Necklace on in the proposal

Japanese nuclear disaster: lessons to be learned
The scientific community is trying to learn the lessons from Fukushima. The disaster in Japan has highlighted areas where nuclear plants might be vulnerable, especially those that have been in operation for a while. Experts want to learn how to protect future generations from disasters like this one, that put entire populations in danger. Euronews spoke to Luis Echavarri, Director-General of the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Beatriz Beiras, euronews:“Mr Echavarri, the IAEA has confirmed that the cores of reactors 1, 2 and 3 of the Fukushima nuclear plant run a risk of meltdown. What does that mean exactly?” Luis Echavarri: “That means that the temperatures reached made the rods melt and could also make the fuel melt. That means that the fuel is becoming impaired and that it is producing more fission products and as full cooling could not take place, this process has progressed.” euronews:“But does that have an impact on radiation?” Luis Echavarri:“Yes, because the higher the temperature is and the more the fuel deteriorates, the more fission products are produced. And as a result, the radioactivity given off is greater. So the continuation of this process must be avoided. That is why cooling is needed.” euronews:“Can it cause an explosion?” Luis Echavarri:“No, no, not at all. That absolutely can’t happen. You must take into account that, for example, unlike the Chernobyl accident, here the safety mechanisms were activated quickly because of the earthquake. So the only heat is the remaining heat and in this situation an explosion caused by an uncontrolled reaction cannot happen.” euronews:“If water does not succeed in cooling the reactors, do you think that Tepco has other means of stopping this time bomb?” Luis Echavarri:“I think that water and other products like, for example, boric acid, are important in reducing the possible damage to the fuel. But it is difficult to find a solution apart from using water. The latest news we have had is that they are in the process of bringing in electricity from outside the plant and if that is confirmed, it would lead to the use of a lot more cooling systems in the plant and that could help enormously in getting the site back to normal. But, fundamentally, two elements are necessary: electricity and water.” euronews:“Should we be worried, for example, about the arrival of a radioactive cloud in other Asian countries or even in America or Europe? “ Luis Echavarri:“No. I think the distances involved mean that radioactivity is going to be present, because the radioactivity will be felt across the planet, especially in the northern hemisphere – but at very low levels. The radiation is diluting, and the further it spreads, the more it dilutes. What is important are the areas closest to the plant. And gradually the radioactivity is decreasing. So I think that outside Japan, there is no need to worry, even if it will be experienced elsewhere because tiny quantities of radioactivity are easy to detect.” euronews:“You are a nuclear engineer. Briefly, as a technician, what are the lessons to be learned from this accident?” Luis Echavarri:“Briefly, it is difficult. I would say that, first of all, we have to analyse whether all nuclear plants are adequately prepared from a conceptual point of view to deal with bigger earthquakes or tsunamis than we had imagined and which are possible in certain places. “We also have to make an in-depth analysis of the consequences of the tsunami; why it damaged so many emergency installations, if they could have been salvaged in another way, if there are extra safety systems to avoid this sort of situation. And we also have to look again at the containment units, emergency cooling systems, hydrogen explosions, fires, radiological protection, intervening in contaminated zones. They are all lessons that we are going to have to learn to apply to all the nuclear plants in the world – a process which has already begun. All regulatory bodies have already begun an analytical process to apply the lessons to their own plants.” Copyright © 2011 euronews

Chevron to contest damages in Ecuador drilling case
A court in Ecuador has awarded record damages in an environmental pollution lawsuit against the US oil company Chevron. The case, which has been running for more than 17 years, has implications for other mega claims. But Chevron has contested the award of $8 billion dollars and has counter sued for fraud. Environmentalists portray the case as a fight for justice against rich polluters. Originally $27 billion dollars had been demanded. Ecuador’s indigenous people and farmers claim that faulty drilling practices back in the 1970s and 80s caused damage to wide areas of jungle. Texaco struck oil in 1967 and operated a pumping programme over the next two decades. Chevron bought the company in 2001 and says it cleaned up all the pits it was responsible for. Copyright © 2011 euronews

EU’s Ashton targets Palestinian state by September
The EU’s top diplomat Catherine Ashton has said a Palestinian state is still achievable by September, despite an impasse in peace talks. But, Ashton’s Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, stressed the real obstacle to a regional settlement was Iran. ‘‘Please first of all bring some solution, a real solution to the Iranian issue and our readiness to take risks regarding the Palestinian issue will be much, much higher,’‘ the Israeli Foreign Minister said. Ashton’s visit to Israel aims to galvanise both sides to restart negotiations, but that looks unlikely anytime soon after new settlement construction was approved. Mustapha Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council said: ‘‘It’s the proof that the Israeli government does not want a solution, it is the proof that nothing will change unless there is serious pressure on Israel including sanctions, actions against this Israeli government.’‘ The approval by Israeli authorities allows for 120 new apartments in East Jerusalem, on land captured by Israel in 1967. The Palestinians say they will not resume talks until there is a complete building freeze. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Toyota recalls more vehicles over pedal issues
Toyota has expanded a recall over floormats to nearly 2.2 million vehicles. It said there is a risk that the carpet on the driver’s side could come loose and trap the accelerator pedal. The massive recall comes just a couple of weeks after a US government investigation concluded that unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles was not caused by faulty electronics – a victory for the carmaker as previous recalls had hurt its image. A $1.5 million dollar probe by NASA found that driver error appeared to be responsible for all the crashes. Toyota added nearly 1.4 million vehicles in the United States to its floormat recall, including 761,000 RAV4 crossovers for the model years 2006 through 2010. The other vehicles affected were 603,000 4Runner crossovers for the model years 2003 through 2009 and about 17,000 Lexus LX 570 vehicles for the model years 2008 through 2011. A Toyota spokesman said these vehicles were recalled because the design of the floormats was similar to models recalled in late 2009. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Ireland awaits result of historic poll
Ireland is bracing itself for one of its biggest political shake-ups since independence after polls in the country’s general election closed. Ruling Fianna Fail looks almost certain to be reduced to a rump amid voter anger over the economy. The centre-right opposition Fine Gael, led by Enda Kenny, appears set to be the big winners, although whether the party can achieve an outright majority still remains too close to call. Kenny has promised to renegotiate the terms of a massive multi-billion euro bailout from the EU and IMF. But, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams, who is contesting in the Irish Republic for the first time, has called for a referendum on the rescue deal. Voter turnout yesterday was estimated at around 70 percent and the first results are expected to filter through later today. Reckless property lending by Irish banks and the subsequent crisis following the global credit crunch has seen Ireland go from economic pin-up to eurozone struggler. So much so, many people are returning to farming. While most other sectors of Ireland’s economy are seeing job cuts, agriculture is reported to be booming. Copyright © 2011 euronews