2012 November 27 « nuclear-news

Youtube: Human rights in Japan reagrding Fukushima radiation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbwjhXtAg0I Report on the “Learn from Chernobyl” tour in Japan Nov 25, 2012 Ms. Kazuko Kawai, Founder of Voices for Lively Spring HD, 30 min 26 sec, in English with Japanese subtitles

~How to protect the right to health and life of citizens from radiological contamination after the nuclear accident in Fukushima?~ Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Stunning growth in solar energy employment in USA

The three year Census series paints a stunning picture of solar job growth. Since 2010, employment in the U.S. solar industry has grown 27percent – eight times faster than the overall economy during the same period

The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2012 Finds Installers Leading the Way More than 8,500 installation jobs created in the past year, continued industry wide growth expected in 2013 ALBANY, N.Y. (PRWEB) November 14, 2012 The Solar Foundation (TSF), an independent nonprofit solar education and research organization, today released the full version of its third annual National Solar Jobs Census at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Clean Energy Workforce Education Conference. In early November, TSF announced that the Census found that the U.S. solar industry now employs 119,016 Americans, a figure which represents the addition of 13,872 workers and a 13.2 percent employment growth rate over the previous year.

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Renewable Energy – a job provider for millions of Indians

Indian Renewable Energy Sector to Create 2.4 Million Jobs by 2020 http://theenergycollective.com/energyjobline/147291/indian-renewable-energy-sector-create-24-million-jobs-2020 by C. Dominguez November 24, 2012 India’s renewable energy sector is to create up to 2.4 million jobs by 2020, according to a report jointly commissioned by environmental group Greenpeace, the Global Wind Energy Council and the European Renewable Energy Council.
To date, the sector employs 200,000 people, but this could jump 14 times by 2030 with the right policies and investments in place, stated India Energy [R]evolution report.
By 2050, about 92 percent of India’s energy infrastructure will be based on renewable energy sources. Renewables such as wind, solar thermal energy and photovoltaic, will comprise 74 percent of electricity generation. Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | employment, India, renewable | Leave a comment

Nuclear spacecraft in the sky – (hope they don’t crash)

Proposed nuclear reactor could power future space flights By Mark Morgenstein, CNN, 27 Nov 12 For potential power sources on space flights beyond the horizon, scientists are looking back to the future.

A team of NASA and Department of Energy researchers has shown that a reliable nuclear reactor based on technology that’s been around for decades could be used in spaceships, according to a news release from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where some of the researchers are
based…..
“A small, simple, lightweight fission power system could lead to a new and enhanced capability for space science and exploration,” said Los Alamos project lead Patrick McClure. “We hope that this proof of concept will soon move us from the old frontier of Nevada to the new frontier of outer space.” http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/26/proposed-nuclear-reactor-could-power-future-space-flights/

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, USA | 1 Comment

Sellafield – a financial as well as environmental disaster

Sellafield inspection after ‘intolerable risk’ report, BBC News 26 Nov 12 Sellafield is the UK’s largest and most hazardous nuclear site Sellafield nuclear plant is to undergo a value-for-money inspection after a report found it posed a “risk”.

Earlier this month the National Audit Office (NAO) found decommissioning projects were over budget and that storage buildings were “run-down”.

Now members of the Public Accounts Committee will visit the site to ask “tough questions” on how taxpayers’ money is being spent….. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-20495334

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, UK | Leave a comment

Warning on danger of Middle East war

Russian expert warns of possibility of large-scale war in Middle East Voice of Russia, 26 Nov 12 Turkey has asked NATO to deploy “Patriot” missiles on the Turkish side near the Turkish-Syrian border.
In an interview with the Voice of Russia, Russian analyst Konstantin Sivkov said: “Deploying these missiles in Turkey will be dangerous for Syrian military planes – this is obvious. A lesser obvious thing is that Turkey is getting ready for a war against Syria. If an attack on Syria from the territory of Turkey does take place, this will most likely be an attack not of the Turkish army, but of NATO’s forces.”

