nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

10 December  – Nobel Peace Prize awarded to International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

The Nobel Laureates take center stage in Stockholm on 10 December, when they receive the Nobel Medal and Diploma from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

ICAN is, of course, hoping the prize will convince more people to back its bomb ban.

But it also wants more public debate about the pace of nuclear disarmament — many nuclear experts agree things have moved too slowly, for too long.

“I would hope [ICAN’s work] generates some momentum within existing processes for disarmament,” Mr Dall said.

“If it doesn’t, then the long-term impact could be that nothing is going to happen and that really is the worst possible long-term impact.”

Regardless, the prize, the controversy and “ambassador boycott” is all invaluable for ICAN itself.

Anything that prompts more global coverage of nuclear weapons and the destruction they can unleash, is much more useful to it than any number of diplomatic niceties in Norway this weekend.

December 8, 2017 Posted by | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | Leave a comment

The news to 8th December – nuclear and climate

Can Humans Survive? Nuclear weapons and climate change both threaten our existence, but with different time scales and probability.

Closer to the nuclear brink: American air drills begin over the Korean peninsula. The human consequences of nuclear war: a new medical plea against war.

Nuclear news in America is getting more intriguing – with more being revealed about the shady nuclear deals done by Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.  It’s enough for Trump’s lawyers to be concerned, as Flynn is now co-operating with the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.

On the climate front – when it comes to climate predictions –  the most accurate ones are turning out to be the worst case scenarios. Even in rich countries, climate change is already costing us all financially, and it’s going to get worse.

The illegality of  a plan for a nuclear attack.

Hanford, USA and Mayak, Russia – their hidden radioactive megapollution.

Media to blame for focussing on Trump trivia, minimising climate change.

ANTARCTICA. Antarctica – so remote, but so significant in climate science.– An immense glacier is melting, in Antarctica.

NORTH KOREA.  United Nations’ political chief makes rare visit to North Korea.   North Korea says nuclear war on Korean Peninsula inevitable. U.S. ex-envoy Robert Gallucci urges Washington and Pyongyang to consider China’s ‘freeze to freeze’ compromise.  Environmental dangers from North Korea’s nuclear bomb tests. North Korean nuclear tests sickening residents with ‘ghost disease,’ defectors say.

UK. Electricity from Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) would be much more expensive than from ‘conventional’ reactors. Small Modular Nuclear Reactors not economically viable, but UK govt is funding them anyway. Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit calls for windfarms: wind energy now cheapest form of electricity.

USA.

JAPAN. Tokyo 2020 Olympics costs skyrocket because of Fukushima nuclear reconstruction.  Tokyo 2020 to feed IOC food from disaster-hit regions.   The Japanese Government Is Lying to the International Community: the Radiological Situation in and around Fukushima is NOT Safe.

Failure of Monju fast-breeder nuclear reactor leaves Japan with a huge spent fuel problem. UN General Assembly endorses a Japanese anti-nuclear resolution.   Proposal for Japan to ‘rent’ nuclear weapons from USA.

Fukushima dome roof takes shape, but radiation remains high.   Tepco officials warned workers and journalists not to stand too long next to Fukushima nuclear reactor storage pool. Japan struck by two earthquakes.

RUSSIA. Incident at Russia’s Mayak nuclear reprocessing plant may have caused radiation cloud over Europe.   Fundamental problems with the Russian nuclear industry.    Russia’s deception, denial and propaganda over the nuclear event at Mayak. Russia slams North Korea’s nuclear gambling and US’ provocative conduct.

CANADA. Search narrowed for place to store used nuclear fuel. Just say no to a nuclear waste dump anywhere near the Great Lakes: the message from many officials and residents. Candu nuclear reactor to be buried.

UKRAINE. Risk of Chernobyl sarcophagus collapsing – radiation danger to workers now sealing it    Solar power to take over, on Chernobyl’s nuclear wasteland.

FRANCE. Drones still buzz around France’s nuclear power plants!  France to reduce its use of nuclear power as soon as possible, and discredit the myth of “cheap” nuclear energy. European citizens lodge a complaint against EDF and French govt on nuclear unsafety.

ARMENIA. Armenia considers plan to abandon nuclear power and go for renewables.

