2012 January 21 « nuclear-news

Continuing radiation fallout danger from Fukushima nuclear disaster

Radiation used to be a word that evoked serious concern in a lot of people. However, the nuclear industry and its supporters have done a masterful job in allaying public fears about it. They do this in significant part by relying on outdated and highly questionable data collected on Japanese atom bomb survivors, while at the same time ignoring and dismissing inconvenient but much more relevant evidence that shows the actual harmful effects of radiation exposure from nuclear accidents.

neglecting to monitor the fallout will not make it go away. In fact, another enormous problem with radioactive contamination is that it bioaccumulates in the environment, which means it concentrates as it moves up the food chain. (Think of mercury in fish.) Because many radionuclides are so long-lived, this can be a problem for a very long time.

Fukushima Update: Why We Should (Still) Be Worried Business Insider, Russ Baker, WhoWhatWhy | Jan. 20, 2012, After the catastrophic trifecta of the triple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex in Japan last March—what the Japanese are referring to as their 3/11—you would think the Japanese government would be doing everything in its power to contain the disaster. You would be wrong—dead wrong.
Instead of collecting, isolating, and guarding the millions of tons of radioactive rubble that resulted from the chain reaction of the 9.0 earthquake, the subsequent 45- to 50-foot wall of water that swamped the plant and disabled the cooling systems for the reactors, and the ensuing meltdowns, Japanese Environment Minister Goshi Hosono says that the entire country must share Fukushima’s plight by accepting debris from the disaster……

The enormous volume of waste is much more than the disaster areas can handle. So, in an apparent attempt to return this region to some semblance of normal life, the plan is to spread out the waste to as many communities across the country as will take it. Continue reading →

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Japan, politics | 1 Comment

Global warming shown in meteorological records over past 10 years

Globally, 9 of the 10 warmest years on record occurred since 2000 Environmental news Network, From: Reuters January 20, 2012 The global average temperature last year was the ninth-warmest in the modern meteorological record, continuing a trend linked to greenhouse gases that saw nine of the 10 hottest years occurring since the year 2000, NASA scientists said on Thursday.

A separate report from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the average temperature for the United States in 2011 as the 23rd warmest year on record.

The global average surface temperature for 2011 was 0.92 degrees F (0.51 degrees C) warmer than the mid-20th century baseline temperature, researchers at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies said in a statement. The institute’s temperature record began in 1880.

The first 11 years of the new century were notably hotter than the middle and late 20th century, according to institute director James Hansen. The only year from the 20th century that was among the top 10 warmest years was 1998.

These high global temperatures come even with the cooling effects of a strong La Nina ocean temperature pattern and low solar activity for the past several years, said Hansen, who has long campaigned against human-spurred climate change.

The NASA statement said the current higher temperatures are largely sustained by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is emitted by various human activities, from coal-fired power plants to fossil-fueled vehicles to human breath.

Current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere exceed 390 parts per million, compared with 285 ppm in 1880 and 315 by 1960, NASA said. http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/43880

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change, Reference | Leave a comment

UK’s nuclear expansion could be derailed if nuclear subsidies found to be unlawful

The European Commission could take up to 18 months to consider the complaint A finding in Fair Energy’s favour could potentially derail the UK’s nuclear expansion plans – and those of other countries.

UK ‘subsidising nuclear power unlawfully’, By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News. 21 Jan 12, Green energy campaigners are attempting to block new nuclear power stations in the UK by complaining to the European Commission that government plans
contravene EU competition regulations.

They say financial rules for nuclear operators include subsidies that have not been approved by the commission. These include capping of liability for accidents, which they say at
least halves the cost of nuclear electricity…..
Although most of the complaint concerns the UK, some of its ingredients would apply to other EU nations as well, especially the capping of nuclear liability. Continue reading →

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, UK | Leave a comment

French Polynesia to regain islands, France to provide radiation protection

most of the radioactive material was transported into the upper atmosphere and dispersed.”….
in August 2006, an official report by the French government confirmed the link between an increase in cases of thyroid cancer on the atolls and France’s atmospheric nuclear tests.

