December 22 Energy News
Science and Technology:
¶ A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change said seasonal storms could increase by a factor of five within this century. Climate Central also noted that the study concluded intense rainfalls could create 70% more rain. For example, 2 inches of rainfall now would equate to 3.5 inches by the end of this century. [CleanTechnica]
Flooded Baton Rouge (US Department of
Agriculture, via Wikipedia, some rights reserved)
Opinion:
¶ “Big Utility Sees Pathway to $10 Oil” • The oil industry must brace for five energy “tsunamis” that threaten to drag prices as low as $10 a barrel in less than a decade, according to Engie SA’s innovation chief. Solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles, “smart” buildings, and cheap hydrogen will all weigh on the price of crude, he said. [info-europa]
World:
¶ Taiwan Power Co is to pour NT$200 billion ($6.24…
View original post 790 more words
Tc 99m Becomes Tc 99 Which Stays Radioactive in Environment for Millions of Years – Medical and Non-Medical Production Should Be Banned – Comment Deadline 30 December 2016
Reblogged on WordPress.com
Thane police (India) seize 9 kg of radioactive depleted uranium
In a major haul, the Thane Police have seized almost 9 kg of radioactive depleted uranium (Approx 4,300,000 US Dollars worth), a top official said here on Wednesday.
“We have confirmed that the substance seized is depleted uranium. It is radioactive and extremely dangerous… DU is used in weapons and armaments all over the world,” Thane Police Commissioner Parambir Singh told IANS of the unexpected haul.
Following a tip-off, Anti-Chain Snatching Squad Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Doiphode and his team recently laid a trap at a location on the desolate Ghodbunder Road connecting Mumbai and Thane.
As expected, two persons arrived there near a hotel on motorcycles carrying dark blue pouches, a box and other material — both were detained.
The police recovered 8.9 kg of some uranium-type substance and also laboratory test report indicating it was uranium.
According to initial investigations, it was brought from abroad and was intended for sale to some unknown parties here.
The two lab reports of different samples recovered along with the seizure said the substance was depleted uranium, one having 87.70 per cent uranium and other 79.50 per cent uranium content.
“Since this is a banned item and not something available in the open market, we are not able to determine its exact value,” Doiphode told media persons.
However, some independent media reports claimed its value to be around Rs 3 crore 9 (Approx 480,000 US Dollars) per kg.
Joint Police Commissioner Ashutosh Thombre said they are filing a case under the Atomic Energy Act and sending samples of the substance for additional reports after which further action would be taken.
The police have arrested the two persons and further investigation is on.
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/thane-police-seize-9-kg-radioactive-depleted-uranium-54620
France, Areva and the case of the Uranium book burning!
Areva: a book on the Uranium case threatened with a ban
Image source; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_burning
Anne Lauvergeon is a romantic character who does not like to be talked about. According to our information, the former president of Areva, now a consultant, is trying to forbid the publication of a book concerning the Uranium issue – the name of this mining company bought by Areva in 2007 – to have read.
Anne Lauvergeon, the fall of an icon
The book, entitled “An atomic matter, Uramin / Areva, the hallucinating saga of a state scandal“, is due to appear on 19 January at Robert Laffont.
It was written by Vincent Crouzet, the same author who helped publicize this case in 2014 with his novel “Radioactif” (edited by Belfond). This publication had earned him to be heard by the policemen of the financial brigade, made unpublished for a writer.
At the beginning of December, one of Lauvergeon’s lawyers, Jean-Marc Fedida, sent a letter to Robert Laffont, president of the publishing house, asking him to “refrain from publishing” the new book by Vincent Crouzet. He invokes “the deficiencies of the investigation” and the supposed “megalomania” of the writer to claim this exceptional measure.
Areva, a 10 billion euro state scandal
According to the extract that “the Obs” has been able to consult, the book does not present itself however as an investigation. Nor is it a novel. It is rather a testimony. That of an author, whom one guesses close to the services, who found himself mixed up, without really seeking it, in the Uranium affair.
