African Men: Hollywood Stereotypes

Green clouds spotted over Moscow spark apocalypse fears

Moscow- On the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, fear spread when green clouds were seen in the skies over Moscow. Experts say don't worry, it's only birch pollen.

People in the Russian capital were nervous today on spotting mysterious green clouds in the sky. The scene sparked doomsday theories and fears of a chemical disaster polluting the capital.

According to experts at the Emergencies Ministry the clouds are merely composed of birch pollen.

Moscow Twitter users were not convinced and tweeted alarming messages, such as "Sky has turned completely green in Moscow's south!" and "The factory in Kaluga is destroyed!".

There were also many 911 calls made during the day.

Citizens' theories ranged from apocalyptic signs, to alien invasion, to burning chemical plants. Some believe that the authorities are hiding the truth from the public. One popular Russian blogger posted: “Pollen is just an excuse. It might as well be the beginning of the Apocalypse!”

Paranoia over the odd phenomenon coincides with the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster which spread more fear among residents.

However, biologists have stated that the birch trees in the city starting blooming yesterday. Birch pollen is a strong allergen and is likely the cause of so many Muscovites sneezing.

Biologist Vladimir Murashov told Ria-Novosti: “This pollen can stay in the air for quite a long time – around four weeks. The wind can carry it ten kilometers from the tree.”

People who suffer from hay fever have been strongly advised to take preventative measures.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/323744#ixzz1tdTkKrwM

Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant have Problems Due to Jelly Fish

In Japan, it was a monstrous earthquake and tsunami that brought down the Fukushima nuclear plant. In California, it’s a tiny, jellyfish-like sea creature called salp that’s causing problems at the Diablo Canyon atomic plant.
An invasion of salp has prompted Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to temporarily shut down a nuclear reactor at Diablo Canyon, in Avila Beach, San Luisa Obispo County, on the central California coast.
A giant swarm of the transluscent barrel-shaped organisms this week clogged intake screens that are used to keep marine life out of the seawater that is used as a coolant for the nuclear plant.

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On Wednesday, PG&E officials reduced power output at the Unit 2 reactor, then decided to shut it down altogether “until conditions improve at the intake structure.” The plant’s other reactor, Unit 1, had already been shut down earlier in the week for a planned refueling and maintenance outage.

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“Safety being the number one priority, there was such an influx of salp and you need ocean water to cool the reactors,” PG&E spokesman Tom Cuddy told msnbc.com on Friday. “At that point we made a conservative decision to safely shut down the unit.”
PG&E owns and operates the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, whose two reactors together produce approximately 2,300 net megawatts of electricity – enough to serve nearly 3 million northern and central California homes.
Cuddy said he wasn’t sure when the Unit 1 reactor would come back online.
“We’ll turn the unit on to full power when it’s safe to do so – when the salps leave,” he said. “The bottom line is we’re taking a methodical and conservative approach.”
Lara Uselding, a spokeswoman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal agency that oversees reactor safety and security, said the plant is not in any danger.
“It’s not a normal operation condition, but the plant is safe and all the systems operated as designed,” she said.
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/27/11432974-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-in-california-knocked-offline-by-jellyfish-like-creature-called-salp?lite

U.K. Posts Wettest April in 102 Years Following 22-Month Drought

The U.K., suffering from limits on water use because of a drought lasting 22 months, had its wettest April since at least 1910, the Met Office said.

With more rain forecast tonight, the U.K. has had 121.8 millimeters (4.8 inches) this month, beating the prior record of 120.3 millimeters in 2000 and compared with an average for April of 69.6 millimeters, the state forecaster said in a statement.

“Further rain is to come overnight tonight as outbreaks of heavy and possibly thundery rain affect southern England and Wales,” the Met Office said today in the statement.

Rain has led to 188 flood warnings and alerts across Wales and England, including for the Thames river west of London and around the city of Oxford, the Environment Agency said.

The wet month follows the fifth driest March on record, the Met Office said. April has also been cooler on average than March for the first time since 1998, it said. Figures to April 25 show the mean temperature this month has been 6.1 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit), after March’s 7.7 degrees.

Kemble Water Holdings Ltd.’s Thames Water unit, the U.K.’s largest water company serving 8.8 million homes and businesses in London, joined six other utilities by imposing restrictions on consumption, from April 5. Hose-pipe bans limit the use of garden hoses to water yards, wash cars, fill pools, ponds and fountains, and clean windows, walls and patios.

Liscombe in Somerset has had the most rainfall this month with 273.8 millimeters, more than three times the average.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-30/u-dot-k-dot-posts-wettest-april-in-102-year-record-met-office-says