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A Look at Uranium Mining

A Look at Uranium Mining Texas Vox July 8, 2009 by Public Citizen Texas

“………………………There is one destructive aspect of nuclear power that public discourse tends to be especially silent on. Just as coal industry apologists brush over the enormous damage caused by coal mining, any discussion of nuclear is power is likely to be silent on the damage done by uranium mining.

The damage to human health associated with uranium mining is huge. Historically, uranium miners have had a significantly higher risks of developing small cell Carcinoma, which is a likely product of their exposure to Radon-222 — a cancer causing agent created by decaying uranium. The presence of Radon gas also makes uranium mines a very dangerous work environment.………………………..

Last year the French mining company Areva was nominated for a Public Eye Award (a recognition intended for companies who brought about the most social or ecological damage) by Pro Natura (Switzerland’s branch of Friends of The Earth), and the Berne Declaration development campaign. The nomination came from the company’s perceived failure to adequately disclose the risks associated with uranium mining to its workers in Niger, as well as neglecting to treat patients who are unable to pay at company hospitals. Workers also mentioned deaths caused by radioactive contamination of air and ground water.

Aside from the dangers of uranium exposure, mining projects  also cause considerable damage to the local environments and to the health of people who live nearby.

A Look at Uranium Mining « TexasVox: The Voice of Public Citizen in Texas

July 13, 2009 Posted by | 2 WORLD, environment | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another Green World: Nuclear power? No point, says new report

Nuclear power? No point, says new report

Another Green World 12 july 09 In Nuclear Power? No Point! the Green Party’s spokesperson on trade and industry, Darren Johnson AM, reviews recent developments and argues that:a.. Nuclear power provides less than 4% of UK energy – which is far less than could be saved by energy-efficiency measures that would cut people’s fuel bills.b.. New nuclear stations will not help the fight against climate change because major CO2 reductions are needed in the next ten years. New nuclear power stations could not be built fast enough.c.. Massive investment in renewables could deliver the necessary short-term CO2 cuts – but “feeding cash to the nuclear delusion” could help starve the renewables industry of some of the investment and skilled personnel it needs to grow rapidly.d.. The nuclear industry’s current financial problems cast serious doubt on its ability to deliver new power stations anyway. Darren Johnson, who is currently chair of the London Assembly and Green Party candidate for Lewisham Deptford, said today:

“The industry that was going to produce electricity ‘too cheap to meter’ has landed us with massive costs for handling its dangerous waste. Now the nuclear industry can’t even give us a reliable quote for the cost of a power station. The current projects in Finland and France are experiencing safety concerns, long delays and big overspends.

“There’s no point expecting nuclear to solve the climate crisis, because new stations couldn’t be built fast enough to help achieve the big CO2 reductions we need to make in the next ten years – which mature renewables could deliver.

“There is no point even considering nuclear power, because demand-reduction measures could easily save far more power than nuclear could generate. And the latest studies argue convincingly that green energy sources with a European smart grid could provide all the power we need.”

Another Green World: Nuclear power? No point, says new report

July 13, 2009 Posted by | climate change, ENERGY, UK | , , , | Leave a comment