This is not the first time that Anne Lauvergeon has tried to prevent the publication of a book not authorized by her. Two years ago, Jean-Louis Perez, author of a biography, “The Power at Any Price” (ed. Seuil), had also received a comminatory letter from Master Fedida threatening him with legal proceedings. His book was not the subject of any complaint.
On the other hand, Mrs. Lauvergeon’s husband, Olivier Fric, seized comments made by Jean-Louis Perez during a radio program to attack him for defamation. The case is still ongoing.
Two judicial instructions
The Uranium case is now the subject of two investigations. The first, for “publication of inaccurate accounts” and “dissemination of false and misleading information“, has already earned Anne Lauvergeon and her former chief financial officer, Alain-Pierre Raynaud, to be indicted.
Uranium scandal: the testimony that overwhelms Anne Lauvergeon
On the other hand, Anne Lauvergeon’s husband, Olivier Fric, was charged with “insider trading” in a second open investigation for “fraud”, “abuse of social good” and “corruption of Foreign official “.
New revelations about Olivier Fric, husband of Anne Lauvergeon
This aspect of education is still in its infancy. Will Areva ever know why Areva paid 1.8 billion euros for three uranium mines that proved to be unusable?
Source article; http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/justice/20161221.OBS2956/areva-un-livre-sur-l-affaire-uramin-menace-d-interdiction.htmlhttp://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/justice/20161221.OBS2956/areva-un-livre-sur-l-affaire-uramin-menace-d-interdiction.html
Petition – Australia, nuclear dumping playground? Or not?
Petition – Australia, nuclear dumping playground? Or not?
I was proud to walk into the South Australian Premier’s office with Traditional Owners and environmental allies to deliver over 35,000 signatures, letters and postcards.
Image source ; https://nuclear-news.net/2016/05/13/citizens-juries-if-fair-and-transparent-could-help-solve-south-australias-nuclear-waste-dilemma/https://nuclear-news.net/2016/05/13/citizens-juries-if-fair-and-transparent-could-help-solve-south-australias-nuclear-waste-dilemma/
Your voice is part of a huge groundswell of community opposition to the plan to ship, store and bury a third of the world’s radioactive waste in South Australia.
Watch the video of the petition handover with Premier Jay Weatherill to see how your voice reaches decision makers.
First, over two-thirds of the Citizen’s Jury asked to deliberate on the plan unequivocally rejected it ‘under any circumstances.’
Then, you and tens of thousands of people signed our petition to Premier Jay Weatherill.
You put this issue front and centre. Thanks so much.
But this zombie waste is not dead, nor is the push to dump it. Premier Weatherill listened to us but he’s still pursuing this plan and keeping the ‘conversation’ open.
Until Jay Weatherill finally closes the door on this risky radioactive plan, we will be keeping our eyes and this petition open. You can still share the petition with friends.
We’ve made huge momentum but we still have further to go.
Thanks for your tireless efforts for our shared future.
This internal investigation which makes the management of EDF tremble!
This internal investigation which makes the management of EDF tremble
EDF CEO Jean-Bernard “the unwanted” Lévy
Between 2012 and 2016, the share of EDF employees who have confidence in the future of their company has increased from 81% to 53%. The results of this internal investigation have sounded the direction. They have never been made public. BFMBusiness unveils them exclusively.
EDF employees no longer have confidence in their company. This is the shock of an internal investigation, commissioned by the group management, of which BFM Business has procured a copy. Every year, since 2012, this life-size survey takes the pulse of the group’s 143,000 employees around the world. This year, it was carried out between 20 September and 21 October. And its results are without appeal.
While the normal rate of participation in this survey called “myEDF” is limited to two out of three employees, this year 78% took care to answer the questions asked. Evidence that the social body of the company needs to express its doubts. 53% of employees still have confidence in EDF’s future, compared with 74% in 2015 and 81% in 2012 … An earthquake. The pride of the social body has always been the cement of this enterprise.
Concern is palpable in all categories of employees and in all subsidiaries. “Unheard of” cowardly, desperate, a leader of EDF. First, the supervisors who are only 48% to remain optimistic for the future of the group. But even executives, traditionally faithful to the direction of the group, are in the grip of doubt. Just 53% of them still believe in the future of EDF against 78% last year. A rise in anxiety that even affects senior managers.
Break between the CEO and its executives
This survey is a disgust for the CEO of the Jean-Bernard Levy Group, highly criticized internally by both the grassroots and senior executives. Last spring, they expressed their opposition to the project of the two British EPRs of Hinkley Point. It is also said internally that between the CEO and its executives, the rupture is consummated.
The conclusions of the survey are clear: “All components of trust are affected with the exception of the hierarchical relationship,” reads French group entities are mainly affected. The shock is the heaviest in the French nuclear fleet, the heart of EDF, which suffered the shutdown of nearly 20 reactors this fall. Less than half (48%) of the 20,000 employees in this division still have confidence in EDF, up from nearly 80% last year. The result even drops to 42% among the employees of Enedis, the former ERDF, in direct contact with customers in the field.
Matthieu Pechbert http://bfmbusiness.bfmtv.com/entreprise/cette-enquete-interne-qui-fait-trembler-la-direction-d-edf-1073262.html
BBC starts to realise what a mess the UK nuclear industry is in! – by Paul Dorfman
Image source; https://www.theguardian.com/profile/paul-dorfman
Does nuclear energy have a future or is it a technology of the past? Theo Leggett visits a power station in the UK, the first country to commercialise nuclear power in the 1950s and 60s, and counts the cost of decommissioning old nuclear reactors – a jobs that is now just beginning. Dr Paul Dorfman from the Energy Institute at University College London tells us why the vast costs involved in nuclear power make talk of a revival in the industry premature, both in the UK and in Europe. And Professor Lucas Davis from the University of California, Berkeley, explains why the election of Donald Trump is unlikely to provide a boost to a flagging nuclear industry in the US.
Dr Paul Dorfman of the Energy Institute at University College London, founded the Nuclear Consulting Group and is Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust Nuclear Policy Research fellow
Financial destruction of the nuclear industry. will effect safety at Sellafield? http://tinyurl.com/zm5dhfd
Greenpeace France reacts to EDF/Government threats with a threat!
#EDF #EUHRC Greenpeace reacts to EDF/Government threats with a threat!
Last week, our activists were arrested because of EDF and its CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy who caused our Breenpeace activists to be held in custody for 3 consecutive days. The aim of the Police and security services operation: is to hide the disastrous management of this French nuclear group and shed light on his situation of bankruptcy both financial and technical.
The leak by a whistleblower, concerning the disastrous situation concerning the failing French nuclear industry shows the dangerous and outrageous situation and poses a risk that is hidden to the public because of the safety and the impact to their WALLETS.! While there’s still time, EDF must change course! Only this change of track would give some sort of a future to the group and its employees.
We welcome once again the courage and the determination of our activists. 4 of them were still in detention on Friday, they were finally released Saturday, after a police custody of some 45 hours!
We haven’t finished talking about the bankruptcy of the French nuclear industry. See you very soon, EDF. See you very soon Mr Jean-Bernard Lévy. Love from Greenpeace and all anti nuclear activists from around the world!
In other French Stasi like news;
After the search / seizure at my home and the symbols of my, our, fight are always on the shelf just above the location of the computer. With especially “the” truck, the one who represents for the nuclear lobby what it takes absolutely hidden. It must not be that the French to know that at the beginning of each week they are going through France with the equivalent of 20 nuclear bombs on board each of them.
We will not be to impressed, the fight continues against this madness. Yannick Rousselet
UPDATE on Yannick Rousselet ; Any person who becomes aware of “a process, object, document, information, computer network, computerized data or file which has the character of a secret of national defense” is guilty of this offense, destroys it, subtracts it, reproduces it and / Or bring it to the attention of the public. He is then punishable by five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros, in accordance with article 413-11 of the Criminal Code. But even if information classified as secret defense was discovered in Mr. Rousselet’s computer equipment, he would not automatically be guilty.
“We have to know that information is classified,” says Alexandre Faro, Greenpeace’s lawyer. Admittedly, the documents can be stamped “secret defense”, but the other supports are not necessarily. Since 2000, trucks carrying plutonium between La Hague and Marcoule have been classified and can not be photographed. But how to distinguish a secret transport truck of plutonium from a truck transporting oranges? There is no crime without intent to commit an offense. ”
For M. Rousselet, the incomprehension is total. ” Why now ? Why at home and not at my office in Cherbourg or at the Greenpeace headquarters in Paris? In my career, I experienced very hot moments, especially when we were interested in transporting radioactive materials. This is less the case today, where we work more on the accounts of EDF and the site of the EPR of Flamanville. “The anti-nuclear activist suspects a” way to intimidate him “:” We regularly receive news in our mailbox about what happens in power stations. There is a real risk that we will try to frighten the whistleblowers. ”
This fear is shared by Mr Faro. “We have the impression that they have nothing specific to blame. This looks like a lying poker: they would try to find, in the searched material, what to fill a file still empty. “More generally, the lawyer notes that” since COP21, there has been a tendency to stigmatize environmental movements, to take them as targets of gag procedures, to use the slightest pretext to search their businesses and terrorize them. We quickly pull the heavy weapons to kill the flies, it’s pretty unhealthy. ” For example, during the blockade of EDF’s headquarters by Greenpeace activists on Friday 16 December, “four activists who had written messages in chalk and painting on the building’s facade were detained for 48 hours in police custody For “serious degradation in the meeting”, while the messages could be erased with a blow of cloth, “denounced Me Faro. They will be tried in a few weeks.
Yannick Rousselet should be summoned to the offices of the DGSI in Leval
Link to French article concerning the matter;
https://reporterre.net/La-DGSI-a-saisi-le-materiel-informatique-d-un-militant-antinucleaire-de
A dialogue with A. Nitkin from Bellona versus nuclear-news.net
My response to Alexander Nitkin`s interesting and provocative article from Bellona http://tinyurl.com/zscma85 on Russian anti nuclear activists strategies and engagement with the Russian nuclear industry (Found n the comments section.)
Hi Charles and Alexander.. Just thought I would wade in with some thoughts.
As an anti nuclear activist and blogger of one of the biggest anti nuke sites in the west nuclear-news.net (about 30 percent of our readers are nuclear workers), I can see where you are coming from. However, this article does not really look into the issues of how might an anti nuclear group or individual might challenge the “voluminous response” that comes from a well organised and well funded nuclear industry.
First, their is a need for education that can sometimes be complex and time consuming. This can be achieved by the dissemination of thoughts and ideas via the blogs and internet forums.
However, in my experience on a global outlook there are many pressures that stop discourse because nuclear industry workers are not allowed to challenge the status quo and activists are targeted by security services. That means it is up to a hand full of individuals (mostly or entirely non paid) to look into the technical issues and find a way of talking plainly to all.
For instance, at the moment there are some real challenges to the nuclear industry such as the financial and safety issues. The industry covers many of these issues up using groups like the IAEA, ICRP, WPP LLC (The Japanese subsidiary is DENTSU) and a host of Nuclear Health Physicists (well paid and organised) and then there is UNSCEAR where these groups meet and challenge one another n a technical basis (CRIIRAD, ACRO, SAFECAST etc on the soft anti nuclear side) .
Civil societies anti nuclear movement in some countries have Greenpeace on their side (France and Germany) and many others do not (Norway, UK, Ireland etc) . And then there are people like me with quite a reasonable knowledge.
Amongst the voluminous material are some points that get overlooked such as the ICRP dose model that does not explain the effects health effects thoroughly in Chernobyl, Semipalantisk, Fukushima etc ..
You might be aware of Watanabes etc study that trashes the ICRP dose models basic science but there is no real discussion on these anomalies and that is why people like John Simpson have disregarded the NHP from the pentagon that had the “voluminous” material thing happen on his report on Fallujah but he decided to forward with the evidence he could see in front of him instead of all that statistical modeling. If I lived in Mayak and was getting all the reassurances that come from the likes of Richard Wakeford and Geraldine Thomas I would be flipping furious as well btw.
