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UN Security Council not taking action on allegations about Syria’s nukes

Security Council Agrees to Disagree About Syria Nuclear Program, IsraelNationalNews.15 July 11  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday brought its allegations of covert atomic work by Syria before the UN Security Council, but the 15-nation body took no immediate action, Reuters reported. Last September, IAEA said that Syria had refused to allow UN inspectors to visitDair Alzour, the nuclear facility that was meant to produce plutonium and which was bombed by the Israeli Air Force while still under construction in 2007.

The IAEA’s report expressed concern that should Syria continue to stonewall the investigation, “some of the necessary information may deteriorate or be lost entirely.”In June, the IAEA’s board of governors voted to report Syria to the Security Council over its behavior.

Reuters reported that during Thursday’s closed-door briefing by Neville Whiting, head of the IAEA safeguards department dealing with Syria and Iran, it was made clear that Syria had a secretnuclear plant.But despite this, Syria’s close allies Russia and China queried whether the Council should be involved, as the Syrian complex no longer exists…..http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145741

July 15, 2011 Posted by | politics international, Syria | Leave a comment

Court action in Germany aimed at removing USA nuclear warheads

Activist takes Germany to court over nuclear warheads , Gabriel Borrud, Deutsche Welle, 15 July 11, Retired pharmacist versus Germany: a Cologne court has begun hearing the case of an activist intent on having Germany remove US nuclear warheads being stored at a military base located in western Germany. Continue reading →

July 14, 2011 Posted by | Germany, Legal | Leave a comment

USA govt to pay up for victims of Hanford Nuclear radiation

The government indemnified the contractors, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. and General Electric Co., and is on the hook for their legal fees (which now total about $60 million), and damages. …..Plaintiffs contend that the radiation caused cancer and other illnesses, including hypothyroidism, 

 After Two Decades of Litigation, Energy Department Settles 139 Hanford Radiation Claims, BLT – THE BLOG OF LEGAL TIMES, JULY 13, 2011 The Department of Energy has tentatively agreed to settle 139 suits brought by people who claim that radiation from the now-shuttered Hanford Nuclear Reservation gave them thyroid disease. Continue reading →

July 14, 2011 Posted by | Legal, USA | 1 Comment

Offshore wind energy for France

France says ‘oui’ to offshore wind energy, Smart Planet, By Melissa Mahony | July 13, 2011, Nuclear plants often spring to mind when thinking of the French electric power regime. But the country is dipping its toes into the Atlantic and English Channel for some of its energy needs, joining a few of its neighbors in the offshore wind business. Across Europe, offshore wind farms have a total capacity of almost 3,000 megawatts, according to the EWEA. By 2020, France hopes to add 6,000 megawatts to it.

 

On Monday, the French government began asking for project proposals for 5 zones off the northern and western coasts near Saint-Nazaire and Le Tréport, respectively. The $14 billion call did not go unanswered. Six companies (Dong Energy, EDF Energies Nouvelles, Alstom,Nass&Wind Offshore, Poweo ENR, and wpd offshore) have been gearing up to go to sea. They announced a consortium yesterday to help get the country’s first offshore turbines built, up and whirring….

France has been looking to expand its renewable portfolio, even toying with the idea of abandoning its notable nuclear program. In 2010….its first wind turbines could hit the water as early as 2015. Alstom says it hopes to design, manufacture, and assemble the turbines all in France using French technology…..http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/france-says-8216oui-to-offshore-wind-energy/7604

July 14, 2011 Posted by | France, renewable | Leave a comment

A nuclear free society is the goal, says Japan’s Prime Minister

Kan says Japan Should Become Nuclear-Free Society,July 13th, 2011, Voice of America, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan says Japan should begin working to build a society that can function without nuclear power.

Mr. Kan proposed a wide-ranging review of Japan’s energy policies at a news conference Wednesday. He said a long-awaited bill to boost the use of renewable energy sources will be introduced to parliament on Thursday.

The prime minister acknowledged his responsibility to make sure there is adequate power available for homes and industry. But he said the dangers exposed by the four-month-old disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant demonstrated the need to build a society that is not dependent on nuclear energy.

Mr. Kan said it will take 10 to 20 years before the clean-up at the Fukushima plant can be completed…..

July 14, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

New report recommends renewable energy promotion to combat climate change

Embrace renewable energy: Suzuki, Go-slow approach to fracking; Switching from coal, oil to natural gas won’t meet G8 targets, says report, If Canada wants to combat climate change, it should promote the use of renewable energies like wind and solar power instead of natural gas, a new report says, Montreal Gazette, By MONIQUE BEAUDIN, The Gazette July 14, 2011 

While switching from coal and oil to natural gas would cut greenhouse gas emissions in the short term, it wouldn’t be enough to meet the G8 target of cutting emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, says the report by the David Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute.

And extracting natural gas – especially controversial shale gas – will likely have other environmental impacts such as water contamination, increased air pollution and increased water consumption, the report says. Canada is the third-largest producer of natural gas in the world…..    You can download Is Natural Gas a Climate Change Solution for Canada atdavidsuzuki.org/publica tions/reports/2011 or pembina.org/pubs

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Embrace+renewable+energy+Suzuki/5099687/story.html#ixzz1S60Zukxu

July 14, 2011 Posted by | Canada, renewable | Leave a comment

Changes needed in USA nuclear reactors, says govt panel

Govt panel: Changes needed at U.S. nuclear plants. Salon.com, BY DINA CAPPIELLO, 14 July 11 Calling the Japan nuclear disaster “unacceptable,” an expert task force convened by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded that nuclear power plants in the U.S. need better protections for rare, catastrophic events.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommends 12 changes at domestic reactors to help prevent Fukushima repeat

The series of recommendations, included in portions of a 90-page report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, will reset the level of protection at the nation’s 104 nuclear reactors after the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl by making them better prepared for incidents that they were not initially designed to handle.

The report will be formally presented to the full commission next week. NRC staff will continue to examine the safety of nuclear power in the U.S. as part of a six-month investigation.

The panel will tell the commission that nuclear plant operators should be ordered to re-evaluate their earthquake and flood risk, add equipment to address simultaneous damage to multiple reactors and make sure electrical power and instruments are in place to monitor and cool spent fuel pools after a disaster……http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/07/14/us_japan_nuclear_safety_report

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July 14, 2011 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

UK’s Chris Huhne two faced on nuclear energy subsidies

Do Chris Huhne’s proposed reforms subsidise nuclear energy? 14 July, 2011   Matt Lech, Full Fact.org, Following the publication of the Electricity Market Reform White Paper on 12 July, the issue of subsidies to nuclear power resurfaced in the House of Commons as Chris Huhne addressed the Commons.

Labour MP Paul Flynn asked, “Can the Minister really say that he is going ahead without subsidy? He seemed to be saying today, “We’re going to have subsidies for all nuclear and new nuclear, but call them something else.”….

according to Encyclopædia Britannica, price floors are considered “indirect” subsidies, which arise when governments, among other actions, “maintain higher prices through manipulation of markets”. Other forms of indirect subsidy include price ceilings, tariffs, and tax concessions.

It is important to reiterate that the price floor doesn’t only benefit nuclear energy, but all low-carbon energy providers. Nuclear energy will benefit more than other low-carbon sources, though, because it produces more electricity….http://fullfact.org/blog/chris_huhne_nuclear_energy_subsidy-2822
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July 14, 2011 Posted by | politics, UK | Leave a comment

Ontario should keep Green Energy Act – for progress and jobs

Ontario urged not to scrap renewable energy policy, SHAWN MCCARTHY, OTTAWA— Globe and Mail , Jul. 14 2011 , Ontario has become a global leader in the clean-energy business and killing the government program that is driving investment in wind and solar industries would be a mistake, says the head of a leading progressive American think tank.

With a fall election looming, Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak has vowed to abolish the Green Energy Act, under which renewable energy producers receive premium prices for their power in exchange for commitments to procure goods and services in the province. The producers are paid a special rate, known as a feed-in tariff. Defenders of the renewable energy policy have enlisted John Podesta, former adviser to President Barack Obama and founder of the influential Washington-based Center for American Progress.

In a meeting with The Globe and Mail’s editorial board, Mr. Podesta said that if the Green Energy Act is abolished, Ontario would be throwing away an opportunity to be a leader in an industry that is gaining momentum around the world, especially in economic powerhouses like Germany and China.

“I think it would be a mistake for Ontario” to repeal the Green Energy Act, he said. “I would think that there’s a strong case to be made given the job growth that’s already been had in Ontario and looking at the energy platforms across the globe in the future, that going backwards is really not the right answer.”….http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ontario-urged-not-to-scrap-renewable-energy-policy/article2096481/

July 14, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Powerful nuclear clique opposes Japan Prime Minister’s renewable energy push

 Kan told reporters yesterday. “We should reduce nuclear dependency in a planned, step-by-step manner and eventually we can do without atomic energy.”

