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Europe’s boat people

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Nuclear power in Japan

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Court cases frustrate efforts to restart Japan’s nuclear plants

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NIIGATA

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20150425_asm915.png

THE world’s biggest nuclear power plant runs along nearly 4 kilometres (2½ miles) of the coast of the Sea of Japan. At full pelt it generates enough electricity to supply 2.7m households. But the seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex sit idle, along with the rest of Japan’s nuclear-power facilities. Four years after meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, all Japan’s 48 usable reactors are the focus of safety concerns. An industry that once produced nearly a third of Japan’s electricity remains paralysed.
The government badly wants some of the idle reactors put back to work to cut a huge bill for imported fuel. On April 22nd it got a shot in the arm when a court on Kyushu, the third-largest of …<div class="og_rss_groups"></div>
Source: Utilities
Nuclear power in Japan: Legal fallout

Daily chart: Renewable energy

Plummeting prices are providing a boost to wind power and solar energy, even as subsidies fall.&nbsp;Renewables now account for nearly a tenth of global power generation. On current trends they will make up a fifth by 2030. Read more here.
Comment Expiry Date:&nbsp;

Sat, 2015-04-25

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Source: Utilities
Daily chart: A sunny outlook

UK Only Article:&nbsp;
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Fly Title:&nbsp;

The internet of things

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Connected devices in the home are becoming more widespread

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20150404_blp907.jpg

THE expression “at the touch of a button” connotes speed and immediacy. Amazon is taking the phrase literally. This week the e-commerce firm announced a program that offers members of its Prime scheme branded, wireless-connected buttons, which they can place around their home and press when they are running low on certain household items. Doing so initiates an order to replenish whatever is needed, from detergent to bottled water, and the order is shipped to the customer’s home.
Is the habit of sitting down at a computer to shop online becoming passé?&nbsp;Whether or not Amazon’s “Dash” buttons appeal to mainstream consumers remains to be seen, but the initiative points to two important retail and technology trends.

First, more companies are pushing into e-commerce and trying to expand what people buy online. Google offers an e-commerce service in seven American cities, including San Francisco, …<div class="og_rss_groups"></div>
Source: Retailing
The internet of things: Of sensors and sensibility