When the nuclear industry decides to admit that the real on the ground evidence should be taken into account with the statistical modelling and not ignored because of unknown “viruses” etc then I think we all can sit down and have that love in that would achieve results for all concerned. It is not good enough to have an industry that allows damage that we see in Flint Michigan with lead Pb because of the need for profit and whilst the nuclear industry uses the founding ideals of Euratom (1957 unchanged) as a basis for todays nuclear industry that allows cancers (whilst ignoring all other effects) because of potential net social and profit orientated benefits based on the 1950`s situation. In fact all potentially polluting industries worldwide should take note!
My fingers are bleeding and I await your request for evidence of my position on the nuclear industry (Russia works closely with the western industry on health effects at least ie the flawed ICRP dose model)
Merry Christmas Shaun 
This comment is on the comments section at our long time friends at Bellona.org
Who’s to blame and what to do? Rosatom and the No Nukes movement
The relationship between Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and environmental groups has never been stable: Opposition, mistrust, non-transparency and antagonism – the mutual accusations have rained down from both sides. But Rosatom’s transparency has led to schism – a crisis – within Russian environmental organizations themselves. More here;
http://bellona.org/news/nuclear-issues/2016-12-22569http://bellona.org/news/nuclear-issues/2016-12-22569
Mordechai Vannunu in court today in Israel – Best wishes from us all here at nuclear-news.net
We here at nuclear-news.net thank the Israeli Government for the recent privileges given to Mordechai over these past years but call for his release, It is time. All the information he whistle-blew on is in the public domain and in fact, so much more exists out there. We ask the courts to take all this into mitigation and release him from his semi bondage in Israel. His court case is later today (22/December/2016) and the thoughts and prayers of the anti nuclear activists who wish that nuclear weapons will never be used might be heard by the authorities in Israel.
#EUHRC #UNHRC In Court Tomorrow Vanunu Mordechai continues to be persecuted for being one of the greatest whistleblowers of all time – he spilled the beans on the open secret of the Israeli N-weapons program. His 2016 prosecution is NOT being actively reported by the main stream press and Vanunu is facing trial again this week – please extend him your personal support on his FB page : Vanunu Mordechai
Japan – Class action law suit for the Children of the Atom bombs
Japan – Class action law suit for the Children of the Atom bombs
A national association representing the rights of children of atomic bomb victims will initiate a class action lawsuit against the central government in February 2017, in which it will demand financial compensation.
Image source here
Japanese version here
The association — which made the announcement on Dec. 20 — has decided to commence the lawsuit on the grounds that the current absence of support measures for children of A-bomb victims is essentially illegal.
The case will take place in district courts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This will be the first time for children of A-bomb victims to take legal action as a group.
The association consists of 19 groups across Japan, and the number of plaintiffs is predicted to reach approximately 50 — with people in regions such as Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Yamaguchi and Osaka expected to take part in the lawsuit.
Under the Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Assistance Act, A-bomb victims receive various kinds of support from the government, such as financial aid for medical costs. However, the children of the victims are exempt from this law on the grounds that there is insufficient scientific knowledge about the genetic effects of the A-bombs. Nevertheless, the government carries out annual health checkups for second-generation victims, in an attempt to address health concerns.
