Joint satellite programme to monitor Chernobyl and Fukushima from space as the safest place to do it from
,,,“Yesterday at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (it was impressed upon me) the fact that even after 27 years since the accident Ukraine still continues to struggle with the consequences of the disaster,” Japan’s minister told journalists, as translated into Ukrainian.,,,
Clean-up after the disaster is expected to take around four decades.???????
Image source; http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/environment/the-heavy-hidden-costs-of-nuclear-power/
26 August 2013
Ukraine and Japan have agreed to launch a joint satellite project to track the state of crippled Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear plants, sites of the world’s greatest nuclear disasters.
“We have agreed on co-operation in the space sector to monitor the regions surrounding Chernobyl and Fukushima,” Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Leonid Kozhara.
The project aims to put into orbit by 2014 eight miniature satellites to gather information on the effects of radioactive fallout on the areas adjacent to the plants.
According to the Japanese foreign ministry, it will be a joint project of Tokyo University and the Ukrainian state space agency with launches of Japanese-developed satellites by Ukrainian carrier rockets.
In March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan.
Clean-up after the disaster is expected to take around four decades.
While no one is officially recorded as having died as a direct result of the meltdown at the reactors, large areas around the plant had to be evacuated, with tens of thousands of people still unable to return.
Satellites in the joint programme are expected to weigh about 60kg and span 50cm in diameter, the Japanese delegation confirmed yesterday.
They will take satellite images every two hours from an altitude of about 600km.
They will also receive signals from sensors installed on the ground to collect information from areas where radiation levels exceed the norm.
On Sunday Kishida visited Chernobyl, the site of the 1986 tragedy, as part of his trip to Ukraine to compare notes on relief efforts following Japan’s own disaster at Fukushima.
“Yesterday at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (it was impressed upon me) the fact that even after 27 years since the accident Ukraine still continues to struggle with the consequences of the disaster,” Japan’s minister told journalists, as translated into Ukrainian.
The explosion at reactor number four of the Chernobyl power plant in the early hours of April 26, 1986 sent radioactive fallout into the atmosphere that spread from the Soviet Union across Europe.
According to official Ukrainian figures, more than 25,000 of the clean-up workers from then-Soviet Ukraine, Russia and Belarus have died since the disaster.
The two catastrophes are the world’s only nuclear disasters to have been categorised as level seven on the United Nations’ seven-point International Nuclear Event Scale (INES).
Turkish Police, MIT To Investigate Nuclear Plant Employees (At what cost?)
Image source ; http://www.todayszaman.com/news-240097-turkish-nuclear-plans-on-mediterranean-raise-fears.html
2013-08-26 20:12:06
Twelve thousand workers to be employed at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant will be investigated for security purposes by police and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in the southern province of Mersin, according to media reports on Monday.
The General Directorate of Security will reportedly investigate 4,000 Turkish citizens, including interns, while MIT will look into 8,000 Russians to be hired to work at the plant, set to be built in Mersin’s Glnar district.
The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry demanded investigations into the Akkuyu power plant staff by the Interior Ministry, which initially rejected the energy ministry’s demand, stating it was against the relevant directives.
Later, the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry demanded a special article be added to a directive that allowed only for the investigation of public servants, seeking the inclusion of employees of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, stating that the facility has strategic prominence in terms of state security.
The Justice Ministry received the demand and stated its opinion that there should be a special regulation in the directives for issues related to national security, meaning the investigation of the nuclear power plant workers should be made permissible.
Interior Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Mustafa Demirer issued a new directive to the governors of the 81 provinces stating that employees, Turkish interns and subcontractors at facilities with strategic importance such as nuclear power plants require investigation.
Future requests for security checks under the directive will be carried out through the investigation of archives; Turkish employees will be investigated by the General Directorate of Security, while MIT will be in charge of looking into foreign personnel.
So far, the General Directorate of Security and MIT have investigated the records of over 200 Turkish and foreign employees employed for the project. It has been reported that Turkish employees found to have a criminal record that includes such offenses as terrorism and smuggling will be terminated. Russian citizens who work at the Akkuyu nuclear plant will be deported if they are found to have a criminal record.
(Cihan/Today’s Zaman)
NSA bugged UN headquarters, European Union, and the IAEA nuclear promotion team
NSA
IAEA
This is certainly going to help the U.S. as it tries to work with the UN Security Council to find a response to the situation in Syria.
