Sony has announced that they will start using the dreaded (for some people) Day Light savings, to help save electricity in a Japan now strapped for electrical power.
It’s expected that lack of electrical power will become more of a problem in summer, because that’s when demand normally goes up. There are several nuclear power plants off line, not just the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Volkswagen has been considering taking over Japan’s Isuzu, in a joint venture with Germany’s truck maker MAN. They’re a little hesitant after the 11 March 2011 disasters.
VW is also working on a partnership with Suzuki. The German car maker has cited cultural differences as problems getting into the Japanese market, but now has to consider the damaged ‘just in time’ production practices in Japan, which is causing the current severe parts shortages.
Daimler (known for Mercedes-Benz) shut down its Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus plant, in Kawasaki, Japan. The shut down came after the March 11 disasters.
As other vehicle makers have said, Daimler says supply of parts will be a continuous problem from here on out. The German company hopes to start production on April 20.
Daimler owns 89.29% of Mitsubishi Fuso.
Tokyo Electric Power Company president, Shimizu Masakatsu, is stepping down from his post as chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan. It is a direct result of the crisis at Fukushima Daiichi.
The FEPC is a kind of union, or club, of electrical power companies in Japan. Yagi Makoto, president of Kansai Electric Power Company, will replace Shimizu as chairman of FEPC.
Shimizu said he plans on resigning from one of Japan’s biggest nuke power lobby groups, Nippon Keidanren, as well.
“As strong aftershocks occur almost daily, we have to consider what will happen to buildings already damaged by blasts.”-Nishiyama Hidehiko, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
Concern for new problems at Fukushima Daiichi, caused by several intense aftershocks, and rising temperatures in Reactor 4 spent fuel pool after a battery storage box caught fire.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says that higher-than-usual levels of radioactive iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137, are coming from Reactor 4 fuel pool. Reactor 4 was shut down at the time of the tsunami, and all the active fuel rods were in the spent fuel pool. Inspection of the fuel pool revealed that some rods are damaged, but most are intact.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency wants TEPCo to inspect all buildings for more damage caused by aftershocks. The concern is that the buildings have been weakened by the 9.0 quake, tsunami and massive hydrogen gas explosions.
Off the coast of Fukushima, sand lance fish are contaminated with high levels of cesium-137.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said the latest samples, taken as far away as 37km (22.9 miles) from Fukushima Daiichi, show the fish have 12,500 becquerels per kilogram of cesium!
The safe limit, under Japanese current 2011 Food Sanitation Law, is 500 becquerels.
After weeks of protests, the military leaders of Egypt have detained Hosni Mubarak, and his sons, for questioning.
Mubarak is in a hospital after he suffered a heart attack. Protesters were demanding that the former Egyptian ruler be arrested for corruption.
On April 12 the pro-U.S. military rulers cleared protesters from Tharir Square. But Egyptians promised an even bigger protest on Friday, if Mubarak was not arrested.
With the detention of Mubarak and his sons, Egyptians say they can now focus on pushing the military leaders to hold elections for a new government.
NASA photos show, as of April 11, the Coahuila fire has burned at least 300 square miles. The photo also shows the smoke blowing northeast, towards the Rio Grande (called Rio Bravo in Mexico). This is contrary to some Mexican reports that say it’s blowing to the southwest (maybe they meant it’s bowing OUT of the southwest). But, the winds have been the main cause of the big fire, and could be changing directions.
“We could have the area under control in about two to two and a half weeks.”-Juan Elvira, Mexican Environment Minister
This has turned into Mexico’s biggest wild fire. Fire fighting helicopters, and a Boeing 747 water tanker, from the United States are helping. Mexico is asking Canada for help, as well.
Nissan is investigating why its electric car, the Leaf, won’t start. Several customers, in Japan and United States, are complaining that their Leafs won’t start.
Nissan thinks it is related to the air conditioner sensor: “…it will illuminate a warning light on the instrument panel and may cause the vehicle to not restart once it has been turned off.”-Katherine Zachary, Nissan’s North American unit
The French company Areva SA is increasing the number of nuclear experts they’ve sent to Japan, to help deal with the Fukushima Daiichi crisis.
Areva SA now has 15 technicians in Japan. Some of the technicians specialize in removing contaminated water, and dismantling nuclear power plants.
France based Areva is also trying to get a uranium enrichment operation built in Idaho, U.S.A.