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Continued decline in price of uranium

 Uranium Continues to Slide, 9 News 18 July 12 Last week was another slightly down-week for uranium spot prices, with industry consultant TradeTech reporting just three transactions taking place. Total volume on the spot market was 400,000 pounds, with little activity in either the supply or demand side. TradeTech notes the lack of any sort of firm demand is continuing to place downward pressure on spot prices.
Sellers, for the most part, just don’t want to cut their prices and buyers remain speculative in nature.  This is a continuation of the prevalent trend over recent months and means the gap between willing sellers and buyers is continuing to increase.

Based on TradeTech’s assessment of the level at which it assumes a willing buyer and willing seller would do a deal, it’s Weekly U3O8 Spot Price Indicator finished last week at US$50.25 per pound, down US$0.35 from the previous week’s value….
http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newscolumnists/other/8500561/uranium-continues-to-slide

July 18, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

Exposure to ionising radiation – a national disaster says Japanese politician

Local Japanese Official: “This is the worst nation in history”
http://enenews.com/local-official-this-is-the-worst-nation-in-history-its-equal-to-the-war-when-i-think-of-medical-cost-and-sharing-of-social-burdens-from-radiation-exposure
   — It’s equal to the war, when I think of medical cost and sharing
of social burdens from radiation exposure July 17th, 2012  By ENENews  by Koichi Oyama, Minamisoma city council member, translated by Dissensus Japan:
Radiation Effects Research Foundation issued “There’s no threshold amount” which covered the theory of the scholars patronized by the government from the bottom.
The Japanese Government ignores it.
The politicians ignore it.
The media ignores it.
They ignore their own people !!!!

English: Radiation Effects Research Foundation
Japanese: Radiation Effects Research Foundation
In the article of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation is written that “everybody in Japan is a victim.” Continue reading →

July 18, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Renewable energy more efficient than gas, coal, nuclear

Study Finds Renewable Energy Sources are more Efficient than Traditional Ones Oil Price. com By Climate Progress  By. Zoë Casey, 17 July 2012  Wind energy opponents who say that producing electricity using the power of the wind is not efficient would do well to take a look at a new graphic published on the Guardian’s data blog  using UK Government data. ‘Up in smoke: how energy efficient is electricity produced in the UK?’ shows that thermal sources of electricity – gas, coal, nuclear, waste/biomass, oil and other – lose massive amounts of energy as waste heat, compared to almost 0% for renewables.

Gas accounts for 48% of the UK’s electricity supply and, of the 372 Terra-Watt hours of electricity it produces per year, 54% of this is lost as heat. Coal, meanwhile, accounts for 28% producing 297 TWh, loses an even higher proportion – 66%. Nuclear – accounting for 16% of the energy supply with 162 TWh, loses 65% and oil – 3% of the supply with 51 TWh – loses 77%.

Contrast these figures with renewable energy – which all together account for 4% of the UK’s electricity supply producing 14 TWh – they lose less than one percent. So, under this measure, renewable energy is 100% efficient.

Wind energy opponents centre their arguments on the ‘capacity factor’ of a wind farm. The capacity factor of any power plant is a measure of the amount of energy it actually generates compared to its theoretical maximum output in a given time. No power plant operates at 100% of its capacity…..  http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Study-Finds-Renewable-Energy-Sources-are-more-Efficient-than-Traditional-Ones.html

July 18, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

With no future in Japan, nuclear engineers move to other countries

Japan the only country in the world equipped with the know-how to operate the two main types of nuclear power reactors — the pressurized water reactor (PWR) and the boiling water reactor (BWR)….

And it has been the engineers of Tepco and other power companies in Japan who have accumulated the know-how to operate nuclear power plants using nuclear power plant components that incorporate the most advanced technology……

Nuclear engineers ditching Japan for a bigger paycheck, SENTAKU MAGAZINE,  July 16, 2012 Although Japan is reputed to be one of the most technologically advanced nations in nuclear power generation, it now faces a serious “brain drain” as some of its highly experienced nuclear engineers are lured to work in other countries for much better remuneration than they could hope to receive at home….
In Japan, public opinion has been increasingly against nuclear power generation since the March 11, 2011, accidents at Tokyo Electric Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Continue reading →

July 18, 2012 Posted by | Japan, technology | Leave a comment

Safecast providing impartial information on Fukushima radiation

 visit Safecast at blog.safecast.org .

Local governments in Fukushima are linking up with Safecast to get additional readings, for example in schools, and are sharing data with residents. More volunteers are joining, including Europeans and Japanese as well as other nationalities.