French Senate OKs Return of Nuclear Test Atolls to French Polynesia PARIS, France, January 19, 2012 (ENS) http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2012/2012-01-19-01.html – The Senate of France has passed legislation that transfers two Pacific atolls used for atmospheric and underground nuclear testing back into the public
domain of French Polynesia….

…If the proposed legislation becomes law, the atolls would be returned to French Polynesia, but France would continue environmental remediation and monitoring of radiation
and geomechanics there “in a sustainable manner.” Continue reading →

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | OCEANIA, politics international | Leave a comment

Small modular nuclear reactors” – is this REALLY “a way for USA to regain leadership in nuclear”

from a strictly commercial perspective, there is no reason to use nuclear power at all. The capital costs are enormous and the operations and maintenance costs are very high, to say nothing liability insurance.

daviddelosangeles comments on Feds To Finance Small Nuclear Reactor Designs, Ucilia Wang, Forbes, 21 Jan 12, “The key question is would that there need to be a certain minimum number of these [small nuclear] reactors in service for a civilian nuclear power system based on these smaller reactors to operate successfully. This is true for mining, processing, research, and waste disposal. It is not clear that that “critical mass” of reactors could be developed in the current environment.

The decision of the Federal government in the 1950′s to subsidize the creation of the civilian nuclear power industry (e.g. The Price-Anderson Act) was made because nuclear power was not commercially viable but the military needed a nuclear power industry (naval powered submarines – and later aircraft carriers- and nuclear warheads for the air force).

The military alone could achieve the necessary critical mass. A federally subsidized commercial nuclear power industry was the answer. Continue reading →

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty – the start of a peace race

This article on website http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/starting-a-peace-race-with-the/page-3/#ixzz1k84rR2Am contains archival viewing of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy

Starting a Peace Race with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, William Lambers — BC Culture, 20 Jan 12, We need to challenge all these countries. But not to an arms race; rather to what President Kennedy called a “peace race.” This is our best hope for unifying the world in eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons and lifting this burden off all peoples.

This unity must first begin at home between Democrats and Republicans. A starting point should be ratifying a pact eliminating all nuclear weapons testing, finally finishing a job started long ago by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy….. But decades later, what Ike and Kennedy started is not yet finished. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) still needs to be ratified.

This treaty goes a step further than the limited one of 1963 and bans all nuclear test explosions, including underground. The United States and seven other nations have yet to approve this treaty for it to take effect. Russia has already ratified it. Continue reading →

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

Economic growth for India through renewable energy

Renewable energy holds key to growth, says Sheila, Times of India, TNN | Jan 21, 2012, NEW DELHI: Chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday unveiled the first Renewal Energy Assisted Pump (REAP) system at a function in Mayur Vihar. Developed by discom BSES Yamuna in collaboration with IIT Delhi, the REAP system is an easy-to-install submersible pump connected to a water tank, with a specially designed motor powered by a solar panel.

Officials said REAP would meet water storage and pumping needs in both rural and urban India by harnessing renewable energy sources. “It will help in combating global warming and other environmental issues. In addition to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, it will help BYPL manage the electricity demand better,” said an official.

The first REAP system was installed at a plot owned by the All India Panchayat Parishad (AIPS) in Mayur Vihar. Dikshit said the REAP technology would reduce consumption of power during morning peak hours, when most people switch on their pumps to get water as well as store it. “The technology will also prove useful in agriculture, hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants, malls and group housing societies,” said a government official. The solar panel will be connected to a pump, which will draw ground water and store it in an overhead tank. The REAP has a capacity to draw 30,000l of water per hour. The CM said generation of power with coal and gas is not a viable solution as these resources are getting depleted. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Renewable-energy-holds-key-to-growth-says-Sheila/articleshow/11573708.cms

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, renewable | 1 Comment

Films show effects of uranium mining on indigenous peoples

Two films show effects of uranium mining Friday Film Pick: Don’t Mine Me & Uranium Art Threat, by EZRA WINTON JANUARY 20, 2012 a doc looking at the history of uranium mining on a Navajo Indian Reservation in the US. Since you can only watch the trailer for this film and read about it as it continues production (with generous donations from supporters), I’m including a second film from 1990 that looks at uranium mining in Canada, called Uranium (trailers after jump).

