Breaking: Second Explosion at Nuclear Plant in Japan
Posted: March 13, 2011 Filed under: Breaking News, Foreign Affairs, Japan, just because, Surreality | Tags: disaster, hydrogen explosion, Japan, nuclear meltdown 4 CommentsAl Jazeera just reported that there has been a hydrogen explosion at the third nuclear power plant that nuclear engineers have been working on in Japan. Several workers are reported to be injured or missing after the blast. Here is the first story I’ve seen about on Google: Fukushima Explosion: Japan Nuclear Plant Blast Believed To Be Hydrogen Explosion
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary says a hydrogen explosion has occurred at Unit 3 of Japan’s stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The blast was similar to an earlier one at a different unit of the facility.
Yukio Edano says people within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius were ordered inside following Monday’s. AP journalists felt the explosion 30 miles (50 kilometers) away.
A second explosion has hit the nuclear plant in Japan that was damaged in Friday’s earthquake, but officials said it had resisted the blast.
TV footage showed smoke rising from Fukushima plant’s reactor 3, a day after an explosion hit reactor 1.
Japan’s nuclear safety agency said the blast was believed to have been caused by the build-up of hydrogen.
Government officials said the reactor core was still intact as they tried allay fears of a radioactive leak.
3 injured, 7 missing after second explosion at Japan nuclear plant
A massive column of smoke was seen belching from the plant’s No. 3 unit Monday. The No. 3 Unit reactor had been under emergency watch for a possible explosion as pressure built up there following a hydrogen blast Saturday in the facility’s Unit 1.
Second Blast Rocks Japanese Nuclear Powerplant
A second explosion has rocked a nuclear power plant in Japan. The plant is in an area that was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami on Friday.
The explosion occurred mid-morning Monday, while workers were battling to bring down temperatures inside the Fukushima Number One nuclear power plant’s number three reactor.
Television images showed a strong explosion obliterating the upper walls of the reactor building and causing a huge plume of white smoke.
Japanese Quake Survivors Evacuated Amid Fears of Radiation Leaks
At least 170,000 Japanese earthquake and tsunami survivors have fled their homes, fearing the spread of radioactive contamination from damaged nuclear power plants.
Officials say dozens of people could have been exposed to radiation while being evacuated from a town near one of the damaged plants. They and hundreds of others were being scanned for radiation exposure.
Authorities say a new hydrogen explosion occurred Monday morning at the Fukushima power plant north of Tokyo, sending a plume of white smoke into the air. Officials said at a news conference covered by NHK Television that the building is still safe and that there is little risk of a mass radiation leak.
Why am I not buying that?
I will continue to update as I get more information.
Social Security: Reform, Refund or Opt-Out? (Part 3)
Posted: May 18, 2009 Filed under: U.S. Economy | Tags: Chile, Japan, Pension Plan Reform, SERPS, Social Security, Social Security Privatization, Thatcherism, UK pension Comments Off on Social Security: Reform, Refund or Opt-Out? (Part 3)Lessons from the World
One of the most interesting things about the large number of countries 
reforming their public pension programs is how dissimilar many are to the United States. A large number are in Latin America or are Asia countries that are not experiencing the demographic challenges faced by the United States. Instead, they reform their systems because the old systems have lost their store of value function. Privatization is required because the trust between recipients and their governments has broken down. Chile (1981), Columbia (1993), Peru (1993), Mexico (1997), Bolivia (1997), El Salvador (1998) and Kazakhstan (1998) have the least future demographic problems, are not developed countries, and have had the largest reforms.[1] The expected retirement benefits in these countries are now derived from the income produced by an asset portfolio in individual accounts.
The most moderate reforms have happened in countries with high per capita incomes and severe demographic problems. These countries include Switzerland (1985), the United Kingdom (1986), Denmark (1990), Australia (1992), Argentina (1994), China (1995), Uruguay (1996), Hungary (1998), Sweden (1998) and Poland (1999). These developed countries have adopted systems that blend defined contribution accounts with a defined benefit. Germany and Japan have serious demographic problems. They are also highly developed countries. They—like the United States—have passed minor reforms. These countries have less suspicion that their government will not provide secure retirement resources somehow. Traditional PAYG systems require a “social contract.” Trust between workers of different generations is higher developed countries than in developing countries. Trust between households and government is also higher.
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