May 2014

Radioactive Waste 77 - Update on the Recent Accident at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 3

          I have recently been posting about the undetermined release of radioactive materials from the Waste Isolation Pilot Project near Carlsbad, New Mexico. In February, there was an event that released plutonium and americium into the atmosphere. Despite months of investigation, the ultimate cause of the radiation release still has not been determined. The WIPP is the only repository for low level waste, tools, clothing, etc. generated by the production of nuclear weapons for the U.S.

Nuclear Reactors 125 - Spent Nuclear Fuel and Japans Quest for an Internal Nuclear Fuel Cycle

           The Abe government in Japan is dedicated to nuclear power for the generation of electricity. Aside from safety issues raised by the Fukushima accident, one of the big problems that Japan has always had is its lack of fuel for energy. There are no significant deposits of coal or oil in the Japanese archipelago. One of the reasons that Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor was the fact the U.S. had placed an embargo on oil shipments to Japan.

Nuclear Reactors 125 - Spent Nuclear Fuel and Japans Quest for an Internal Nuclear Fuel Cycle

           The Abe government in Japan is dedicated to nuclear power for the generation of electricity. Aside from safety issues raised by the Fukushima accident, one of the big problems that Japan has always had is its lack of fuel for energy. There are no significant deposits of coal or oil in the Japanese archipelago. One of the reasons that Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor was the fact the U.S. had placed an embargo on oil shipments to Japan.

Nuclear Reactors 124 - Spent Nuclear Fuel Pools and Massive Solar Flares

           In 1859, a huge solar storm injected so much energy into the atmosphere of the Earth that it caused major damage to the early power grid and the telegraph system in the United States. Some telegraph operators were shocked by arching electricity in their equipment. Fires broke out and generating systems crashed. This was referred to as the Carrington Event. Since that time, we have built an amazing but vulnerable civilization based on electrical power.

Geiger Readings for May 10, 2014

Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 128 nanosieverts per hour
 
Ambient outside = 115 nanosieverts per hour
 
Soil exposed to rain water = 118 nanosieverts per hour
 
Redleaf lettuce from Top Foods = 92 nanosieverts per hour
 
Tap water = 73 nanosieverts per hour
 
Filtered water = 67 nanosieverts per hour
 
Halibut - Caught in Canada = 99 nanosieverts per hour

Nuclear Weapons 74 - The Soviet Doomsday Device

           Dr. Strangelove was a 1964 black comedy about the cold war conceived, co-written and directed by the brilliant director Stanley Kubrick. A U.S. Air Force general goes insane and dispatches his bombers to the Soviet Union. The U.S. managed to recall or shoot down all but one of the bombers which ultimately drops a bomb on the Soviet Union.

Mysterious Deaths of Indian Nuclear Scientists

           Strange deaths have been plaguing the India nuclear scientists for a decade. In 2004, there were allegations that an armed group tried to abduct an official with India's Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) but the man escaped. In 2009, an employee of NPC named Ravi Mule was murdered. The police were unable to make any progress in the case and his family was left to investigate on their own.

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