Don’t Mine Me is a documentary about the history of uranium mining on the Navajo Indian Reservation in the Southwest United States. At the end of WWII, the United States encouraged uranium mining production. Several large uranium deposits were found on the Navajo Reservation and many Navajo men were employed to work these mines. Disregarding the known health risks resulting from exposure to uranium, the United States failed to inform the Navajo workers about the dangers and to regulate the mining to minimize contamination. Several mine workers and families on the reservation have suffered with numerous amounts of health problems, some even fatal, from environmental contamination. For decades the government failed to improve conditions and to inform workers of the dangers. Continue reading →

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Fiji, Pacific Islands adopt International Renewable Energy Agency program

Fiji, PICs go for renewable energy Fiji Times, Tevita Vuibau, January 21, 2012 FIJI has joined other Pacific Island countries (PICs) in adopting the Abu Dhabi Communique on Accelerating Renewable Energy Uptake for the Pacific.

According to a statement, Fiji adopted the communique at the conclusion of the Pacific leaders meeting, which preceded the second session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) assembly.

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama headed the country’s delegation to the meeting in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

As part of the communique, the Pacific Island countries resolved to use the large and under-utilised potential for renewable energy in the Pacific region….. He said it… was imperative that Fiji develop a meaningful relationship with IRENA. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=191377

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | OCEANIA, renewable | Leave a comment

Public ignorance on what really IS ionising radiation

Fukushima Update: Why We Should (Still) Be Worried Business Insider, Russ Baker, WhoWhatWhy | Jan. 20, 2012, “……..What Radiation Is A great help to nuclear proponents is the fact that nuclear physics is complicated, and most people don’t understand even its most basic concepts. The blanket term “radiation” is used to describe all manner of radioactive contamination—as if it’s just one thing—when, in fact, there are different kinds, some much more damaging than others. It also matters exactly what is being exposed to radiation—i.e., exposure outside the body or inside it—and how long the exposure goes on.

In a nutshell, radioactive elements, also known as radioisotopes or radionuclides, are unstable atoms. They seek stability by giving off particles and energy—ionizing radiation—until the radioisotope becomes stable. This process occurs within the nucleus of the radioisotope, and the shedding of these particles and energy is commonly referred to as ‘‘nuclear disintegration.’’ Nuclear radiation expert Rosalie Bertell describes the release of energy in each disintegration as ‘‘an explosion on the microscopic level.”

This process is known as the “decay chain,” and during their decay, most radioactive elements morph into yet other radioactive elements on their journey to becoming lighter, stable atoms at the end of the chain. Some of the morphed-into elements are much more dangerous than the original radioisotope, and the decay chain can take a very long time. This is the reason that radioactive contamination can last so long.

To further complicate the issue, different radioisotopes give off different kinds of radiation—alpha, beta, gamma, X ray, or neutron emissions—all of which behave differently. Alpha emitters, such as plutonium and radon, are intensely ionizing but don’t penetrate very far and generally can’t get through the dead layers of cells covering skin. But when they are inhaled from the air or ingested from radiation-contaminated food or water, they emit high-energy particles that can do serious damage to the cells of sensitive internal soft tissues and organs. The lighter, faster-moving beta particles can penetrate far more deeply than alpha particles, though sheets of metal and heavy clothing can block them. Beta particles are also very dangerous when inhaled or ingested. Strontium-90 and tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, are both beta emitters. Gamma radiation is a form of electromagnetic energy like X rays, and it passes through clothing and skin straight into the body. A one-inch shield of either lead or iron, or eight inches of concrete are needed to stop gamma rays, examples of which include cobalt-60 and cesium-137—one of the radionuclides of most concern in the Fukushima fallout. Aside from use in medical diagnostics, X rays are also produced in nuclear fission, and their effects are similar to gamma radiation. Neutron emissions are the most penetrating of all types of radiation and require a shield of several feet of water or concrete to contain them.

