2011 February 08 « nuclear-news

China’s top military planners calculate for many millions of dead Chinese

the Chinese are planning to pile up a bulwark of irradiated corpses. “We […] will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xi’an,” said the general. “Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds … of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”

This is how countries convince themselves to prepare for war.

Why we’re all up in arms over China, Sydney Morning Herald, John Birmingham , February 8, 2011 “……Politics as it is practised at the rareified levels where states manoeuvre for advantage against each other simply doesn’t factor into the thoughts of normal people.Until they pay the price for not having paid attention over all those years.. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Egypt’s surreptitious nuclear arms program a problem for USA

Egypt has been quietly carrying out research and development on weapons of mass destruction — including nuclear

Egypt’s WMD programs complicate U.S. response, World blog, 7 Feb 2011, With Egypt in revolt and the country’s future uncertain, concern is growing over whether a new government in the Arab world’s most militarily and industrially advanced country could accelerate an arms race in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Egypt, politics international, weapons and war | Leave a comment

UK’s plutonium stockpile could be used in new subsidy to nuclear industry

This could easily end up as yet another black hole for taxpayers’ money. The use of the UK plutonium stockpile in reactors could be yet another subsidy for new nuclear.”

Mox proposal would pay nuclear firms to use recycled plutonium• French group Areva wants to build a Mox plant at Sellafield• Greenpeace fears ‘yet another subsidy for new nuclear’ Tim Webb guardian.co.uk, 7 February 2011 Areva submitted a proposal to the government to build a Mox plant at Sellafield.

Nuclear companies could be paid by the government to buy recycled nuclear fuel from a new taxpayer-funded plant, to reduce the country’s stockpile of plutonium. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | reprocessing, secrets,lies and civil liberties, UK | Leave a comment

Warning on uranium mining from Navajo speaker

mining firms “scoured the land” looking for ore deposits, Tohe said. They hired local workers, Navajos and Pueblos, to enter the mines, where radioactive dust settled into miners’ clothes before they went home and contaminated their families, Tohe said.

“The workers were never told that this was dangerous,” Tohe said……There may be short-term jobs, but the mining industry is susceptible to the market,”…“The communities are held hostage by the boom and bust cycle,”

Anti-uranium mining activist speaks out on project | GoDanRiver.com, 7 Feb 2011, If uranium is mined and milled at Coles Hill in Pittsylvania County, what happened in the U.S. West could happen in Chatham, Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Chernobyl birds show effects of radiation on their brains

They found that radiation could have a greater effect on a bird’s internal organs than on its brain. This is because the brain is the last organ birds sacrifice when tackling difficult environmental conditions.

Birds living near Chernobyl have smaller brains due to radiation, scientists warn Daily Mail 7th February 2011 Birds living near the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have 5 per cent smaller brains caused by lingering background radiation, according to researchers. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Ukraine | Leave a comment

National transformation to renewable energy – Spain and Portugal

Spain has grown from using just two percent wind and solar power to almost 20 percent in a decade…..Portugal has demonstrated an even more remarkable transformation in the last five or so years. In 2004, Portugal had just two percent wind and solar, but by the end of 2009 (the latest year for which data are available) this had risen to over fifteen percent!…….
feed-in tariff laws prompted the booms in Spain and Portugal

Spain and Portugal Lead the Way on Renewable Energy Transformation, Renewable Energy World, By Tam Hunt, February 7, 2011 Rapid energy transformation at the national level is possible. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, renewable, Spain | Leave a comment

UK govt puts uncertainty into solar energy projects

the Renewable Energy Association (REA) said that the large-scale solar projects for housing associations, schools and hospitals that are going through the planning system would generate almost twice as much electricity as the planned solar farms. These projects are likely to be suspended or even scrapped while there is uncertainty about the level of pay-out they would receive, the REA said.

Solar energy firms threaten legal action over feed-in tariffs Companies seek legal advice after ministers announce fast-track review to prevent ‘solar farms’ from claiming subsidies Tim Webb guardian.co.uk, 7 February 2011 Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | Leave a comment

UK govt may cut prices for renewable energy feed in tariffs

The county of Cornwall in southwest England said it anticipated a “gold rush” that could lead to 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) of investment in England’s poorest region.

