2010 June « nuclear-news

India’s nuclear liabilty Bill designed to protect Westinghouse and General Electric

“What Westinghouse and General Electric want is that even the limited liability that accrued to the Union Carbide in the case of Bhopal [$470 million as per the settlement approved by the Supreme Court] should not fall on them.”

Bill meant to safeguard U.S. firms, says Karat, The Hindu , 17 June 2010, NEW DELHI: The Manmohan Singh-led government is under pressure from Washington on the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill and the proposed legislation bears the handiwork of the U.S. nuclear industry lobby. Continue reading →

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors, uranium, Westinghouse | Leave a comment

U.S.- Russia agreement designed to further commercial nuclear power

The Importance of the US-Russia 123 Agreement, ClimateIntel. June 16, 2010 The Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation for Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (also known as the 123 Agreement) serves not only non-proliferation, but also the commercial interests of both countries…..

The U.S.-Russia agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation would create a legal framework for:

exporting U.S. nuclear technology, material, or equipment;
importing Russian nuclear technology;
jointly developing advanced nuclear technologies;
reprocessing in Russia of U.S.-origin spent nuclear fuel from various U.S. partners (i.e. South Korea, Taiwan)….

The International Nuclear Energy Cooperation (INEC) initiative seeks to “foster the safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable use of nuclear energy

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

North Korea – sanctions extended by USA

Obama renews sanctions on North Korea ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 17 June 2010, The White House says president Barack Obama has extended US economic sanctions on North Korea for another year, citing the continuing threat posed by Pyongyang’s nuclear program.Mr Obama said he was renewing the sanctions because “the existence and the risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula continued to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.Washington has struggled to convince North Korea to resume multi-party talks to end its nuclear ambitions.Pyongyang has insisted on direct talks with the United States and the removal of sanctions imposed on the communist-run country. Obama renews sanctions on North Korea – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | North Korea, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Oil spill should awaken us to nuclear danger

Waging Peace Today: Scenarios For Nuclear Catastrophe, David Krieger, 16 June 2010, “….. Continued offshore oil drilling runs the risk of future offshore oil leak catastrophes that will destroy large aquatic and shoreline habitats. Applied to nuclear weapons, the proposition could be restated in this way: Continued reliance on nuclear weapons runs the risk of future nuclear catastrophes that will destroy cities, countries and civilization……. Continue reading →

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Europe’s new energy sources – wind power now rivalling gas

Europe’s New Wind Power Rivals Gas, NYTimes.com, By JAMES KANTER, June 14, 2010 The amount of power generated by new wind turbines in the European Union this year will be about the same as the amount from new gas plants, according to the European Wind Energy Association, an industry group…..Gas installations far outpaced wind installations four years ago in Europe, with nearly 20 gigawatts of new capacity compared with 9 gigawatts of wind, according to figures from the association. But the gap narrowed sharply the following year and, by 2008, wind had overtaken gas for the first time. Last year there were 10 gigawatts of new wind capacity compared with 7 for new gas………the gas industry has complained to leaders about European Union policies promoting renewable energy.

urope’s New Wind Power Rivals Gas – Green Blog – NYTimes.com

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, renewable | energy efficiency, global warming, renewable energy, renewables, wind | Leave a comment

Depleted uranium endangering rare seal

to protect marine mammals and other marine life from……….highly toxic materials like depleted uranium that have been deposited by the military.

Saving the world’s rarest seal from uranium, guardian Uk, 17 June 2010, Dr Anastasia Miliou was interviewed by Georgina Kenyon“....Greek conservationists from the Greek NGO, Archipelagos, work to protect endangered common dolphins and monk seals and also the region’s marine ecosystems from the effects of overfishing, shipping, and the military. Dr Anastasia Miliou, manager and head scientist from Archipelagos Institute of Marine and Environmental Research of the Aegean Sea, based on the Greek island of Samos in the eastern Aegean, explains about seals, uranium deposits and sonar Continue reading →

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Greece | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Saudi Arabia planning to enrich uranium?

Kingdom may enrich uranium for nuclear plants By AMENA BAKR | REUTERS Arab News, Jun 17, 2010 DUBAI: Saudi Arabia may mine and enrich uranium to fuel power plants if it embarks on a civilian nuclear energy program, a consultant preparing a draft nuclear strategy for the Kingdom said on Wednesday….

Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a nuclear cooperation deal in 2008. France said in 2009 it was close to finalizing a civilian nuclear agreement. The Kingdom has also talked to Russia about nuclear cooperation. Any program would likely be similar in value and size to the UAE’s plan, Elkuch said. Kingdom may enrich uranium for nuclear plants – Arab News

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, Saudi Arabia | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment

UK CLAIMS to support nuclear energy without tax-payer subsidy

The government’s energy priorities are becoming clear – and nuclear tops the list, Ever , BusinessGreen Blog, 16 june 2010,Ever since taking office as energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne has tried to appear even-handed in the on-going debate between the nuclear and renewable energy sectors.He has elegantly distanced himself from his previous opposition to nuclear, admitting that he would support new reactors if energy firms can demonstrate that they will be built without public subsidy….

