As the Guardian states : ” The amount of radiation released by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (…) could have been more than double that originally estimated by its operator, Japan’s nuclear safety agency has said. “ ” The revelation has raised fears that the situation at the plant, where fuel in three reactors …
To Time magazine : “Japanese officials announced on Tuesday morning that they were planning to raise the event level at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant from 5 to the maximum level of 7 “ That’s right, now Fukushima is just alongside Chernobyl in the IAEA INES scale. Yet, the catastrophe that is shaking Japan unleashed …
I recently wrote a lengthy comment to an article on CleanTechies. Since it took me some time to write, I think I might share it with you : I never understood people stating it’s either nuclear or renewables as to me we need both. Now I don’t understand the “false choice” of nuclear or fossil …
According to Reuters : ” The world added about 16 gigawatts of new solar photovoltaic (PV) power in 2010, double the growth seen a year earlier, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association told Reuters on Monday.” Out of these 16 gigawatts, Europe is behind the vast majority of the growth with an impressive 13 gigawatts. Out …
I knew it all along ! As rare earths are more and more expensive and critically needed for our technological thirst, it is becoming economically viable to mine landfills and to recycle old appliances. As the New York Times indeed noted : ” This town’s hopes for a mining comeback lie not underground, but in …
Even if Japan has a sensible energy policy with energy efficiency and low carbon solutions, some of its companies have original ideas. Indeed after space-based solar, some are studying installing panels on the moon. The Shimizu Corporation is willing to put a 11,000 kilometers (6,800 miles) belt of solar panels to form the Luna Ring. …
We all know it : coal is by far the most greenhouse gases emitting energy source. It is also a major air pollutant. For these two reasons it is the environmental enemy #1. (cf The Economist’s cover, back to 2002) However, many countries like China, India, Germany or the United States are still relying importantly …
The PEW environment group published a fantastic study on the cleantech investment in the G20 in 2009. The largest economies, both developped and developping are very different in this economic sector. China overtook the United States in cleantech investments with more than $34 billion while the latter dedicated less than $19 billion. The European Union …
This was the question I had on my mind as I read that for the first time in 60 years, the US car fleet decreased by four million in 2009. Is this a limited phenomenon or will it continue ? The Earth Policy Insitute believes this trend could last until at least 2020. This makes …
Earlier this year I was wondering if cleantech is the new arms race. I noted at the time that America, Europe and China are beginning to compete in such an important economic sector. A US study released last month shows that not only there is an arms race between the United States and Asian nations, …