“Japan’s nuclear village is worried and they’re extremely well connected,” Kingston, head ofTemple University’s Asian Studies program at its Tokyo campus, said in a phone interview. “They’re out to get Kan and it’s not because he’s that incompetent. What worries them is that he’s been making provocative statements that trample on very powerful toes.”….“All these things hit at the heart of the nuclear village and they’re not going down without a fight,” said Kingston,

fight,” said Kingston,

Kan Takes on Japan’s ‘Nuclear Village’ in Renewable Energy Drive, Bloomberg, By Stuart Biggs and Kanoko Matsuyama – Jul 14, 2011   Toshinobu Hatsui’s protest against construction of a nuclear power plant split friends and families in his hometown. After the biggest atomic accident in 25 years, resentment has turned to gratitude. “Those of us who opposed the plant can finally be proud of what we did,” said Hatsui, a 62-year-old fisherman, Continue reading →

July 13, 2011 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Safecast – citizen scientists monitor Japan’s radiation levels

Safecast took its first reading on April 16. Today, it has about 50 regular volunteers who collect data from their homes or while driving, build devices or assist in other ways. Those using vehicles equipped with Geiger counters cover an area that Franken estimates to be about 620 miles long by 185 miles wide. To date, they’ve collected 251,000 data points from their drives and fixed reporting stations, and have received about 60,000 more from other sources, including people with their own Geiger counters.

Japan’s citizen scientists map radiation, DIY-style, World Blog, By Miranda Leitsinger, Senior Writer and Editor, msnbc.com  13 July 11, With the Japanese government only providing spotty information about the radiation leaking from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant in the early days after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a group of tech-minded citizen scientists set out to fill in the “black holes” in the knowledge base. Continue reading →

July 13, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan, technology | 2 Comments

Suspend Jaitapur nuclear plant, extend liability for reactor suppliers

Accusing the UPA government of not being transparent on the issue of nuclear power, Mr. Karat said it had “failed” to take people into confidence, especially after the nuclear crisis in Japan.

Mr. Raja demanded that the nuclear liability law be reformed to extend the liability to the supplier in case of design defect. 

Left demands suspension of work at Jaitapur nuke project, MUMBAI, juillet 13, 201, THE HINDU,  The Left parties on Wednesday demanded immediate suspension of work at the proposed 9900 mw Jaitapur nuclear power project and said it favoured an independent review of existing nuclear installations in the country. Continue reading →

July 13, 2011 Posted by | India, politics | Leave a comment

Renewable energy supplied almost 20% of world’s electricity jn 2010

The sector also delivered close to 20 per cent of the world’s electricity production,…“More and more of the world’s people are gaining access to energy services through renewables, not only to meet their basic needs, but also to enable them to develop economically,”

UN-backed report shows strong performance by renewable energy sector, UN News Centre, 13 July 2011 –  The renewable energy sector has continued to perform well despite the global economic slowdown, cuts in incentives, and low natural-gas prices, according to a United Nations-backed report unveiled today, which shows that the sector supplied an estimated 16 per cent of global energy last year. Continue reading →

July 13, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

Wave and Tidal Power for UK Cost Competitive with Nuclear

Marine energy ‘could compete with nuclear on cost‘, Low Carbon Economy.com 13 juil. 2011 Marine energy could supply almost 20 percent of the UK’s energy needs and be cost competitive with onshore wind and nuclear sources.  This is according to a new report from the Carbon Trust, which sets out a three-year research and development programme for the marine energy sector.

The document claims the best marine energy sites in the UK could produce energy at a comparable cost to that generated from onshore wind and nuclear sources, once cost reductions following the first gigawatt of installation come into force.

Wave energy could provide 50TWh of power and tidal power could provide 20.6TWh, equating to 13 percent and five percent of the UK’s energy needs ……http://www.lowcarboneconomy.com/profile/the_low_carbon_economy_ltd/_low_carbon_blog/marine_energy_’could_compete_with_nuclear_on_cost’/14825

July 13, 2011 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Iran and IAEA talks might lead to better co-operation

Iranian, IAEA Experts to Find New Realms for Cooperation. FARS NewsAgency TEHRAN (FNA) 13 July 11, – Experts from Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are due to hold talks in a bid to explore ways of increasing cooperation between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi announced on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters after meeting IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano in Vienna, Salehi described his talks with Amano as positive, and said, “It was decided that the two sides’ experts hold meetings and find a mechanism for further cooperation on Iran’s nuclear issue so that the existing misunderstandings will be removed properly.”

Stressing that Iran’s nuclear case should have been closed long time ago, he said and main points of difference between Iran and the IAEA have been resolved. ….http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=900421327
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July 13, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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