Dangerous Times: Indifference Toward Panic
Dangerous Times: Indifference Toward Panic canada.com By Ray Grigg, Courier-Islander March 13, 2009 “……………………..We are beginning to see such ineffective responses to the issue of climate change. Politicians and the public and are now realizing that global warming is actually happening, that it is serious and we must take corrective action. In the evolution of awareness, we are just beginning the move from indifference toward panic. And just when we need cool reason and strategic wisdom, we are inclined to try solving new problems with old solutions…………………….
Nuclear power is another. The cost of building large stations is huge and rising. The time taken to plan and construct them also makes them impractical as a solution. Disposal and supervision of radioactive waste remains a multi-millennial problem. As well, uranium supplies are limited and would still expose nations to strategic shortages – just like oil. And the price of dismantling old reactors is staggering. At a minimum of $500 to $800 million per reactor, the world is facing at least $1 trillion over the next 30 years to decommission its 440 aging reactors and decontaminate their sites – whatever “decontaminate” means.
And this dismantling cost produces no new energy……………………………….
With so many intelligent options before us, we don’t need old rationales that justify more destruction of a planet already in peril from excessive abuse.
Instead, we need cool, pragmatic and visionary thinking to guide us wisely into a sustainable future.
Analysis: Nuke waste problem unsolved – UPI.com
Analysis: Nuke waste problem unsolvedBy STEFAN NICOLA, UPI Europe Correspondent March 13, 2009 March 13 (UPI) — In Europe, nuclear power is undergoing a revival, but the problem of how to best store highly radioactive nuclear waste is still not solved……………………one key issue hasn’t been solved yet: the storage of highly radioactive waste produced by nuclear reactors…………………..storing nuclear waste may be a bit harder than it sounds. The different types of waste radiate from 10,000 years to several million years; they would need to be sealed in repositories that are completely secure for such a period of time to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences in the case of leakage. Naturally, there exists no practical experience with such a long-term project — and short-term experience, alas, has been quite worrisome. Last September it surfaced that a German nuclear-waste storage site intended to simulate permanent storage was leaking, causing its security to rapidly deteriorate
Found out under the shade of a Coolibah | Herald Sun
Found out under the shade of a Coolibah Herald Sun
March 12, 2009 – “………………….. the big polluters’ favourite bedtime reading — the Coolibah newsletter.
Coolibah is an “energy communications and issues management consultancy” that “provides advisory services to government, industry associations, management consultancies and companies engaged in a wide range of energy activities and services”.
Its director is Keith Orchison, whose services to the petroleum and electricity industries earned him a Member of the Order of Australia award.
But, more significantly, he was a founding member of the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network — the greenhouse mafia — whose sole raison d’etre over the years has been to lobby governments hard to go softly on climate change policy…………………………….members include Alcoa, Bluescope Steel, Caltex, Cement Australia, CSR, Rio Tinto, Xstrata Coal and so on and so forth — the big polluters or in Senator Wong’s jargon, “the emissions intensive trade exposed groups”.
Most in this cohort have managed to extract concessions (free pollution permits) so significant from Senator Wong that now, the rest of the economy will have to foot the carbon reduction cost . . . thanks a lot, chappies.
The killing uranium fields of Topnaar Nama
The killing uranium fields of Topnaar Nama2009-03-12 15:20:00 Commodity Online (Courtesy: Unrepresented Nations and People’s Organisation- UNPO, PRLog)
NAMIBIA: Topnaar Nama people in Namibia are going through tough times even as the government is giving exploration licences to international companies. The Topnaar people now fear for their lives and existence. Uranium mining poses a considerable threat to general health, and lifestyle because of effects on underground and surface water resources………………………Whilst tragic results of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are well documented, the environmental and health problems that are a consequence of uranium exploration are less well known by the general global public.
During the development of the atomic bomb, thousands of mines were built in the Southwest of the United States and Northern Canada. The radioactive waste, known as tailings, that builds up in huge piles of rocks and slush outside the mines continues to threaten the wellbeing of local populations and contaminates the environment.
…………………Uranium can cause a wide variety of health problems. Miners and local communities drink contaminated water, eat contaminated food and breathe in radon gas and dust from the tailings. In addition to this, the extraction and processing of uranium ore uses huge amounts of highly sought-after water that cannot be recycled…………………………The problems associated with uranium mining are set to continue with its rising price as demand from nuclear power plant companies increases. Africa is especially at risk because companies are attracted by the lack of strict regulations.One community that is particularly at risk from uranium extraction is the Topnaar Nama, one of fourteen groups of Nama people. These groups traditionally lived in the southern parts of the Namib, which today is part of Namibia and adjacent to South Africa. This nomadic group breed their own livestock such as goats and cows, which, along with !Nara fruits make-up their main food staples. They now live their traditional way of life in the area of the Kuiseb River and canyon, south of Walvisbay and Svakopmund.
There are currently two mines operating in the Topnaar territory with the Namibian Government recently issuing more uranium exploration licenses to various international companies.
The lack of water, and other environmental issues related to uranium mining have other impacts on the Topnaar. ………………….It has been reported that workers of the Roessing mine, amongst them Topnaar people, are becoming ill and are dying. One Topnaar reported that his friend, a miner, had died a few weeks ago because of what the doctor referred to as ‘old mans illness’. He was only 60, and those within the Topnaar villages that have never worked in the mines live beyond 80 without any ‘old mans illness.’It is clear from the issuing of uranium exploration licenses that the Namibian Government is less than supportive towards the Topnaar peoples’ situation. This is despite the fact that the Namibian constitution states that traditional chiefs (captains or kings) of different tribes be included in parliament.
The killing uranium fields of Topnaar Nama | 12 March 2009 | www.commodityonline.com
Court papers reveal nuclear feud at Turkey Point
Court papers reveal nuclear feud at Turkey PointThe top nuclear operator at Turkey Point resigned after a huge outage because he felt his bosses were demanding an unsafe restart.
Miami Herald BY JOHN DORSCHNER 13 march 09
At 1:09 one afternoon last year, 90 metal rods slid into the cores of the two nuclear reactors at Turkey Point, part of an automatic shutdown that had been triggered by a utility worker’s blunder moments earlier at a substation miles away. A million customers lost power.
Florida Power & Light executives ordered that the reactors be back online within 12 hours, according to court documents. The plant’s top nuclear operator, David Hoffman, said that would be dangerous. When FPL executives disagreed with him, he walked out at 8 p.m., refusing to participate in actions he felt were unsafe
At 11:49 that night, Feb. 26, 2008, he submitted a heated resignation letter, blasting FPL for constantly putting cost savings ahead of safety and creating a horrible morale problem. ”People are not valued and are treated like equipment and numbers,” Hoffman wrote.
Hoffman’s charge offers a rare insight into safety complaints made by nuclear workers, who are often forbidden by contract from saying anything negative about their bosses. The information came to light because FPL is suing him for the return of a bonus, and he’s charging in a countersuit that the utility is improperly trying to silence his complaints about safety.
The information is being revealed at a crucial time as FPL is planning to build two new reactors at Turkey Point, part of a national resurgence of more than 20 new plants planned to reduce dependence on foreign oil and the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
Court papers reveal nuclear feud at Turkey Point – Front Page – MiamiHerald.com
Lawmakers nix Arizona ‘power park’ proposal | proposal
Lawmakers nix Arizona ‘power park’ proposal
Yma Sun March 12, 2009PHOENIX – State lawmakers killed a proposal Wednesday to create a new level of government to set up “power parks” around the state for new solar, wind and nuclear power plants……………………….Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, said he might have voted for it had the special benefits been limited to solar and wind plants. But he did not want to encourage more nuclear power plants in Arizona until the problems with dealing with radioactive waste have been worked out.
Lawmakers nix Arizona ‘power park’ proposal | proposal, arizona, lawmakers – News – YumaSun
Nuke French kiss to Canada?
Nuke French kiss
AECL could lose deal to build Ontario reactors to foreign firm
“…………………………..Documents obtained by the Canadian Press show over $1 billion of public funds going to the agency just in this year and last.That includes over $400 million directly into designing the new Candu.Finally, there is a growing consensus in the industry that the Ontario reactor deal is pretty well do or die for Atomic Energy.If the Ontario contract goes to one of the other bidders — the French giant Areva, or Westinghouse owned by Toshiba — so likely will the other Canadian deals.On the flip side, any government investing billions in a new reactor will naturally want to be sure it is the best value for taxpayers’ money — and that it works.AECL’s record of over-budget projects is so profound that it is doubtful any provincial government would order a Candu without a federal guarantee against cost overruns……………………………………….
Nuke French kiss | Greg Weston | Columnists | Comment | Winnipeg Sun
A Nuclear Pandora’s Box
A Nuclear Pandora’s Box Khaleej Times Claude Salhani13 March 2009 – “,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Until now Israel was the only country in the region armed with nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them. Now with Iran entering into the Middle East political arena, and given its ambitions to obtain nuclear capabilities, it opens up a whole new Pandora’s box.
A nuclear-powered Pandora’s box in the possession of the Islamic republic, and depending on which experts one listens to, the contents of which could become operational as early as 2010 or 2011. The danger, besides the obvious, is that of nuclear proliferation in the region. What will the reaction from other Arab countries likely be? Will Saudi Arabia and Egypt not want to follow suit?
Does adding nuclear weapons not just further complicate the peace process, if there is even such a thing left? Indeed, is the Arab-Israeli peace process, or what’s left of it, still salvageable? That question was raised this week by Aaron David Miller, a former Arab-Israeli peace negotiator and a former adviser to six US secretaries of State at a discussion held at the Nixon Center in Washington…………………………….
There are three avenues, none of which are likely to lead to a conclusive peace agreement in the Middle East. First is if Iran voluntarily reneges on its nuclear programme; chances of that happening are about as good as an ayatollah becoming pope.
Second is if Israel destroys some of Iran’s nuclear making capability, move that would only amplify the crisis and augment the level of animosity between Iran and Israel. And it would not stop Iran’s march towards nuclear armament. It would only accentuate it.
Third alternative: accept a nuclear powered Iran, a move that is very likely to kick off a nuclear proliferation race in the Middle East, as mentioned earlier.
Fermi 3 opposition takes legal action to block new nuclear reactor
Fermi 3 opposition takes legal action to block new nuclear reactor By Eartha Jane Melzer 3/11/09 5A coalition of environmental groups is asking federal regulators to put the brakes on the proposed expansion of the Fermi nuclear power plant in Monroe County on the grounds that it is unnecessary and poses threats to the environment and human health.Beyond Nuclear, Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination, Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario, Don’t Waste Michigan and the Sierra Club, are all representing locals who live within 50 miles of Fermi and therefore have legal standing to intervene in the reactor permitting process……………..
And spent fuel from the plant will be kept on site — perhaps forever, since the Obama administration has withdrawn support for the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility in Nevada. The presence of nuclear waste so close to the water supply for tens of million of people represents a threat to security and the environment, the groups contend………………………..
…………………..Environmental epidemiologist Robert Wahl of the department’s Environmental Health Division explained that while the state compiles data from clinicians on cancer cases in the state it does not have the resources to evaluate that data for trends and relies on citizens to alert the department when worrying cancer trends appear. Wahl said he would use Michigan Messenger’s reporting on Monroe County cancer rates as a starting point for analysis of cancer trends there.
Michigan Messenger » Fermi 3 opposition takes legal action to block new nuclear reactor
Cancer screening: Doing more harm than good?
Cancer screening: Doing more harm than good?What you need to know before your next mammogram or colonoscopy
msnbc By Shannon BrownleeTODAYupdated 10:12 a.m. ET March 12, 2009 – “…………….It’s hard to believe, but some researchers wouldn’t call Bull lucky at all. They say that yearly mammograms are not nearly as effective at reducing the risk of dying of breast cancer as most women think, and that mammography leads many women to get unnecessary treatment — especially those diagnosed with DCIS. The problem is bigger than just mammography:……………………………..screening tests pick up many small cancers that would never have caused any symptoms. “Screening for cancer means that tens of thousands of patients who never would have become sick are diagnosed with this disease,” says H. Gilbert Welch, MD, codirector of the Outcomes Group at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont, and a leading expert in cancer screening. “Once they’re diagnosed, almost everybody gets treated — and we know that treatment can cause harm.”……………………The flip side of this problem is that many screening tests do a great job at catching cancers that would never have caused problems and could simply have been left alone.
Cancer screening: Doing more harm than good? – TODAY Health- msnbc.com
McAuliffe fired up about green energy, not so much on nuclear
McAuliffe fired up about green energy, not so much on nuclear The News and Advance By Ray Reed
Published: March 11, 2009
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe announced the energy phase of the business model he’d use for governing Virginia on Wednesday, showing enthusiasm for new, green energy but little for existing sources such as coal and nuclear power……………………..
he said, there are questions about how to handle the waste from used fuel.
“But beyond all that is the pure economics” of nuclear power, McAuliffe said. “The average cost of a nuclear plant is $16 billion. The application fee for a license is $25 million,” he said.
“Dominion Power and the others are not going to be building new plants now, and you couldn’t find the financing if you wanted to build one.”
McAuliffe fired up about green energy, not so much on nuclear | Lynchburg News Advance
Silence clause aims to keep Turkey Point workers quiet
Silence clause aims to keep Turkey Point workers quiet Miami Herald BY JOHN DORSCHNER 13 March 09
Licensed nuclear operators at Turkey Point sit at control panels staring at meters that generally don’t do much. For this, they can earn up to $150,000 a year, including plentiful overtime, plus another $50,000 or so in bonuses. So why complain about their bosses at Florida Power & Light?
”The work atmosphere there is horrible,” says Thomas Saporito, a Turkey Point worker who was fired in 1988 but has stayed in touch with many workers since then. “No one wants to work at the plant because of the retaliatory atmosphere there. People are afraid to make complaints about safety.”
Nuclear operator complaints generally are made public only in public documents, such as lawsuits involving overtime or bonuses. Virtually all operators are reluctant to talk to journalists.
One reason is that many signed bonus agreements in which they promise not to say anything bad: ”The employee shall not, at any time in the future and in any way . . . make any statements that may be derogatory or detrimental to the company’s good name,” was the way it was phrased in the contract of David Hoffman.
Silence clause aims to keep Turkey Point workers quiet – Business – MiamiHerald.com
New manager and new fights for Cancer Society
New manager and new fights for Cancer Society Meridian Booster By Allison Wall q12 March 09
The Lloydminster Canadian Cancer Society is taking an unprecedented stand against a possible nuclear power facility near Paradise Hill.
Although the Saskatchewan government recently issued a release encouraging Bruce Power to continue laying groundwork for a possible facility in northwest Saskatchewan, the Canadian Cancer Society Lloydminster unit has developed a policy to educate the public about the health risks associated with nuclear facilities.
“The start is to educate people about it before they can make a decision on it … and people can voice their opinions,” said Wendy Clague, new manager of the Society’s Lloydminster unit.
The policy is the first of its kind for the Cancer Society in Canada……………………ncreased cancer risk has been associated with nuclear power facilities in some studies – a fact that made some at the meeting uneasy.
“We know there are many benefits to nuclear power, but we also know that nuclear facilities create many situations that affect the human health, plant life and the earth itself,” said Don Retzlaff, a guest at the Canadian Cancer Society Lloydminster unit annual general meeting. “There has been a considerable amount of research in the United States and Europe that indicated that nuclear power plants can create serious health problems.”
Retzlaff said statistics in United States and Europe have indicated a sharp increase in breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, particularly in women and children.
“In Germany and Ireland, women and children living within 50 kilometres of a nuclear facility have a one in six chance of developing leukemia,” said Retzlaff.
New manager and new fights for Cancer Society – Lloydminster Meridian Booster – Alberta, CA
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Probe finds health risks missed
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Probe finds health risks missed
ASSOCIATED PRESS By RITA BEAMISH – 11 March 09 The federal agency charged with protecting the public near toxic pollution sites often obscures or overlooks potential health hazards, uses inadequate analysis and fails to zero in on toxic culprits, congressional investigators and scientists say.A House investigative report says officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry “deny, delay, minimize, trivialize or ignore legitimate health concerns.”………………..…………..Randall Parrish, a researcher at the University of Leicester, England, found depleted uranium exposure in 20 percent of residents he tested in Colonie, N.Y., where a company once produced uranium weapons for the military. He recommended that ATSDR revisit the area because its earlier health study, without benefit of his test method, assumed it couldn’t detect past exposure or tie it to illness years after the plant closed.
The Associated Press: INSIDE WASHINGTON: Probe finds health risks missed
Spain says no decision yet on nuclear waste site
Spain says no decision yet on nuclear waste site
MADRID (Reuters) – The Spanish government has yet to decide when it will revive plans to find a site for storing spent nuclear fuel, Environment Minister Elena Espinosa said on Tuesday.
Spain has for several years planned to build a facility to house high-level waste for 60 years. The country’s nuclear power stations no longer have room to store much more than the 6,700 tonnes of spent fuel rods they have accumulated.
Spain says no decision yet on nuclear waste site | Environment | Reuters
1 This Month
10 June – Assessing Canada’s Investments in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors – https://zoom.us/meeting/register/IiqHA5feRhaEBycOLNTJlA#/registration
Cuba Is Not a Failed State – It Is a Besieged State
PETITION: “Global Appeal to Endorse Palestinian Right of Return of Refugees”
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Greg Weston get your facts straight. The reactor (European Pressurized Reactor) that Areva is currently building in Finland is 3 years late, 50% over budget and still not done yet. Areva has only sold 4 of these European Pressurized Reactors in the past. One to Finland, one to France and two to China. You were only off by 96 when you said Areva has built 100 of these already. Not to mention that Teollisuuden Voima, the Finnish company that purchased the reactor, is seeking damages of $3.9 billion because of the delays thus far. Also, Siemens, the German company that partnered with Teollisuuden Voima on this Finnish project, is now looking to pull out because of all of the problems with construction.
E.B., March 12th 2009, 2:08pm