 

December 8, 2017 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Electricity from Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) would be much more expensive than from ‘conventional’ reactors

Power from mini nuclear plants ‘would cost more than from large ones’
UK government study finds electricity would be nearly one-third pricier than it would from plants such as Hinkley Point C, Guardian, Adam Vaughan, 7 Dec 17, Electricity from the first mini nuclear power stations in Britain would be likely to be more expensive than from large atomic plants such as Hinkley Point C, according to a government study.

Power from small modular reactors (SMRs) would cost nearly one-third more than conventional large ones in 2031, the report found, because of reduced economies of scale and the costs of deploying first-of-a-kind technology.

The analysis by the consultancy Atkins for the Department for Business, Energyand Industrial Strategy said there was “a great deal of uncertainty with regards to the economics” of the smaller reactors.

However, the authors said such reactors should be able to cut costs more quickly than large ones because they could be built and put into service in less time.

Advocates have argued that the reactors could be built in factories and achieve savings through their modular nature.

While the report covers the technology being used by several of the international companies seeking government support, it does not apply to the design being pushed by businesses including Rolls-Royce.

A government source said nuclear companies had told officials that the cost of the technology had come down since the report, which was finished in July last year but only published on Thursday.

As revealed by the Guardian earlier this week, ministers confirmed that SMR developers would receive £56m of public funding for research and development over three years. A further £86m was announced for work on nuclear fusion.

Greg Clark, the business secretary, said the backing would help the nuclear sector compete globally………

The government also defended Britain’s need for new nuclear power in the face of falling renewable costs.

Richard Harrington, the energy minister, said the record low subsidies recently awarded to offshore windfarms emphasised the challenge for the French, Korean, Chinese and Japanese companies building the UK’s new generation of nuclear plants to be competitive on price………

green groups and politicians accused the government of talking down renewables.

Doug Parr, the policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: “Instead of downplaying the rapid advancement of UK renewables, the government should concentrate on the export opportunities for this UK success story.”

Caroline Lucas, the Green party co-leader, called the UK’s energy policy a mess. “Ministers are ploughing huge sums of money into supporting overpriced nuclear, while retaining a de facto ban on onshore wind and failing to give solar the support the sector needs,” she said……. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/07/power-mini-nuclear-plants-cost-more-hinkley-point-c

December 8, 2017 Posted by | Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, technology, UK | Leave a comment

Whistleblower Info About Flynn Nuclear Deal Text Message Within Minutes Of Trump Being Sworn In As President

miningawareness's avatarMining Awareness +

“Whistleblower Provides Key Info About Flynn Text to Business Colleague During Trump Inauguration Dec 6, 2017 Press Release
Whistleblower Provides Key Info About Flynn Text to Business Colleague During Trump Inauguration
Cummings Asks Gowdy to Stop Blocking Flynn Investigation and Finally Subpoena White House and Others
 
Washington, D.C. (Dec. 6, 2017)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter informing Chairman Trey Gowdy about a whistleblower who has come forward with evidence that Lt. General Michael Flynn—within minutes of Donald Trump being sworn in as President—was communicating directly with his former business colleague about their plan to work with Russia to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East.
 
According to the whistleblower, Alex Copson, the managing partner of ACU Strategic Partners—which funded Flynn’s trip to the Middle East in 2015—attended an event on Inauguration Day during…

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December 8, 2017 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What Kind of Nuclear Attack Would be Legal?

Legal scholar George Delf’s Humanizing Hell! The Law V. Nuclear Weapons is concise, bold, and direct. “[A]rmed forces are committed by military, domestic and international law not to attack non-combatants. Any government which adopts a defense policy implying such an attack is therefore inciting its own forces to commit war crimes on a gigantic and suicidal scale.”

Jaime C.'s avatarCounter Information

By John Laforge

US general says order to launch nuclear weapons can be refused if illegal

—Chicago Tribune, Nov. 18

US nuclear commander would balk at any “illegal” order

—MSNBC, Nov. 18

General heading Strategic Command says illegal nuclear launch order can be refused

—NBC News, Nov. 18

Top general says he would resist “illegal” nuke order from Trump

—CBS News, Nov. 18

Top US general says he would resist illegal nuclear strike order from Donald Trump

—The Independent, Nov. 18

All these headlines give the direct impression that a nuclear attack could be legal in some circumstances. But is this possible?

Air Force General John Hyten, commander of Strategic Command, told the Halifax International Security Forum Nov. 18, that an order from the president to launch nuclear weapons can be refused if that order is determined to be illegal. In the face of an unlawful order, Gen. Hyten said…

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December 8, 2017 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment