2010 January 13 « nuclear-news

What time will the nuclear ‘doomsday clock’ show?

Nuclear ‘doomsday clock’ to be reset New Scientist Debora MacKenzie, January 12, 2010 Which way will it go? On Thursday the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will adjust the minute hand on its iconic clock, showing how many minutes we are to midnight.
In ominous Cold War symbolism, it illustrates how close the Bulletin thinks humanity is to ultimate catastrophe.Are we closer to midnight? Or have we moved, shaking but relieved, a little further away?………
After all, the last time the hand moved, in 2007, it was from seven to five, partly because of then-US President George W. Bush’s faith in nukes and dislike of arms control.

Nuclear ‘doomsday clock’ to be reset – Short Sharp Science – New Scientist

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Breast cancer risk increased due to early radiation exposure

Cancer News: Early radiation exposure raises breast cancer risk Jan 11, 2010 (foodconsumer.org) –– Exposure to radiotherapy or radiation-based diagnostics like computed tomography (CT scans) in early childhood increases breast cancer risk in adulthood, a new study in the Jan 2010 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention…… Continue reading →

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Airport scanning and radiation

Radiation and whole-body scanners Budget Travel by: Sean O’Neill, Jan 12,” …………….. a short Q&A on the topic of cancer risk and whole-body scanning machines.
The Transportation Security Administration TSA has deployed two types of scanners. One type uses X-rays and emits some ionizing radiation. These machines are called “backscatter” scanners. The other type of machine uses radio waves, does not emit ionizing radiation, and produces fuzzier images. Continue reading →

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

The two types of airport scanners

Imaging Technology Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 13 Jan 2010
“………Use of advanced imaging technology is optional to all passengers.

Millimeter Wave

Millimeter wave technology beams millimeter wave radio frequency (RF) energy in the advanced imaging spectrum over the body’s surface at high speed from two antennas simultaneously as they rotate around the body.
The energy reflected back from the body or other objects on the body is used to construct a three-dimensional image.
The three-dimensional image, with facial features blurred for privacy, is displayed on a remote monitor for analysis.

Backscatter

Backscatter technology uses low level X-ray to create a two-sided image.
TSA is testing backscatter with an algorithm applied to the entire image to further protect passenger privacy.

TSA: Imaging Technology

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Jobs Act would sneak in a bonus for nuclear

Unfortunately, one of the most important environmental measures ever to come before our state Legislature – the Clean Energy Jobs Act, or Assembly Bill 649 – contains a provision that would weaken our nuclear safeguards. The provision would completely remove the requirement for a nuclear waste repository.

Diane Farsetta: Remove nuclear provisions from Clean Energy Jobs Act LaCrosse Tribune By Diane Farsetta / Madison January 11, 2010 Continue reading →

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Obama recognising nuclear terrorism as the greatest risk

Shifting Nuclear Strategy To Focus On Nuclear Terrorism The Wonk Room, National Secvurity By Max Bergmann 13 Jan 2010 In a reported shift that has the nuclear bureaucracy in the Pentagon up in arms, the President wants the new Nuclear Posture Review – the document that lays out US nuclear strategy to actually focus on the gravest security threat to this country: nuclear terrorism. Continue reading →

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Depleted uranium – the ultimate ‘friendly fire’

POISON BULLETS – depleted uranium munitions – the ultimate friendly fire (Video) Free Planet by Mike Philbin 13 Jan 2010
Many American and British soldiers who have returned from Iraq are complaining about Depleted Uranium-related illnesses. They accuse both the Pentagon and the UK Ministry of Defense of covering up the problem.

Poison Bullets follows doctors and experts as they voice their opposing views in the DU controversy and travels to the US, Great Britain, Jordan, Iraq and Spain, where we meet many of those who are victims of both DU-related diseases and the indifference of government officials.

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, depleted uranium | antinuclear, cancer, depleted, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear’s hidden costs, while renewable energy is feasible

Research that is reviewed in the November issue of Scientific American shows that renewables can meet 100 per cent of the world’s energy needs (not just electricity) and that it is technically feasible to do it by 2030.

(USA) Subsidies disguise the real cost of nuclear power FT.com January 12 2010 Dr Gerry Wolff.The real cost of nuclear power is disguised by several subsidies. Without those subsidies, the price of nuclear electricity would rise to a level that would make it deeply unattractive to investors. Continue reading →

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change, renewable | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, renewable energy, renewables | Leave a comment

Killing of Iranian nuclear scientist

Allegations fly over Iranian scientist’s assassinationTehran claims west was behind killing of nuclear physicist who was a supporter of Iranian opposition Julian Borger Saeed Kamali Dehghan guardian.co.uk, 12 January 2010 and “………He was a particle physicist and a supporter of the Iranian opposition movement, raising the possibility he had become the latest victim in a covert war over Iran‘s nuclear aspirations. It is a war in which scientists find themselves potential soft targets. Continue reading →

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes | Leave a comment

Opposition to uranium mining in Virginia

Virginia Against Uranium Mining By Deirdre Fernandes The Virginian-PilotJ anuary 12, 2010VIRGINIA BEACH The state is considering lifting its 28-year ban on uranium mining, a move that has so alarmed Virginia Beach officials that they are spending $437,000 to study the worst-case scenario for the city’s water supply .Virginia Beach has hired engineering firm Michael Baker Corp. to look into what could happen to Lake Gaston if there were a catastrophic accident at a possible uranium mining site upstream in south-central Virginia………….

Virginia Against Uranium Mining: In uranium mining issue, it’s Virgina Beach vs. the state (Virginia)

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Russia renting nuclear submarines to India

India to rent Russian nuclear submarine News.scotsman.com 13 January 2010 RUSSIA is to lease its new Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine to India, officials in the two countries confirmed yesterday.According to Nato, Nerpa is the latest Akula-class attack submarine and is armed with conventional torpedoes and short-range nuclear missiles.The Nerpa project began in 1993, but did not launch or start sea trials until 2008 because of disruptions in funding

India to rent Russian nuclear submarine – Scotsman.com News

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics international, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Uranium mining halted in caribou breeding lands

(Canada) Uranium company ordered to clean up camp site CBC News January 12, 2010 Plans for uranium exploration have ground to a halt at a Nunavut property held by Uravan Minerals Inc.Federal officials ordered Uravan to clean up a cache of materials from a mining camp site for which it did not have the proper land use permits. Continue reading →

January 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, Legal | antinuclear, radioactive, uranium | 2 Comments