nuclear-news

COP21:

¶ The 12th part of the second session of the COP21 Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 2-12) convened a day early. Sunday evening, November 29, 2015, saw the first Paris session of the ADP, which is the body mainly responsible for forging a unanimous declaration of international will. [CleanTechnica]

ADP Contact Group stocktaking in Bonn (October, iisd.ca)

¶ World leaders opened talks Monday in Paris saying the stakes are too high to end the conference without achieving a binding agreement to help slow the pace of global climate change. Their main goal: agree on legally binding greenhouse gas emissions reductions to hold increase in global average temperatures short of 2° C. [CNN]

¶ Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, led a group of philanthropists in vowing to plow $2 billion into clean energy through personal investments and a new fund to be…

Protest against EDF in the UK

French State owned (AREVA) uranium mine in Niger


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlit

Based on translation of Sortir du Nucléaire press release, with our additional commentary in brackets:
Greenwashing for COP21: EDF lies will not save the climate!

At the approach of COP21 French State owned EDF, official sponsor of that event, launched a big publicity campaign to present itself as the “Official Partner of a Low Carbon World”. The campaign glorifies their electricity production, which they allege is 98% CO2 free, due to nuclear power.

To denounce this false advertising, the “Sortir du nucléaire” [Nuclear Exit] Network filed a complaint before the Advertising Ethics Jury and brought a civil liability suit against EDF before the Tribunal de grande instance of Pari [Paris Tribunal-Court]

EDF is not a “Low Carbon World Partner”!

In the context of the COP 21 world climate conference, being held in Paris [30 Nov…

Every successful campaign for social change causes reaction. After all, if the campaign weren’t hitting at vested interests, weren’t causing disruption for some entity, then there would be no need for a campaign–its goals would simply be adopted by acclamation.

Indeed, campaigns that don’t generate reaction are campaigns that don’t succeed: that means they haven’t attained enough attention or backing to matter to their targets.

Thus, it’s always a source of initial gratification when, after launching a new campaign, reaction sets in. When you can see you’ve struck a nerve. When your opposition attacks you directly. And that high point is elevated further when the best attack your opposition can muster is one against the least important of your arguments.

So it is that the international Don’t Nuke the Climate Campaign, for which NIRS is the U.S. member, last week began feeling that warm gratification, that recognition that we are…

COP21:

¶ Leaders from 147 nations are addressing COP21 on its opening day. Negotiators from 195 countries will try to reach a deal during the two-week conference aimed at reducing global carbon emissions. Initiatives to boost clean technologies are due to be launched. But the world’s poorest countries say they fear being “left behind.” [BBC]

The Eiffel Tower was lit up on Sunday evening in support of the climate conference. Reuters

¶ With world leaders converging in Paris today for the start of the long-awaited COP21 climate talks, The Climate Group’s International Communications Director, Eduardo Goncalves, outlines why we should be optimistic about both a successful outcome, and crucially, the months and years that will follow. [The Climate Group]

¶ All eyes are on the French capital, two weeks after extremists killed 130 people around Paris. Fears of repeat attacks have prompted extra-high security and a…

SA NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE ROYAL COMMISSION  PROFESSOR
HENRY SOKOLSKI, The Nonproliferation Policy Education Centre TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS ADELAIDE, 25 NOVEMBER 2015 DAY 27

excerpt: 

COMMISSIONER: We had it put to us that nuclear power generation might  be the saviour in terms of climate change. Would you add that to your economic analysis of light-water reactors in terms of accepting their development?

PROFESSOR SOKOLSKI: I think I would not, and I’ll tell you why. This is  a topic which has been debated very extensively here in the States and as a result, the folks promoting nuclear power and the folks who are against nuclear power have gotten focused on very, very detailed analytical models. The best, or I should say the one used the most, is put out by an auditing firm called McKenzie. This model has been used by Greenpeace analysts and the largest 25 merchant utility utilising nuclear power…

Environment Minister Greg Hunt said he was looking forward to sharing the ‘little gem of a video’ on the conference’s main stage. “The broader global community has a bit of catching up to do when it comes to understanding coal’s amazing qualities. This video will be the talk of the conference I feel,” he said before leaving for Paris.

A Rational Fear – This Little Black Rock is gonna F you Up!

[Oh dear, I think I might have put up the wrong video – what  a shame!]

Mr Hunt said the little black rock provided endless possibilities. “It can provide light. And jobs,” he said, holding up a piece of coal for reporters to see.

Following Australia’s presentation…

Using the state of emergency declared after Paris terrorist attacks to arrest citizens who they believe might protest during the climate conference clearly violates UN Human Rights criteria which state that measures taken during a state of emergency should be “limited to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation.” Already the announced duration of the state of emergency, into next year, appears excessive. Terrorist attacks are nothing new in France. Given France’s ongoing legacy of abuse in Africa (including uranium mining), along with its participation in the kidnapping of Haiti’s democratically elected president, no one should be surprised that it abuses its own people. Countries who abuse other peoples appear to abuse their own, as well.

French uranium mine in Niger

French State owned Areva’s uranium mine in Niger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlit

One of the most bizarre things about the recently declared French State of Emergency is…