nuclear-news

As 2013 begins, nuclear lobby active, but not winning hearts and minds

Christina Macpherson’s websites & blogs

Unless a new nuclear disaster occurs, the global nuclear lobby is set for a pretty successful 2013.  Japan is to re-invigorate its nuclear industry, China is going ahead with a big nuclear plant, Fukushima is off the media radar, and the world is being subtly conned into loving low level radiation, and new gee-whiz nuclear reactors.

And yet –   “If You Don’t Fight, You Lose” – so we antinukes press on, both against nuclear energy/nuclear weapons, and for real action on climate change.  I, for one, want my grandchildren to know that I tried.

• Japan ‘s government planning not only to restart nuclear reactors, but to import spent nuclear fuel rods from Asian countries, and get a nuclear reprocessing industry going. Also hoping to get nuclear weapons.  Many business and civic leaders on side with the government, but the public not happy.  Fukushima news fades from the media, except for reassuring bland statements on how safe the people are , radiation no real problem.
• China- the great hope of the global nuclear industry – to build a big nuclear power plant, and forge ahead with new nuclear technology and sales.   A pity that Chinese cyberbugs are turning up in other countries’ computer system, and are now suspected in USA’s Los Angeles nuclear weapons laboratory. China’s nuclear industry must be just fine, because that we don’t hear of anti-nuclear dissidents in China/ (Oh, I forgot,  because totalitarian China does not tolerate dissidents)
• France – what a pickle! Their civil nuclear energy is so entwined with their nuclear weapons, and they can’t afford to make their aging nuclear reactors safe, and they can’t afford to shut them down, either.
• India does nuclear deal with Russia (very lucrative for Russia), and determinedly represses protests. yet still, people are protesting in their thousands, against Kudankulam and Jaitapur nuclear plants.
• UK’s Cumbria agonises over plan to host nuclear waste burial. UK govt agonises over Scotland not wanting to keep Trident nuclear weapons base, and agonisies even more over the financing problems for their new nuclear reactors – Chinese money to the rescue?
• Iran – the usual back and forth of Israeli brinkmanship, and international efforts to negotiate with Iran.
• USA agonising as usual over its nuclear wastes and paralysis of its “new nuclear” industry. Meanwhile a star-studded array of scientists prepares for the most informative symposium March 11-12 in New York – The Medical and Ecological Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident  nuclearfreeplanet.org

January 9, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes