Japan Phase Out Nuclear Power Plants

Japan Sets Policy to Phase Out Nuclear Power Plants by 2040
September 14, 2012

By the year 2040 Japan plans to phase out the use of nuclear power plants. Before last years nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Japan used the reactors for 30 percent of their electrical energy with plans to increase the amount. Now, the government is deciding if they should close all the plants or keep some open to provide for a smaller amount of the country's electrical needs.

It is unclear what shutting down the plants would do to the country that is already limited in its resources. Political and business leaders fear it will cause the country to have higher energy prices and put them in more economic weakness. Even though many express their knowledge of what could economically could happen to Japan there is still wide support for the antinuclear movement.

The new strategy proposed by the government is said to be too vague and drawn out as well as unrealistic and unreachable. If there are reactors under construction those could possibly be exempt from the 2040 deadline and still be used up into the 2070's which would cause some challenges for the phase out plan.

If the reactors that are currently idle are closed down power companies would expect losses up to $55.9 billion. Japan could not afford for those companies to go bankrupt. They are already struggling to keep up with the energy demands and had to ask citizens to conserve energy. Increase in energy costs would hurt their economy and possibly cause businesses to go overseas.

Phasing out nuclear power plants will make Japan be more dependent on oil and natural gas imports.

It is becoming increasingly more important for cleaner energy sources to be available as well as for countries to be able to be independent in their energy sources.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/15/world/asia/japan-will-try-to-halt-nuclear-power-by-the-end-of-the-2030s.html?_r=1&ref=earth

Arctic Ice Melt

Arctic ice melting at 'amazing' speed, scientists find

7 September 2012

In recent years it has become more well known that ice in the Arctic is melting at a fast pace. This summer the ice reached its lowest level in over 30 years. The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) is the leader in the research for the region and says the ice is melting faster than expected. Since the ice is disappearing more rapidly than expected Dr Kim Holmen says “…we must adjust our understanding of the system and we must adjust our science and we must adjust our feelings for the nature around us." Dr Edmond Hansen mentions that by just looking at the graphs, the observations, you can see the ice melt is accelerating. 

Different techniques are being used to monitor the ice melt. Most data comes from satellites. Other information used is collected by an icebreaker, Lance, that monitors the main route for the ice out of the Arctic Ocean. Another device is the EM-Bird, a torpedo shaped instrument flown above ice used to collect data about the difference in the level of seawater beneath the ice and the surface of the ice. 

Ice has a reflective whiteness which sends radiation from the sun back into space. As the ice thins more light is absorbed and as it vanishes the oceans will increasingly absorb more heat.

Research has suggested that the reduction in sea ice will have an effect on the jet stream and high altitude wind that guides weather systems and storms. The changes will influence precipitation patterns, possibly increasing rainfall in northern Europe and southern Europe could be drier.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19508906

Since research is still in its early stages the topic of melting Arctic sea ice is interesting to me because new findings will be emerging and greater advances in technology will be happening to better understand the processes of the yearly melt and what the future holds.