The behavior of radioisotopes out in the environment also varies depending on what they encounter. They can combine with one another or with stable chemicals to form molecules that may or may not dissolve in water. They can combine with solids, liquids, or gases at ordinary temperature and pressure. They may be able to enter into biochemical reactions, or they may be biologically inert.

In her book No Immediate Danger: Prognosis for a Radioactive Earth, Bertell notes that if they enter the body either through air, food, water, or an open wound, “They may remain near the place of entry into the body or travel in the bloodstream or lymph fluid. They can be incorporated into the tissue or bone. They may remain in the body for minutes or hours or a lifetime.” To illustrate how different radioisotopes behave, she points out that: “Plutonium is biologically and chemically attracted to bone as is the naturally occurring radioactive chemical radium. However, plutonium clumps on the surface of bone, delivering a concentrated dose of alpha radiation to surrounding cells, whereas radium diffuses homogeneously in bone and thus has a lesser localized cell damage effect. This makes plutonium, because of the concentration, much more biologically toxic than a comparable amount of radium.”

Specific health effects from internal radiation exposure correlate with where radioisotopes land in the body. Bertell explains: “For example, radionuclides lodged in the bones can damage bone marrow and cause bone cancers or leukemia, while radionuclides lodged in the lungs can cause respiratory diseases. Generalized whole body exposure to radiation can be expressed as a stress related to a person’s hereditary medical weakness. Individual breakdown usually occurs at our weakest point.” In other words, the impact of radiation exposure also depends very much on each individual’s level of health and genetic make-up…..

http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-update-why-we-should-still-be-worried-2012-1

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health, Reference | Leave a comment

AREVA’s environmental plan for uranium mining rejected by Nunavut

“Barry McCallum [Areva’s manager of Nunavut affairs] from Areva has been boasting about how many thousands of pages long their draft environmental impact statement is. It appears that size isn’t everything,” said Jack Hicks, a member of Nunavummiut Makitagunarningit, in an email.

Nunavummiut Makitagunarningit has lobbied against the Kiggavik project for years and is opposed to uranium mining in Nunavut….

NIRB gives Areva failing grade on Kiggavik’s draft EIS Environmental review on uranium scheme stalled NUNATSIAQ NEWS, Nunavut January 20, 2012 The Kiggavik uranium project, about 80 km from Baker Lake, would cost
$2.1 billion to build … The Nunavut Impact Review Board has rejected Areva Canada’s
draft environmental statement and said an environmental review cannot begin until the company fixes its work.
An environmental review of Nunavut’s first uranium mine is stalled for the time being, following a decision by the Nunavut Impact Review Board to reject an 11-volume draft environmental impact statement from Areva Canada on its proposed Kiggavik uranium extraction project near Baker Lake. Continue reading →

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, environment | Leave a comment

Huge potential for wave and tidal power – U.S. East Coast

STUDY: CA Coast Could Harness Big Energy, KMJNow, by Margaret Carrero, 20 Jan 12 A two year study indicates that California’s coastal waters embody enough power to generate nearly one third of the nation’s energy supply.

Researched by Virginia and Georgia Tech, the findings released this week by the U.S. Department of Energy point to a real potential to generate renewable energy by harnessing wave and tidal power…. http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/landing?STUDY-CA-Coast-Could-Harness-Big-Energy=1&blockID=581940&feedID=80

January 21, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | Leave a comment