USA – some good nuclear news
No “Emergency” funding for nuclear industry, Beyond Nuclear, 24 July 2010, First, the Senate last night rejected the House-passed emergency supplemental funding bill by a 51-46 vote.* This is the bill that included $9 Billion in “emergency” loans for new nuclear reactor construction. The House will almost certainly have to accept the Senate version; those loans are now history.
Second, the Senate has given up on passing a climate bill before the November elections. That’s obviously mixed news: we support a strong climate bill. But we weren’t going to get a strong climate bill anyway; what we were going to get was a Christmas-in-July gift to the nuclear power industry. The wealthy nuclear corporations were all ready to unwrap their presents. Not this time.
USA – some not so good nuclear news
USA 10 $Billion to nuclear loans, Beyond Nuclear 24 July 2010, Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an energy funding bill for next year that includes $10 Billion in nuclear loans (along with $7+ billion for fossil fuels and about $3 billion for renewables). Those are clearly some misplaced priorities–and $10 billion for new reactors is $10 Billion too much, but it is less than half of the $25 Billion passed by the House Appropriations Committee.
Unfortunately, the Committee also approved two pro-nuclear bills: S. 2052, which would authorize the Department of Energy to spend $50 million/year through 2015 to reduce the cost of new reactors (although it’s hard to see how that kind of money can accomplish that goal, utilities already have plenty of incentive to reduce costs) and S. 2812, which would encourage the development of “small, modular reactors” and seek their design certification by the NRC by 2018 (although it is highly unlikely these could ever prove economical–see Amory Lovins’ factsheet here).
US Senate Energy Committee approves 10 Million Solar Rooftops Bill
Some good solar news, Beyond Nuclear, 24 July 2010, The Senate Energy Committee yesterday approved Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) 10 million solar roofs bill (S. 3460). This bill would provide tax credits and other incentives to encourage people to install solar power on 10 million rooftops across the U.S. It would ramp up mass production of solar panels and thus likely reduce their cost. It’s an easy bill to support. Here is an article that describes the bill.
Article below – quick summary of the Bill
Decentralised Solar Energy – 10 Million Solar Roofs
Here’s how the Ten Million Solar Roofs Act works: take the example of a homeowner who decides to install a 5-kilowatt solar system which, depending on location, would produce enough electricity to cover most, if not all, of an average electric bill (the solar panels would produce excess power during the day that can be sold back to the utility, covering some or all of the cost of electricity when the sun is not shining).
Here Comes the Sun: Ten Million Solar Rooftops, Renewable Energy World, by Greg Chafee : July 21, 2010 “……Today 92% of Americans want our country to develop solar energy resources, and 77% believe the federal government should make solar power development a national priority. Continue reading
Call to USA citizens to push for safety in nuclear industry
ActNow! Don’t React Later!ActNow! is a new campaign of Beyond Nuclear designed to avert an atomic catastrophe similar – or possibly even worse – than the oil disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.
Just like the U.S. Minerals Management Service that failed to oversee Big Oil, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows the nuclear industry to cut safety margins. Lax oil industry oversight is destroying the Gulf. Lax nuclear industry oversight could cost countless lives today, threaten human health for generations, and leave vast areas of our country uninhabitable indefinitely. Continue reading
Video: Queen Noor of Jordan talks about “Countdown to Zero”
Global Zero, which includes
more than 250 former heads of state, foreign and defense ministers, national
security advisers, top military commanders and faith leaders, has developed a
plan for the phased, verified elimination of nuclear weapons that is realistic and
achievable.
VIDEO about the film. Nuclear Weapons: Countdown to Zero « MomsRising Blog , MomsRising
Blog, July 23rd, 2010 by Queen Noor of Jordan, MomsRising, I am one of you- a loving mother deeply concerned about the world my children and theirs will inherit from us. That is the most important reason thatI became a founding leader of Global Zero (globalzero.org) and consulted on our new must see film, Countdown to Zero.
The film is a stunning documentaryabout the escalating global nuclear crisis, produced by the Academy Awardwinning team behind an Inconvenient Truth, and premieres in cities acrossAmerica this month. It is an account of the dangers, hidden but still terrifyinglyreal, that we face today from the increasing proliferation of nuclear weaponsaround the world……..
