) [Gizmag]
Japan:
¶ Responding to a Reuters poll, 19% of big businesses said the country should abandon nuclear power altogether, 40% said nuclear should provide 15% of the power, and about a quarter said they want to have nuclear provide 25%. [Japan Today]
¶ A poll on the upcoming election showed that for 47% of voters, nuclear power is a top concern. [Asahi Shimbun]
World:
¶ The IAEA is saying that despite safety improvements since the Fukushima Disaster, improving safety is an urgent concern. [Huffington Post]
¶ Improved solar power is not being used in Israel, because of government bureaucracy. [Washington Post]
US:
¶ Sapphire Energy has made its first harvest of 81 tons of algae biomass. They aim to produce a million gallons of fuel per year on a 300 acre farm. [EcoSeed]
¶ The New York Independent System Operator’s 2012 report, it says closing Indian Point could cause blackouts and increase power costs. NYISO, which oversees the state’s power grid, issues its report every other year, and drew the same conclusions in the 2010 edition. [The Journal News|LoHud.com]
¶ Millstone’s Unit 2 is back in operation, as water temperatures have gone down. [TheDay.com]
¶ One of the reactors at San Onofre is being defueled. This is considered a sign that the reactor will not be brought back into service. [North County Times]
¶ Four thousand members of the National Guard are being called out to help with equipment around the massive sinkhole in Louisiana, as Hurricane Issac approaches. [Examiner.com]
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