Tag Archives: ukraine

International, U.S.

What Global Warming? Europe & Asia suffer freezing WX, at least 420 Europeans freeze to death, even North Africa affected

“It’s awful. I had to walk two hours through freezing temperatures just to get to the metro. The area is full of trees that have fallen on cars but no one’s come to help us.”-Federico Maneski, Rome, Italy

While North America is experiencing a warmer than normal winter, Europe and Asia are breaking records.  From record snowfall in Japan and Korea, to record low temps in Europe.

Japan and South Korea had reported record snowfall, and record freezing temps, but not as freezing as the temps in Europe.

As of February 6, at least 420 Europeans, mostly homeless people, have frozen to death!  Finland has hit -40 Celsius (-104 Fahrenheit)!   The deaths of people who do not have access to heat sources range from France, Italy, Poland, Romania to Ukraine.

In Serbia, an area of 70,000 people has been cut off by record snowfall.  Police and military units have to use helicopters to fly in supplies.  In Croatia, a woman gave birth to a daughter with the help of her neighbors in her village, because the road to the hospital was blocked by snow. She named her daughter Snjezana, which means Snow White in Croatian.

The freezing temps have even hit the North African country of Algeria.  16 people were killed when their cars slid off ice covered roads.

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Government Incompetence: Japan will now study 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident

In a classic example of too little too late, Japan will now spend big money to study the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident!

Japan will expand its Ukrainian embassy staff to include two nuclear specialists and three translators.  The staff will also be equipped with gear for dealing with radiation.  They will interview Ukrainian and former Soviet officials, and residents about the effects of radiation contamination, and how to deal with a nuclear disaster.

The Japanese government said they will spend about U.S.$2 million on the project.  You’d think a country that got so involved with nuclear power would have included, as part of its nuclear disaster preparedness, a detailed study of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster!

International

Woman in Ukraine has 20 kids, wants more. Octo mom can’t touch this

41 year old Leonora Nameni has given birth to her 20th child, and she wants more.

Right now she has 10 boys, and 10 girls.  The oldest, a 20 year old, is married.  The family lives and works on a farm, and they made it clear they do not watch TV.  Mmm, TV watching reduces the number of children in a family?

Leonora Nameni has a ways to go if she’s trying to set a record.  The Guinness Book of Records says Leontina Albina, from Chile, still has the record of giving birth to 55 children.

Fukushima, Technology

How did the Soviets deal with Chernobyl Disaster? Sand, Lead, Concrete

17MAR2011

The situation in Japan, with Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, is similar to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in that nuclear fuel was exposed.  The Japanese are trying to deal with the situation by dumping water onto the reactors and spent fuel pools. At this point only partial melting of fuel rods have occurred. How did the Soviets deal with Chernobyl, where full melt down of the entire reactor took place?

CNES SPOT/EOSAT satellite image, 1986.

After a series of attempts to restrain the nuclear melt down failed, resulting literally in melting of the reactor (in the U.S. it’s called China Syndrome, because jokingly it was said it would melt it’s way to China), the Soviets began to air drop sand, lead and boric acid.  5,000 metric tons worth in one week!  The reactor was eventually sealed in a concrete coffin.

Most people working to fight the Chernobyl disaster died from radiation exposure.  One firefighter said it felt like pins & needles on his face, and the air tasted like metal, then he died.  Most of the vehicles used are still parked at the Chernobyl compound.

Soviet scientist were concerned with the melting reactor reaching ground water. They decided to pour huge amounts of concrete in the bottom of the reactor building, which seems to have worked.

For perspective: Chernobyl was ONE reactor, no spent fuel pools.  Japan is dealing, officially, with SIX reactors & their spent fuel pools (1,000+ fuel rods).

Fukushima 2011: JAPAN DISASTER START OF GLOBAL GREAT DEPRESSION

IDAHO NATIONAL LABRATORY WATCHING EVENTS IN JAPAN, SEA WATER MAY NOT WORK

JAPAN MODERN DAY ATLANTIS

JAPAN QUAKE = NO ECONOMIC RECOVERY