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U.S. Space Command reveals fire at nuclear missile silo : NewsHerald.com

U.S. Space Command reveals fire at nuclear missile silo

NEWSHERALD November 17, 2008
By Tom Roeder
Freedom Newspapers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A fire in a Wyoming missile silo last spring exposed more problems in the oversight of the nation’s nuclear ICBM fleet………………………

The command, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, released an accident investigation report on the silo fire Oct. 30, but had made no previous announcement of the incident. The Air Force has been under fire for months for failure to properly safeguard nuclear weapons in other incidents that led to the firing of the service’s top civilian and military leaders and discipline for several officers linked to nuclear problems.

The fire occurred May 23 at an undisclosed location outside Cheyenne, Wyo, where the Minuteman III missile is stored, ready for firing in an underground launch facility……………

John Pike, a nuclear expert with the think-tank GlobalSecurity.org said that the findings or the accident investigation, which revealed that duct tape was being used as a repair material in the silo, are cause for serious concern.

“The notion that you’re patching up your H-bombs with duct tape is not encouraging,” Pike said. “You also have to wonder if you have this sloppy activity that is revealed by a fire happened, how much other sloppy activity has not detected.”

U.S. Space Command reveals fire at nuclear missile silo : NewsHerald.com

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November 17, 2008 Posted by | safety | Leave a comment

Climate changes may lead to violence, experts warn | National | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle

Global climate changes could lead to violenceExperts say it will accelerate the race for food, water
chron.com By SCOTT CANONMcClatchy-TribuneNov. 15, 2008, “…………………The Earth’s fast-changing climate has a range of serious thinkers — from military brass to geographers to diplomats — predicting a spate of armed conflicts driven by the weather…………………………We will pay for this one way or another,” wrote retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, the former chief of the U.S. Central Command. “We will pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today, and we’ll have to take an economic hit of some kind. Or, we will pay the price later in military terms. And that will involve human lives. There will be a human toll.”…………………………”Governments that are already weak will be destabilized much more often and much more easily,” said Jay Gulledge, a senior scientist at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change……………………………….

Even efforts to mitigate global warming could prove dangerous.

Nuclear power …………….could mean the spread of doomsday technology to unstable parts of the world. Iran already is thought to be cloaking nuclear weapons ambitions inside “peaceful” nuclear facilities.

Climate changes may lead to violence, experts warn | National | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle

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November 17, 2008 Posted by | weapons and war | Leave a comment

10 major miscues – News Extras – The State

10 major miscues
The State

Nov. 16, 2008 – “………………when the Department of Health and Environmental Control missteps, South Carolinians’ lives and property can be at risk…………

NUCLEAR WASTE, SECRECY: BARNWELL

It was common knowledge that radioactive chemicals had leaked into groundwater from the 235-acre landfill where much of the nation had long sent its low-level nuclear waste. But at the request of operator Chem-Nuclear, DHEC for years kept secret details about the contamination. Only in 2007, after a legislative debate on the contamination’s severity prompted The State newspaper to challenge the secrecy, did DHEC release the information. The unsealed data showed radioactive tritium levels rivaling some at the nearby Savannah River Site, a repository not for low-level nuclear waste but deadly, high-level waste. Lawmakers voted to close the landfill to all but three states.

10 major miscues – News Extras – The State

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November 17, 2008 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Kissinger fears Pakistan could become a ‘failed state’

Kissinger fears Pakistan could become a ‘failed state’
Press Trust of India 17 Nov 08 New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) Fearing that Pakistan could become a “failed state”, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger today said the Barack Obama administration will be faced with the challenge of preventing that as it could be an “extraordinary” situation considering that Pakistan has nuclear weapons.
Kissinger also suggested that the George W Bush government had “failed” on the Afghanistan front and said the next regime will have to conduct re-evaluation of the problem posed by the war-torn country.

Kissinger fears Pakistan could become a ‘failed state’

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November 17, 2008 Posted by | weapons and war | 1 Comment

10 major miscues – News Extras – The State

10 major miscues
The State

Nov. 16, 2008 – “………………when the Department of Health and Environmental Control missteps, South Carolinians’ lives and property can be at risk…………

NUCLEAR WASTE, SECRECY: BARNWELL

It was common knowledge that radioactive chemicals had leaked into groundwater from the 235-acre landfill where much of the nation had long sent its low-level nuclear waste. But at the request of operator Chem-Nuclear, DHEC for years kept secret details about the contamination. Only in 2007, after a legislative debate on the contamination’s severity prompted The State newspaper to challenge the secrecy, did DHEC release the information. The unsealed data showed radioactive tritium levels rivaling some at the nearby Savannah River Site, a repository not for low-level nuclear waste but deadly, high-level waste. Lawmakers voted to close the landfill to all but three states.

10 major miscues – News Extras – The State

November 17, 2008 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

WWW.WPCVA.COM

STAR TRIBUNE Sue Pruitt November 12, 2008 – “……………….Do they think if you do not live near the mines that they will be safe? The answer is no.

Winds from open-pit uranium can blow uranium-laced dust up to 50 or more miles away.

Floods can wash uranium tailings into our rivers, and radon gas can be carried by the winds.

Remember the fires in North Carolina; the smoke made it as far as Roanoke. The winds will carry the uranium particles to all parts of the county and the City of Danville, plus Halifax County, North Carolina, etc.

Water contamination, heavy rains will flood the uranium tailings ponds, which means overflow will happen.

This means the Banister River will be polluted. The river flows toward the drinking water for Halifax and Bugs Island, which goes to Virginia Beach and Kerr Lake for the Raleigh- Durham area. Eventually it makes its way to the sounds of North Carolina and the Atlantic………………….The great and innovative people of our country can rise to our energy problems without decimating our environment, communities and future generations.

WWW.WPCVA.COM

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November 17, 2008 Posted by | environment | Leave a comment

Coal Regains Crown As Slump In Nuclear Output Raises Fears Of Power Shortages (from Sunday Herald)

Coal regains crown as slump in nuclear output raises fears of power shortages

sundayherald 16 Nov 08  POWER SUPPLIERS are turning back the clock to use coal-fired plants as their main source of electricity in a bid to avert potential shortages this winter.

Latest figures from the National Grid show that the fuel accounted for 42.5% of all power generation, overtaking natural gas production for the first time in years.

The surge, from a usual level of little more than a third of total output, comes as the major networks seek to fill a gap caused by a slump in nuclear energy output at East Kilbride-based British Energy.

Nuclear power accounted for as little as 10.5% of output during peak times last week. This is roughly half the levels of a couple of years ago and there had been fears that we could see the first power shortages as early as this month………………..imported power from France reached a peak of more than 4% last week………………………..While the UK as a whole is struggling to meet EU targets to gain 20% of its energy from renewable sources, first minister Alex Salmond  believes Scotland could get up to 50% of its own needs from wind farms, tidal energy and biomass as well as hydro-electricity by the same date………………..n contrast, British Energy chairman Bill Coley……….will confirm that the continuing problems among the group’s eight nuclear power stations led to a 27% slump in output in the opening half of the year despite rising production from its coal-fired plant at Eggborough.

The group’s big B21 reactor in Dungeness recently re-opened after four months’ closure, but four reactors at Hartlepool and Heysham will remain closed until early next year for boiler repairs.

Coal Regains Crown As Slump In Nuclear Output Raises Fears Of Power Shortages (from Sunday Herald)

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November 17, 2008 Posted by | business and costs | Leave a comment