Aug 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. National Security Agency has bugged the United Nations’ New York headquarters, Germany’s Der Spiegel weekly said on Sunday in a report on U.S. spying that could further strain relations between Washington and its allies.Citing secret U.S. documents obtained by fugitive former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Der Spiegel said the files showed how the United States systematically spied on other states and institutions.[…]
In the summer of 2012, NSA experts succeeded in getting into the U.N. video conferencing system and cracking its coding system, according one of the documents cited by Der Spiegel.
“The data traffic gives us internal video teleconferences of the United Nations (yay!),” Der Spiegel quoted one document as saying, adding that within three weeks the number of decoded communications rose to 458 from 12.
Yay, indeed.
The files also show that the NSA spied on the European Union’s legation in New York, and included “plans of the EU mission, its IT infrastructure and servers.” In addition, the NSA monitored the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The documents also detail bugging programs in more than 80 embassies and consulates called “Special Collection Service.” Der Spiegel writes of the program that the “surveillance is intensive and well organised and has little or nothing to do with warding off terrorists.”
It’s a game. “Let’s see if we can hack into UN video conferences!” “Why?” “To see if we can.” And they do it. They do it because they can and because they keep getting the money do it. And if they expand their programs, they can keep asking for more money to do it and do more. And because no one is keeping tabs, they can cry “terrorism” and freak out the appropriators enough to get that money. Whether it has anything to do with terrorism or not.
Oops! Two nuclear generators have gone “missing” in the Arctic
Lethal radioactive Strontium-90 source used to power lighthouse likely washed out in the sea north of the Taimyr Peninsula.
Generators using a strong radioactive emitting source were installed in remote located lighthouses all along the Soviet Union’s Arctic coastline in the 70ies. Over the last 10 years, a massive program for collecting and securing the potential lethal radioactive sources has been going on. Norway, for instance, financed removal of 180 so-called radioactive thermal generators (RTGs) along the coast of the Barents-, White- and Pechora Seas during the period from 2001 to 2009.
Those lighthouses are now powered by solar-panels with battery capacity to last year-around.
Funding is already allocated by USA for continuing wast of where Norway’s program stopped. Canada is also discussing a similar removal support program for RTGs in lighthouses further east on Russia’s Arctic coast north of Siberia.
But, for some of the RTGs, the removal program comes too late.
Russia’s hydrographical agency and the Federal agency for sea and river transport have searched for old RTGs in lighthouses and now announce that two of them are missing. The information is made available in a report to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by Russia’s Kurchatov Institute.
A 700 IBS (318 kg) nuclear generator is missing from its location on the Lishniy island in the eastern Kara Sea. The island belongs to Severnaya Zemlya archipelago north of the Taimyr Peninsula.
Aleksandr Grigoriev with the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow says to Izvestia that the RTG most likely is washed out to the sea. The coastline where the lighthouse once stood was partly washed away. The amount of radioactivity in that particular RTG is believed to be between 46,000 to 50,000 Curie.
The other missing RTG was located in a lighthouse on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East.
There are currently 56 lighthouses with nuclear generators still operating in western and central part of the Northern Sea Route, from the Yamal Peninsula in the west to the New Siberia Islands in the east.
Australia – Date set for court fight over Muckaty nuclear waste dump
Posted
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-26/court-date-set-for-nuclear-waste-dump-fight/4912730
A date has been set in the Federal Court case of Aboriginal traditional owners fighting plans to use their land as a nuclear waste dump.
The site on Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory is the Federal Government’s preferred site for Australia’s first radioactive waste facility.
Beyond Nuclear Initiative spokeswoman Natalie Wasley says the month-long trial has been listed for June 2014.
“After eight years that’s a big relief for traditional owners and the community who have had this nuclear cloud hanging over their heads,” she said.
She says submissions being made this week will determine whether pre-trial evidence needs to be taken.
Ms Wasley says those involved are hoping the trial would be held near the proposed site.
“It’s very important for people that they give the best evidence possible, and of course that it’s close to the site that’s being discussed,” she said.
Surrealist marketing – FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT TO BECOME A TOURIST ATTRACTION
26 August 2013
Plans are underway to construct a tourist attraction on the location that formerly hosted Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant that was adversely affected by the disastrous tsunami. This is despite the presence of excessive levels of radiation in the area and the waters adjacent to it.
Image source ; http://www.tokyotimes.com/2013/fukushima-victims-to-pay-back-compensation/
This latest scheme is being proposed by a faction of intellectuals, learners, writers, and designers. Going by the name Fukushima Gate Village, it will be situated 25 miles from the area and will be an isolated region.
Image source ; http://evacuatefukushimanow.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/hibakusha-and-ogres-part1/
Building plans have ensured that those residing in the village hotel are adequately guarded from the hazardous concentration of radiation still present in the area. Other amenities to be built include restaurants, souvenir shops and a museum which will serve as a reminder of the second most horrible nuclear calamity to ever grace the face of the earth. Labs operating on renewable energy resources will also be constructed in the village.
A section dubbed “ground zero” will be constructed inside the nuclear plant’s periphery and is set to become a major attraction. Visitors who will be dressed in protective kits will have the ability to take snapshots of the reactors constructions and the construction team who is at the moment doing the clean out exercise from this section.
The minds behind this scheme stated that the main notion for construction of this village was for it to serve as a reminder of the mishap and also be a place where families affected by the tragedy can meet and grieve over those who lost their lives.
People residing adjacent to this village are still in an unsettled state, but the construction of this village brings a new ray of hope as it promises to create new job opportunities for them. It is predicted by professionals that it might take up thirty years to fully make the region contamination free.
Image source ; http://evacuatefukushimanow.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/hibakusha-and-ogres-part1/
Those involved say that the motivation to put up this high profile attraction was brought about by the existence of other similar attractions including New York’s Ground Zero, Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland and Cambodia’s killing fields.
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More here on why this article is being promoted;
World of advertising undergoes digital change
Chris Betros Executive Impact Aug. 19, 2013
TOKYO —
The world of advertising has seen many innovations in recent years as the media landscape changes. The changes are being driven by digital communications.
One of the companies at the forefront is the Aegis Media Group, a global communication agency established in 2003 (and bought by Dentsu), that operates in over 30 markets with digital at its heart. One of the group’s subsidiary companies is Isobar, a professional full support digital marketing group working on strategic planning, creative system planning, media planning, analytics, consulting and application service, to support clients with technology all over from the world.
European EURDEP Radiation mapping unavailable for emergency services during nuclear events at Penly NPP
We did get hit from emissions from France and it was mostly radon but likely with small amounts of cesium etc.. i have been getting strong readings of the ground and i am continuing to check that out. more to come later..
I caught a doubling of the measurements in the air while it was raining. The clouds were coming from the south east. This hints at a problem at the Penly Nuclear power station.. Though there could be more going on too!
Nuclear event – Nuclear power plant Penly in France automatically shut down after detection of smoke
Posted by Adonai on April 06, 2012 in category Nuclear events
And of course if we take a nuclear incident and convert it to nuke speak, we get this.
French prompt power prices bullish for next week as nuclear fears continue
London (Platts)–23Aug2013/849 am EDT/1249 GMT
French prompt power prices were bullish for next week amid further delays to the return of at least five more nuclear reactors from maintenance periods, while another two units will be taken off the grid in unplanned outages this weekend, market sources said Friday.
Baseload power for delivery Monday closed Eur2 higher than Thursday’s assessment of Friday at Eur45.25/MWh, while the peakload price was up Eur4 at Eur55.25/MWh.
The weekend contract fell just 25 euro cent to Eur28.50/MWh on the day ahead of expiry, with Saturday valued at Eur31.70/MWh and Sunday at Eur24.60/MWh. Epex Spot settled Saturday base at Eur30.15/MWh.
Baseload power for delivery next week was changing hands Eur1 lower than the previous session at Eur41/MWh, but that is Eur13.75 higher than one week ago. The peakload prices last traded Eur1.85 lower on the day at Eur54/MWh, Eur4.25 higher than one week prior.
The latest RTE data shows that EDF has delayed the return of five further nuclear reactors to the grid, and will take another unit offline in an unplanned outage this weekend.
The utility has delayed the return of its 1.3 Penly 2 reactor to full capacity until late Friday, 900 MW Blayais 3 until September 1, 900 MW Gravelines 2 until September 13, 1.5 GW Chooz B 2 until September 27, and 900 MW Chinon B 1 until September 29, RTE data showed.