As a founding leader of the Global Zero movement, I believe that the only
solution to nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism is the elimination of all
nuclear weapons. It is possible, despite the inevitable predictions of those locked
into a cold war mindset who may say otherwise. Global Zero, which includes
more than 250 former heads of state, foreign and defense ministers, national
security advisers, top military commanders and faith leaders, has developed a
plan for the phased, verified elimination of nuclear weapons that is realistic and
achievable. Nuclear Weapons: Countdown to Zero « MomsRising Blog
USA “Tea Party” campaign against nuclear weapons control
conservative nationwide campaign to convince ordinary Americans to actively oppose the new nuclear reductions treaty with Russia
Tea Party activists come out against START The Cable, By Josh Rogin Friday, July 23, 2010 – A lobbying group affiliated with the Tea Party has joined the effort to derail President Obama’s new arms-control agreement with Russia, launching a grassroots campaign by spreading misleading information about the pact to the general public. Continue reading
France admits to Tritium health risks from nuclear facilities
Tritium – Government nuclear authority admits tritium health risks could be underestimated, Beyond Nuclear, 24 July 2010, – The risks of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, could be underestimated because it could bind to DNA, recognizes the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) in a recent white paper. In light of this possibility, the ASN wants new investigation into hereditary effects from tritium exposure, better monitoring and more restriction of tritium releases from nuclear facilities. Reported in Le Monde.
Report on UK’s use of depleted uranium weapons in Iraq
“The UK Uranium Weapons Network (UWN) announced today that it has submitted its report on British military use of depleted uranium (DU) ammunition in the 2003 Iraq War to the Chilcot Inquiry.
Latest documents advocating the ban of depleted uranium. By Jerry Mazza, Online Journal, 23 July 2010, “…… recent documents gathered from reliable government and non-government sources. …. Continue reading
Pressure on US Senate to adopt Renewable Energy Standard
“A renewable Energy Standard would provide a down-payment on carbon reduction goals, save and create jobs, and keep America competitive,”
Coalition seeks to salvage renewable power mandate in Senate, The Hill, By Ben Geman – 07/23/10 Environmentalists and renewable energy trade groups are pressing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to include a national renewable electricity standard, or RES, in the slimmed-down energy package heading for the floor next week. Continue reading
South Korea wants to recycle nuclear “spent” fuel
Washington is concerned that allowing the country to process the fuel for reuse may discourage North Korea from giving up its weapons programme,
South Korea seeks US accord to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, Industrial Fuels and Power, July 23rd, 2010 Continue reading
Video: UK’s use of depleted uranium weapons in Iraq
Reports emerge the UK used depleted uranium weapons in Iraq – RT Top Stories RT Top Stories, 24 July, 2010, 00:41Reports have emerged that the UK used depleted uranium weapons during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. A UK defense official has reportedly admitted using highly controversial ammunition. Continue reading
Indian govt urged to drop Nuclear Liability Bill
the “bill does not protect the interests of the Indian people nor assure their lives and safety”……The party has decided to mobilise public opinion against the entry of foreign direct investment (FDI)
Drop nuclear liability bill, CPI-M tells government, Politics News, 23 July 2010, Continue reading
USA loses out in renewable energy initiatives
Even more stunning, a renewable-electricity standard, long considered the centerpiece of any compromise excluding cap-and-trade, has also been scrapped.
What We Lost Along With the Energy Bill., TAPPED Archive | The American Prospect, 24 July 2010, Yesterday evening, climate and energy reform died in the Senate. All that remains is a skeletal package that responds to the BP oil spill and provides a few minor incentives for conservation, energy-efficiency retrofits, and the development of natural-gas trucks. Continue reading
Support for US attack in Iran shown in USA poll!
Polls:Wide Support for an Attack on Iran, Fox News, July 16, 2010 – by: Yonat Friling A poll by TIPP, the polling unit of TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, a U.S. research firm of both syndicated and custom Market Research solutions, offers a surprising angle on an Israeli attack on Iran:56% of American would back an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. According to the poll, 43 percent of U.S. Democrats approve of Israel taking military action against Iran to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, while 40 percent disapprove. However, when Republicans were asked the same question, 74 percent voiced approval while 17 percent disapproved…….
n a TV interview for the Israeli Channel 2 News last week, President Obama when asked if about the possibility of Israel’s attack on Iran’s Nuclear facilities, said “neither of us tries to surprise each other.”
1.This Month
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Hibakusha Appeal to End Nukes Now!
Decommissioning: A New Era for Nuclear Power; a Need for Congressional Oversight
Tom Lehrer – We Will All Go Together When We Go
Tom Lehrer – So Long, Mom (A Song for World War III) – with intro – widescreen
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