Unreported News: Motion to Dump Japan’s Nuclear Power Plants

Posted by FIRE-EARTH  on May 3, 2011

Shut Nuclear Plants: Electric Power Co Stockholders

As of posting, NONE of the news agencies or major media in the U.S. has carried news of Japan’s electric power companies stockholders calling for closures of nuclear plants in  that country.

Shareholders of five electric power companies in Japan are demanding the utilities to decommission their nuclear power plants following the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi power plant, NHK reported.

Some 400 shareholders of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which operates the Fukushima NPP, have submitted an official petition calling for the abolition of the company’s nuclear power plants.

“Shareholders of at least four other power companies—Kansai Electric, Chugoku Electric, Kyushu Electric and Tohoku Electric—have made similar proposals.” Said the report.

The move follows a similar action by a group of 232 shareholders of Tohoku Electric company who submitted a motion on Monday calling for the company to abolish its nuclear power plants, Japan’s JiJi press reported.

The group argued that the risks of operating nuclear power plants far outweigh the full extent of liabilities that any single company could afford, and urged the company to decommission its nuclear power plants and to withdraw its investment in the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, the report said.

“The power companies are expected to examine the proposals and submit them to a vote at their annual shareholders’ meeting. The meetings are typically held by the end of June.” NHK reported.

Related Links

• Shut Nuclear Plants: Electric Power Co Stockholders

Great Britain on Fire

Fires Fueled by Strong Winds and Dry Conditions are Burning Across the UK

Wildfires raging in Scottish Highlands, Ireland and NW England, as well as Berkshire and Dorset in the Southeast

The hottest April on record, said to be also one of the driest, has created hazardous conditions for  widespread fires

England and Wales have received only a fifth of their average monthly rainfall for April,  and south-east England has been even drier, UK reports said.

Heath fires in Kintail, Scotland, home to National Trust for Scotland forest regeneration projects have been severely affected. Photo credit: William Fraser/National Trust For Scotland.

“Despite the best efforts of the crews on the ground, once the fires reached the trees, the flames leapt as high as 40 feet. At one point it looked as if the plantation might have been saved but the fires flared up again and, as it was getting dark, the teams had to come off the hill for their own safety.

“The loss of the mature trees is heartbreaking to all those involved in forest regeneration in the area over many years. However, the main thing is that no-one was hurt. We will look at our options once the immediate priorities are dealt with and our aim will be to begin re-establishment of the affected area of forest once again.” Spokesman for tThe National Trust for scotland said.

“The forecast is for the combination of dry, warm weather and strong winds to persist until the end of week. These events are a salutary reminder of why we ask all visitors to our countryside properties to take extra care and apply common sense and not light fires or barbecues in close proximity to dry heather, grass and scrubland.” He added.

A fire in North Yorkshire is threatening an industrial estate near Thirsk, a report said.

“In Scotland, a large area of heather and gorse was on fire on the Balmoral Estate, the royal family’s home north of the border.”

“The sunshine has also sparked an invasion of ants. Armies of the insects, encouraged by the warm spring weather, have descended on homes across Britain in search of food and water.” Said a report.

Ohio River at Cairo

“THIS COUNTRY NO GOOD for FARMING!”

Climate Change, Flood Plains, Explosives and Geoengineering

Hydrograph of Ohio River at Cairo

Source: NWS/AHPS

Latest Flood Warnings

• Severe Thunderstorm Warning
• Flash Flood Warning
• Flood Warning
• Flood Statement

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: Significant River Flood Outlook

Click image to enlarge. Click HERE to enter NWS portal for regional details.

Click image to enlarge. Download largest  image (5 MB, JPEG) acquired on May 3, 2011

These two false-color images taken by MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite on May 3, 2011 (top), and April 29, 2011 (bottom) show conditions along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. (See an image from 2010 for a comparison.) The image taken on May 3 shows the floodway downstream of Cairo completely submerged after the Army Corps of Engineers blew up a levee near Cairo which sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Source: NASA-EO.  Click image to enlarge. Download largest  image (5 MB, JPEG) acquired on April 29, 2011.

This photo taken by the US Army Corps of Engineers shows flooded farms near New Madrid, Missouri. The deluge followed the intentional breaching of two levees by the Corps. Click image to enlarge.

Related Links

• Heavy rain, flash floods for Ohio, Mississippi valleys
• Mississippi, Ohio Rivers Still Rising; Cairo Evacuated
• Epic Flooding Could Inundate Large Parts of the U-S  Posted on February 10, 2011
• The Day Before Washington’s Birthday   Posted on February 20, 2011
• Topsoil