Since 2008, "Previous studies have documented that dust from Asia — especially from deserts and industrial regions of China — routinely crosses the Pacific Ocean on prevailing winds to sully the air over the western U.S."
WHAT HAPPENS IN A NUCLEAR MELTDOWN?
The Japanese reactors work by harnessing the energy of thousands of nuclear fuel rods, that are normally kept submerged in water to keep them cool.
But if the cooling system fails, the heat generated by the nuclear reaction increases uncontrollably.
If that continues for long enough, the nuclear fuel can melt, forming molten pools on the floor of the reactor at thousands of degrees celcius.
This is a meltdown.
These pools of molten fuel can melt through the reactor safety barriers - there is an inner and outer shield.
The worst case scenario is that the protective shield around the reactors is melted away, resulting in a serious leak of radioactive material.
U.S. NAVY FLEES RADIOACTIVE PLUME FROM REACTOR BLAST
The United States Navy has moved its Seventh Fleet away from an earthquake-stricken Japanese nuclear power plant after detecting raised radiation levels.
The fleet said today that the radiation was from a plume of smoke and steam released from the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which has been hit by two explosions since Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, pictured, was about 100miles (160km) offshore when its instruments detected the radiation.
But the fleet said the dose of radiation was about the same as one month's normal exposure to natural background radiation in the environment.
Petrie Says Japan Nuclear Damage Emphasizes Need for LNG (Liquefied natural gas)
Cf. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRTtmz_tcYI
March 14 (Bloomberg) -- Thomas Petrie, vice chairman of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, talks about the potential impact of the earthquake and nuclear reactor damage in Japan on the oil and alternative energy markets. Petrie, speaking with Margaret Brennan on Bloomberg Television's "InBusiness," also discusses political unrest in Bahrain and its effect on oil prices. (Source: Bloomberg)
Brown Says Japan Investors' `Home Bias' on Debt May Fade
Cf. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQvZ8bgZPW0
March 14 (Bloomberg) -- Brendan Brown, chief economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International Plc, discusses Japan's fiscal situation in the aftermath of the nation's strongest earthquake on record. He speaks with Erik Schatzker on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." (Source: Bloomberg)
How Will the Disaster in Japan Impact the World Economy?
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