On March 11, 2011, the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant was running on emergency generators due to the automatic shut down of the reactors following the earthquake. Compounding the problem, three reactors had already been shut down for routine maintenance. The emergency generators were disabled when the 14 meter tsunami struck the plant, resulting in nuclear meltdowns and explosions that released great quantities of radioactive material into the environment. (more…)

The most televised disaster of early 2012, the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia hit a reef in shallow water off the coast of Giglio, in Tuscany, Italy, on January 13, 2012, due to the careless actions of the ship’s captain. While the cruise ship disaster caused significant loss of human life, as of yet no one has questioned the possible disaster to the surrounding aquatic environment. (more…)

Conservation, renewable energy, recycling and sustainability have become common subjects in today’s media. On Earth Day 2011 (officially April 22, though observations of various kinds are scheduled throughout the weekend) people will drive hybrid cars, discuss the pros and cons of wind-farm locations, install geothermal systems, fluorescent lights and solar panels, and even listen to Green Day songs. (more…)