nuclear-news

This week’s news – climate, pandemic, nuclear

Every year there’s a  ”Year of” something. I’m thinking that 2020 should be called the Year Of Obfuscation”, (another wonderful word that I’ve learned. )  The world needs to cut through this mixture of lies and omissions.

For a start, there’s the wealth of propaganda concerning the coronavirus pandemic. For various reasons, it’s THE topic right now for disinformation. Some world  leaders minimise or deny the seriousness of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the WHO reports record increase in daily virus cases.  Second wave of coronavirus continues to sweep across Europe.

Climate change denialism thrives, ( -you can add  “extinction denial”too.)  A climate change denialist is given top role at a major U.S. science agency. But – It’s Climate Change, Stupid.  The Berkeley Earth Project–  shows that it’s gotten warmer pretty much everywhere and that there really is no factor that can explain this warming other than anthropogenic emissions.

As for nuclear news,  tap “nuclear”into Google news, and you will get a stream of articles touting small nuclear reactors as the big future for curing climate change. A rare find in such a stream – Nuclear power is not climate-effective, even if only because of comparative costs and delays.

Some bits of good news –   Some positive COVID-19 trends emerged in August in parts of the US, and elsewhere. – New York Turned the World’s Largest Garbage Dump into a Green Oasis of Native Grasses That Also Powers Homes

“Event attribution science” assesses the big role of climate change in weather extremes. Endless summers, endless wildfires. Earth may temporarily pass dangerous 1.5℃ warming limit by 2024, major new report says .

United in Science report: Climate Change has not stopped for COVID19– Why climate change has the potential to cause more pandemics.

Importance of the ocean’s biological carbon pump.  Climate engineering: Modelling projections oversimplify risks

Compelling new documentary ‘I am Greta Thunberg’.

INJUSTICE at work? The extradition trial of Julian Assange.  Julian Assange’s extradition hearing in London. What can we expect? Professor Paul Rogers – a witness explaining how Julian Assange is to be extradited for POLITICAL REASONS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLJj_L56-YA

Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is getting close to the 50 ratifications needed to bring it into legal force.

Investigative journalism -Big Oil is cheating the public on “recycling” of plastic.

Global population slowdown – good news for the planet’s ecology.

ARCTIC.  The Arctic is transitioning from a climate of snow and ice to one of water and rain.  Climate change causing major changes in Arctic insect communities.  Climate change and the loss of sea otters.  Russian nuclear submarines ‘hunted’ by NATO forces in the Barents sea.

AFRICA.  Senegal suburbs remain under water days after ‘exceptional rainfall’  Farmland submerged as severe floods hit Nigeria 

 

EUROPE.  Climate activists mourn receding glaciers in the Alps

CANADA. Campaign against nuclear fuel waste storage in South Bruce, Canada.  Bruce County divided over becoming permanent site to store Canada’s nuclear waste.

JAPAN. Opposition in Kamoenai to hosting nuclear waste dump. Suttsu, Hokkaido residents oppose radioactive waste dump plan.  Fukushima’s citizen radiation testers still on the job. Radioactive soil plan casts shadow over Fukushima village. “The nuclear plant took everything…” Tokyo Olympics must be held at ‘any cost’, says Japanese minister.

USA.

• American TV news covers wildfires, but mostly is careful not to mention climate change.  Climate change should be the central focus of the American presidential debates.  Unprecedented wildfires in three American states.
•  Joe Biden, if President would re-enter nuclear deal with Iran.
• Donald Trump’s claim to have a new secret new weapon system, blowing a defense secret!  Donald Trump says US has incredible nuclear weapons; denies leaking classified info. What a way to spend tax-payers’money! $13.3 billion to Northrop Grumman for new nuclear missiles.  Donald Trump confuses the experts with his claims about secret new nuclear weapon.    In “The Button,” former Defense Secretary William J. Perry and Tom Z. Collina survey the dangers of nuclear escalation.  A Republican voter changes sides – wants nuclear disarmament.
• No good reason for USA to start testing nuclear weapons again . Arizona’s cancer toll from nuclear testing: the fight for recognition and compensation.
•  Nuclear waste disposal problem National Nuclear Security Administration’s elephant in the desert.
• Connecticut senate candidate Ryan Fazio‘s very bad idea – to build more nuclear power plants.
•  More reports of drones flying near Paolo Verde nuclear power plant, and others, and over spent nuclear fuel storage sites.
• The sorry history of the Vogtle nuclear boondoggle:  it must be stopped.   Dominion Energy wants to prolong old nuclear reactors – yet again!  Broad support among Ohio lawmakers for the repeal of nuclear bailout law. Ohio’s House Bill 60 – bailing out nuclear power, will not save consumers money.
• NuScam’s ”Small” Nuclear Reactor Design Is Approved, but cost, safety, public acceptance, hurdles loom against them.
• U.S. federal government must speed up Los Alamos nuclear waste cleanup and do it properly.  Bob Halstead has done a great job defending Nevada from nuclear waste dumping at Yucca Mountain.

UK.

• Scottish peace activist calls for timetable for the removal of nuclear weapons and submarines if independence is achieved.  Unmarked ?nuclear convoy with strong military police guard sweeps through Bristol city centre.
• Petition to Wales Parliament – demands an environmental assessment on Hinkley nuclear mud dumping.
• A powerful message on the seismic dangers in Hinkley Point C nuclear construction. It would be cheaper to pull out now.    Hinkley Point B nuclear station could close down early – EDF.
•   Suffolk County Council unable to back £20billion Sizewell new nuclear power station as the present plan stands.  EDF made exaggerated and unrealistic claims about local jobs to be provided by Sizewell nuclear power project.
• Britain’s National Audit Office warns on costs of cleaning up old nuclear plants. Magnox nuclear clear-up cost soars to £9bn. Huge challenge to decontaminate Dounreay: ‘World’s deepest nuclear clean-up‘.  UK. For thehighly radioactive Dounreay nuclear site, a mobile robot will be used to identify the toxic structures.
• In 1951, Winston Churchill suggested dropping nuclear bombs on Russia.

CHINA. Effective nuclear arms control engagement with China – the View from Beijing.

FRANCE.  France’s secrecy over its deplorable history of nuclear bomb testing in Algeria.   France’s weekly nuclear power generation drops.

SAUDI ARABIA. IAEA Providing Support for Saudi Arabia as It Plans to Adopt Nuclear Energy

SPAIN. Spain’s Asco 1 nuclear plant taken offline for three-day halt

INDIA. India and China both have a nuclear no-first-use policy– nuclear war between them is less likely.

SOUTH KOREA.  South Korea’s nuclear reactors affected by Typhoon Haishen: 2 reactors stopped.

IRAN. Iran has halted numerous cyber-attacks on its nuclear plants.

INDIA.  The impediments to India’s nuclear power dream.

UKRAINE.  Chernobyl nuclear power plant gets special permission to run ‘hot’ tests with nuclear waste.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. United Arab Emirates’ unnecessary nuclear power push could bring dangerous, catastrophic consequences.

NORTH KOREA. The United States and its allies must learn how to live safely with a nuclear North Korea.

AUSTRALIA.  Australia’s environmental scientists are being gagged.  Australia’s environmental law: the danger in moving powers to the States.  Dissent and anger: Senate divided over nuke dump push . Deep disagreement on federal radioactive waste plan. 

September 14, 2020 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes