Category Archives: Technology

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Millions of people lost power due to mistakes by power company employees

“This was not a deliberate act. The employee was just switching out a piece of equipment that was problematic.”-Daniel Froetscher, Arizona Public Service

At least 2.5 million people in the U.S. and Mexico, lost power because of maintenance at a Yuma, Arizona, substation.

Around 15:30 September 8, monitoring equipment was replaced.  That caused power to go out for about 56,000 customers.  Ten minutes later, after an attempt to restore power, the lights went out for 2.5 million customers from Yuma, Arizona, to San Diego, California, to Tijuana, Baja California.

Apparently circuits were shorted out.  Power company officials are trying to find out why such actions would have created a “cascade” effect along the power grid.

The power outage also shut down the San Onofre nuclear plant, and caused a 3.2-million gallon sewage spill San Diego beaches.

 

 

 

Technology, U.S.

Government & Corporate Incompetence: NRC says U.S. Nuclear plants are not earthquake safe

According to the Associated press,  a preliminary Nuclear Regulatory Commission review says that most U.S. nuclear reactors are not as earthquake safe as first thought.

The NRC review was actually started before the recent east coast quake, and the March 11 quake in Japan.

Earthquake safety standards for nuclear reactors were set more than 20 years ago.  Since then much more has been learned about earthquakes.

The review showed that some reactors are actually 24 times more likely to suffer a severe accident, than originally thought.  That’s because 20 years ago most planners didn’t think there could be such big earthquakes as the one in Japan on March 11.

At least 27 reactors are being recommended for earthquake safety upgrades.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Iran starts Nuclear Reactors

August 3, The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization said the Bushehr nuclear plant is up and running, and connected to Iran’s power grid.

It is sending out low amounts of electricity for now. It’s scheduled for full operation by the end of the year.

The plant was built with Russian help. Russia will deliver nuclear fuel rods and retrieve spent fuel.  Iran says it will build 20 more nuclear plants.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Good idea from Japan: Books that tell you how to escape a natural disaster, you can’t rely on your cell phones

In Japan some of the fastest selling books are how to books that show you how to get out’a town in case of a natural disaster.

The 9.0 quake of March 11 was the motivator for such books.   Even though Tokyo was at least a hundred miles from the epicenter of the quake, the public transportation systems went down.  About 6 million people walked or rode bikes home.

People who did well walking out had road maps, or had read the 2005 book Map for Walking Home in the Event of an Earthquake.  The book was the result of experiences of the editors in a 2004 earthquake.

Amazingly the book was undergoing a revision when the March 11 quake hit.  In fact one of the editors ended up walking home over the next two days, it proved to be useful in making the revisions: “For example, there were big advertising signs above the roads, which can break and fall on pedestrians, and such potentially dangerous sites we included on the maps.”-Tatsuya Nakajima, Shobunsha Publications

Since then 150,000 of the books have sold.  Prior to that, 1 million copies had sold.  Here’s one good reason such books are in demand, cell phones did not work on March 11: “People could not access online maps on their mobile phones right after the quake because telecom systems were overloaded.  That’s probably why the demand for paper maps has increased and this book has sold well since.”-Tomoko Okawa, Shobunsha Publications

A subsidiary of Shobunsha Publications has recently solved that problem, at least if you have an iPhone, a downloadable app that does not require an active cell service to work.

 

 

Technology, U.S.

Medical Incompetence: Hospital injects children with high doses of radiation, on purpose

A hospital in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, admitted that children had been injected with too much radiation.

Since 1999, at least 84 kids were injected with high doses of radioactive technetium.  The isotope is used to help examine internal organs.

The doses were in excess of the limit set by the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine.  One boy was given 20 times the limit.

Radiological technicians admitted they intentionally gave the children the higher doses, because they were afraid the kids wouldn’t sit still long enough to get a good image of their internal organs!!!

