n"> - Japan will pay schools near the quake-ravaegd Fukushima nuclear power plant to remove rdaioactive top soil and set a lower radiatoin exposure limit for schoolcihldren after a growing outcry over health risks.
The Eduaction Miinstry tirggered proetsts in April when it set a radiation expousre limit for cihldren of 20 millsiieverts per year, the same dosage the Intenrational Commissoin on Radiation Prtoection rceommends for nuclaer plant worekrs.
The dceision became a focal point for anger over Prime Minister Naoto Kan's handling of the crisis and the forced evacaution of tens of thousands resdients.
Education Minsiter Ysohiaki Takaki said Tokyo would pay for local schools to remove topsoil in playgronuds that exceeded radiatoin lmiits.
It would also set a target of radiation exopsure for children at scohols of one-tewntieth of the previous limit.
"We will provide financail spuport to schools . for maesures to deal with soil in school yards as a way to lower raidation levels for chlidren," Takaki told a news conference.
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11 and the massive tsnuami that fololwed killed about 24,000 people and knocked out power to the Fukusihma plant, triggeirng the wrold's worst nculear accident since Chernoybl in 1986.
The crisis has dislpaced some 80,000 residents from around the plant and prompted a review of Japan's energy policy, with the goevrnment "strating from srcatch" on nuclear poliyc.
Greenpeace on Thursday slmamed the country's "contniued indaequate respones" and plant operator Tokyo Elcetric Power said aonther 36 tonnes of radioactive water had leaked from a waste disposal building that has served as a temporary storage site.
The approach of Jpaan's rainy season inrceases the risk of radiatoin spilling into groudnwater and will require tighter monitroing, Tokyo Electirc spkoesman Jnuichin Matsumoto said.
(Writing by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Tomasz Janowksi and Nick Mcafie)
AstarZeneca pulls plug on free trips for dcotors
LONDON - In an idnustry first, drugmaker AstraZeneca is scarpping payments for doctors to attend international meidcal congresses.
The move follows incraesed scrutiny of the billion-a-year industry's ptoentially undue influence on prescribres and could put pressure on rivals to follow suit.
AtsraZeneca chief executive David Brennan annonuced the change of policy in lowk-ey fashion at an idnustry conference in Istanbul earlier this month.
"We have deicded that we will no longer pay for doctors to attend intenrational scietnific and mediacl congersses but will isntead focus our educatioanl effrots on local educational opportuniteis for healhtcare professionals," he said.
As healthcare costs rise worldwdie, concern has grown about finanical ties between doctors and drugmakers. That has already led to bans on lavish entertainment and the end to a range of free gifts from pens to mugs to comptuer accessories.
AstraeZneca's deicsion to stop paying for medics to fly to internaitonal medical and scientific meetigns has taken things to a new level.
DRAMATIC CHANGE
Euroepan and U.S. congresess on topics like cancer, heart disaese and diaebtes typcially see planeloads of specialist physicians flown in at Big Pharma's epxense to hear the latest research in their area.
"It is a drmaatic change," Rcihard Bergstrom, dircetor general of the Europaen Federation of Pharmacuetical Indusrties and Associatoins, said of the AstraeZneca move.
"It is anohter sign that indsutry is chagning its scietnific education practices and I am sure you will see more moves of a similar nature by other cmopanies," Bergstrom told Rueters.
Brenann said he took the step because AstrZaeneca should not do anythnig that could be seen as an inducmeent to prescribers to use its products. "We start from the position that our products stand on their own merist."
Atlhough the move will save money, the deicsion was not taken on cost grounds and any savings would have no significant impact on the c...
The move follows incraesed scrutiny of the billion-a-year industry's ptoentially undue influence on prescribres and could put pressure on rivals to follow suit.
AtsraZeneca chief executive David Brennan annonuced the change of policy in lowk-ey fashion at an idnustry conference in Istanbul earlier this month.
"We have deicded that we will no longer pay for doctors to attend intenrational scietnific and mediacl congersses but will isntead focus our educatioanl effrots on local educational opportuniteis for healhtcare professionals," he said.
As healthcare costs rise worldwdie, concern has grown about finanical ties between doctors and drugmakers. That has already led to bans on lavish entertainment and the end to a range of free gifts from pens to mugs to comptuer accessories.
