Chernobyl safety structure short of funds
A shelter to cover and secure the wreckage of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is only half funded and construction may have to stop, Russian officials say. The new shelter is being built over the existing “sarcophagus” that covers almost 200 tons of melted nuclear fuel rods left inside the damaged reactor as a result of the 1986 disaster, the BBC reported Wednesday. Following the explosion on April 26, 1986, thousands of workers risked their lives and health to build the sarcophagus, always intended to be temporary, around the reactor. The new permanent cover is expected to cost $2.2 billion, but despite promises made at successive Group of 8 conferences, funding is still falling short, officials said. The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development acknowledges it is a difficult time to raise funds but says countries should think beyond the current economic climate.
Global Food Prices Hit Record High
Global food prices hit a new high in January and are expected to worsen after a massive snowstorm in the United States and floods in Australia. The price of wheat, corn and soybean are all near record highs.
Shell Oil Records $18.6 Billion Profit in 2010
As gas prices at the pump continue to climb, Shell Oil has announced its profits doubled last year to $18.6 billion. That means Shell made slightly more than $50 million every day last year.