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Hoku, Idaho, finally to start polysilicon production, but ongoing delays will cost solar company money

“We are positioned to bring the first 2,500 metric tons of manufacturing capacity online in the coming weeks, and we continue commissioning key systems on site.”-Scott Paul, CEO of Hoku Corporation

After years of continued promises of local hiring and construction delays, due to financial problems, Hoku claims it will finally start polysilicon production within weeks.

However, Idaho Power insists that Hoku pay up front for its electricity, Hoku officials claim they’ve already paid $5.3 million to the utility.  This is just part of a long list of financial problems the wannabe polysilicon maker has had.

It’s ironic that a solar power “products and services” company must rely on an old fashioned electric utility to provide power to run their new 2,500 metric tons of polysilicon factory.

Hoku Corporation has already lost $10.2 million during the second quarter of 2011.  The solar power products company is based in Hawaii.  Their polysilicon Hoku Materials plant is located in Pocatello, Idaho.

Hoku has been getting financial help from a Chinese company; Tianwei New Energy Holdings.

Hoku salesmen oversold their company’s product, and now they’re scrambling to issue refunds, and offer discounts on existing contracts for waiting so long for their product.

All current orders for polysilcon are delayed, no thanks to the financial problems that have delayed construction of the Pocatello plant for the past couple of years.  Expect Hoku to continue reporting losses as a result.

2010: HOKU TURNING TO CHINA TO HELP FINISH POCATELLO PLANT

 

International, Technology

Expensive Saffron can stop Cancer

“Although the exact mechanism of the anti-cancer effect of saffron is unclear, studies in animals and in human cells have even suggested that saffron can inhibit certain cancers.”-Amr Amin.

The Science Daily reports that a study shows that the expensive spice, Saffron, can stop some cancers.

Researchers at the United Arab Emirates University, fed saffron to 24 rats daily, for 24 weeks.  They also injected them with liver cancer inducing compounds.

For a control group they kept eight rats, who got the liver cancer injection, but received distilled water instead of saffron.

Only four of the 24 saffron fed rats developed cancerous growths, whereas six of the eight rats from the control group developed cancer.

The next phase of the study is to put humans with liver cancer on a saffron rich diet.

The expensive spice is made from the Crocus sativus flower.  It is also used to treat depression, inflammation, memory loss, and as an antioxidant.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for the U.S.: eBay striking it rich in China

“Chinese exporters today have a significant price advantage, and combined with eBay’s global reach, it creates a very powerful business opportunity.”-Jay Lee, eBay Asia-Pacific.

California based eBay is seeing huge yuan signs, not dollar signs.  That’s because the online auction and retail site is making big gains in China.

Just a few years back anyone in the U.S. who bought something from China, through eBay, had to wait nearly two months to get their item.  Now it’s taking less than a month (I know, I’ve bought a couple of things from China through eBay).

That reduction in shipping time is helping to boost eBay’s China operation: “Now it takes only seven to 10 days for Chinese products sold through eBay to reach any destination in the U.S.”-Jeff Liao, eBay Greater China. (Personally I haven’t experienced that fast of shipping time)

At the end of 2010, 20% of eBay sales were outside the United States, most of which involved China.  EBay officials predict their Chinese operation to grow an amazing 30%-40% every year!

 

 

Technology, U.S.

East Coast U.S. Nuclear plants under inspection for Earthquake damage, exceeeded design limits

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sending a team of experts to a nuclear power plant in the state of Virginia, that was hit by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake on August 23.

The North Anna nuclear power station is about 20km (12 miles) away from the epicenter of the strongest quake to hit the east coast state in 114 years.

The NRC now admits the plant had experienced tremors that exceeded the level it was designed to withstand.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

UN warns of return of Bird Flu, Vaccines not working

“Wild birds may introduce the virus, but people’s actions in poultry production and marketing spread it.”–Juan Lubroth, UN Food and Agriculture Organization

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is warning of a new mutant strain of H5N1 (Bird Flu).  They say it’s spreading throughout southern China, and Vietnam.

Current vaccines do not work on this latest strain.

The UN is predicting the mutant H5N1 virus could spread to Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Korean and Japan.  The last H5N1 outbreak peaked in 2006.