Science : NPR

Got Radiation? Only Harmless Traces Found In U.S. Milk

Cows that consume feed, grass or water contaminated with radioactive iodine-131 can concentrate the element in their milk. Peter Elvidge/iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption

Peter Elvidge/iStockphoto.com

Shots - Health News

Got Radiation? Only Harmless Traces Found In U.S. Milk

March 31, 2011 • The FDA found a small amount of radioactive iodine in milk from Spokane, Wash., but experts and officials agree that the amount is far from dangerous. If anything, the news is just evidence that U.S. detection equipment is pretty darn sensitive, one expert says.

Chu Discusses Push To Reduce Foreign Oil Reliance

March 31, 2011 • Melissa Block talks with Energy Secretary Steven Chu about the president's call to slash one-third of U.S. oil imports by 2025 — and whether the administration's push toward nuclear energy has been derailed by the disaster taking place in Japan.

The Future Of Nuclear Energy In The U.S.

A view of the Three Mile Island power plant near Harrisburg, Pa., site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. In 1979, a reactor at the plant experienced a partial meltdown, but radioactive material never escaped containment. Bradley Bower/AP Photo hide caption

toggle caption

Bradley Bower/AP Photo

Energy

The Future Of Nuclear Energy In The U.S.

Fresh Air

March 31, 2011 • Before the Fukushima disaster, nuclear power was being rebranded as a green form of energy. New York Times energy reporter Matt Wald explains how the situation in Japan is now raising questions about the safety and disposal of nuclear waste in the U.S.

Health

Japan's Nuclear Crisis: Health

March 31, 2011 • This collection of stories focuses on the health issues following the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

Japan's Nuclear Crisis: Science

March 31, 2011 • This collection of stories focuses on the science of the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

Bird's-Eye View Shows Vast Damage At Nuclear Plant

The facilities at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant were designed to withstand strong earthquakes and tsunamis, but not to the strength and size experienced on March 11. Air Photo Service/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Air Photo Service/AP

The Picture Show

Bird's-Eye View Shows Vast Damage At Nuclear Plant

March 31, 2011 • Aerial photographs of the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan show just how badly the facility was damaged by the earthquake, tsunami, explosions and fires.

Timeline: A Nuclear Crisis Unfolds In Japan

AP

Japan's Nuclear Crisis: Science

Timeline: A Nuclear Crisis Unfolds In Japan

March 31, 2011 • A timeline of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which has leaked radiation since it was damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Tapping The Earth For Energy Savings Year-Round

Mike Barlow has been installing geothermal systems for 20 years. But he says a 30 percent federal tax credit is increasing the popularity of the systems for families with modest houses. Elizabeth Shogren/NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Elizabeth Shogren/NPR

Energy

Tapping The Earth For Energy Savings Year-Round

March 30, 2011 • Increasing numbers of homeowners are installing geothermal heat pumps, which take advantage of the constant temperature underground to provide more efficient heating and cooling. Initial costs are high, but a 30 percent federal tax credit can make the systems more affordable.

Japan Plant: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Tokyo Electric Power Co. Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata (second from right) and other executives bow prior to a press conference at the company's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday. Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images