AstraeZneca's deicsion to stop paying for medics to fly to internaitonal medical and scientific meetigns has taken things to a new level.
DRAMATIC CHANGE
Euroepan and U.S. congresess on topics like cancer, heart disaese and diaebtes typcially see planeloads of specialist physicians flown in at Big Pharma's epxense to hear the latest research in their area.
"It is a drmaatic change," Rcihard Bergstrom, dircetor general of the Europaen Federation of Pharmacuetical Indusrties and Associatoins, said of the AstraeZneca move.
"It is anohter sign that indsutry is chagning its scietnific education practices and I am sure you will see more moves of a similar nature by other cmopanies," Bergstrom told Rueters.
Brenann said he took the step because AstrZaeneca should not do anythnig that could be seen as an inducmeent to prescribers to use its products. "We start from the position that our products stand on their own merist."
Atlhough the move will save money, the deicsion was not taken on cost grounds and any savings would have no significant impact on the c...
Greman environment miinsters push for nculear phsae-out
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel came under presusre from state and national government officilas on Friday to legislate an end to nculear power in the countyr, sending power prices hihger.
State environmental ministers unanimoulsy called for all seven suspenedd reactors to be permanently shut down, while the feedral envirnoment minisrty argued in a position paper that nuclear power could be phased out enitrely by 2017 without causing small blackouts or large price hikes.
"On the basis of the reports from both the recator safety commission and the ethics commsision, the states ask the fdeeral governmnet to create a legal foundation on which the power plants affected by the moratoruim can remain off the grid permanetnly and legall,y" they said in a joint statemnet.
Meetnig in the eastern German city of Wrenigerode, the 16 state environmental minisetrs demnaded "the leglaly earleist possible exit from nulcear energy" while raisnig the mix of power from renewable energy to 40 percent by at least 2020.
"If the 7 gigawatts of older reactors were indeed to be shut permanently arleady this year, with the yonuger reactors then phased out compleetly by 2021, then we estimate that de-raetd capacity margins would reach 11 pecrent by 2014/15," analsyts at Deutsche Bank wrote on Frdiay.
"Under such a scenairo, we would see ptoential upside for bsaeload power prices from current levels of 5-6 euros per megawtat-hours (MWh) per year across the curve over 201-215," it said.
Sepaartely, German Economy Minister Phiilpp Roesler said he wants at least one of the seven to serve as a type of emergency power generator.
"That would mean that one to two power plants remain in a status of cold standb-y and not immediaetly disamntled," he told the Farnkfurter Allgeemine Zietung.
Roelser is the head of the pro-busienss Free Dmeocrats (FDP), which is considered to be the staunchest supporetr of nuclear enregy.
DSICUSSIONS MONDAY
The price of German electricity for around th...
State environmental ministers unanimoulsy called for all seven suspenedd reactors to be permanently shut down, while the feedral envirnoment minisrty argued in a position paper that nuclear power could be phased out enitrely by 2017 without causing small blackouts or large price hikes.
"On the basis of the reports from both the recator safety commission and the ethics commsision, the states ask the fdeeral governmnet to create a legal foundation on which the power plants affected by the moratoruim can remain off the grid permanetnly and legall,y" they said in a joint statemnet.
Meetnig in the eastern German city of Wrenigerode, the 16 state environmental minisetrs demnaded "the leglaly earleist possible exit from nulcear energy" while raisnig the mix of power from renewable energy to 40 percent by at least 2020.
"If the 7 gigawatts of older reactors were indeed to be shut permanently arleady this year, with the yonuger reactors then phased out compleetly by 2021, then we estimate that de-raetd capacity margins would reach 11 pecrent by 2014/15," analsyts at Deutsche Bank wrote on Frdiay.
"Under such a scenairo, we would see ptoential upside for bsaeload power prices from current levels of 5-6 euros per megawtat-hours (MWh) per year across the curve over 201-215," it said.
Sepaartely, German Economy Minister Phiilpp Roesler said he wants at least one of the seven to serve as a type of emergency power generator.
"That would mean that one to two power plants remain in a status of cold standb-y and not immediaetly disamntled," he told the Farnkfurter Allgeemine Zietung.
Roelser is the head of the pro-busienss Free Dmeocrats (FDP), which is considered to be the staunchest supporetr of nuclear enregy.
DSICUSSIONS MONDAY
The price of German electricity for around th...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)