2010 August 03 « nuclear-news

France shows the way to nuclear financial meltdown

Last week, AREVA posted a massive operating loss of 485 million euros for the first half of 2010…..Electricite de France (EDF) finds itself in a similar predicament. In the first half of 2010, the company saw its profits slashed by almost half.

France leads the way in the nuclear debacle Greenpeace International, by jmckeati – August 2, 2010 If you want to know why the so-called nuclear ‘renaissance’ is never going to happen, you need only look at the news that’s been coming out of France in the last few days. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Lingering legacy of Hiroshima’s atomic bombing

“I wanted to pass on the fact that the atomic bombing does not end only with the sufferings of the generation of people who were directly exposed.”

Hibakusha writes to his dead child, BY HAJIMU TAKEDA THE ASAHI SHIMBUN, 3 Aug 2010, An 81-year-old survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima has written a letter addressed to his stillborn daughter, expressing his anguish at the possibility that his exposure to radiation was responsible for her fate. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Radioactive isotopes could be used to make a ‘dirty’ bomb

since cesium can be stolen from a hospital and thus can be more easily acquired than, say, uranium or plutonium, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine a terrorist group acquiring enough cesium to construct a barrage of low-explosive, highly radioactive bombs and blanketing a major city with them.

The Real Deal With Cesium,THE HUFFINGTON POST, Rizwan Ladha, 2 Aug 2010, The idea has been floated for a long time of using cesium in a radioactive “dirty bomb,” which wouldn’t have the same explosive power as a uranium or plutonium nuclear bomb but would contaminate land, water supplies and living organisms, including people. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, plutonium, radiation, radioactive | 1 Comment

Boars in Europe – radioactive from Chernobyl nuclear fallout

Because it is illegal to sell contaminated boar meat, Berlin has to compensate hunters who have harvested the radioactive boars that contain high levels of caesium-137. Caesium-137 is an unstable chemical that is water soluble (mushrooms are very absorbent) and toxic in small amounts.

Chernobyl fallout making some German boars radioactive National Post, Jodi lai, August 2, 2010 “Nearly 25 years after the Chernobyl explosion, Europe still sees signs of radiation. Now it’s even in their wild boars…………Wild boars are particularly susceptible to radiation because they eat mushrooms and truffles, which are very efficient at absorbing radioactivity. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, EUROPE | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

USA to allow South Korea to reprocess nuclear fuel?

Washington has so far been reluctant to permit it since the process results in the production of weapons-grade plutonium.

Korea, U.S. to Discuss Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing This Fall, The Chosun Ilbo, 3 Aug 2010, Korea and the United States have agreed to start talks about the revision of a bilateral atomic energy agreement this fall, it emerged on Monday. Seoul is keen to reprocess its own spent fuel rods, which it is barred from doing under the agreement, Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Korea, technology | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactors, recycling, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Burma and North Korea working together on nuclear program?

“We continue to be concerned by the reports that Burma may be seeking assistance from North Korea with regard to a nuclear program,” Clinton said.

North Korean FM visits Myanmar amid nuke concerns, Google hosted news, (AP) – 1 Aug 2010, YANGON, Myanmar — North Korea’s foreign minister visited Myanmar on Thursday for high-level talks that come on the heels of a U.S. warning against any cooperation between the two nations on nuclear technology…… Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Burma, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons | 1 Comment

Hiroshima mayor calls on Japan to leave U.S. nuclear umbrella

As a lawmaker and later Hiroshima mayor, Akiba recognized that his city had the moral obligation to warn the world of the nuclear danger, the Magsaysay Award organizers said. He led a movement called Mayors for Peace that includes more than 4,000 cities in 144 countries.

Hiroshima mayor to urge Japan to leave U.S. nuclear umbrella, The Japan Times Online, Aug. 3, 2010, HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba says he will urge Japan to withdraw from the U.S. nuclear umbrella in his peace declaration Friday at the annual ceremony marking the 1945 atomic bombing of the city. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

France desperate to sell nuclear technology, even to Pakistan

The thorny nuclear issue was also expected to be on the agenda at Sarkozy and Zardari’s meeting. France is a major exporter of civil nuclear technology

Pakistani president says France considers his country ‘responsible partner’, The Canadian Press, By Jenny Barchfield (CP) –3 Aug 2010, PARIS — Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, facing questions about his country’s role in Afghanistan, turned to France for support in talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that covered fighting terrorism and nuclear co-operation… Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Pakistan, politics international | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Court action to stop uranium drilling

The groups say the government improperly excluded the vent project from federal regulations, deeming it a “special use” rather than a traditional mining operation.
“The agency thus illegally bypassed the strict permitting and environmental protection requirements of its special use regulations,” the groups claim.

Groups Sue to Block Uranium Drilling in Utah, Courthouse News Service,By SUZANNE ASHE 2 Aug 2010, SALT LAKE CITY (CN) – Three conservation groups want to stop the U.S. Forest Service from allowing a private mining company to drill 16 uranium exploration holes and two 6-foot-diameter vent holes on national forest land in southeast Utah. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, radiation, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear company cutting back on spending on new reactors

He loves nukes, he really wants to build a couple of new ones, but he still thinks it’s too risky to spend money on them…….

NRG Cuts Nuclear Spending, Says It’s Not Giving Up « The Energy Source – Forbes.com, Jonathon Fahey, 2 Aug 2010, NRG Energy chief executive David Crane’s words couldn’t be more different from his actions. In a conference call with investors this morning he announced the company was cutting spending on the new nuclear reactors he hopes to build down to a trickle. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Images from the people who experienced the atomic bomb

SEE THESE IMAGES – artefacts and the stories of the people that they represent.

After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The Independent.By Matilda BattersbyMonday, 2 August 2010 An exhibition documenting the impact of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II opens in London today. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Pakistan building its nuclear weapons arsenal

However, the stockpiles of the four nations not recognized as nuclear weapon states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea -are minuscule

Pakistan has bigger nuke arsenal than India: Report, Sify News, by Arun Kumar, 2010-08-02 Racing to beat India in the nuclear race, Pakistan has already stockpiled more nuclear warheads than India and has produced enough fissile material to double its nuclear arsenal, according to a new report. Continue reading →

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Pakistan, weapons and war | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, plutonium | Leave a comment

Uranium Resources share price plunges

NASDAQ downward movements in review: Penny Stock Live. 2 Aug 2010, Uranium Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ: URRE) plunged by 0.19% to close at $0.52 whereas overall traded volume stood at 1.73 million shares. Uranium Resources, Inc. (URI) is a uranium exploration, mine development and production company.

NASDAQ downward movements in review: (URRE, ALTH, CHINA, SONS, HERO) | Penny Stock Live

August 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, uranium | Leave a comment