“The Middle East is getting ready for a large-sale battle which will very likely affect the Russian part of the Caucasus, and this, in its turn, will be reflected on the entire Russia,” Mr. Sivkov added…… http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_24/Russian-expert-warns-of-possibility-of-large-scale-war-in-Middle-East/

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | MIDDLE EAST, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Slow increase of radiation in Fukushima No 1 reactor’s water intake

[Radiation leakage to the sea] Radiation level at water intake of
reactor1~4 is slowly increasinghttp://fukushima-diary.com/2012/11/radiation-leakage-to-the-sea-radiation-level-at-water-intake-of-reactor14-is-slowly-increasing/ by Mochizuki on November 26th, 2012 ·

According to Tepco’s report of “Radioactivity Density of the Seawaterat the South of Unit 1-4 Water Intake of Fukushima Daiichi NPS (Bq/L)” published on 11/26/2012, the radiation level at the water intake is slowly increasing since the first week of this October.

November 27, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Lawyers: Bradley Manning already punished for unproven crimes

http://www.bradleymanning.org/

“Manning was held in ‘the functional equivalent of solitary confinement: ‘Confined to a six-by-eight-foot cell, with no window or natural light, for more than 23 and a half hours each day. He was awakened at 5 a.m. each morning and required to remain awake until 10 p.m., his lawyers say. He was not permitted to lie on his bed or lean against the cell wall. He was not allowed to exercise in his cell.

If guards found him asleep during five-minute checks, they awakened him.”

Tue Nov 27, 2012 3:4AM
Three months before Bradley Manning is scheduled to face a court martial, and more than two years after his arrest, lawyers for 24-year-old Army Private First Class say the intelligence analyst accused of releasing classified documents to Wikileaks has already been punished for yet unproven charges, including violation of the Espionage Act and aiding the enemy.

Manning is accused of releasing hundreds of thousands of classified documents which were published on Wikileaks that show the killing of unarmed civilians and two Reuters journalists by a U.S. Apache helicopter in Iraq, McClatchy reports.

The exposed Baghdad attack left 12 dead. In a video, the American helicopter crew can be heard laughing and referring to Iraqi dead as “dead bastards”.

Manning is also accused of sharing the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs and a series of embarrassing U.S. diplomatic cables, in violation of military regulations, which the website BradleyManning.org says “have illuminated such issues as the true number and cause of civilian casualties in Iraq, along with a number of human rights abuses by U.S.-funded contractors and foreign militaries, and role that spying and bribes play in international diplomacy.”

Earlier this month, Manning acknowledged that he was the source of the documents as “an act of conscience,” and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He faces 22 charges and is scheduled for a court martial in February 2013.

Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

US critiques ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

Monday, 26 November 2012
Stuart White
Phnom Penh Post

The US Department of State issued a statement yesterday saying that while it “in principle, supported” ASEAN’s efforts to codify human rights, last week’s newly signed Human Rights Declaration had the potential to jeopardise human rights as enshrined in well-established international declarations.

“While part of the ASEAN Declaration adopted November 18 tracks the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights], we are deeply concerned that many of the ASEAN Declaration’s principles and articles could weaken and erode universal human rights and fundamental freedoms as contained in the UDHR,” said State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland in the statement.

Nuland went on to cite many of the concerns already raised by civil society groups, including “the concept of ‘cultural relativism’,” “novel limits to rights,” and language implying that “individual rights are subject to group veto”, before noting that ASEAN “has an opportunity” to strengthen the statement through cooperation with civil society.

Nay Vanda, deputy head of the human rights section of the rights group Adhoc, echoed Nuland’s suggestion, adding that there should be more consultation with civil society.

Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for its Asia Division, Phil Robertson, called the US’s statement “well conceived”.

However, he said: “I think the US is too optimistic that ASEAN is prepared to fix the problem because ASEAN has treated the views of its peoples and civil society groups with contempt throughout the AHRD draft process.”

http://camwatchblogs.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/us-critiques-asean-human-rights.html

Asean stumbles again on South China Sea

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS

Richard Heydarian

MANILA, Nov 24 (IPS) – Against the backdrop of growing territorial tensions in the South China Sea, inflamed by a more explicit Sino-American rivalry in the Pacific theatre, the recently-concluded ASEAN Summit in Cambodia represented the best chance at bolstering regional security through peaceful, multilateral mechanisms.With the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) gathering coinciding with the pan-regional East Asia and ASEAN+3 Summits, Cambodia, as the current chair of the ASEAN, took centre-stage in a broader international gathering, which brought together leading Pacific powers such as the U.S., China, Japan and India.

Continue reading →

November 27, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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