How Japan Will Release Treated Water from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant
it needs to start releasing the water as storage tanks are full.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog, greenlighted the plan in July, saying that it met international standards and that the impact it would have on people and the environment was "negligible".Greenpeace said on Tuesday that the radiological risks have not been fully assessed, and that the biological impacts of tritium, carbon-14, strontium-90 and iodine-129 - to be released with the water - 'have been ignored'.The filtering process will remove strontium-90 and iodine-129, and the concentration
Canada's TMC to Seek Seabed Mining License in 2024
to "promote the sustainable conduct of deep sea activities and the effective protection of the deep sea environment."A total of 21 countries are calling for a halt, with France demanding a complete ban and others asking for a "precautionary pause" until protections are in place.Greenpeace campaigner Louisa Casson described TMC's announcement as a "kick in the teeth" for those countries."It's clear that trying to mine the oceans is becoming politically toxic - even more so with zero rules in place. This is bullish talk to try and force governments into rushed
Norway Moves to Open Its Waters to Deep-sea Mining
mining in its waters, while Germany has called for a pause in the development of the industry."This is a new low from the Norwegian government. They are continuing exploration for oil in the fragile Arctic and now opening up vast ocean areas for mining companies," Frode Pleym, head of Greenpeace Norway, told Reuters."Norway presents itself as green on the global scene but their actions say otherwise."The government has said it would open the areas responsibly.A Norwegian study said in January it had found a "substantial" amount metals and minerals, ranging from copper
UN to Start Taking Deep-sea Mining Applications This July
meet virtually before July to debate further whether approval of such applications could be delayed once received, according to the document."This deeply irresponsible outcome is a wasted opportunity to send a clear signal ... that the era of ocean destruction is over", said Louisa Casson of Greenpeace, which opposes the practice due in part to concerns it could harm whales and other wildlife.The Metals Co, which has a deal to supply metals to Glencore Plc, is one of the most prominent voices advocating for the practice. Its executives have repeatedly said they believe deep-sea mining would have
How Will the Fukushima Water Release Impact the Pacific Ocean?
12 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This will relieve pressure on more than 1,000 storage tanks, creating much-needed space for other vital remediation works. But the plan has attracted controversy.At first glance, releasing radioactive water into the ocean does sound like a terrible idea. Greenpeace feared the radioactivity released might change human DNA, China and South Korea expressed disquiet, while Pacific Island nations were concerned about further nuclear contamination of the Blue Pacific. One academic publication claimed the total global social welfare cost could exceed US$200 billion
Nations Secure UN Global High Seas Biodiversity Pact
moment"."With the agreement on the UN High Seas Treaty, we take a crucial step forward to preserve the marine life and biodiversity that are essential for us and the generations to come," said Virginijus Sinkevicius, the European commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries.Greenpeace says 11 million square km (4.2 million square miles) of ocean needs to be put under protection every year until 2030 to meet the target.Very little of the high seas is subject to any protection, with pollution, acidification and overfishing posing a growing threat."Countries must formally
Russian Antarctic Vessel Docks in South Africa as Green Groups Protest
exploration.Several members of the Extinction Rebellion environmental group held banners reading "Hands off Antarctica" as the polar explorer ship Akademik Alexander Karpinsky arrived as scheduled in Cape Town's port during the morning.Earlier this week, several dozen protesters from Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion demonstrated at the port, saying the ship's seismic surveys in the Antarctic were a threat to marine life in the area and violated a 1958 international agreement.A 1998 amendment to the 55-nation Antarctic Treaty, to which both Russia and South Africa are signatories
Ocean Treaty Overdue, UN Envoy Says
to continue," activist Sophie Miller told Reuters TV.Thomson said new challenges were arising such as deep-sea mining, which involves sucking up potato-sized rocks containing cobalt, nickel and other metals from the Pacific Ocean floor. He believes regulations to counter that will appear soon.Greenpeace has warned that, without a working treaty, it will be "almost impossible" to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030, the minimum scientists agree is needed to allow them to recover."I'm very sure we are going to get there," Thomson said.(Reuters - Reporting by Catarina Demony
China's Guangdong to Move Data Centers Undersea to Cut Power Use
;s first undersea commercial data center aiming to complete it in five years.In 2018, Microsoft lowered a non-commercial data center the size of a truck about 35 meters (117 feet) into the sea off Britain. The miniature data center was retrieved last year, and Microsoft declared the experiment a success.Greenpeace has warned that electricity consumption from China's data centers and 5G base stations is set to almost quadruple from 2020 to 2035, making the sector one of the fastest growing sources of climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions.Environmentalists have also expressed concern, however, about
February 2024
