nuclear-news

Politics

It’s hard to get a handle on “nuclear politics”. This seemingly simple term relates to so many important issues. These include: – the history of nuclear energy, – its early role in the development of the atomic bomb, – its commercial “peaceful role – its supposed solution to the energy crisis, – its supposed role in combating climate change.

Today’s nuclear poltics involve the efforts of giant companies, such as France’s AREVA, Russia’s Rosatom and in the U.S. companies like Westinghouse, to promote their products to the world. This promotion is always couched in terms of “helping countries to get cheap eneergy”, and “combating global warming”. However, it is pretty obvious that the countries that want nuclear power really want it for weapons development. Meanwhile, the nuclear companies look to establish a profitable enterprise, and, and also to develop power and influence. This is especially noticeable in the case of Russia. But France and the U.S.A also seek to develop a powerful hold on the energy methods of other countries.

At home, governments such as those of thge U.S.A., France, U.K., Russia, China, India, Israel … (it’s a growing list) seek to maintain and expand their nuclear weapons arsenal. The push for “peaceful” nuclear power is a mask covering their weapons aims.

Despite all the conferences and fuss about nuclear weapons, the real international political deal is all about SELLING. Nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear wastes, all threaten to bankrupt the countries that have them. So the political pursuit today is by the big nuclear powers to market their nuclear technology to other countries. This is easiest to do in non democratic countries, by selling nuclear power to governments.

International nuclear politics today is a global problem, – but one that is seen by each government through the narrow focus of its own military and commercial interest.

31 countries have nuclear power, and 8 are known to have nuclear weapons. Most countries have neither of those, but might still be involved in the nuclear process, through having uranium mining, or nuclear waste dumps.

UNITED STATES of AMERICA. The nation that first developed the nuclear bomb, and nuclear energy technology, the USA is in quite a mess today over the issue. It is divided by its antagonistic politics, and wedded to its nuclear weaponry. The powerful military industrial complex, and wealthy industrial lobbies push for nuclear weaponry, and for nuclear sales abroad. But at home, the nuclear power industry stagnates, and the unsolved problem of USA’s tonnes of radioactive wastes is a political nightmare.

RUSSIA. The nation that worst developed nuclear bombs and nuclear energy is at  home beset by intractable nuclear waste problems. “Worst developed” because it is apparent that Russia’s history is one of poor safety, irresponsible management of nuclear tests and nuclear wastes, secrecy and lies about nuclear issues. Russia, with its state owned nuclear industry, aims to become the empire of the world, in commercial sales of nuclear energy and nuclear technology.

at right – Sergei Kiriyenko – Russia’s top nuclear “tsar” and salesman

FRANCE holds the dubious reputation of being the world’s most secretive nuclear power. At home, France relies on nuclear energy for most of its electricity – a mistake that is becoming apparent as its nuclear reactors age, and its new nuclear power plans prove mega costly.

France’s history of secrecy includes its many nuclear tests in the Pacific islands, making sure of no records of radiation-affected populations there, and its notorious attack on the Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand. France exports radioactive wastes to the irresponsibly managed dumps in Siberia, and maintains its secrecy over waste disposal, and over its true nuclear power costs. Its history of uranium mining in Niger is one of exploitation of indigenous people. Currently AREVA’s activities in Niger are threatened, with the kidnapping of AREVA employees there.

France, through its mainly government owned company, AREVA, pushes sales of its nuclear technology to well – anyone around the world in a desperate pitch to make nuclear power look viable.

GREAT BRITAIN . the United Kingdom has aging nuclear power plants, and nuclear weapons. The current UK government is in a dilemma about replacing its Trident nuclear missiles, because of the cost (and the irrelevance of them to present-day security threats)

Japan is currently in some turmoil over the disaster at its Fukushima nuclear plant

JAPAN’s nuclear industry includes a new nuclear reprocessing plant, and its nuclear power industry aims to be a nuclear sales exporter. Earthquakes are a threat to Japan’s nuclear plants, and Japan has a vigorous anti-nuclear movement.

CHINA The China Atomic Energy Agency oversees China’s nuclear weapons and nuclear energy plants and programs. China’s state-owned nuclear corporations have ambitious plans for nuclear energy in China, and for nuclear sales abroad, already selling to Pakistan. Like France and Russia, China seeks to develop uranium mining in other countries.

Also, like France and Russia, China’s nuclear waste disposal is shrouded in secrecy, but is known to be done in rural areas, where impoverished indigenous peoples find their land contaminated. China’s entrenched secrecy and censorship have prevented any national scrutiny of the safety of their nuclear facilities, many of which are in earthquake and flood-prone regions.

INDIA continues to expand its nuclear weaponry, and will not join the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. India has plans to increase nuclear energy. However, the Bhopal gas disaster of 1986 has left India more aware than other countries of the possibility of catastrophic nuclear accidents. India is unwilling to let foreign nuclear suppliers off the hook of liability for accidents.

EUROPE is a mixed bag when it comes to nuclear politics. While a number of countries have nuclear power plants, European people are divided on the issue, with a general preference for truly clean, renewable energy, and also a general ambivalence about nuclear weapons, especially about USA keeping a nuclear missile shield in Europe. GERMANY is currently in turmoil over nuclear power, and the Merkel government is in electoral trouble as a result.

SOUTH KOREA bought nuclear technology from USA, then launched into its own production of nuclear reactors, and now seeks to be the Asian champion of nuclear reactor sales, through its state-owned company KEPCO.

PAKISTAN Apart from having some 200 nuclear weapons, Pakistan has a small nuclear power industry, supported now by China. The Pakistan government maintain that its nuclear facilities are safe, but Western fears of nuclear terrorism continue, and heighten anxiety over the actvities of al-Qaida.

ISRAEL tries to solve the nuclear weapons problem by pretending it doesn’t have them, and refusing to join the Nuclear non Proliferation Treaty. This refusal causes an international political problem, seeing that Iran has signed the Treaty.

IRAN is being helped by Russia to develop nuclear power. While Iran maintains that it does not seek nuclear weapons,
President Ahmadinejad continues inflammatory verbal attacks on Israel, and people within and outside Iran mistrust his intentions.

NORTH KOREA, under hereditary Communist leader Kim Jong il, pursues nuclear weaponry, at the expense of its poverty stricken people, and to the anxiety of South Korea and of the international community

CANADA is tied to the nuclear process more because of its uranium export industry. It does have nuclear power, and quite a debate about renewing it. AUSTRALIA has no nuclear power, but actively pursuing its uranium export industry.

AFRICA – nuclear power limited to South Africa, but several African countries host foreign uranium mines SOUTH AMERICA Nuclear power limited to Argentina. Brazil and Mexico ASIA and MIDDLE EAST – Countries in these regions are the target customers for the nuclear lobbies of USA, Russia, France, China.