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Cloud over nuclear power’s future in Europe

many in government and the private energy sector in the UK are worried that the raising of the spectre of nuclear disaster will have implications for the coalition’s huge building programme for ten new power stations to replace the UK’s ageing reactors.

Nuclear safety worries spread to Europe. Disaster puts pressure on governments, with protests in Germany and concern over new plant plans in Italy and the UK  Tracy McVeigh  guardian.co.uk,  12 March 2011 Tens of thousands of people have taken part in an anti-nuclear demonstration in southern Germany. The demonstration had been planned for some time, but after the news of Japan’s nuclear emergency, organisers were overwhelmed by crowds of around 50,000 people who turned up. Continue reading →

March 13, 2011 Posted by | EUROPE, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Nuclear ‘renaissance’ losing its gloss in USA

Even before the explosion in Japan, economic reality had taken a bite out of the nuclear industry’s ambitious expansion plans in the U.S.

Natural gas has been so cheap that utilities have turned to it to generate electricity, rather than contemplate building multi-billion-dollar reactors. The recession has also dampened demand for electrical power, further diminishing the appeal of a massive investment in nuclear facilities….

Japan Nuclear Crisis Could Cause Reassessment in U.S. – WSJ.com By STEPHANIE SIMON, 13 March 11, The U.S. nuclear power industry believed it was poised for a renaissance. Continue reading →

March 13, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

Who will pay for the Japanese nuclear damage? Not Insurance!

Insurance policies often exclude certain factors from coverage….exclusions on earthquake damage in the property insurance for reactors and exclusions on nuclear damage for homeowners’ insurance policies…..What remains is likely to be an international liability pool, where reactor operators insure each other against claims in situations like this one. How deep that liability extends is unknown, however — Japan is not a party to major international conventions limiting the nuclear liability of operators.

Insurance industry likely spared Japan nuclear threat | Reuters, 13 March 11, “……….most experts agree the growing threat of disaster from damaged nuclear reactors is unlikely to have much effect on the mainstream insurance business because of the way insurance for the nuclear power industry is structured. Continue reading →

March 13, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Japan | Leave a comment

Rating the Fukushima damage on a nuclear danger scale

On Saturday, before emergency measures were announced at a second reactor at that plant, Japanese nuclear safety experts rated the accident a four, putting it just behind the Three Mile Island accident in 1979 near Harrisburg, Pa. That accident, the worst in United States history, was designated a five……..The government issued evacuation orders for about 170,000 people in the surrounding area……..

Nuclear Emergency Is Worst in Decades, NYTimes.com, By ANAHAD O’CONNOR  March 12, 2011 The earthquake and tsunami that battered northern Japan on Friday set in motion one of the worst nuclear accidents in over two decades. The International Atomic Energy Agency rates the severity of radiological events, with a scale starting at one, an “anomaly,” and rising to seven, a “major” accident. A six and seven designate full meltdown, where the nuclear fuel or core of a reactor overheats and melts. The scale of the ensuing uncontrolled release of radiation that follows differentiates the two. Partial meltdowns, in which the fuel is damaged, are rated a four or a five. Continue reading →

March 13, 2011 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

Technical information on the Fukushima nuclear loss of coolant

Moreover, in the spent fuel pools usually situated next to nuclear power plants, there are large numbers of additional fuel rods, used ones, disposed of as waste. There must be constant water circulation in the spent fuel pools. In what is labeled a “loss-of-water’ accident in a spent fuel pool, the zirconium cladding of the fuel rods is projected as exploding—sending into the environment the lethal nuclear poisons in a spent fuel pool…….

Behind the Hydrogen Explosion at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, Common Dreams, by Karl Grossman, 12 March 11, The explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant is being described as caused by a “hydrogen build-up” The situation harks back to the “hydrogen bubble” that was feared would explode when the Three Mile Island plant in 1979 underwent a partial meltdown…… Continue reading →

March 13, 2011 Posted by | Japan, safety, technology | 1 Comment

Japan could be the new Chernobyl, as nuclear radiation emergency continues

Given the large quantity of irradiated nuclear fuel in the pool, the radioactivity release could be worse than the Chernobyl nuclear reactor catastrophe of 25 years ago.”

Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe Escalates in Japan – ‘Worse than Chernobyl’, Forbes,  William Pentland -m Mar. 11 2011 The Institute for Public Accuracy issued the following statement by nuclear expert, Kevin Kamp, about the risk of nuclear disaster in post-Earthquake Japan:  Continue reading →

March 12, 2011 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear emergency in Japan

Radiation 1000 times above normal at nuclear plant
Radiation 1000 times above normal at nuclear plant | The Australian

Japan earthquake forces thousands to evacuate in nuclear plant emergency- Thousands of people were being evacuated from their homes as Japan scrambled to shut down reactors and prevent a catastrophic meltdown
Japan earthquake forces thousands to evacuate in nuclear plant emergency | World news |

Japan earthquake: nuclear disaster fears as reactor overheats Japan was battling to avoid a nuclear disaster after a reactor was critically damaged by the country’s biggest earthquake. Japan earthquake: nuclear disaster fears as reactor overheats – Telegraph

Japan Reactor Damaged in Quake May Need to Vent Radiation, Official Says,
Japan Reactor Damaged in Quake May Need to Vent Radiation, Official Says – Bloomberg