ニュースサイトで読む: http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20161221/p2a/00m/0na/005000c#csidxcbc33eb57285a2c8c202aa4ef39eae2 
Copyright 毎日新聞
Birgitta Jonsdottir, fighter for peace and transparency meets Edward Snowden
Long time anti war and anti nuclear stalwart Birgitta Jonsdottir wrote this today;
“There’s been growing support for Snowden in the States,” she says, “but for some reason, not by the administration, and particularly Obama. We don’t yet know what Trump’s position will be. But really, why not just guarantee him a fair trial? It’s not an unreasonable request. He’s not a war criminal, he’s a whistleblower. There’s no proof, even after all this time, that what he did put anyone in harm’s way. There was a very professional vetting of the documents that were published. And he completely transformed the public awareness of privacy—or the absolute lack of it.” Birgitta Jonsdottir Dec 2016
Pirate Party MP Meets Edward Snowden In Moscow
Published December 21, 2016
Birgitta Jónsdóttir has been back on Icelandic soil for less than twelve hours when we meet. During the previous three days, the Pirate Party MP, privacy activist and former Wikileaks volunteer quietly travelled to Moscow, where she took part in a documentary with Dr. Lawrence Lessig, and the world’s most famous whistleblower: Edward Snowden. The three were brought together by French journalist and documentarian Flore Vasseur, who has previously interviewed Birgitta and Lessig for the French media in her ongoing coverage of the current troubled state of democracy.
“I’m still processing the experience,” says the tired but upbeat Birgitta, flashing her trademark mischievous smile. “Lessig has been very busy trying to inspire the electoral college to act in the US. Then, there’s Edward Snowden. People get caught up in the soap opera around Snowden, but everything he does is driven by his belief in democratic process. So it was amazing to sit and brainstorm with these two guys, and ask: “What can we do?” Because we’re at a critical juncture in saving democracy right now.”
Mosquito drones
It was Birgitta’s first time in Russia, but as a former Wikileaks volunteer who helped bring the “Collateral Murder” film to the public, she’s long been a person of interest to the NSA, making for some nerve-wracking experiences of international travel.
“Beforehand, you don’t really know what’s going to happen,” she explains. “I don’t let myself get paranoid, but of course you have to be careful. People who are much more tech-savvy than me say that it’s possible for hard drives to be compromised coming through airport security. I use an iPhone and MacBook, which I shouldn’t if I want to be very careful. I use Signal, which I highly recommend. But of course, for real security, you should meet in person, and leave your phone behind.”
But even in-person meetings aren’t safe from being monitored. “There are now ‘mosquito drones’, similar to the size of a fly,” says Birgitta, “and listening devices can be directed at houses. The idea of privacy has been thrown away, as if it’s not a human right. Snowden helped to bring forward the idea that legislators are way too slow to protect citizens from these rapid advances in technology.”
Russian agents
After attaining a three-day visa, Birgitta entered Russia without incident, and was met at the airport by Lessig and the film crew. “I wasn’t worried about any trouble getting in,” she says. “I was more worried when I visited America. They didn’t have scanners and fingerprint technology in Moscow—they just stamped my passport. I was just careful to not make it public in advance, and I took some steps like leaving my laptop behind, and letting people know I’d only be communicating through secure email.”
The meeting took place in a central Moscow hotel. Organising it was a big operation. “There were lots and lots of FSB agents around the hotel,” says Birgitta, “and there were a lot of manoeuvres—the location was changed at the last minute, and there was a lot of security from the hotel side. The film crew were operating on a tight budget, and did amazing work.”
When Birgitta went in to meet Snowden “He was sitting doing a Rubik’s cube,” she says. “I sort of feel like I know him, because we’ve been communicating for a while. So when I finally met him, it was like meeting an old friend. It was a very good feeling. He seemed healthy and, you know—okay. That was the most important thing to witness. He was really calm and composed.”
An academic, a poet and a geek
Follow link for the rest of the meeting;
https://grapevine.is/news/2016/12/21/exclusive-pirate-party-mp-meets-edward-snowden-in-moscow/https://grapevine.is/news/2016/12/21/exclusive-pirate-party-mp-meets-edward-snowden-in-moscow/
“The Age of Fission” interview with Dr Karl Grossman
Just out, an interview on Lonnie Clark’s “The Age of Fission” program with Dr Karl Grossman
Image source; Blog Times of Isreal
Karl Grossman is a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. For more than 45 years he has pioneered the combination of investigative reporting and environmental journalism in a variety of media. He is the host of the nationally aired television program Enviro Close-Up, the narrator and host of award-winning TV documentaries on environmental and energy issues, the author of six books and writer of numerous magazine, newspaper and Internet articles. Wiki page here
The case of the Technetium cow!
