Fukushima crisis: Japan rises to highest level to Chernobyl

Nuclear Security Agency of Japan has decided to increase the severity of the Fukushima nuclear accident 5 A maximum of 7, which equates to the one in Chernobyl in 1986.
The agency said that the reactors damaged from the tsunami of 11 March at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been releasing massive amounts of radioactive substances into the air, posing a risk to human health and the environment of the area.

However, the level of radioactive emissions registered since the beginning of the nuclear accident in Fukushima is equivalent to 10% of those measured after the Chernobyl disaster, which occurred when the reactor was operating at full capacity, whereas Japan had operations arrested by the earthquake.

Fukushima Nuclear Accident

The spokesman for the Nuclear Security Agency, Hidehiko Nishiyama, explained that, unlike Chernobyl, the radiation level Fukushima, despite being high, allows operators to work on site to stabilize damaged four more units.

However, the company that owns the plant, TEPCO, said shortly after the amount of radiation released could exceed the issued following the Chernobyl accident and the Fukushima Nuclear Accident.If Fukushima still emitting radioactive material, the amount may exceed that of a nuclear incident occurring in 1986 in Ukraine, said Junichi Matsumoto, of TEPCO.
Nishiyama has insisted that the two accidents, the only ones that have been rated INES-7, are different, as in Chernobyl exploded reactor core, while hydrogen detonations Fukushima affecting the external building units.

The increased severity of the accident at the international level is based on provisional estimates of the Japanese nuclear agency, which has detected high concentrations of cesium and radioactive iodine in the area.According to Nishiyama, emissions of iodine 131 from the beginning of the crisis terabecquerel over 10,000, down from the hundreds of thousands of terabecquerel cast at Chernobyl (Ukraine).

Fukushima and the Ecology

Shortly before the news is confirmed, a new fire has been extinguished and alarm bells ringing at the station. This time has been the No. 4 reactor that has experienced the fire, according to Kyodo news agency reported. In the area there has been no change in radiation levels, according to the same source.
The fire was spotted by a worker at 6.38 am (21.38 GMT Monday) in a building near the exit to the sea water reactor. According to TEPCO, the company operating the plant, the operator detected smoke in the place where the test samples of water south of the plant and immediately alerted fire fighters work at the facility, which quelled the fire.

Climate Change Threatens to 58% of protected species in Europe

By 2080, 58% of terrestrial vertebrate species and flora in Europe could lose the climatic conditions to survive in protected areas in each country. So says a study by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) published "Ecology Letters.

The authors, led by Miguel Araújo, analyzed the effectiveness of conservation policies in 75% of terrestrial vertebrates and 10% of the plants on the continent. In their analysis also shows that these changes affect more than half of the species included within the network of European conservation 'Nature 2000', up to 63% of them.

The Climate Change

The mountainous areas, valleys and enclosed water lines play a fundamental role in the adaptation of biodiversity to climate change. By providing temperature and humidity gradients accented, says the study, facilitate the adaptation of species through a short-distance movements are more feasible and less risky than inland migration.

Natura 2000 covers 27,661 areas, resulting in a total of 117 million hectares constitute 17% of the surface of the 27 countries comprising the European Union. The network's objective is to ensure the survival of biodiversity in the long term and the climate change. In addition, each country appoints its own protected areas. This makes Europe the region with the largest conservation network in the world.

Ecology and climate change

Researchers have used several climate models to study the potential distribution of 1,883 species, 585 terrestrial vertebrates and plants in Europe 1298.

Miguel Araujo explains, the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, "we noted that protected areas conserve species better against the effects of climate change, but the Natura 2000 network is more vulnerable and could lose more species."

Conservation areas designated by each country are more effective because they are usually located in mountainous areas, which act as 'climate refugees'. Natura 2000, the species are more vulnerable because they live in plains, where the effects are intensified by climate. in the ecology Research confirms that suffer the greatest impacts of southern Europe, while high mountain areas in Europe will be less affected.

Fukushima: The catastrophe of Japan and the future of nuclear energy

The six reactors at the nuclear plant in Fukushima-Daiichi were designed to be automatically stopped if there was an earthquake measuring over 6.2 on the Richter scale. When Japan was hit on March 11 by an earthquake of intensity 9, the strongest in its history, nuclear safety systems, as expected, stopped nuclear fission reactions in the three active reactors.
But after the nuclear shutdown, the radioactivity of the fuel is still generating about 6% of heat from the reactor at full capacity. And this heat production decreased only slowly over a period of months to years.

Fukushima and the nuclar energy

During normal operation, the core of a reactor with fuel rods is totally immersed in water and housed within a steel containment vessel. The heat produced by nuclear fission raises the temperature of boiling water to cause, and the high pressure steam produced drives a turbine to produce electricity, after passing through the turbine, the steam is condensed and cooled water returns to the core reactor, thereby achieving a constant temperature of 300 º C in the water under a pressure of about 75 atmospheres. All the reactor in the nuclear energy cooling system keeps running with power.

The earthquake crippled the grid, which was activated the emergency cooling system powered by diesel generators. Unfortunately, they were placed in a shallow part of the building complex of reactors, perhaps unwarranted confidence that the retaining walls would protect them against the sea, a tsunami and the ecology.

Future of the nuclear Energy

By the tsunami, an hour after the earthquake, the water had flooded the area where diesel generators and they stopped. Activated the emergency cooling system operated with batteries, but these were quickly exhausted.

Thereafter, he began to raise the temperature of fuel rods in the reactor core and glimpsed a disaster due to the inability to keep them fully immersed in water for losses due to boiling. Firefighters used several interconnected trucks to inject water under pressure in the reactor in the nuclear energy core affected. But the boiling water and steam became more rapidly than it could be replaced.

Green Energy: A sky greener

Fly and pollute less. The European airline sector is undergoing a time of change to achieve these goals. Europeans more and fly further, and want to do it in a more sustainable and to meet these needs has become one of the most important challenges in the sector, as has been demonstrated during the international conference 'Aerodays 2011' which was held this week in Madrid and the ecology.

The Minister for Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, and European Commission Vice President Siim Kalas, gave the kick-off on Wednesday the largest aviation event of R & D in Europe. For three days in Madrid was the showcase that presented the latest research and proposals for reducing the environmental impact of civil aviation and reduce oil dependency looking for new biofuels.

Ecology and the air polution

Around 1,400 experts and representatives from over 45 countries participated in this conference organized by the European Commission and the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) of the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the ecology.

Reduce emissions, save energy and find alternatives to oil biofuels, and to reduce noise from aircraft and airports more efficient building concern of everyone: governments and citizens, companies that develop the technology needed to achieve and airlines, which they see as the price of oil soars and its reserves are depleted.

Green Energy in the Air

The report 'Flightpath Vision 2050', presented during the conference, stressed the need to move towards sustainable aviation with green energy, capable of reducing the environmental impact that will lead to increased air traffic expected by mid-century. Experts estimate that will rise on average by 5% each year over the next two decades.

Fukushima threatens fight against climate change

Climate Summit in Cancun (Mexico) 2010, Japan noted for his opposition to extending the Kyoto Protocol and its commitment to a UN agreement that both signatory countries as emerging economies limit their greenhouse gas emissions .
A few months later and after the disaster of Fukushima, the Japanese firm position on climate change loses steam. Japan might reconsider its promise to cut emissions by 2020, said an official of the Ministry of Environment in the press Japan.
Later, Yukio Edan, Chief of Staff of the Government came to the fore to qualify the bad news: Tokyo will have to analyze the impact of the crisis on many policy Fukushima and industries, and climate change will be one more. Japan plans to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases by 25% in 2020 to reach 1990 levels. However, this goal now seems a little more diffuse. "Right now, we have not decided whether to review that goal and we are not at a stage where we can make a decision," Edan said.

Fukushima and the Ecology

Even more direct was Hideki Minamikawa, administrative vice minister of Ministry of Environment: "It is true that our goal of reducing [emissions] will be affected significantly," recognized as recorded by the newspaper 'Yomuri'. Minamikawa is these days at the meeting in Bangkok on climate change, a prelude to the upcoming UN summit in Durban (South Africa).

The truth is that the complex of Fukushima was a fifth of all nuclear power in Japan and the disaster forced Japan to rethink energy policy. While reviewing the security measures of various plants throughout the country, international representatives gather in Bangkok expressed concern about the future.

The chief negotiator of the European Commission, Artur Runge-Metzer, acknowledged that the crisis of confidence in the nuclear impact on international negotiations on climate. "Nuclear is one of the energy that emit few greenhouse gases, the origin of climate change," said European press conference. Runge-Metezer also stressed the need to rethink our model of development, alternative technologies and renewable energy.

Fukushima and the nuclear energy

For its part, the chief economist of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, on Friday joined the voices of warning about the consequences of the catastrophe of Fukushima in the fight against climate change. Following the announced suspension of some nuclear power plants in Germany and the growing pressure in some countries against the extension of power plants or building new facilities, the nearest future resembles the past.

The gas and coal are back on the table. Looking to house, in late February, Miguel Sebastián defended the commitment of the Spanish Government for coal to ensure our security and energy independence. A month later, the data said that the main energy source in Spain in March had been the wind.
However, since international agencies warn: the abandonment of nuclear power using fossil fuels would increase by 0.5 gigatons of CO2 emissions by 2035, according to Fatih Birol. And Durban expected.

Ozone destruction: Record in the North Pole

The ozone layer in the North Pole suffers a unprecedented level of destruction caused by exceptional weather conditions, reported today the French organization National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
Late last month, the thinning of the ozone that protects Earth from ultraviolet rays was 40% and there was a "large area", a phenomenon never before observed, the CNRS said in a statement.

The reason for this decline is "a very trust stratospheric winter and persistent" leading to ozone destruction "important" and "exceptionally long until spring."

The Ecology and the Ozone

The European Space Agency (ESA) specifies that the record in the ozone layer is due to strong winds known as 'polar vortex'. This phenomenon isolated air mass over the North Pole and prevents it from mixing with air from midlatitudes. As a result, the state-of-freezing temperatures is very similar to that occurs every winter in Antarctica. Enviasat satellite, ESA has provided data to measure ozone levels.

The destruction of the ozone layer is linked to the presence in the atmosphere of various gases, emitted by aerosols.

At 80 degrees Celsius these gases become harmful to ozone, a phenomenon "recurring" in Antarctica, where temperatures are extremely low "every winter, but less common in the North Pole, where the temperature is higher and conditions more variable weather.

"I do not always meet the circumstances to produce a significant decrease of ozone in that region, said the CNRS, noting that" extreme weather conditions are responsible for the record achieved "this year.

Ecology and the deterioration of the ozone

French scientists, supported by the data sent by monitoring stations deployed on the ground, are now trying to determine the impact this phenomenon will have when the masses of ozone-poor air moving once temperatures rise with the advancement of spring in the ecology.
The CNRS warned that the deterioration of the ozone layer would have been higher in 1987 had not signed the Montreal Protocol, which limits the use of aerosols.

These products, which emit gases rich in chlorine and bromine remain in the atmosphere for years, so that the French scientists did not rule out destruction of the ozone layer similar to this year be repeated if there are again exceptionally cold winters and the ecology .
According to the latest assessment of the ozone layer, this gas will not recover its 1980 level until the years 2045-2060 at the South Pole and one or two decades earlier in the North.

Wind energy, the main source of energy in Spain

Wind power has become the first major source of energy to overcome during the month of March to other technologies, including combined cycle gas and nuclear, said Spain's Red Electrica (REE) and Business Association (AEE) in separate statements. Wind farms occurred in March 4738 gigawatt hours (GWh), which accounted for 21% of all electricity generated, and a 5% increase over the same period of 2010 and a record within a month.

Following this contribution of 21%, wind becomes the first source matrix generation, ahead of 19% nuclear, 17.3% of hydraulics, 17.2% of the combined cycle, the 15% of the CHP and others, coal 12.9% and 2.6% of solar. Wind power has also closed the first quarter as the main energy source, with 21%, which contributed to 57.9% of the electricity they occur without CO2 emissions.

Wind energy, good energy

With a contribution from wind, renewables energy covered in March 42.2% of demand, down from 48.5% in 2010 due to hydro production was exceptionally high last year. In the first quarter, renewables accounted for 40.5%, compared to 44% in the first quarter of 2010.
Saving 250 million.

ESA notes that wind power in March has produced enough electricity to cover the consumption of a country the size of Portugal and has been avoided in only one month a transfer of income to other countries of 250 million, due to oil imports. In total, the wind prevented the emission of 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 in March, the equivalent of planting 850,000 trees, and the market has shifted to more expensive technologies.
Est circumstances, the association says wind was the main reason that 2010 was the first year that Spain had an export balance of electricity from France. The average annual cost of the Spanish electricity market was the year of 38 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), compared to EUR 47.5 MWh of France.

Wind Energy and the green energies

"This milestone reached for shows such as wind energy, in addition to being indigenous, clean and increasingly competitive, it is a reality capable of supplying and thirteen million Spanish households," said ESA President, José Donoso.

The wind closed the year with an installed capacity of 20,676 megawatts (MW), in line with the objectives of the Renewable Energy Plan 2005-2010. ESA calls on the Government to establish as soon as possible the new regulatory framework to replace the Royal Decree 661/2007, which expires at the end of 2012, and offers the 'roadmap' to reach the EU in 2020.