Active Volcano in Kamchatka near to erupt..[ 2236 ]

Volcano More Active in Kamchatka, Russia

Moscow, April 6 Korean News (KCNA) --

Kizimen Volcano in Kamchatka, Russia, has become more active these days.

Columns of gas dust have been seen gushing out of the volcano several times over the last few days.

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One of them was 5,000 meters in height. It was reported that this put airplane service in danger.

Japan , Residents to move on with their lives..[ 2235 ]

Clear outlook for nuclear crisis necessary for residents to move on with their lives

In this photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), gray smoke rises from Unit 3 of the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okumamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Monday, March 21, 2011. 

(Mainichi Japan) April 8, 2011

Official says the TEPCO temporarily evacuated its workers from the site. At left is Unit 2 and at right is Unit 4. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co. )
There appears to be no immediate end in sight for the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Never before in history has a nuclear accident dragged on for so long, leading the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) of Japan to say that the crisis has "surpassed the range and magnitude anticipated under pre-existing disaster-prevention schemes."
Both Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and the government are now at a point where they must devise and implement measures that take mid- to long-term prospects into consideration. In doing so, they must consider carefully the lives of the many people who have evacuated from communities located close to the power plant.
Workers on site have their hands full trying to deal with radiation-tainted water and injecting nitrogen into the No. 1 reactor to stave off an explosion in the reactor containment vessel. Such measures, however, aim to subdue what can be characterized as "side effects" that get in the way of attempts to deal with the primary problem.
Meanwhile, the real first step in bringing the crisis under control requires cooling the reactors down to stabilize temperatures, and stopping the leakage of radioactive materials.
To achieve this, a closed system that removes the heat in the reactors without relying on the injection of water from an external source must be established. Ordinarily, the residual-heat-removal system installed in the reactors would carry out this task, but radiation leaks have frustrated efforts to restore the system. As such, the situation calls for discussions on possibly instituting a new heat-removal system.

This March 24, 2011 aerial photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by AIR PHOTO SERVICE shows damaged Unit 4 of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan. (AP Photo/AIR PHOTO SERVICE)

Regardless of the cooling method, it will not be an easy job, and may take longer than the "several months" the government has predicted for a resolution.
Even after progress is made in this first step, we are still faced with the task of cooling spent nuclear fuel for years to come. Beyond that, moreover, lies the problem of how the reactors will be decommissioned.
As we find ourselves only at the beginning of a long road ahead, the government's emergency measures are no longer relevant to the current state of affairs.
For example, because the government's advisory for residents living between a 20-kilometer and a 30-kilometer radius from the Fukushima power station was not issued with the intention of lasting for months, it is only natural that the government is now deliberating a new plan of action. The government must make a prompt decision -- that should then be thoroughly explained to residents -- and provide ongoing support for those who are affected.
Some residents who evacuated from homes within a 20-kilometer radius are seeking permission to return temporarily, an understandable request from people who escaped with just the clothes on their back after being hit with the triple punch of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. We hope that all safety precautions are taken to grant their wish.
In addition, local residents need to be given a mid- to long-term outlook: Will they be able to return permanently to their homes in several months' time, or will it take years? Will some residents have to prepare themselves for the possibility that they will never be able to return?

This March 24, 2011 aerial photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by AIR PHOTO SERVICE shows damaged Unit 3 of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okumamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (AP Photo/AIR PHOTO SERVICE)

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We understand that such forecasts are difficult to make, as they are contingent upon whether or not the situation worsens, and how restoration efforts progress.
Still, unless both TEPCO and the government release forecasts that account for a margin of error, people cannot move on with their lives or plan for the future. It must not be forgotten that ambiguity -- and not bad news -- can at times deliver a stronger blow on morale.
Click here for the original Japanese story

Libya: Nato had not been aware that rebels use tanks....[ 2234 ]

Nato refuses to apologise for strike on Libya rebels

 

Dozens of rebel troops were injured in Thursday's air strike

BBC 8 April 2011 Last updated at 09:14 GMT  

Nato has refused to apologise for a "friendly fire" attack on rebel tanks in eastern Libya that killed at least four people.

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Rear Adm Russ Harding said that until Thursday's incident, Nato had not been aware that rebel troops had started to use tanks.
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"Our job is to protect civilians," he told a news conference.

Rebel forces reacted with anger at the air strike on their tanks near the eastern town of Ajdabiya.

However, rebel commanders had stressed that it would not damage relations with the allied force.

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Rear Adm Harding, speaking in Naples, described the situation between the towns of Ajdabiya and Brega - where the attack happened - as "very fluid" with vehicles "going backwards and forwards".

He said government tanks known to have previously targeted civilians in the town of Misrata had been on the road on Thursday. At that point, Nato did not know that rebel troops had begun to bring out their tanks.

He said that the UN mandate under which Nato is operating is to "protect civilians", whether from the forces of Col Gaddafi or the rebel troops themselves.

"Let me be clear, it did not say to gain the trust of either side in doing that," he said.

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Explanation call

The rebels hit in Thursday's air strike had been moving a group of tanks, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers near the front line between the towns of Ajdabiya and Brega in more than 30 transporters.

One rebel commander told the BBC he saw at least four missiles land among rebel fighters.

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Rebels said four rebels died, while local doctors told the BBC at least 13 fighters had been killed in the strike. Many more were injured.

The BBC's Wyre Davies in Ajdabiya said there was considerable anger among rebel troops about the incident. They were asking why rebel units were hit, when they could be seen clearly advancing in a westerly direction towards the front line.

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Rebel commander Gen Abdelfatah Yunis had earlier called on Nato to give a "rational and convincing explanation" about the incident.

He also said such mistakes must not be repeated and called for better co-operation in the future.

Japan's new biggest quake since March 11..[ 2233 ]

Fresh aftershock in Japan rouses fear, kills 2

By the CNN Wire Staff

April 8, 2011 -- Updated 0228 GMT (1028 HKT)

Japan's biggest quake since March 11

Tokyo (CNN) -- A powerful quake struck Japan on Thursday, killing two and triggering a tsunami warning for one prefecture and advisories in others, officials said.

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The warning and advisories were lifted about 90 minutes later, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, but it left millions of Japanese rattled. The quake was closer to the Japanese coast than last month's 9.0-magnitude quake.

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There were reports of two casualties in the earthquake zone, and 132 people were injured, officials said. Seventeen of the 132 were thought to have serious injuries, the National Police Agency said. A handful of roads were damaged as well as a few homes. 

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The Yamagata Prefectural office said a 63-year-old woman died after a power outage caused by the quake stopped her oxygen, which relied on electricity. A second person died in the Miyagi Prefecture, the office there said, though it did not say who or how. 

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The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was a magnitude 7.4. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was 7.1. The USGS also said Thursday's quake could be considered an aftershock, making it the biggest one since the March 11 quake.

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Nuclear Plants Waste..[2232 ]

World's Nuclear Plants Still Searching for Permanent Waste Sites

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Nuclear power plants are clean, efficient and silent. But they face complex safety issues. 

There is the danger of radiation leaks. 

They are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. 

And perhaps most vexing of all, they produce large amounts of waste in the form of spent uranium fuel, which remains dangerously radioactive for thousands or perhaps millions of years. 

How and where to safely store that waste has been a central question in the decades-old debate over nuclear energy. 

Producer Zulima Palacio explores the issue.

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