nuclear-news

Hinkley Blockade
April 1st 2015

Three nuclear safety campaigners from Somerset have each been fined £300 for their ‘criminal’ actions in highlighting the far greater nuclear crimes by the industry.

The Morning Star has this report:

MAGISTRATES imposed £300 fines yesterday against three Bristol women for blockading the road to nearby high-risk nuclear power station Hinkley Point.
Care worker Ornella Saibene, grandmother Caroline Hope and retired nurse Marian Connolly appeared at Taunton Magistrates’ Court where they chose to plead guilty to avoid much larger penalties and costs.
The court refused to set repayments any lower than £10 a week even after they heard the trio were on low incomes, they told the Star. They are considering whether to lodge an appeal over the convictions.
The women, who are members of South West Against Nuclear, Nuclear Free Bristol and Bristol CND, chained themselves together across the road to Hinkley B station in Somerset…

The dangerous Sakurajima volcano is located approximately 50 km (30 mi) from the Sendai Nuclear Power Station, which just re-opened a few days ago. Japan has issued a prepare to evacuate warning for the areas around the volcano.
Volcano locations exported from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Japan

“Japan raises warning level on volcano not far from nuclear plant Posted:Sat, 15 Aug 2015 10:59:15 GMT
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan warned on Saturday that a volcano 50 km (31 miles) from a just-restarted nuclear reactor is showing signs of increased activity, and said nearby residents should prepare to evacuate.”
http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/_SQxBY0RtZY/story01.htm

“It is the first time that the Level 4 alert has been issued for Sakurajima since the volcanic eruption alert system was introduced in 2007.” (“Volcanic alert raised for Sakurajima in Kagoshima“, 8:38 pm, August 15, 2015 Jiji Press: http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002359146)

“The analysis reveals that Kyushu Electric has underestimated the…

“When I first arrived in April 2003 I was asked the bus ticket question by several employees: “Do you have your bus ticket?” I said “no” and asked “why?” Their response was: “Bechtel Engineering is building the plant so poorly that everyone in Engineering has a bus ticket to get out of town before they push the start button. You don’t want to be left behind.” (Walter Tamosaitis, 2013)

Hanford Waste Treatment Plant STILL under construction

“The issues I raised relate to hydrogen gas explosions, uncontrolled nuclear reactions (a criticality), environmental releases, and plant pluggages that could render the plant non-operable.” (Walter Tamosaitis, 2013). He’s talking nuclear radiation here!

“Ending years of legal wrangling, a whistleblower who raised safety concerns regarding operations at the Hanford nuclear waste site in Washington has won a $4.1 million settlement, his lawyer announced Wednesday. Walter Tamosaitis, an engineer, worked…

Science and Technology:

¶ Climate change makes some organisms go extinct, but increases others. According to the author of a newly released study, “it is not so easy to determine the number of wild boars in Europe.” However, in the recent decades, more and more boars have wound up as road kill and in hunting bags – a strong indication that local populations are growing and gaining ground. [Nature World News]

A possible beneficiary of climate change. Photo: pixabay

¶ According to the Taskforce on Extreme Weather and Global Food System Resilience, worldwide food shortages, dramatic price increases, and volatile market conditions may take place every 30 years in about 25 years from now, instead of taking place once a century. To cover this and population increase, food production may need to improve by over 60%. [Modern Readers]

World:

¶ Kuwait has approved the construction of a…

August 15 2015
www.stuff.co.nz
LAWRENCE SMITH

Up to 10,000 people march down Auckland’s Queen Street marching in protest at the Government’s controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

Thousands of people have marched against the Government’s controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in rallies around the country.

Trade ministers from 12 nations including New Zealand have been negotiating the trade deal, which would stretch from Japan to Chile and cover 40 per cent of the world economy.

Talks had stalled however, with New Zealand digging in over dairy trade and Japan and the United States disagreeing over the auto industry.

Organizers estimated 10,000 protesters had gathered in Auckland; 5000 in Wellington;

4000 in Christchurch and 2000 in both Dunedin and Hamilton. They put the crowds at 800 in Nelson, 500 in Napier,

300 in New Plymouth, 200 in Tauranga, 250 in Golden Bay and 50 in Featherson .

In Auckland the gathered masses ranged…

Stepping outside during the summer often leads to an immediate groan, as if you suddenly found yourself stuck in a sauna. But for people living in southwest Iran along the Persian Gulf, conditions in late July went beyond the level of usual summer whining: on July 30-31, staying outside for a prolonged period could have led to heat stroke and death.

Summer temperatures in Iran can routinely top 100°F, but 100°+ temperatures were not what made this event so remarkable and so potentially dangerous. The event was not the “dry heat” that people in the United States associate with the desert Southwest. Instead, the scorching temperatures were accompanied by extremely humid conditions, which give the human body even less ability to cool itself off.
In the coastal city of Bandar Mahshahr on July 30 at 2:30pm and 4:30pm local time, the temperature reached 113°F and 111°F. The dew point temperatures…

Science and Technology:

¶ Twenty-five years ago, the Passive House certification system raised the bar for energy efficiency by introducing a rigorous performance-based standard. Now, the Passive House Institute has raised the bar higher with certification of two residential projects under a new category, “Passive House Plus,” that incorporates evaluation of on-site renewable energy. [Architectural Record]

A 16-unit apartment building in Innsbruck, Austria, is the first of its kind to be certified under Passive House Plus. Passive House Institute photo.

World:

¶ Fears are growing in South Africa that agreements to build nuclear power plants will made behind closed doors, without the necessary public scrutiny. Among those voicing concern, two government sources say the Treasury is not being included in procurement discussions, despite the massive budgetary implications of a project that may cost as much as $100 billion. [Daily Times]

¶ According to the IEA, almost…