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Why the silence about floods and landslides in nuclear areas?

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

Climate change is already having its impact in extreme weather conditions.

But nobody’s talking about the impact of these weather events on the nuclear industry.

Except for Russia, where government was forced to admit to (and to play down), the  danger to its nuclear facilities, threatened by 400 wildfires.

What about the risks of flooding in nuclear powered Pakistan?  What about flooding and mudslides in China’s Sichuan province, home of earthquakes and of nuclear waste dumps?

What about radioactive dust blowing around in the prolonged drought in uranium-mining Niger?  Where is the mainstream media in all this?

Oh – I forgot – it’s not polite to talk about such things, not when our betters are trying so hard to sell nuclear power plants to everybody!   – Christina Macpherson, 23 August 2010,

August 23, 2010 Posted by | Christina's notes | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Radioactivity from Chernobyl persists in Europe’s wild animals and birds

Chernobyl radiation still impacts wildlife…Spokesman.com – Aug. 21, “.. unlike other wild game, boars often feed on mushrooms and truffles which tend to store radioactivity and they plow through the contaminated soil with their snouts, experts say. Cesium-124, one of the byproducts of the Chernobyl meltdown, has a half-life of 30 years, which implies it will be around for a few more years.
Since this story broke, and upon doing a brief bit of additional research, I have since found that boars are not the only wildlife that have high levels of radiation.

Wild birds, deer and free-ranging cattle throughout portions of Europe all still bear some of the radioactive byproducts left over from Chernobyl and thus are hazardous to consume. Chernobyl radiation still impacts wildlife… – Community Comment – Spokesman.com – Aug. 21, 2010

August 23, 2010 Posted by | environment, EUROPE | , , , | Leave a comment

Conflict of interest in regulation of Atomic Energy in India

the provisions of the Bill will unduly favour the foreign suppliers of nuclear equipment…..Like IAEA, Indian the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is dependent on the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) whose mandate is charged with promoting nuclear power in India……

India’s Sham Nuclear Liability Bill, By Toxic Watch, 22 August, 2010, Countercurrents.org “….Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and ex-officio Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, one of the drafters of the Bill is guilty of ignoring the consequences of possible nuclear disaster because his text has privatized profits and made liabilities public. Continue reading →

August 23, 2010 Posted by | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | , , , | Leave a comment

Desert solar farms could use self-cleaning solar panels

The researchers found that 90 percent of deposited dust can be removed by the transparent screen in fewer than 60 seconds.

Self-cleaning solar panels could find use in the dusty environs of Arizona, the Middle East or Mars, Scientific American, By Larry Greenemeier, Aug 22, 2010, The best places to collect solar energy are also some of the dustiest on Earth and beyond, a quandary that leads to inefficiencies in how well the cells are able to convert strong sunlight into renewable electricity. The solution, according to new research, is to coat solar cells with material that enables them to chase away dirt particles on their own with the help of dust-repelling electrical charges. Continue reading →

August 23, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | , , , , , | 1 Comment

Safety dangers in Taiwan nuclear power plant

The nuclear plant, in Kungliao, Taipei County, on the country’s north coast, has a decades-long history of problems.

Taipower faces fine over fourth nuclear plant: AEC – Taiwan News Online, 23 Aug 2010, Taiwan Power Corporation was facing a fine over its fourth nuclear plant even before it had started official operations, the Atomic Energy Council said yesterday. Continue reading →

August 23, 2010 Posted by | safety, Taiwan | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Iran nuclear power plant no “proliferation risk” says U.S.

U.S. Says Iran Nuclear Plant No Proliferation Threat – Radio Free Europe, 23 Aug 2010, Washington says it sees no “proliferation risk” from the launch of Iran’s first nuclear power plant.Russia, which built the plant, began loading nuclear fuel into the facility in the Gulf city of Bushehr on August 21.U.S. State Department spokesman Darby Holladay told news agencies that Moscow’s agreement to supply nuclear fuel and remove spent fuel rods minimized the risk they would be used to make nuclear weapons.”Russia’s support for Bushehr underscores that Iran does not need an indigenous enrichment capability if its intentions are purely peaceful,” Holladay told the Reuters news agency…….U.S. Says Iran Nuclear Plant No Proliferation Threat – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2010

August 23, 2010 Posted by | Iran, politics international | , , , | Leave a comment

Obama’s visit to India panicking Indian govt over Nuclear Liability Bill

According to the new draft, an Indian operator of a nuclear supply can sue the supplier only if the supply in question was made with the intent of causing nuclear damage.……As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is keen on the passage of the bill before US President Barack Obama’s visit to India, the government will take a call on the issue in the next two days.