Proponents of medical radioisotopes, and the nuclear industry, continue to hide – through ignorance or malice – the fact that some so-called short-lived radioisotopes, such as Technetium 99m degrade to insanely long-lived radionuclides. Even many anti-nuclear activists fall into this trap. Technetium 99m becomes Technetium 99 which remains radioactive, and hence lethal, for over 3 million years!
Thus, there can be no legitimate justification for its use either in nuclear medicine or as discharges from nuclear reactors. Therefore, the US should emphatically not construct a facility for the production of this lethal crap, i.e. “Moly Cow”. And, they should cease to use and import it. Oppose here: “Construction Permit Application for the Northwest Medical Isotopes, LLC, Medical Radioisotope Production Facility. A Notice by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on 11/09/2016 Comment against it before the 30th of December 2016. It’s easy and can be anonymous: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/11/09/2016-27058/construction-permit-application-for-the-northwest-medical-isotopes-llc-medical-radioisotope
“Technetium-99 (99Tc) is an isotope of technetium which decays with a half-life of 211,000 years to stable ruthenium-99, emitting beta particles[1], but no gamma rays. It is the most significant long-lived fission product of uranium fission, producing the largest fraction of the total long-lived radiation emissions of nuclear waste. Technetium-99 has a fission product yield of 6.0507% for thermal neutron fission of uranium-235. Technetium-99m (99mTc)is a short-lived (half-life about 6 hours) metastable nuclear isomer used in nuclear medicine, produced from molybdenum-99. It decays by isomeric transition to technetium-99,…” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technetium-99 ( Last accessed 27 Feb 2016, version 18 April 2015; Emphasis our own.)
Half-life chart. 15 times 211,000 is over 3 million years.
With increasingly sophisticated ultrasound, there is no good reason to continue to use these lethal radioisotopes: https://medlineplus.gov/ultrasound.html In fact, even without ultrasound, there can be no true justification for medical tests which damage the environment for millions of years and thus causes more life-shortening illnesses in people and animals, long after the person is dead. Everyone is going to die.
Real cows can be cute. “Technetium cows” aka “Moly cows” destroy life!
USDA Photo by Scott Bauer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technetium-99m_generator
And, contrary to popular opinion, people who didn’t die of infectious disease were living very old and healthy – into their 90s and 100s – prior to the usage of radioisotopes. In fact, there was much less cancer prior to the invention of x-rays, the radium craze, and the rise of the nuclear industry. Any increases in longevity have long been known to have to do with better nutrition, better hygiene – “Public Health”: i.e. Outhouses or septic tanks separated a certain distance from water wells in rural areas, plumbing in urban areas, garbage pick-up, zoning, reduction of crowding, hand washing and not spitting in public. It is important to understand the difference between arithmetic average (mean), which by including high infant mortality rates falses the average, and the median (half above, half below) or mode (most frequent), which would be more appropriate.
Rachel Carson and Ending the Nuclear Age – Video
Beyond Nuclear’s Linda Pentz Gunter was a featured speaker at the recent Rachel Carson Jubilee and Civic Colloquium, hosted by the Rachel Carson Council. She joined Full Body Burden author, Kristen Iverson, and Council for a Livable World executive director, and former Congressman, John Tierney, on a panel about nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Watch their presentations here.
Rachel Carson was opposed to nuclear weapons and testing and radioactive wastes as early as 1946 when she saw the results of biological studies done after two American atomic bomb blasts at Bikini Atoll. She campaigned for Adlai Stevenson and John F. Kennedy for President in part because of their opposition to open-air nuclear testing. Panelists present on the relevance of Carson’s anti-nuclear legacy for today.
Kristen Iversen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of Cincinnati, author of Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats
Linda Pentz Gunter
Co-founder, Beyond Nuclear, international expert on nuclear power
John Tierney, J.D.
Executive Director, the Council for a Livable World, former nine-term congressman from Massachusetts on House Oversight and Intelligence Committees.
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Now until to February 10, 2026 Radioactive waste storage in France: the debate is finally open! How to participate?
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