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The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Alas, ‘fast breeder’ reactors don’t solve the nuclear waste problem

Ultimately, however, the core problem may be that such new reactors don’t eliminate the nuclear waste that has piled up

Can Fast Reactors Speedily Solve Plutonium Problems? The U.K. is grappling with how to get rid of weapons-grade plutonium and may employ a novel reactor design to consume it , Scientific American, By David Biello  | March 21, 2012   The U.K. has nearly 100 metric tons of plutonium—dubbed “the element from hell” by some—that it doesn’t know what to do with.

The island nation does not need the potent powder to construct more nuclear weapons, and spends billions of British pounds to ensure that others don’t steal it for that purpose. The unstable element, which will remain radioactive for millennia, is the residue of ill-fated efforts to recycle used nuclear fuel. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | - plutonium, reprocessing, UK | Leave a comment

General agreement that Iran is nowhere near having the nuclear bomb

Intel shows Iran nuclear threat not imminent, Business Recorder, MARCH 24, 2012   The United States, European allies and even Israel generally agree on three things about Iran’s nuclear program: Tehran does not have a bomb, has not decided to build one, and is probably years away from having a deliverable nuclear warhead. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international, weapons and war | 1 Comment

Earthquake close to planned vast uranium mine in Australia

26 March 12 BHP Billiton’s planned new mega uranium mine at Olympic Dam in South Australia will be the world’s largest man-made hole. The planned open-pit mine would be  4.1 kilometres long, 3.5 kilometres wide and 1 kilometre deep. It is hard to imagine the size of this thing, and of its impact on the environment.

Just for one consideration –  Australian airway flight paths will have to be changed, because this gigantic hole will have such an effect on the weather as to change the wind patterns in the region!

But – for another consideration – this uranium orebody  it is situated on an earthquake fault.  The current succession of earthquakes must surely cause South Australia to reconsider the wisdom, or otherwise, of siting the monster mine there! – Christina Macpherson

SEISMIC SURGE IN FAR NORTH: 3.9 EARTHQUAKE NEAR ROXBY DOWNS, Coober Pedy Regional Times,  26 March 12, A 3.9 magnitude earthquake has struck near Olympic Dam in South Australia’s Mid – Far North overnight,   in addition to a spate of 4 separate earthquakes in the Far North of the state in the past week.

The succession of medium to significant earthquakes has promted  Geoscience Australia to begin setting up seismic monitoring equipment in the Far North where three of the earthquakes occured last week including a 6.1 magnitude quake….. The most recent earthquake which occured overnight is not far from the townships of Roxby Downs and Andamooka near the Stuart Highway, and situated within relatively close proximity to a number of the state’s mining and prospecting operations including the Olympic Dam uranium mine, whose massive orebody engulfs the 35km Masher’s Fault. …… http://cooberpedyregionaltimes.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/seismic-surge-in-far-north-3-9-earthquake-near-roxby-downs/

March 26, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, safety | Leave a comment

More earthquakes as a result of climate change

The world we inhabit has an outer rind that is extraordinarily sensitive to change. While the Earth’s crust may seem safe and secure, the geological calamities that happen with alarming regularity confirm that this is not the case……….
Our planet is once again in the throes of an extraordinary climatic transformation — this time brought about by human activities……

Let the sleeping giant lie A changing climate isn’t just about floods, droughts and heatwaves. It brings erupting volcanoes and catastrophic earthquakes too By Bill McGuire -Guardian News, 25 Mar 12,    The idea that a changing climate can persuade the ground to shake, volcanoes to rumble and tsunamis to crash on to unsuspecting coastlines seems, at first, to be bordering on the insane. How can what happens in the thin envelope of gas that shrouds and protects our world possibly influence the Earth-shattering processes that operate deep beneath the surface?

