Nuclear news – week to 20th January

The climate of fear. An article by Tony Schwartz, biographer of Donald Trump, describes Trump’s main effect on the body politic , after a year in office: “Trump has made fear the dominant emotion of our times.” This culture of fear is now expressed in actions – USA quietly preparing for war with North Korea, Russia’s new underwater drone – a ‘doomsday’ weapon, United Nations: Secretary General warns on growing nuclear war danger.

End nuclear weapons and nuclear power – we owe this to our children.

I’m so sorry that I’m not now covering climate change issues – it’s not as if these are going away!

Nuclear weapons a poor choice for defense against cyber attacks. Pentagon suggests nuclear weapons to counter cyber attacks.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging nations not to damage Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement.

USA.

Daniel Ellsberg – we can dismantle the “dizzyingly insane and immoral” Doomsday Machine. Amid North Korea tensions, America revs up nuclear bomber deployments to Guam. Possibility of first strike, and increased nuclear role in USA weapons – leaked draft of USA policy document.
2018 – a lovely year ahead for America’s bonanza of weapons sales abroad.
Legal cases to begin, as shareholders sue, over $9 billion nuclear power project debacle. Westinghouse executive whistleblower demoted after he identified South Carolina’s V.C. Summer nuclear problems.
Kathleen Hartnett White, Trump nominee for White House Environment czar, faked water radiation data.
Radiation problems at Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant – 100 workers moved to new offices.
Should GE’s Mark 1 Nuclear Reactor Be Recalled Worldwide Like a Faulty Unsafe Automobile?
NASA’s great plan for tax-payer funded nuclear reactors on Mars.
Uranium pollution dispels the grand illusion of “clean America”. Navajo town remembers water pollution due to uranium mining – fears of new mines.

JAPAN. Long-Term Exposure to Low-Dose Radiation and Cancer: Dr. David Richardson at the Hiroshima Peace Institute . TEPCO claims to have found ‘fuel debris’ in No. 2 reactor. Troubled Toshiba plans to eliminate negative net worth by selling Westinghouse claims to U.S. hedge fund. Japan-U.S. nuclear fuel reprocessing pact automatically renews after 30-year deadline passes.

INDIA. Forcible displacement of Indian villagers to make way for unnecessary, uneconomic, nuclear reactors. India again test-fires a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile.

UK.

UK nuclear lobby uses the good old “medical” pretense in its zeal for government subsidies.
Nuclear companies EDF, Horizon, struggle to get investors and taxpayer funding for UK nuclear projects. Risky tax-payer funding for Britain’s Wylfa nuclear power venture. Horizon Nuclear’s Wylfa nuclear plan will increase UK’s radioactive trash by 80%.
Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) search processes indicate Cumbria’s unsuitability for nuclear waste dumping.
Murder of top nuclear scientist: did British government fail to protect him?
Richard Howson, fresh from the scandal of Carillion’s disastrous failure, now to head inspections at Hinkley nuclear.

PACIFIC ISLANDS. Sea level rise, nuclear trash – Pacific islanders tragedy – only New Zealand offers help.

FRANCE. France’s costly and unsatisfactory efforts at dismantling nuclear reactors.

CANADA. Indigenous Canadians oppose “insanity” of planned nuclear waste disposal near Ottawa River. Groups opposed to new nuclear licence march in Ottawa.

SOUTH AFRICA. Clear danger of South Africa’s energy company Eskom defaulting on its debt.