EDF’s 1.5 GW Civaux 2 reactor will also be taken offline in an unplanned outage on Saturday at 2000 local time (1800 GMT) due to a problem with the turbine, feed water and condenser sections of the plant, and is forecast to return to the grid at 0700 Sunday morning.
The reactor joins EDF’s 900 MW Cruas 1 and 1.3 GW Cattenom 4 units that will also be taken offline in unplanned outages this weekend.
Cruas 1 was due to be taken off the grid at 0400 local time Friday, due to a problem with the boiler, reactor and steam generator sections of the plant, with the return date set for 0900 local time Saturday morning.
The Cattenom 4 nuclear reactor was due to be taken offline at 2300 local time Thursday, due to a problem with the alternator, transformer and power cabling sections of the plant, and will not return to the grid until August 29.
Nuclear power availability is forecast to fall from around 41.4 GW Friday to 40-41 GW at the weekend, and 41.4 GW Monday, RTE data showed, while maximum national consumption is forecast to rise from 52.4 GW Friday to 53 GW Monday.
The latest CustomWeather data showed that temperatures in Paris will fall by 6 degrees Celsius from current levels to 3 C below the 14-23 C seasonal norm by Sunday, before holding at average levels Monday.
Those in Amsterdam, the Netherlands will remain steady at 2-3 C above the seasonal norm of 12-21 C over the same period.
The Dutch weekend baseload contract closed Eur1.50 higher than the previous close at Eur44/MWh, with Monday baseload failing to trade by midday London time but assessed by Platts just 25 euro cent lower than Thursday’s day-ahead price at Eur50.50/MWh, while peakload changed hands down by the same amount at Eur57.25/MWh.
http://www.platts.com/latest-news/electric-power/london/french-prompt-power-prices-bullish-for-next-week-26211339
A hard-headed look at UK nuclear power — Friends of the Earth decide against nuclear — New report decisive!
The researchers urged us to advocate changes in energy use, supply and storage that are commensurate with reducing the UK’s emissions as fast as possible, and with the aim of securing a carbon intensity of electricity below 50g/CO2/KWh by 2030.
Mike Childs
I had alot of problems getting this up so excuse the hurry.. Laptop battery running out.. 😦
Dispelling nuclear lobby’s myths about “background radiation”
Fukushima: Think Low Level Radiation Is Harmless? Think Again… UKIAH BLOG In Around the web on August 25, 2013Time to combat radiation threat From WASHINGTON’S BLOG
“………Nuclear apologists pretend that we get a higher exposure from background radiation (when we fly, for example) or x-rays then we get from nuclear accidents.
In fact, there was exactly zero background radioactive cesium or iodine before above-ground nuclear testing and nuclear accidents started.
Wikipedia provides some details on the distribution of cesium-137 due to human activities:
Small amounts of caesium-134 and caesium-137 were released into the environment during nearly all nuclear weapon tests and some nuclear accidents, most notably the Chernobyl disaster.
***
Caesium-137 is unique in that it is totally anthropogenic. Unlike most other radioisotopes, caesium-137 is not produced from its non-radioactive isotope, but from uranium. It did not occur in nature before nuclear weapons testing began. By observing the characteristic gamma rays emitted by this isotope, it is possible to determine whether the contents of a given sealed container were made before or after the advent of atomic bomb explosions. This procedure has been used by researchers to check the authenticity of certain rare wines, most notably the purported “Jefferson bottles”.
As the EPA notes:
Cesium-133 is the only naturally occurring isotope and is non-radioactive; all other isotopes, including cesium-137, are produced by human activity.
Similarly, iodine-131 is not a naturally occurring isotope. As the Encyclopedia Britannicanotes:
The only naturally occurring isotope of iodine is stable iodine-127. An exceptionally useful radioactive isotope is iodine-131…
(Fukushima has spewed much more radioactive cesium and iodine than Chernobyl. The amount of radioactive cesium released by Fukushima was some 20-30 times higher than initially admitted. Japanese experts say that Fukushima is currently releasing up to 93 billion becquerels of radioactive cesium into the ocean each day. And the cesium levels hitting the west coast of North America will keep increasing for several years. Fukushima is spewing more and more radiation into the environment, and the amount of radioactive fuel at Fukushima dwarfs Chernobyl.)
As such, the concept of “background radiation” is largely a misnomer. Most of the radiation we encounter today – especially the most dangerous types – did not even exist in nature before we started tinkering with nuclear weapons and reactors. In a sense, we are all guinea pigs.
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