Massive Explosion Reported at Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

As reported at the BBC, a massive explosion as taken place at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Officials are saying that the core has not been damaged; however, several workers at the station were thought to be injured.

A huge explosion has rocked a Japanese nuclear power plant damaged by Friday’s devastating earthquake.

A pall of smoke was seen coming from the plant at Fukushima. Four workers were injured.

Japanese officials say the container housing the reactor was not damaged and that radiation levels have now fallen.

UPDATE I: To make matters worse, a magnitude 6.4 aftershock occurred at the site of the nuclear power plant.  The Japanese government has expanded the evacuation radius to 12 miles around the reactor and has urged residents of the region to stay indoors, turn off air conditioning units and not to drink tap water. As reported at the Guardian, Tens of thousands evacuated after plant explosion.

UPDATE II: FOX News is reporting that three individuals taken away from one of the nuclear power plants have been exposed to radiation.

VIDEO via Reuters

 Reuters: Radiation leaks from Japan’s quake-hit nuclear plant

UPDATE III: This is not looking good, from Stratfor, Red Alert: Nuclear Meltdown at Quake-Damaged Japanese Plant.

A March 12 explosion at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Japan, appears to have caused a reactor meltdown.

The key piece of technology in a nuclear reactor is the control rods. Nuclear fuel generates neutrons; controlling the flow and production rate of these neutrons is what generates heat, and from the heat, electricity. Control rods absorb neutrons — the rods slide in and out of the fuel mass to regulate neutron emission, and with it, heat and electricity generation.

UPDATE IV: Japan declares emergencies at 5 nuclear units.

55% of US Voters Oppose to Obama’s 7 Year Ban on Offshore Oil & Gas Drilling

Energy Independence … the big issue for 2012 Presidential election.

As gas prices rise toward $4 per gallon and higher, President Barack Obama once again finds himself on the wrong side of an issue with the American people. In a recent Rasmussen poll, 55% of likely US voters are opposed to Obama’s seven year ban on oil and gas drilling the off Eastern seaboard and in the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters now oppose the president’s seven-year ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in part of the Gulf and along the East coast. That’s a seven-point increase from 48% three months ago.  Thirty percent (30%) favor the offshore ban, down five points from the previous survey. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided about it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Energy independence is a national security issue, let alone one of oil/gas drilling and the economy with jobs.

However, as Americans continue to feel the pain at the gas pump, the Obama administration is only interested in appealing court decisions and delay deep water drilling applications to go through, provide more domestic oil drilling and more jobs. Also in a recent survey, 58% of Americans believe that gas prices will reach $5 per gallon by the beginning of summer. Which can also explain why 67% of American voters now support offshore oil drilling, up from 60% in the December survey.

Barack Obama and Democrats have some real issues when it comes to domestic drillingand energy policies with main stream American people and voters not affiliated with either party. Welcome to yet another issue for the 2012 election … energy independence. The United States of America can no longer be dependent on the Middle East.

• Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republicans and 62% of voters not affiliated with either political party disagree with the president’s seven-year offshore oil drilling ban, while a plurality (46%) of Democrats support the policy.
• Republicans and unaffiliateds also feel more strongly than Democrats that the United States does not do enough to develop its own oil and gas resources.
• Seventy-four percent (74%) of Mainstream voters believe offshore drilling should be allowed, while 53% of the Political Class oppose it.

Gas Prices Head Toward $4.00 Per Gallon & Obama Admin Appeals Oil Drilling Ruling

WHAT ABOUT THE JOBS THE PRESIDENT PROMISED?

The Obama Administration is hellbent on making gas prices exceed $4 per gallon and to prevent jobs from being created and making the US dependent on foreign oil.

As chaos is breaking loose in the Middle East and Africa and the uncertainty is causing the price of oil is skyrocket and in turn gas to climb near the $4 per gallon, the Obama administration does nothing but make matters worse in appealing the oil drilling ruling. Never has there been a time in the US that there needs to be an intelligent, common sense Energy policy; however, Obama and his minions are dead set in making America continually dependent on foreign oil and having oil prices continue to rise. Why does the Obama administration continue to prevent deep water drilling permits applications to go through?

The Obama administration late Friday appealed a judge’s orders directing the Interior Department to act on several Gulf of Mexico deepwater drilling permits.

The appeal is the latest salvo in the ongoing fight over the speed with which Interior is – or isn’t – letting oil drillers get back to work after last year’s BP oil spill.

Gulf state lawmakers and the oil industry have accused the department of enacting a “de facto” moratorium against new drilling, while Interior says it needs to ensure safety and environmental protections are in place.

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WikiLeaks: Saudi Oil Reserves Overstated by Nearly 40% … Where is American Energy Independence?

According to a confidential cable made public by WikiLeaks, a senior Saudi government oil executive warned that Saudi crude oil reserves may have been overstated by as much as 40%. That translates to 300 billion barrels. YIKES! Could some one please explain after 30+ years since the oil embargoes of the 1970′s  … how does the United Stated not have a comprehensive energy plan that includes oil exploration in the US, nuclear, clean coal, etc that would make of independent of foreign oil? We can also research “green” methods but that is way down the road.  We fought a war of Independence in 1776, why are we not fighting a war for energy independence in the 21st century?

The US fears that Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, may not have enough reserves to prevent oil prices escalating, confidential cables from its embassy in Riyadh show.

The cables, released by WikiLeaks, urge Washington to take seriously a warning from a senior Saudi government oil executive that the kingdom’s crude oil reserves may have been overstated by as much as 300bn barrels – nearly 40%.

The revelation comes as the oil price has soared in recent weeks to more than $100 a barrel on global demand and tensions in the Middle East. Many analysts expect that the Saudis and their Opec cartel partners would pump more oil if rising prices threatened to choke off demand.

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Carol M. Browner, President Barack Obama’s Climate Change Czar Out the Door

Carol Browner is out as the Cap & Trade, Climate Change czar. Another one bites the political dust in Obama’s radical czardom. Interesting how some are leaving, especially as stated at Hot Air, after Fred Upton, the new GOP chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee, had suggested  that he planned on investigating her authority.

Carol M. Browner, President Barack Obama’s top energy and environmental adviser, plans to leave the White House in the coming weeks, White House officials said Monday night.

Browner, who served as Environmental Protection Agency administrator for all eight years under President Bill Clinton, has emerged as one of the most experienced Washington hands in the current West Wing.

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