U.S. group supplying radiation data Japan Times,   18 July 12By YURI KAGEYAMA People seeking information on radiation levels from the Fukushima crisis are turning to a volunteer group founded in the U.S. that has created a detailed and constantly updated visual database online. Continue reading →

July 18, 2012 Posted by | Fukushima 2012, media, USA | Leave a comment

Massive police presence does not stop public opposition to Gorakhpur nuclear power plan

Opposition demands scrapping of nuclear project, govt seeks to alley fears quoting scientists Deepender Deswal, TNN | Jul 17, 2012, ROHTAK: Haryana state committee of CPI (M) has demanded scrapping of the proposal for setting up a nuclear power plant at village Gorakhpur village in Fatehabad district in view of stiff opposition expressed by the villagers.

The farmers have been protesting against the proposed nuclear plant for many months and also registered their protest today during public hearing organized by the district administration. The party state secretary Inderjit Singh has claimed that the stand taken by CPI(M), opposition parties and other organizations has been vindicated by the open unwillingness of the people of the area.

He also criticized the massive deployment of police force at Gorakhpur and yet it could not deter the public from expressing their opposition to the nuclear plant. He also described the political stand of the ruling Congress leaders invoking the stand of former chief ministers
like late Devi Lal and Bhajan Lal regarding nuclear power as irrelevant stating that the situation had fundamentally changed in the aftermath of Fukusima accident in Japan.

“Congress leaders should see by themselves that there was a serious rethinking at global level in the matter of nuclear power”, he said…….

July 18, 2012 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Gorakhpur farmers not impressed with pro nuclear speakers

Bishnoi, while addressing the farmers, said that as per rules, the locals should have been given the Environment Impact Assessment report one month before such a hearing, but it was not done.

Public hearing on nuke plant ends abruptly amid tension DNA, Jul 17, 2012, The public hearing on the proposed nuclear power project at Gorakhpur village here today ended abruptly amid tension triggered by the entry of political leaders at the venue.

The hearing was wound up within an hour after it started and efforts of nuclear scientists and Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik to convince farmers went in vain as they were not ready to listen to them and raised slogans.

As Haryana Janhit Congress chief and Hisar MP Kuldip Bishnoi, and INLD leader Abhay Chautala entered the venue, the deputy commissioner stopped the proceedings and declared the hearing as “close and complete”. He abruptly wound up the discussion and left the place with the scientists and officers in a huff to avoid any ugly situation at the village where a huge police force was deployed. Continue reading →

July 18, 2012 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Secrets about Crystal River nuclear plant’s financial fiasco

The 36-year-old plant has been out of service since fall 2009. It may have to be shut down permanently because repair and related costs are expected to run in the billions of dollars.

Secrets about Crystal River nuclear plant could be revealed at hearings this week Tampa Bay Times, By Ivan Penn,  July 18, 2012 Duke Energy’s new Florida customers may find out this week just how good the utility is at keeping secrets about the troubled Crystal River nuclear plant.

The North Carolina Public Service Commission has summoned several Duke board members to explain the less-than-one-day tenure of Bill Johnson as CEO of the newly combined Duke-Progress Energy giant.

Johnson’s “lack of transparency” in his accounting of the busted Crystal River plant seems central to his ouster. Duke has revealed that its own secret report highlights the plant’s problems, but it has thus far resisted releasing the study. Continue reading →

July 18, 2012 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry in an economic no man’s land

COLUMN-Finnish delay fresh warning against nuclear: Wynn By  Gerard Wynn 17 July 12, (Reuters) – The lesson from the latest delay to Finland’s planned new nuclear reactor, announced on Monday, is either build lots of them or don’t build any at all.

It is a general economic principle that costs per plant decline the bigger a programme. Historical data support that for nuclear, where it may apply more acutely given its highly specialised and often unique supply chain and engineering skills.

It makes no sense to take a suck-and-see approach, building incrementally in a modular fashion, especially for new technologies such as Finland’s advanced pressurised water reactor. Continue reading →

July 18, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Reference | Leave a comment

Study on cancer from Fukushima, but they didn’t count internal emitters of radiation

Christina Macpherson’s websites & blogs

Note that this study – like so many touted in the media – counts only “external emitters” – not the cancers caused by “internal emitters” .  Internal emitters are the sources of radioactive material that lodge inside a person’s body – the lungs or the gut – and will cause cancer later on – perhaps years after they have been taken in by the body, through eating or breathing.  They can be taken in long after the actual radioactive release, as they are the particles that have settled somewhere – on the ground, on plants, in water.

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster may cause 1,300 deaths: report Radio Australia 18 July 2012  US researchers have released a study warning that radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan may eventually cause up to 1,300 deaths….. And they forecast anywhere between 24 and 2,500 thousand cases of cancer.

