nuclear-news

To February 3rd – Nuclear News

Henry Kissinger, long term and still influential political adviser, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that a pre-emptive strike on North Korea was “tempting”and “a rational argument”. And, with Trump’s new  Nuclear Posture Review, the world moves even closer to the brink. With the nuclear weapons race, is the unthinkable now becoming a comfortable idea?

I think of the “Me Too”movement – to change the situation of women being sexually exploited by predators,  and of this being covered up by men in power. And it is surely now time for a “Me Too” movement  – as insane decisions are being made about nuclear weapons by men in power.

Media silence on Julian Assange‘s precarious situation.

USA. Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review considers Russian “doomsday weapon”, though it might not be real.  Top U.S. nuke envoy says Washington wants talks with N.K. for denuclearization . Nuclear poker: Trump’s dangerous game. Daniel Ellsberg says that Trump is leading us into nuclear war. Pentagon plans  U.S. South Korea war games as soon as Winter Olympics are over.

The USA nuclear lobby is now trying to tie up longterm tax-payer funding for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors.

• The continuing collapse of the nuclear industry in USA. Nuclear power in crisis: we are entering the Era of Nuclear Decommissioning.  South Carolina legislature preoccupied with the problem of failed nuclear power project. Nuclear firm Westinghouse owes them $111 billion, claim creditors. Following multibillion-dollar nuclear fiasco, Santee Cooper to drop ‘ridiculous’ perk for executives. Oyster Creek nuclear power station to close ahead of schedule.
• Why should you care about ‘specks’ of plutonium? Hanford health challenge. Dept of Energy changes managers at Hanford, as radioactive contamination continues.
• Data faked at Hunters Point Shipyard Radiation Cleanup ?
• Potential of yeast to stop leakage of radioactive material.
• Trump puts uranium miners’ interests above Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments.

JAPAN. Lethal radiation detected at Fukushima plant reactor 2. Japan Should Clarify its Plutonium Usage Plans.  Lingering effects of 2011 disaster take toll in fallout-hit Fukushima, experts warn. Tokyo Not Fit For Human Habitation?

CHINA.  Chinese Arsenal Significantly Smaller, Less Capable Than U.S. Arsenal.  China reorganising its nuclear companies in order to export nuclear technology. Britain’s new nuclear build – a profitable “golden era” for China’s State-owned nuclear companies.

UK.  Britain’s Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) wants to increase its radiation releases by over 2,000 per cent.  The dangerous job of specialist scuba divers hauling radioactive trash out of Sizewell nuclear fuel storage pond. The expensive hunt for robots that might help clean up UK’s Sellafield nuclear waste horror.

KAZAKHSTAN. Kazakhstan’s U.N. ambassador – nuclear testing harmed his country; dismantling nuclear arsenal has benefited it.

CANADA. Massachusetts gets a great power deal from Quebec. What is Ontario waiting for?

RUSSIA. Hazards of Russia’s radioactive trash in the Arctic.

SOUTH AFRICA. South Africa can’t afford nuclear build – renewable energy a wiser choice

MALAYSIA. History of rare earths processing disaster in Malaysia.

BELGIUM. Not feasible to keep Belgium’s nuclear power stations going – new study finds.

FRANCE. EDF’s plan to eventually shut down nuclear reactors in France.

NIGERIA. Nuclear fraud in Nigeria.

February 3, 2018 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes