nuclear-news

Science and Technology:

¶ A new system combining lithium-iodine batteries and solar cells, an aqueous lithium−iodine solar flow battery, has been created by researchers at Ohio State University. The new battery system promises energy savings of nearly 20%, compared to conventional lithium-iodine batteries. The new work may serve as a design basis for other metal-redox flow batteries. [CleanTechnica]

Not Energy or Climate Change, but Noteworthy:

¶ Scotland is to ban the growing of genetically modified crops, the country’s rural affairs secretary has announced. Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was not prepared to “gamble” with the future of the country’s £14 billion food and drink sector. Under European Union rules, genetically modified crops must be formally authorised before they can be cultivated. [BBC News]

World:

¶ Coal India Ltd (CIL), the largest producer of the fuel in the country, will invest over ₹62,500 crore ($9.8 billion)…

Yesterday, the UK government approved a 400-turbine 2.4 gigawatt (GW) offshore windfarm at Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Once built, it would be the world’s largest by far.
But where are the world’s largest offshore windfarms already operating today? And how much electricity do they generate? Carbon Brief has mapped the world’s offshore schemes to find out.

Global offshore wind data
We found 62 offshore wind schemes currently generating electricity around the world, of which 25 are in the UK. Though Denmark was an early pioneer (red bars, below), the UK has installed more megawatts of offshore capacity than any other country in most years since 2004 (blue bars).
This year Germany is expected to knock the UK off top spot (yellow bars), installing the largest offshore capacity for the first time. The chart below only shows capacity already up and running, so the total for 2015 will rise…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokoyama_Taikan

“Memorial Statue of Sadako Sasaki outside the Noborichō Junior High School in Hiroshima, Japan. Noborichō was her Junior High school. This statue was created in 1985. Photo by Chenmingyu, CC-By-SA-3.0, via wikimedia
“Sadako Sasaki
Born January 7, 1943
Kusunoki-cho
Hiroshima, Japan
Died October 25, 1955 (aged 12)
Red Cross Hospital
Hiroshima, Japan
Cause of death
Leukemia” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako_Sasaki
“The thousand origami cranes were popularized through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who was 24 months old when she was exposed to radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Sasaki soon developed leukemia and, at age 12 after spending a significant amount of time in a nursing home, began making origami cranes with the goal of making one thousand, inspired by the senbazuru legend.”

“Thousand Origami Cranes (千羽鶴 Senbazuru?) is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes…

The EPA actually has no concern for the environment, they just happen to use the environment as a cover story to create laws and gain an advantage for the companies that lobbied for exemptions to the agency’s regulations, and to collect money in fines. There are solutions outside the common government paradigm, and that is mainly the ability for individuals, not governments, to hold polluters personally and financially accountable. . . Sourced through Scoop.it from: colouredjustice.wordpress.com

GR:  Initial reports suggest that EPA acted like any other polluter attempting to gloss over a catastrophic spill.  Have to follow this story a bit farther.

“How does the Prime Minister explain that West Germany, although she lost the war, is lending us money and is in a better financial situation than we are? Is it because Germany is spending less of her national income on armaments?” (Mr. Emrys Hughes of S. Ayrshire, Scotland, UK House of Commons, 1968)

Maybe the Military – Nuclear Industrial Complex didn’t bring the prosperity which we have been led to believe? Did Germany and Japan fare better with consumer goods? Reconstruction is cited, but the UK also had cities bombed during World War II.

“HMS Valiant, the first British nuclear submarine to be powered by a British built reactor”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PWR1

“5 November 1968 → Commons Sitting → ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
GERMAN CHANCELLOR (COMMUNICATION)

HC Deb 05 November 1968 vol 772 cc694-5 694
§Q5. Mr. Marten asked the Prime Minister what communication he sent to…

World:

¶ A British company has announced plans for an array of unique marine turbines that can operate in shallower and slower-moving water than current designs. Kepler Energy says the turbines will eventually produce electricity more cheaply than off-shore wind farms. It hopes to install its new design in what is called a tidal energy fence, one kilometre long, in the Bristol Channel. [RTCC]

How the rotor blades look installed in a tidal fence configuration (Pic: Kepler Energy)

¶ Figures released on Thursday show that electricity production in the 34 member states of the OECD fell 0.8% to 10,712 TWh, a decrease of 86 TWh on 2013’s figures. The International Energy Agency point out that this decline was driven by lower fossil fuel and hydro production, but a decline which was partially offset by a growth in non-hydro renewables and nuclear. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Azar Mobaraki is…