While the estimates have a large range, they do contrast with a UN prediction that the meltdowns would cause no severe health effects…. The study relied on a 3-D atmospheric model to predict the spread of radioactive material, and then calculated the estimated exposure to people in the path of the contamination…
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2012-07-18/japans-fukushima-nuclear-disaster-may-cause-1300-deaths-report/981808

July 18, 2012 Posted by | Christina's notes, Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Tokyo anti nuclear rally by 170,000

Thousands reject nuclear,http://www.theage.com.au/world/thousands-reject-nuclear-20120716-226gd.html#ixzz20xx3KSqt   The Age, July 17, 2012,   TOKYO. Tens of thousands of people have rallied in Tokyo demanding an end to nuclear power, the latest in a series of demonstrations following the disaster at Fukushima. As many as 170,000 demonstrators chanting ”Don’t resume nuclear power operation. Prime Minister (Yoshihiko) Noda should quit” marched in one of the biggest rallies since last year’s earthquake and tsunami disaster sparked one of the world’s worst atomic disasters. Participants included Nobel-winning author Kenzaburo Oe and Japanese musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

”We are so angry because no progress has been made in terms of compensation and decontamination,” said Noboru Shikatani, 71, who was evacuated from Fukushima following the disaster.

picture from http://www.facebook.com/internetocracy

July 17, 2012 Posted by | Japan, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Police arrest cricket players at Australian peaceful anti uranium protest

Lizards Revenge – Arrests are just not cricket , 17 July, A light-hearted game of cricket near Roxby Downs was disrupted today at 1:15pm as police moved in to arrest the players, who are camping near the Olympic Dam uranium mine as part of the Lizards Revenge protest festival.

Police and off-duty miners were invited to join the game, but cricketers were instead bowled over by the severity of the police response. About 50 officers, six on horseback, formed a line to push the group from the road and the oval. Musical equipment and props were confiscated, and five players were arrested in the ensuing scuffle – bringing the total number of arrests so far to eleven.

Both sport and opposition to the nuclear industry are proud Australian traditions. BHP, the once “big Australian”, is now 76% foreign-owned. After the resource has been extracted from Olympic Dam, Australia will be left with 40 square kilometres of toxic tailings whilst most of the profits have gone overseas.

One player explained: “We say uranium mining is just not cricket. BHP Billiton, give the Arabunna people, the Kokatha people and all the Australian people a fair go.”

July 17, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Japan’s ruling party risks election defeat, due to anti nuclear feeling

Nuclear issue puts increasing pressure on Japan government  By Linda Sieg TOKYO Jul 17, 2012  (Reuters) – Japan’s government came under fire on Tuesday over its handling of public hearings on nuclear energy policy, threatening to dent already sagging support for the ruling party ahead of an election many expect to be this year.

The latest furor follows Monday’s massive rally in Tokyo against nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, an issue now so contentious that lawmakers and analysts say it could trump taxes as the focus of lower house elections, which must be held by September 2013 but could come sooner. Continue reading →

July 17, 2012 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Secrecy and safety issues at troubled Kudankulam nuclear power plant

An atom of doubt at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant Reuters, By Gokul Chandrasekar JULY 17, 2012   KUDANKULAM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT  SAFETY ISSUES Opponents of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, under construction in Tamil Nadu, are raising fresh questions about the plant’s safety because of Indian government documents that they say reveal a problem in the design of one of the two reactors.

The reactor’s design differs from the plan that Russia and India came up with when they agreed to build the reactor in 1988, according to the documents published by India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

The design of the reactor pressure vessel, which contains the reactor coolant and core, was not supposed to have welds in its core region, the bulletin said. The vessel has two welds there, it said.

People who live near the Kudankulam plant and the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy called this deviation a “serious breach of contract” that exposes the plant to high failure risk and a higher possibility of offsite radiological contamination. Continue reading →

July 17, 2012 Posted by | India, safety | Leave a comment

Japan’s Shika nuclear power plant on top of an active earthquake fault?

 Shika nuclear plant may sit on active fault Confirmation could doom facility; others probed Japan Times, 17 July 12 Kyodo Government research indicates the fault running beneath Hokuriku Electric Power Co.’s Shika Nuclear Power Station may be active, raising questions  about the utility’s claim in the late 1990s to the contrary, according to sources.

Government regulations do not allow construction of a nuclear reactor above an active fault. If it is confirmed active, the Shika nuclear plant in Ishikawa Prefecture may not qualify to operate. Continue reading →

July 17, 2012 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

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