nuclear-news

“Rare Earths” are radioactive, not so innocuous as they sound

why can’t the nuclear countries produce their own nuclear fuels in their own countries?  Unconfirmed reports have noted that some countries are dumping their nuclear wastes (rare earth included) in some third world countries under the guise of economic and scientific corporation!

(Malaysia) THE RARE EARTH CONTROVERSY, The Star,  by: cheaman, 25 April 11 What is ‘rare earth’? They are ‘actinide’ substances. So what are ‘actinides’, pray tell?

Actinide substances are a series encompassing the 15 chemical elements with atomic numbers from 89 to 103, actinium tolawrencium…. All actinides are radioactive and release energy upon radioactive decay; uranium, thorium, and plutonium, the most abundant actinides on Earth, are used in nuclear reactorsand nuclear weapons. (Ref: Wikipedia).

In other words, rare earth (depending on what type, after undergoing radiation bombardments), is used to produce ‘nuclear fuels’ rather than for other industrial uses.

Question:

So why is Malaysia so eager to produce nuclear fuels when we don’t have nuclear reactors nor in a position to produce nuclear weapons? The only obvious  reason is to produce these nuclear fuels for export to nuclear countries, thus making huge profits at the expense of the safety of the locals!

As logically expressed by most concerned Star CB bloggers here, why can’t the nuclear countries produce their own nuclear fuels in their own countries?  Unconfirmed reports have noted that some countries are dumping their nuclear wastes (rare earth included) in some third world countries under the guise of economic and scientific corporation! Boy, are we so naive to believe such crab?!

I’m from Kuantan (the PM’s ‘suki nang’, meaning ‘neighbour’ in Hainanese) and the people here certainly don’t want to set up a ‘rare earth plant’ behind their backyard! No, thanks, Mr PM! And if you want foreign investors to come to ECER, (East Coast Economic Region),  it is certainly not wise to set up a nuclear waste plant here!

April 25, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | ASIA, technology, Uranium