U.K. Signals It May Cut Prices Paid for Renewable Energy Sources February 07, 2011, By Alex MoralesFeb. 7 (Bloomberg) –– The U.K. government signaled it may cut the prices paid for electricity from renewable energy sources, saying it began a “comprehensive review” of feed-in tariffs introduced last year. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, UK | 2 Comments

Nuclear power – wastes,dangers, targets for terrorism, and costs

Nuclear power vs. wind power – baltimoresun.com, Jörg Breuning, 7 Feb 2011, “………Just looking at the increase of cancer rates around Calvert Cliffs in the last decades and comparing to the rest of Maryland, and looking at the extreme volume of hot water they dump in the environment, shows the potential for a disastrous ending.With the exception of France, most European countries dramatically reduced the new building nuclear plants and actually shut down many old ones because of the risks and the tremendous problems of eliminating nuclear waste. Nuclear waste contains enough radioactive material to make it highly desirable for terrorists to develop so-called dirty weapons. Setting one nuclear power plant off (i.e. with creative bombing) can easily generate a Chernobyl scenario in a highly populated area, not speaking about the loss of an important power link in the energy network. Protecting nuclear power against terrorist acts is paid for by the tax payers and makes the technology very expensive.Since the French can’t sell their highly dangerous technology in Europe and the Far East anymore, they go to Third World countries or the U.S., where people are less educated or living with a carbon foot print tunnel view.….Nuclear power vs. wind power – baltimoresun.com

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

UK Energy Minister Huhne two faced on renewable energy

Critics said Mr Huhne’s announcement would create more uncertainty for investors at a time when the government should be encouraging the expansion of solar power to meet the UK’s renewable energy targets.

Huhne accused of green energy confusion, FT.com / UK, By David Blair, February 7 2011 Chris Huhne, the energy and climate change secretary, has announced a “comprehensive review” of the tariff system designed to encourage solar power, sparking accusations that he is creating more “uncertainty” for the renewable energy sector…… Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, renewable, UK | 1 Comment

Old nuclear plants to close in Germany

German Utilities May Close Old Nuclear Plants, Handelsblatt Says, Bloomberg, By Holger Elfes – Feb 7, 2011 German utilities are looking at closing older nuclear power plants, as tighter security standards may make them unprofitable, Handelsblatt reported today, without saying where it got the information…..German Utilities May Close Old Nuclear Plants, Handelsblatt Says – Bloomberg

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | Leave a comment

St Lawrence River to get radioactive shipment 50 times over international limit

the shipment would exceed by 50 times the international allowable limits for a single shipment of radioactive waste in inland waters…..

Nuclear shipment angers municipalities By Cheryl Cornacchia, THE GAZETTE February 7, 2011 – City of Montreal officials have joined critics from across Quebec and Ontario in condemning a decision to allow a huge shipment of radioactive waste to travel through the St. Lawrence Seaway……. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, water | Leave a comment

USA to boost the marketing of its nuclear wares

U.S. sets up advisory committee to promote civil nuclear exports, iStockAnalyst, WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2011 — U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced on Monday that the country would establish a Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee to expand its civil nuclear export opportunities and improve U.S. companies’ global competitiveness……he 30-member committee will make recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce concerning trade policy development, improving the competitiveness of U.S. industry and its ability to compete for international contracts for civil nuclear products and services, the department said in a statement.

Committee members represented the entire spectrum of the U.S. civil nuclear supply chain from uranium mining to reactor design and transportation and waste management, according to the statement….U.S. sets up advisory committee to promote civil nuclear exports

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

Russia might cancel nuclear project in Bulgaria

-Rosatom may drop Bulgaria nuclear project-Ifax | ReutersMon Feb 7, 2011 MOSCOW Feb 7 – Russian state company Rosatom may drop a project to build a nuclear power station in Bulgaria, Interfax news agency said on Monday, quoting an internal Rosatom document…… UPDATE 1-Rosatom may drop Bulgaria nuclear project-Ifax | Energy & Oil | Reuters

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Russia | Leave a comment

Russia flexes its legal muscles against Canadian uranium company

Russia blocks litigation claim against ARMZ – Khan, TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – By: Liezel Hill 7th February 2011 Russian authorities have blocked a litigation claim by Canadian junior Khan Resources against Russian State-owned uranium miner Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ), Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, Russia | Leave a comment

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