The fact that it does reflects a failure of our imagination and a limited understanding of the manner in which the different physical components of our planet — the atmosphere, the oceans and the solid Earth, or geosphere — intertwine and interact. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, climate change | Leave a comment

A deeply corrupt nuclear industry

The corrupt Government and nuclear industry alliance, Independent Australia, 20 March 12,   Nuclear power is inherently unsafe, and only continues because of an insidious alliance between Governments and a deeply corrupt nuclear industry. Joe Giambrone comments. “…..  Japan’s devastation is our wake-up call. This was a General Electric manufactured reactor, of which there are more than 20 similar units operating in the US, right now.

Local communities in America reject these ticking time bombs, reactors designed for several decades’ use, which are then re-licensed to operate for several more decades beyond their specifications. The motivation for this re-licensing is clearly monetary and not safety related. The plants are literally crumbling and critical cooling pipes are worn so thin as to be the width of a sheet of paper. Numerous plant failures are expected by many observers in the coming few years.

But as local entities and state governments vote to stop these hazards and shut them down, the federal government claims authority over “safety” (sic) and simply ignores the demands of the people living at the grounds zero. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Disastrous consequences of an attack on Iran

 I think the mischief and misery and unintended consequences of an attack on Iran would be beyond belief.”…..

Ian McEwan: misery of attack on Iran would be beyond belief. Lisa Allardice guardian.co.uk,  25 March 2012 Author says regime is ‘looking very wobbly,’ but that an attack would reunite the country behind its leaders Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | Iran, social effects, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Indigenous peoples’ new network to oppose nuclear waste dumping on Aboriginal land

It mentioned the Tao, who live on the outlying island of Lanyu (蘭嶼, also known as Orchid Island), as well as Aboriginal tribes in the US and Australia, as examples of indigenous people becoming victims of nuclear waste disposal on their traditional lands.

Groups to propose Aborigine network, Taipei Times, 23 March 12  SENEGAL CONGRESS:The network would give voice to the global Aboriginal community and focus on issues like nuclear waste disposal, environmental groups said. Environmental and Aboriginal groups yesterday said they would propose the establishment of an Aboriginal network at an upcoming congress in Senegal, with the aim of uniting global support for Aboriginal people on environmental issues. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, indigenous issues | Leave a comment

Gordon Brown claims Dalgety Beach radiation more dangerous than estimated before

Brown claims evidence of ‘disturbing’ radiation risk at Dalgety Bay The former prime minister is handing over a dossier to the MoD highlighting the heightened danger of radiation. News STV, 25 March 2012 Former prime minister Gordon Brown says he has
seen new evidence of “disturbing” levels of radiation at a Fife beach where wartime military aircraft were incinerated. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | environment, UK | Leave a comment

UK farmers welcome govt support for renewable energy projects on farms

Farm renewable energy boost, Farming News, (UK) , March 25, 2012 FARMERS’ leaders have welcomed Government plans to exempt small-scale renewable energy schemes on farms from planning regulations. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, UK | Leave a comment

Israeli citizens reach out for friendship with Iranians

Amid war fears, Israelis reach out to Iran, Gulf News, 26 March 12, Citizens use social media, build website and set up an art exhibit to show opposition to Tel Aviv’s threats  “….. a small but growing number of Israelis trying to reach out to Iranians, even as Israeli
politicians warn with growing frequency and intensity that Israel might strike to halt Tehran’s suspected nuclear weapons program. Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

USA – nuclear powered drones? Well, not just yet.

 No Go On A Nuclear-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle?  http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/03/25/no-go-on-a-nuclear-powered-unmanned-aerial-vehicle/  Ottawa Citizen, David Pugliese, March 25, 2012. There have been a number of articles lately about the U.S. developing a new unmanned aerial vehicle in secret. Dave Majumdar, at Air Force Times, recently had an article about how the U.S. Air Force’s decision to postpone development of a next generation unmanned combat aircraft suggests that service might be developing something else in the “black world.” Continue reading →

March 26, 2012 Posted by | Reference, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment