The media has called the Russian floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov a “Floating Chernobyl” and a “Nuclear Titanic.” Is this just headline hyperbole? Or, is the barge-mounted 70-megawatt nuclear reactor a serious threat? It is hard to tell, which is scary in its own right.
The floating reactor is currently on its way to Murmansk, a town in Northwest Russia, to be loaded with nuclear fuel. Once operational, the plant will be connected to the electrical grid in the Arctic town of Pevek in 2019. It will be the world’s northernmost nuclear reactor, capable of powering a town of 100,000 people. The reactor barge will be anchored at the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Arctic, northwest of Russia. The almost 500-foot long Akademik Lomonosov has a displacement of around 21,500 tons.
The saga of the US Navy’s 
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A new study has found record quantities of microplastics in sea ice. The 
A new race is being organized for 2019 and 2020 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the 
We have been following the 
The extremely small ship Adventure sails on. Last year 
I realize that I am in a rut. Every Earth Day, I say the same thing. Over 70% of the surface of this planet is covered by water, so referring to the planet as “earth” is just wrong. But be that as it may, the misnamed planet is still called Earth and Earth Day is a worthwhile celebration of protecting the planet, both the soil and the watery portions. Below is a TED talk by one of the world’s great sailors, Dame Ellen MacArthur, about what she learned when she was sailing around the world alone. As she circled the globe alone, she began thinking about the idea of “the circular economy,” an intriguing insight. Definitely worth watching.
The lobstermen of Maine are known for their independence. They don’t often ask for help. Like many other states, Maine has been struck hard by the opioid crisis. In many coastal communities, opioid addiction is taking a serious toll, particularly on lobstermen. How serious the problem is hard to say. Of the 376 people who died of drug overdoses in Maine last year, one cannot identify how many were fishermen as the state doesn’t keep records by profession. Anecdotally, however, the number appears to be disproportionately high. Some estimate that up to 50% of the stern men working in the $1.6 billion dollar a year industry have or have had problems with addiction.
On Tuesday, the 149 passengers on Southwest Airline’s Flight 1380 were shocked when about 20 minutes after takeoff from New York, the plane’s left engine exploded, blowing a hole in the fuselage. The rapid depressurization sucked one woman passenger partially out of the plane. The explosion also damaged the left wing and the flaps.
Researchers have located