Fire breaks out at Japanese nuclear power plant, World affairs | Fire breaks out at Japanese nuclear power plant

Hundreds perish in 8.9 earthquake, tsunamis as minister warns of nuclear radiation Hundreds perish in 8.9 earthquake, tsunamis as minister warns of nuclear radiation | The Australian
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Japan Earthquake: The Energy Players Who Stand to Benefit | BNET, 12 Marcg 11,
Japan Earthquake: The Energy Players Who Stand to Benefit | BNET

Factbox: Japan quake tears through commodity, energy sectorsFactbox: Japan quake tears through commodity, energy sectors | Reuters

March 12, 2011 Posted by | Japan, safety | 1 Comment

Precedent set in weakening the rules for transporting radioactive waste on waterways

.. the precedent set when it comes to transporting radioactive waste…..On Feb. 4 of this year, the CNSC approved BP’s plans to ship the generators over­seas, giving the power company a special dispensation over existing regulations covering the amount of radioactive materials allowed on inland Canadian waterways. It’s a big dispensation too: Edwards says the amount of radioactivity in the shipment is 60 times the permissible amount of radioactive waste allowed in one vessel for inland waters, and six times the amount for an ocean-going one. Furthermore, an environmental assessment of the changed plans was never held…….

Swimming with plutonium, Montreal Mirror, by PATRICK LEJTENYI, 11 march 11, Ontario’s Bruce Power nuclear plant is shipping hundreds of tonnes of radioactive waste up the St. Lawrence. Critics worry this is only the first batch Continue reading →

March 11, 2011 Posted by | Canada, wastes | Leave a comment

UK’s rising use of CT scans causing radiation worries

Certain CT scans can be up to 400 times more powerful than a chest x-ray…….

(UK) Radiation: are we putting our health at risk with increased CT scans?, The Ecologist, Eifion Rees10th March, 2011 Tesco provoked an outcry by offering Clubcard members the opportunity to redeem points for a CT scan. Now, increasing numbers of scans in NHS and private hospitals are causing concerns that we are over-exposing ourselves to radiation. Continue reading →

March 11, 2011 Posted by | health, UK | Leave a comment

Rising revenues from renewable energy in USA

In 2015, the report asserts that projections will grow to US$87.3bn, capturing 21.8pc with a 7.7pc compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for revenues from renewable electricity generation…..

2010 revenues generated by renewable energy – US$60.2bn in the US, siliconrepublic.com, Carmel Doyle, 10 March 11,  “…..With renewable energy projected to increase by 40.4pc between now and 2015 in the US, Continue reading →

March 11, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Nuclear company Exelon’s CEO says – No subsidies for new nuclear

CEO of biggest U.S. nuclear-power producer touts “cheap” natural gas as energy solution, Barnett Shale: Jack Z. Smith, March 08, 2011 The U.S. should use more natural gas to generate electricity and shun new “clean-energy” subsidies given for nuclear reactors, wind turbines, solar panels and coal-fired plants that capture carbon dioxide, Exelon Corp. CEO John Rowe said in prepared remarks for a speech today, according to a Bloomberg News report. Continue reading →

March 10, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

83 MPs join opposition to nuclear garbage shipment across Great Lakes

We’re talking about nuclear garbage, and we’re going to have a highway of nuclear garbage. This shipment is going to be the first of many if we allow it to happen,”

Groups urge feds to stall ‘nuclear garbage’ shipment Eighty-three MPs sign petition Montreal Gazette, By CARMEN CHAI, Postmedia News March 9, 2011 Continue reading →

March 10, 2011 Posted by | Canada, politics, wastes | Leave a comment

Australians ignorant about the existence of successful carbon pricing in Europe

there was an incorrect perception that Australia would be going it alone if it put a price on carbon.

Aussie carbon tax revolt ‘bizarre’: expert Sydney Morning Herald, March 8, 2011 A European Union climate expert has described Australian opposition to a carbon tax as bizarre, diplomatically pointing out Britain’s Conservatives were more co-operative in opposition. Continue reading →

March 10, 2011 Posted by | climate change, UK | 1 Comment

Wind, solar, race ahead – so WHAT “nuclear reaissance” is happening?

Ontario government…  investing in 40 additional wind and solar energy projects

it’s interesting to compare the global figures for how much nuclear, wind and solar power have been added over the last few years during what has been billed as a “nuclear renaissance.”

(Canada) Wind and solar power are leaving nuclear in the dust | Greenpeace International, 9 March 11, Keith Stewart, We often hear that wind and solar power are nice, but they can’t deliver the power that we need. So there were probably a few raised eyebrows last week when I was quoted (here and here) saying that “Wind and solar energy are the new Niagara Falls, as they can do a similar job of replacing polluting power from coal or nuclear plants to power a prosperous Ontario in the twenty-first century.” Continue reading →

March 10, 2011 Posted by | Canada, renewable | Leave a comment

Smuggling of nuclear equipment to Pakistan

Pakistani Man Charged Over Shipments to Pakistan’s Nuclear Program – WSJ.com, Evan Perez, 9 March, WASHINGTON—U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday charged a Pakistani man with running a smuggling operation that shipped materials and equipment to the agencies operating Pakistan’s nuclear program. Continue reading →

March 10, 2011 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

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