..The problem is that while the rhetoric indicates a balanced energy policy, what little action we have seen since the new government took office suggests the nuclear industry is beginning to establish itself as top dog…..it has been the nuclear industry that today received a clear signal from energy minister Charles Hendry that the government will remove the “unnecessary” barriers it faces. In fact, Hendry’s speech boiled down to a remarkably unequivocal message: “don’t worry, we’ll look after you”.

The government’s energy priorities are becoming clear – and nuclear tops the list – BusinessGreen Blog

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

USA’s nuclear weapons policy is designed to fail

it’s designed to fail. U.S. policy is designed to keep a hold on power and wealth, and the people running the country believe nuclear weapons are useful in that quest….

No Nukes/No Empire: Pax Christi Australia NSW The Abolition of Nuclear Weapons Requires the End of the U.S. Empire by Robert Jensen
CommonDreams.org June 15, 2010 “….the world can change — if the dominant military power in the world, the United States, can change. If the United States could give up the quest to consume a disproportionate share of the world’s resources and disavow its reliance on securing that unjust distribution of wealth through the largest and most destructive military in the history of the world, things could change. Continue reading →

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

U.S. company Halliburton slyly selling nuclear technology to Iran

Halliburton Sells Nuclear Tech to Iran The Sly Oyster, by James Furbush June 15, 2010 · Interesting. Seems like Halliburton has found a way to profit from every conceivable scenario. Can’t even fault them, really, savvy business practices. It’s just unfortunate they’re able to take advantage of the system set up.

So, Halliburton creates offshore entities to circumvent the U.S. ban on doing business in Iran, and part of what passes through this truly ridiculous loophole is nuclear enabling technology. All of the profit ends up in a Cayman Islands shell company so there’s no U.S. tax burden, and when we have to go interdict anuclear armed Iran Halliburton gets paid again supporting our military in the conflict. Halliburton Sells Nuclear Tech to Iran

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear radiation leak in China kept secret

The report said a large amount of radioactive iodine was released into the air.

It said the plant’s management had kept the incident secret

China nuke leak ‘kept secret’ The Australian From: AFP June 16, 2010 HONG KONG: A nuclear plant in China’s southern Guangdong province has recorded a small leak, the Hong Kong government said yesterday, after the incident was exposed by a US-based radio station….. Continue reading →

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive | Leave a comment

Obama’s effort on renewable energy – a tiny drop in the bucket

Cleaning Up: President Obama must begin to lead the nation beyond oil syracuse.com , June 15, 2010, “… a $500,000 grant for the region to cut greenhouse gas emissions. ….The grant, won by the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, will be combined with $250,000 in matching funds to help nine communities in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties reduce their carbon footprints by retrofitting buildings, making buses more efficient and other strategies…..compared to the all-out effort needed to wean America from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy, it is a tiny drop in the bucket.……….The future lies in conservation and renewable energy development. But American leaders — including President Barack Obama — have been far too timid about declaring either as a true national priority.

Cleaning Up: President Obama must begin to lead the nation beyond oil | syracuse.com

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | antinuclear, climate change, energy efficiency, global warming, renewable energy, renewables, solar, wind | Leave a comment

Local opposition forces uranium project to be stalled indefinitely

KPM Uranium Mining in Meghalaya: A Controversial Project | PRAGOTI, 15 June 2010, Problems in Meghalaya KPM project in Meghalaya has been mired in controversy right since its inception forcing the UCIL to stall its activities till local population agrees to give their land voluntarily…. Continue reading →

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Depleted uranium from Afghan war causing neurolical effects in children in India

when heavy metals are coupled with uranium, the toxic effect increases manifold,” said Dr Amar Singh Azad, a paediatrician working on neurological disorders in children

Parts of Malwa, Raj drinking poison? Chandigarh – City – The Times of India P Singh, , Jun 16, 2010, “… While high concentration of uranium is attributed to use of depleted uranium in the Afghan war by US, Continue reading →

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | depleted uranium, India | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Community protest has prevented uranium mining in Balpakram

Uranium Mining Project in Balpakram, PRAGOTI, 15 June 2010, KPM uranium project in West Khasi Hills district is not the only source of uranium related controversy in Meghalaya as UCIL plans to explore uranium in Rongcheng Plateau of Balpakram National Park in South Garo Hills district of the state. However, the Environment Ministry’s National Board on Wildlife (NBWL) has rejected the uranium mining project in Balpakram National Park in Meghalaya after stiff opposition from various quarters. The decision to reject the proposal of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was taken in New Delhi at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the NBWL headed by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh (PTI, May 13, 2010).

KPM Uranium Mining in Meghalaya: A Controversial Project | PRAGOTI

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, radiation, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment