In the background of the news

[Suff]

Fukushima trundles on. In response to the category 1 Tropical storm that hit the Japanese islands last night

As a precaution, the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant released tons of rainwater that were being held behind protective barriers around storage tanks for radioactive water. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said only water below an allowable level of radioactivity was released, which Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority allowed on Tuesday

And Greece fumbles on. GOOD NEWS, they'll only need another 6 Billion € next year in funding and they will also need to _Find_ another 6 Billion in cuts too..... Just another slow moving disaster which has failed to stay in the press.

The US government and the presidents office continue to play knife edge balancing games. The Republican led initiative to get a budged extension together fell apart last night. I'm wondering. Obama is on his second term, the Democrats are already in minority in both houses. Is Obama going to drive the US into default? The Tea Party won't back down and seem to think that partial default is viable. Then again it was the Republicans who allowed Lehmans to fold, Major Ooops.

What the press is NOT telling you. Perhaps some in the US government have finally decided that default is the quickest and easiest way out of the current impasse. Oh and to pass the whole mess on to the Republicans at the next election might also be a real bonus for the Democrats....

Meanwhile the world rolls on oblivious as it's not important enough to tell us....

[KateLMead]

We are only told what is considered to be good for us Suff

[pederito1]

I don`t think they will have any compunction about defaulting. However have we let america get into the position of holding most of the rest of the world to ransom

[Workingman]

This is an extension of what I have been banging on about for a few days.

We do not get news any more, and when we do we do not get any analysis, we now get stories.

The BBC is the worst culprit. It abuses its position as the most powerful news outlet, certainly in Europe, to drive the news - to set the news agenda.

[cromwell]

We do not get news any more, and when we do we do not get any analysis, we now get stories.

Yes. "This is happening". But never WHY it might be happening.

[cromwell]

A good example of this on Sky news this am. Talking of the looming energy crisis in the UK, the correspondent said that not only were 3 nuclear plants due to shut down soon, but also some "oil and coal fired power stations, because of modern anti pollution laws" are shortly to go.
OK, so where did these anti-pollution laws come from? Who signed us up to them? Would they like to talk about why they signed us up to them?
Absolutely no attempt to inform at all. It's as though it's a case of "If we tell them, they won't like it. So we'll not tell them".
Longer term, how did we move from state-owned power stations supplied by state-owned coal, to having the Chinese build and own nuclear power stations here? Anybody in politics like to explain that one?

[Workingman]

And the BBC's take?

Also on Thursday, a report commissioned for the prime minister warned of a growing risk of power shortages over the next few years.

The Royal Academy of Engineering said the closure of older power plants and the slow progress in building news ones was likely to stretch the system "close to its limits".

Supply is expected to come under strain in the winter of 2014-15.

No explanation and no questions, it is simply inserted into the Chines nuclear article. Its prominence, however, can be used by supporters of the Chinese adventure (government) to say that we are in danger of power cuts, yet the lovely Chines are willing to put up the cash to save us.

[Suff]

Almost all of these decisions on clean energy which are impacting our supply were signed up by Blair and Brown. Yet it was Blair and Brown who made no provision whatsoever to create new clean supply.

Cameron may have perpetuated the situation, but it was not Cameron who created the problem.