BJP to oppose diluted Nuclear liability bill – The Economic Times, 23 August 2010, NEW DELHI: With the Cabinet diluting the right to recourse of the operator to sue the supplier in the event of a nuclear accident, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) once again moved into the ‘nay-sayer’ column and vowed to defeat the civil nuclear liability bill in Parliament….. Continue reading →

August 23, 2010 Posted by | India, politics | , , , | Leave a comment

Germany to keep nuclear fuel tax, phase out nuclear power

At the weekend Peter Müller, the leader of the small state of Saarland and a member of Ms Merkel’s CDU party, said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper that his regional government did not support any move to extend the life of the plants and would vote against any law change [that would allow nuclear plants to continue]

Merkel stands firm on nuclear tax plan, FT.com, By James Wilson August 22 2010 Angela Merkel on Sunday stood by plans for a tax on nuclear power as debate intensified over her government’s energy policy following public criticism by leading business people. Continue reading →

August 23, 2010 Posted by | Germany, politics | , , , , | Leave a comment

Grave risks of earthquakes and floods in a nuclear powered India

the disaster management structure in the country, as per his opinion, is not well tailored in meeting radiological fall out and more unfortunate to mention that even educated section of the people is not well aware about the implications of a serious nuclear disaster.

India’s Sham Nuclear Liability Bill, By Toxic Watch, 22 August, 2010, Countercurrents.org “…….The Bill remains silent on the grave issues raised by Prabeer Kumar Basu, Secretary, Agriculture who mentioned before the Committee that the disaster management structure in the country is oriented in such a manner that emergencies arising out of floods, earthquakes and droughts could be managed in an efficient manner.

However, on the other hand, unfortunately the disaster management structure in the country, as per his opinion, is not well tailored in meeting radiological fall out and more unfortunate to mention that even educated section of the people is not well aware about the implications of a serious nuclear disaster.

He therefore, felt that more public awareness needs to be built in respect of nuclear disaster and its hair-raising impact on biological population. He further pointed out that as a consequence of a nuclear disaster of the Chernobyl type, it is quite possible that agricultural crops around 30 to 100 kms. from the site of the incident could be wiped out total………

Further revealing the criminal negligence of the drafters of the Bill, Prabhat C Chatirvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment while referring to Clause 5 (1)(i) which provides for non-liability of operator for any nuclear damage arising out of a grave natural disaster of an exceptional character pointed out that grave natural disaster should not include earthquakes or floods. He advised the Committee that if nuclear plant is placed in a seismic zone, it should be properly designed to withstand earthquake of severe character.
India’s Sham Nuclear Liability Bill By Toxic Watch

August 23, 2010 Posted by | India, safety | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Russia’s collapsing nuclear industry saved by selling nuclear plant to Iran

The launch is something of a turning point for the Russian nuclear industry, which was near collapse before getting the Iranian contract for Bushehr.

Bushehr Launch Boosts Rosatom, The Moscow Times, 23 August 2010, By Olga Razumovskaya Russia and Iran on Saturday jointly launched the Bushehr atomic power plant, the first in the Middle East, bringing the Islamic republic into the ranks of the world’s 29 nuclear power generating nations. Both sides hailed the startup as a landmark……… Continue reading →

August 23, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, Russia | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Documents reveal poor safety history of Britain’s nuclear arsenal

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the Defence Environment and Safety Board believes budget cuts will make it “increasingly difficult to maintain that the defence nuclear programmes are being managed with due regard for the protection of the workforce, the public and the environment.

Nuclear arsenals under scrutiny for safety lapses, fires and floodGroup calls for planners to think twice about a major new facility at Trident warhead base at Aldermaston in Berkshire Jamie Doward * The Observer, Sunday 22 August 2010

Health and safety practices at the UK’s main nuclear weapons base are under intense scrutiny just weeks before it is expected to be granted permission for a multibillion-pound facility to conduct a new generation of radioactive tests. Continue reading →

August 23, 2010 Posted by | safety, UK | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment