A senior government official in Japan apologized Tuesday, dramatically bowing to the public before a television camera, for the creation of a “mascot” meant to endear the public to tritium, a radioactive waste product. Japan has been dealing with an abundance of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, for over a decade following the 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Japanese officials used over 1 million tons of water to cool the melting reactor cores of the plant, a process that, due to hydrogen’s presence in water, created significant amounts of tritium. Japan approved a plan last week to release the water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean, insisting Tokyo would “treat” the water first and no tritium would be released in at least two years due to the time-consuming nature of processing the material. The cleaning treatment would notably not remove tritium from the water supply. Nearly every neighboring … [Read more...] about Japan Apologizes for ‘Cuddly’ Nuclear Waste Mascot
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Blinken to participate in G-7 foreign minister meeting in London next month
The U.S. is invited to attend an in-person meeting with the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G-7) countries in London next month, the first such meeting in two years. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Antony Blinken Overnight Energy: Treasury creates hub to fight climate change through finance | Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez introduce 'Green New Deal for Public Housing' | Blinken says US falling behind China as global leader on climate change White House defends 'aspirational' goal of 62,500 refugees MORE is expected to take part, although the State Department did not confirm if the secretary will attend virtually or in person. The announcement was made by the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab during a meeting of Parliament. ADVERTISEMENT The G-7 summit will focus on ensuring equitable access to vaccines, reviving the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting education for girls in developing countries and tackling climate change. Blinken … [Read more...] about Blinken to participate in G-7 foreign minister meeting in London next month
Why you should care about the semiconductor chip crisis
Are you worried about your chip supply? Not potato chips. Not poker chips. And not wood chips. I am talking about the shortage of semiconductor chips , which you may not realize influence everything from your cell phone to your car, your game console to national security. We are talking about a nearly $500 billion semiconductor industry manufacturing silicon wafers using complex processes that allow us to do everything from drive to play. Our internet-connected world is completely dependent on energy, the production of semiconductors and each other for sourcing. We are a world awash in gadgets like Xboxes, temperature gauges, webcams and wireless data panels in automobiles. Our schools use computers, our homes use kitchen appliances with sensors and out data is stored in hospitals and factories, and at local retail outlets. So, when one piece of the puzzle falls short, the whole picture is distorted. ADVERTISEMENT The semiconductor chip supply problem is so big that the … [Read more...] about Why you should care about the semiconductor chip crisis
Japan needs to stand stronger with the US to defend Taiwan — and itself
China constantly seeks out ways to complain about perceived slights and provocations as pretexts for its own aggressive behavior. It is both victimization paranoia and a form of information warfare that keeps the West on the defensive. True to form, it objected even to the innocuous reference to Taiwan at last week’s summit meeting between President Biden Joe Biden Obama, Clinton reflect on Mondale's legacy Biden, Harris commend Mondale in paving the way for female VP Mondale in last message to staff: 'Joe in the White House certainly helps' MORE and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Neither leader’s prepared remarks even mentioned Taiwan, out of deference to the Japanese side. Biden’s opening statement was modest: “Prime Minister Suga and I affirmed our ironclad support for U.S.-Japanese alliance and for our shared security. We committed to working together to take on the challenges from China, and on issues like the East China Sea, the South China … [Read more...] about Japan needs to stand stronger with the US to defend Taiwan — and itself
