2012 April 30 « nuclear-news

Former Israeli Prime Minister opposes strike on Iran

Former Israeli premier Olmert joins Israeli opposition to strike at Iranian nuclear sites Washington Post, April 29 JERUSALEM — A former Israeli prime minister added his voice Sunday to a growing chorus of Israeli officials against a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Ehud Olmert spoke to Israel’s Channel 10 TV from New York. “There is no reason at this time not to talk about a military effort,” he said, “but definitely not to initiate an Israeli military strike.” Olmert was Israel’s prime minister from 2006-2009. He was in office when a suspected nuclear site in Syria was attacked in 2007. It was assumed that Israel carried out the airstrike, but Israel never acknowledged that.

Olmert’s remarks came after Israel’s former internal security chief, Yuval Diskin, said the government is misleading the public on the level of effectiveness of a military strike. Meir Dagan, Israel’s ex-Mossad chief, told the station he supported Diskin’s view…..
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/former-israeli-premier-olmert-joins-israeli-opposition-to-strike-at-iranian-nuclear-sites/2012/04/29/gIQAb1uopT_story.html

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

Israeli experts criticise Netanyahu’s belligerent stand towards Iran

Mr Diskin’s comments echoed those previously made by Meir Dagan, the director of Israel’s Mossad spy agency until January last year, who said that a strike on Iran would lead to ”regional war” and encourage Iran to continue its nuclear program.

‘Messianic’ Israeli leaders warned over Iran strike, Sydney Morning Herald, Karin Brulliard April 30, 2012 JERUSALEM: The recently retired chief of Israel’s domestic intelligence agency has described the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, as men driven by ”messianic feelings” and said that he had ”no faith” in them to lead a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The scathing comments by Yuval Diskin, who had kept a low profile since retiring last year, added to the sense of a divide between Israel’s security establishment and its political leadership over Iran. Last week the head of Israel’s military, Lieutenant-General
Benny Gantz, said sanctions and the threat of military action would deter Iran from building nuclear bombs, an analysis that contrasted with Mr Netanyahu’s and Mr Barak’s grimmer assessments. Continue reading →

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Low income households to get free solar power

Free Solar Power Systems For Cayman Islands Households, Energy Matters, 30 April 12, The Cayman Islands government is taking an interesting approach to helping low income families battle increasing electricity costs – by providing free solar panel systems.

Cayman Islands’ Premier, the Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP announced last week a free solar energy programme for 1500 households that will generate electricity bill savings of nearly 70% for beneficiaries and ensure these families will always have access to electricity for basic applications.

The $15 million programme will not only benefit the households, but also generate between 150 – 200 new job opportunities for Caymanians.

“We will be using reliable data from the Economic and Statistics Office, the Electricity Regulatory Authority and the Department of Social Services, in order to target those in most need of assistance. We will ensure that the myth is broken that renewable energy is only for the very wealthy and elite!” said Premier Bush. The Cayman Islands government has been pushing renewables uptake since revising its Electricity Regulatory Authority Law in 2010. A pilot feed in tariff program was launched in 2011, paying AUD 42c per kilowatt hour for all solar electricity produced by a system.

The Cayman Islands has a special interest in low emissions electricity generation. Like many small island nations around the world, the Caymans currently has a high dependence on electricity generated with expensive imported fossil fuels and is especially vulnerable to the projected impacts of climate change. The island of Grand Cayman was hit by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, flooding many areas and damaging an estimated 95% of the buildings on the island…. http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3183

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | decentralised, OCEANIA | Leave a comment

China joins the frenzy to sell nuclear reactors to Britain

CHINA POWERS UP £6BN NUCLEAR BID , Express UK, April 29,2012 By Tracey Boles ONE of China’s state-backed nuclear companies is in talks to invest more than $10 billion (£6 billion) in Britain’s new nuclear reactors.

According to Whitehall sources, the State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation is considering funding a bid for Horizon, the nuclear venture put up for sale by German utilities RWE and Eon. It is in talks about joining forces with Japan’s Toshiba which owns
Westinghouse, the reactor designer formerly owned by the UK government. Over time, the tie-up could be worth $60 billion (£37 billion), sources said. Continue reading →

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, UK | Leave a comment

Canada avoids testing ocean salmon for radiation

Canadians track Japanese tsunami debris, but won’t systematically test salmon for radiation http://www.straight.com/article-672746/vancouver/canadians-track-japanese-tsunami-debris-wont-systematically-test-salmon-radiation by Charlie Smith April 29, 2012 The Maritime Museum of B.C. has created a Facebook page devoted to collecting photos of debris from last year’s Japanese tsunami.

The majority of the material floating across the Pacific Ocean is not expected to arrive in B.C. until 2013 and 2014.

What I find interesting is that there still doesn’t appear to be a Facebook page concerning the potential effect of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the Canadian food supply.

Earlier this month, Straight reporter Carlito Pablo wrote an article noting that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has no plans to systematically test next year’s wild salmon for radioactivity.

These fish travel through the same waters as the flotsam and jetsam coming from Japan, where a devastating nuclear accident crippled the Fukushima power plant.

It’s okay to keep records of the garbage—but as far as the Conservative government is concerned, it appears to be not okay to examine if any of it is ending up in our digestive tracts.

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, oceans | Leave a comment

.Obama Administration pushing new nukes, but Jaczko disagrees

Fukushma the Japanese Chernobyl’…a year later and politics still ‘trump’ safety…UK Progressive, JEANINE MOLLOF | APRIL 29, 2012“…….Obama Administration pushing new nukes… While Japan ‘burns’ from radioactive fires—the Obama administration has been actively pushing new nuclear plants, with the first 2 plants to be built at Plant Vogtle (south of Augusta, Georgia). The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved these plants with one sole dissenter—Gregory Jaczko, the Chairman of the NRC. Jaczko is concerned that TEPCO (the chosen building partner of this dubious enterprise); will follow the same reckless path it followed regarding Fukushima. Specifically Jaczko cited…

“Significant safety enhancements have already been recommended as a result of learning the lessons from Fukushima.”…”and there is still more work ahead of us. Knowing this I cannot support these licenses as if Fukushima never happened.” (Source :
http://www.ajc.com/business/plant=vogtle-nuclear-expansion-1340522.html)

Jaczko’s position has been supported by Senator Ron Wyden’s recent
visit to Japan. …. http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/fukushima%E2%80%A6-the-%E2%80%98japanese-chernobyl%E2%80%99%E2%80%A6a-year-later-and-politics-still-%E2%80%98trump%E2%80%99-safety%E2%80%A6/article18462.html

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

China opposing North Korea’s nuclear testng

Chinese Official: China Opposes Nuclear Test by N. Korea, Arirang, 29 April 12 Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheng Guoping has said that Beijing opposes a nuclear test by North Korea. Cheng who’s accompanying Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang on an official visit to Russia told reporters Saturday that China and Russia agreed to maintain their previous stance on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Saying that the international community must do something to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Cheng called for an immediate resumption of the stalled six-party talks.
He reiterated that China will continue to work with the two Koreas to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia…. http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=128895&code=Ne8&category=1

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, North Korea, politics international | Leave a comment

Sweden – growing opposition to nuclear energy

Swedish opposition to nuclear energy on the up The Local 28 Apr 12 Swedes have become more negative towards nuclear power in the year since Japan’s nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, a new survey by the SOM institute at Gothenburg University has shown.

According to the survey, 44 percent of Swedes are in favour of phasing out nuclear power either immediately or after current nuclear power stations have completed their lifespan.

The proportion in favour of expanding nuclear power resources in Sweden or replacing existing ones amounted to 35 percent. The survey interviewed 1,500 people during the autumn of 2011 with the full results expected in June 2012. The Swedish public has long been deeply divided regarding the nuclear power issue…. http://www.thelocal.se/40532/20120428/

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, Sweden | Leave a comment

The General Electric Corporations’s connection with Fukushima

5 of the 6 reactors at Fukushima-Daiichi are GE manufactured Mark 1 systems. To add further insult to injury—the GE Mark 1 reactors at Fukushima—have “23 sisters in the US.” According to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) data, 23 of the 104 existing nuclear plants in the US are GE boiling-water reactors with GE’s Mark 1 radiation containment systems.

nuclear reactors such as those at Fukushima are little more than a radioactive time-bomb …”looking for a place to happen.’

Fukushma the Japanese Chernobyl’…a year later and politics still ‘trump’ safety…UK Progressive, JEANINE MOLLOF | APRIL 29, 2012 “…….. The GE Connection to Fukushima… Tanaka has not been the only engineer involved in the building and operation of ‘boiling-water’ reactors who became a whistle-blower against corporate practices deemed scientifically negligent in the nuclear industry. Dale G. Bridenbaugh, Gregory C. Minor and Richard B. Hubbard, all former engineers with GE resigned in protest over major design flaws in the Mark 1 nuclear reactor designs they were reviewing.

Dubbed the “GE Three”—these engineers switched sides and joined the anti-nuclear movement in 1975. The GE Three were reviewing the Mark 1 system which is among the oldest reactors in use. Arguing that the Mark 1 system was a disaster in the making to deaf corporate ears—the three engineers quit in disgust. Continue reading →

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Reference, safety, USA | Leave a comment

President Barack Obama on Climate Chnage

Ready for the Fight: Rolling Stone Interview with Barack Obama The president, in the Oval Office, discusses his job, the opposition and the coming campaign By JANN S. WENNER APRIL 25, 2012 “…...those who have looked at the science of climate change are scared and concerned about a general lack of sufficient movement to deal with the problem. Frankly, I’m deeply concerned that internationally, we have not made as much progress as we need to make.
Within the constraints of this Congress, we’ve tried to do a whole range of things, administratively, that are making a difference – doubling fuel-efficiency standards on cars is going to take a whole lot of carbon out of our atmosphere. We’re going to continue to push
on energy efficiency, and renewable energy standards, and the promotion of green energy. But there is no doubt that we have a lot more work to do…..

it’s been easy for the other side to pour millions of dollars into a campaign to debunk climate-change science. I suspect that over the next six months, this is going to be a debate that will become part of the campaign, and I will be very clear in voicing my belief that we’re going to have to take further steps to deal with climate change in a
serious way.

That there’s a way to do it that is entirely compatible with strong economic growth and job creation – that taking steps, for example, to retrofit buildings all across America with existing technologies will reduce our power usage by 15 or 20 percent. That’s
an achievable goal, and we should be getting started now……”
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/ready-for-the-fight-rolling-stone-interview-with-barack-obama-20120425#ixzz1tTnVSje7

April 30, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, USA | Leave a comment

Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMR’s) – last forlorn hope of the nuclear industry

There just isn’t any proof that small reactors are going to be any more economic than larger ones…. it’s all about hype and hope

Small nuclear reactors generate hype, questions about cost STL Today 29 April 12, “…..Ameren Missouri and Westinghouse Electric Co. announced plans to pursue a $452 million federal subsidy to advance development of small modular reactors that could be built alongside the utility’s much larger Callaway nuclear plant near Fulton, Mo.
While some utilities are still pursuing full-scale plants, there is a parallel push for smaller reactors that could be easier for utilities to finance and minimize sticker shock for regulators and consumers.
But despite a lower total cost, there’s no evidence yet that tiny fission factories would be able to produce electricity at a competitive cost in an era of abundant, cheap natural gas. Continue reading →